Behind a Video Shoot - Hunter Valentine's "Break This"

I've always wanted to see what goes on behind the scenes in the making of a rock video, so I couldn't resist the opportunity to sign up as an "extra" at the shooting of a new Hunter Valentine video last Sunday, for their song "Break This". Hunter Valentine is an awesome up-and-coming Toronto band... a rock chick trio with a great new album.

I knew I had to show up for 11am on Sunday, but little did I know that it would last until 11pm!!!

"Extra" appears to mean extra endurance.

I can hardly wait to see 12 hours of video boiled down to 3 minutes. That'll probably take them several months.

It was shot in an old warehouse in downtown Toronto. There were about 20 of us "extras", who mainly played a cheering crowd. Aside from the band playing the featured song over and over, there was a background plot involving roller derby chicks.

I couldn't take photos while I was on camera myself, but I got some here and there, mostly at the set-up time near the beginning...


Make-up time for lead singer, Kiyomi...


Drummer, Laura, laces up Kiyomi's new shoes...


Laura taking the tags off of bass player, Adrienne's, new jeans...



Now it's time to fix the hair...



Extras (like me) gathering outside for the opening scene...



One of a dozen roller derby "extras" taking a few practice rounds...



The band sets up...



"Extras... line up in your places"...



A bit of girl-on-girl action...


It seems so bizarre to think about the whole process, even though it was only four days ago!

Then I thought, hey, I'll bet I can make a video using these and other photos I captured that day (a video about the making of the video). Here's the result, including the video-shoot song in the background....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDbKPHtB09s