Albert Frost's Television featuring.....Helene!!!

Albert Frost's Television featuring.....Helene!!!
19 November 20120

Okay, so when I say “Albert Frost’s Television featuring…..Helene!!!”, I don’t mean that I’m on his actual TV in his lounge.  That would be just too creepy for words.  Or that he has a framed picture of me on top of his TV set either.  Equally weird.  But in a strange way, I suppose, technically it is possible.  Especially if his new music video, featuring yours truly gets picked up by one of the TV stations, like MK for instance.  Because, then it could quite bizarrely really be true.  And the video aside, I think it is an awesome tune for any of our SABC TV stations or even ETV to use as a jingle advertising their station.  The song is after all very aptly named Television.  It is not one of his latest songs, but the video itself is fresh so to speak.

About two and a half years ago, I was visiting my Mom in Tulbagh.  Also my brother’s home town.  Visiting there is just so awesome.  Aside from the whole wholesome platteland-ness of it all, the unkempt natural beauty, wide open spaces, clean living and fresh air, some of my very favourite people in the whole world live there.  My mom, her Daya and my bonus sister, Katarina as well as my favourite brother, Al.  Okay, okay, so he’s my only brother but still.  And on this particular visit to Tulbagh, it was the grand occasion of doing a music video for Albert’s song, Television.  I vaguely recall that talk of it had been in the pipeline, but hadn’t realised that it was happening on this visit, so the timing was purely accidental.

Messages were sent to all and sundry (mainly friends), to meet at about 7pm, after dark, in Tulbagh’s main cultural little street, called Church Street.  Most of the buildings in this road are national monuments and it is truly charmingly picturesque.  Even at night time.  We were all asked to wear white shirts and jeans – hardly a tough task.  The brief was simple – basic clothes, night time shoot, walking in the road, projected images of Albert shone on to us and the surrounds, etc.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  How hard can this be?  Hardly rocket science.

Yet I was amazed by the amount of technical people involved.  There were camera’s and lights.  Techies and roadies and gofers alike.  Miles and miles of cabling.  Shoots, reshoots and then re-reshoots some more.  Something I had not anticipated at all, was the difficulty in synchronising Albert’s lip syncing for the video to the actual track we had playing in the back ground to guide him.  He is also playing a guitar in the video, and it was obviously equally important that his hand movements in the video, matched those of the music that was being played.  Much more difficult that I had ever thought it would be.  The sound was not that great as it was at night, and we had to be respectful towards the locals, especially as it was a school night.  So we couldn’t do the whole loud speaker amplifier thing.  We were also on a moving set so to speak.  We tried a couple of different ideas, with us extra’s being positioned and dotted around the road at random.  It was fun just being herded around.  No thinking involved – just doing what we were told to do.

The creative process and vision of the director was an interesting thing to witness.  Because whereas all of us, had no idea what the end product was going to be, he clearly had it sewn up tight in his mind.  His instructions were exact.  It had to look a certain way and he ensured that he got it just right and that we obliged him.

I am just so impressed with the video.  Condensed down from hours of footage to a mere three minutes – amazing!  I think it looks marvellous.  And the very best bit about the music video, is that I’m barely visible – my part is but fleeting – hooray!!!  My mom looks beautiful and quite ethereal I think.  Such a magnificent lady.  I love the projected images of Albert playing, set against the backdrop of the old buildings and the glorious and majestic looking trees.  I also love the way, they sort of superimpose Albert’s face over ours, matching it up perfectly to him in the end.  A masterpiece if you ask me.

I attach the Youtube link, and urge you to have a look at it, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TPHLLYVrUAE.  All I can say is enjoy!  It’s a beauty.

And perhaps, just perhaps, if we send enough requests for airplay in to TV stations, the likes of MK etc., then one day soon, you might even be lucky enough to have your very own Television featuring…..Helene!!!  In your very own lounge to boot.  Now that is a scary thought!

 

The opening pic of the video

 

 

Photo courtesy of the brilliant Louis Vorster

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