American Girl’s latest doll turns 1980s nostalgia all the way up to 11. To celebrate the release of Courtney Moore, they teamed up with Nickelodeon and Hayley LeBlanc to send them on an 80’s Adventure.
The music video/video game hybrid isn’t the first time that director James Kapner and I have had the fortune of using an iconic song. Just about 8 years earlier, we used Nicki Minaj’s “Starships” for our X-Box/Dance Central 3 promo.
This time, we utilized Cyndi Lauper’s classic, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” The song is constantly covered, which helps keep it on the minds of subsequent generations. In case you missed it, I prefer this one from STRFKR.
Shooting on September 18, 2020 during COVID-19 presented several challenges to production. To maintain social distancing, we shot talent individually and composited them into the same shots in post. The only exception came during the jam session in the middle of the video, where both Amanda and Alicia played their instruments side-by-side.
Having James and I tested 2 days before the shoot and the remaining crew receiving rapid tests before call time granted extra peace of mind for my first larger scale production since the outbreak.
Our spacious home in Canoga Park had enough room to set up the green screen, build the performance stage, and still socially distance! On day 2, I headed to Hayley’s home serving as a one-man band for all of her contributions. Initially, COVID precautions prevented us from professionally capturing her scenes, but a last minute audible enabled me to go there and keep the look consistent throughout the video.
Thanks to my Blackmagic UltraStudio Recorder 3G, we sent a crystal clear camera feed into our Zoom with client so they could be on set virtually. When paired with an iPad, both talent and off-site crew could communicate efficiently. I’ve had a few shoots to tweak the set-up and it’s pretty solid as long as the location has decent internet speeds.
Camera side, we utilized my Sony FS7 and Angénieux EZ Type 1 & 2 zoom lenses. To separate the worlds inside and out of the video game, we added the Tiffen GlimmerGlass 2 in the bedrooms while employing a 90° shutter for the dance video. The latter also helped with the motion blur so we’d get a cleaner key from the green screen.
While we’re playing with nostalgia and 80’s references throughout the piece, James and the client wanted to infuse the rockstar section (which starts at 1:36) with some modern touches. Nothing says current music video more than Astera FP-1 Titan tubes, so my gaffer, Zachary Perez, programmed an exciting sequence for the 8 of them spread around set. For the key, we rigged my LiteMat S2 Hybrid 4 as a top light in “fire mode” (where the output level randomly changes like a flame would) to add to the lighting variability. The only constant lights were our two left and right sidey-backlights and the architectural spot on the background.
Our martini shot was the money shot: the pullback from the TV to reveal Courtney on the bed. We used every inch of my 4′ MYTWorks Slider to capture the move as envisioned in James’s mind.
Many thanks to our longtime co-conspirator, James T. Moore for the opportunity. It’s always a pleasure working with the duo of James Kapner and Adam Makowka at Runners along with our entire talented cast and crew.
What’s your favorite 80’s song? I’d say it’s one of my two karaoke go-to’s: “Jesse’s Girl” or “Take Me Home Tonight.” Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” is also a nostalgic classic…