crazy shoot!

The day started off with me being late for a shoot (creative) by an hour. Now I had another excuse, France just changed time from summer to winter hours and I got confused in the morning. Anyways, no one told me a word and was not going to start working on me the minute I got there. I notice that French people are really laid back, they like taking breaks, going out for a cigarette, or even smoking it anywhere inside, having wine or beer, talking… all that until they realize that they have to finish really soon and they must start working! It makes me laugh when they say that they are so stressed because they have too much to do, because I see them collecting all the things they need to do and leaving them till the last minute and then rushing and stressing.

So, I arrived for the shoot, had a coffee, hung out, had another coffee and we finally started the process. The idea was that there are 6 characters, there were another 2 girls playing 4 characters in previous days (one of them was my apartment mate Nastya) and the other girl was from Barrie! I was supposed to be a housewife for the first look and a ‘blakk’ for the second look. To be honest, I never thought I would shoot something like this in Paris. It was beyond crazy! First, this was for an exhibition that will take place at the end of November. Second, they weren’t only taking a regular shot, but also a portrait, also a 3D photo and a video! It was one loooong day! We shot for 10 hours… and don’t get me wrong, the photos are cool, especially the 3D (which can be seen with the glasses only, unfortunately), but I would never be able to use this for my portfolio! It also turned out that the agency did not know that this would be the concept. Regardless, it was a fun day but crazy.

For the housewife I was dressed up in an orange neon dress, with orange tights, stripper shoes, some weird sparkly jacket, crazy orange make up and outrageous hair with rollers in it. I was playing a crazy housewife. In the shot, I was standing with an ironing board, pretending like I was ironing and a phone beside me. I was making crazy faces for the picture. Making the video was more fun. For one shot I was asked to throw all the clothes that I had on an ironing board to the sides and one piece at the camera, as if I was pissed off at something. I did that. Then for the next, face shot, I was asked to take the phone and started yelling at someone, as if I were mad at a person on the phone. It was so funny, because i was actually supposed to scream something. I decided to say things in Russian, and I was yelling and yelling, and playing the character when the videographer said ‘stop’, I did not hear him and continued on. Everyone started laughing at me. It was a good laughJ They, later, told me that I am a good actress and a great model, which was a nice compliment.

The next look was less fun primarily because of my hair and make-up. My poor hair was teased, and sprayed and straightened, but the outcome was cool. The hairdresser came up with something spectacular on my head. Make up was a whole other story. The make-up artist put tape on my face, painted blank spots black colour and put sparkles all over the black stripes. I was put on set, we did a shoot, we did a video, we did a 3D photo… during this process I could not have any water because there were no straws and I had black make up on my lips, and my face was itching because of the sparkles on it. When the shoot was over, the crew screamed ‘Champaign for everyone!!!’ I guess this was to make everyone feel better after a long day! And I had to take this make up off my face. The baby wipes, the make up remover, the soap and water did not help. I looked like I had a poppy seed disease, all covered with those sparkles. So, make up artist and hairstylist and me had to take those things off with tape! The next day I woke up with skin on my face scratched and irritated. Yes, I can officially call this shoot the craziest one yet.

getting my make-up done



make up station




Barrie girl on set




crazy houswife



'Blakk'



tryong to take these things off...



Ksenia