Wednesday 10 September 2008

Naked Zombie

Well, it’s been a fun-packed, roughly art related few days.

Getting Naked.
On Thursday I got to take part in Spencer Tunick’s latest photo shoot on the rooftop bar and pool at the private members club, Shoreditch House, in London. For anyone who doesn’t know, Spencer Tunick is famous for his beautiful photos of hundreds, if not thousands, of naked people standing or lying down in various locations around the world.
The shoot that I stripped off for is part of his new ‘parties series’. It was an amazingly liberating – being naked in a large group of naked strangers. Everyone was totally buzzing from the experience, although I’m sure the free alcohol beforehand helped a little. I would advice anyone to take part in one of his shoots if ever the chance comes up. I’ll see if I can get hold of an image from the night (apparently, everyone who takes part in Tunick’s photo-shoots gets a free print of the event) and post it on my blog at a later date. But in the meantime, why not check out some Tunick’s other photos on www.spencertunick.com – they are incredible.

Being a Zombie
This Sunday was third time lucky for me. I finally got to play a zombie in a zombie film, even if I was the one that got shot through the head whilst sitting on the toilet - there’s no dignity in death.
The first time I was supposed to be a zombie was in Andy Edwards’ first zombie flick, ‘Houseparty of the Dead’ (my acting was particularly bad, which I put down to being a bit drunk, being given the script at the last minute and being a bad actor). However, I ended up playing someone who got attacked and eaten by zombies, which strangely enough is exactly what happened to me when I was supposed to play a zombie in Charley Brooker’s new 6 part zombie drama, ‘Dead Set’, showing on channel 4 this coming October – type casting I tells yee.
Anyway – back to Sunday. I allowed Andy and rest of the Paranoid Android Film crew to use my studio to shoot the zombie nest scene for ‘Houseparty of the Dead III: Things To Do In Camden When You're Dead’ – God, I was cleaning the blood off the walls for days.
Paul Thomson, who I met at the Spencer Tunick thing, kindly turned up with his camera to shoot footage for ‘The Making of House Party of the Dead III’ – which should be interesting. Thanks Paul.
I took lots of photos throughout the day and think I managed to get some interesting ones of the outdoor scenes – although, in retrospect, maybe we shouldn’t have been running round Bethnal Green waving guns, hammers and swords in the air.
As soon as ‘Houseparty of the Dead III’ is edited I’ll put up a link on this blog, but in the meantime, why not check out ‘Houseparty of the Dead II’ on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTgxYpYXnJc

One of the slightly less fun sides of the film shoot was that whilst tidying up afterwards I noticed that some of the RCA Secret postcards that I’d spent all Saturday working on had got covered in fake blood. For those that don’t know, the RCA Secret is an annual show at the Royal College of Art (this year’s is some time in November), where artists make and donate postcard sized artworks which are then exhibited and sold to the public. However, the buyers only find out whose work they have bought once they hand over the cash and check the name on the back.
So, I’ve ordered some more postcards and will redo them soon. Maybe I’ll post one of them on my blog so you can look out it if you go to the show. Or would that be cheating? Either way, if you’ve seen my Spidey Pods print you’ll probably have a good idea which ones are my postcards anyway.