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No drums. No drums. The drummer needs his drums for a gig, so SORRY, there are no drums for the photo shoot. But the photo shoot can't work without the drums.
It's desperate. Tory rings around. NO DRUMS. Dean, the guitarist rings around. NO DRUMS. Susanne rings. NO DRUMS. Then someone says, BILLY HYDE. They're the drum gurus of Sydney.
Tim from BILLY HYDE says, 'yeah, we've got an old drum kit. Just came in as a trade-in. Looks bad though.' Tory and Susanne don't care. 'Sure, you can borrow them for the shoot.'
SAVED BY BILLY HYDE!
Step-dad Bill arrives in his one ton truck to the Surry Hills shop. The drums are waiting. 'We fixed them up,' BILLY HYDE says. 'Put new skins on them. Looks okay now.' The drums are loaded into the truck and they ride down looking 'cool and terrific' on the way to The Hughenden for the drum shoot.
Susanne and Tory are waiting. They scream. The drums look great.
Thanks BILLY HYDE - www.drumcraft.com.au/events
Tory has one guitar, but the base and the other two guitars are missing. NO ONE wants to lend their guitar to girl models for the shoot even though there are promises to take care of the guitar. The guitars cost thousands of dollars and they're tied to the guitarists hips. NO WAY comes from every direction.
'We don't need a base. No will notice if it doesn't look like a rhythm guitar,' Susanne says.
'You're kidding Mum.'
That's it, we have to get two other guitars and a base. More desperate phone calls. RANDWICK GIRLS HIGH is a last minute angel. Marianne Cerkeses career adviser at the school, asks the Music Department. The school is happy to promote youth music and books and YA literature. One guitar is locked in a cupboard with no key onsite. It's panic but we now have at least a base guitar.
Thanks RANDWICK GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL - www.randwickg-h.schools.nsw.edu.au
'Please Dean. Please.' Dean, the guitarist for NOT PERFECT looks worried, because nothing can happen to his guitar.
'But they don't play. They're models. They don't know about guitars.'
'But I do,' Tory promises to look after Dean's guitar.
Dean's separation from his guitar is tough, but Tory escapes with his guitar and lots of promises before he changes his mind.
Thanks DEAN ADAMS - www.myspace.com/jonreichardt
TWO GUITARS, ONE BASE GUITAR, ONE DRUM KIT
SUCCESS - PROPS READY TO GO
Girl models arrive carrying lots of clothes. They've been given a character description and what sort of clothes would suit the characters in That's Why I Wrote This Song:-
The designer had briefed the girls before the photo shoot:-
What to wear. What make-up. The Image:-
You need to wear real style fashion that connects with the readership.
Characters:
- Pip - 'cool' in style youth fashion with some make-up
- Karen - rebellious clothes
- Angie - right there into fashion dress with lots of make-up
- Irina - casual look with minimal make up
Angie has to change a few times. She looks gorgeous in a spotted dress. Irina wear shirt and pants. Right image. Karen's a wild child and Pip's right.
The make-up artist Patricia Wint is so experienced and has done lots of photo shoots. She has all the professional make-up gear, lots of notes and photos of the make-up styles for the characters.
There's disaster when Angie drops the very, very expensive nail polish all over the tiles. It's clean-up with nail polish remover and scrubbing. The girls look fantastic. Angie's even more beautiful and Karen even more rebellious. Irina's intense and smart and Pip's searching. They're ready to shoot.
Location Photo Shoot
Job Details |
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia |
Location |
Address: The Hughenden Boutique Hotel |
Props |
Band - drums, guitars to be provided by Tory Gervay |
HarperCollins |
Design: Helen Biles & Christine Orchard |
Crew |
Photographer: Belinda Mason-Lovering |
Call Times |
Hair & Make-Up: 8.00am (Four models required) |
The photographer Belinda Mason-Lovering carries a folder of band photos and images, a complex camera with a huge lens. She's set up lights and camera equipment and she's in control.
She has done a lot of research on the characters in the novel. There are extensive notes made by the photographer and also make up artist about the dress, make-up hair, attitude of each girl. The girls brought a range of clothes to ensure they were right for the character. So Karen wears a black, more music outfit, while Angie who loves clothes and fashion wears a fashionable dress. Irina is in more casual clothes and Pip is in a party dress.
Belinda consults with the HarperCollins book designer to ensure that the photos meet her specifications.
Tory is the music and band advisor, making sure the girls play the drums correctly and hold the guitars like real guitarists Tory's songs - I Wanna Be Found and Psycho Dad belt out of the music system.
'A base guitar has to be held against the hip.' Tory shows the character Angie how to act like she's really playing.
The guitars are heavy and there's only one strap. So Belinda says there's go to be no straps. The girls get into character and start moving to the music. They're jumping up and down, thrashing the drums, flinging their hair across their faces as Belinda demands - 'Jump now. Flick your hair forward, backward. Turn left. Strum the guitars together.'
It's exhausting. There are make-up and hair breaks for touching up. Design consulting breaks. Checking photos on the digital camera. Some drink stops. Lunch is brought in and left on the trestle table. More photos. More of everything.
The girls are having fun, but they're exhausted too. The guitars are getting heavier and jumping in high heels needs a lot of balance. There's insurance and the hospital isn't too far away. Just joking. There're no accidents. They look fantastic.
It's over at 4.30 p.m. It was a good day. Lots of photographs for the designers to choose from the cover. The cover is a whole other process.
For details about Belinda Mason-Lovering's photography go to her website:- www.mason-lovering.com.au.