I'm back! Woo! Happy New Year everybody! Now let's get this video shoot done.
VIDEO SHOOT WITH ERIK
The contestants are all gathered in a green room near the set of the music video shoot. In walks Erik White, to the cheers of everybody present.
"Hi everybody. My name's Erik White, I'm the music video producer for the show. I've worked with a lot of big names like Christina Aguilera, T-Pain, Mary J. Blige, and of course all of the other Glee Project videos in past seasons."
Francis: Having Erik White as our music video director is the coolest thing ever. I mean, everybody who's mentoring are just huge in their field of business and completely professional, and it's just really great that we're surrounded by so much talent.
"So, we've got no time to waste, let's shoot this thing!"
The first scene involves everybody getting off the school bus. The contenders are dressed in their outfits to reflect their personality - notably, Harry and Dallas are both wearing letterman jackets, Luke is in leather, Arthur is in dark colors, and Lila is very colorful.
"Everybody gets off the bus, and you're all excited for it to be the first day of school" Erik calls as they all wait inside the bus. "Livie, you'll be singing your first line when you hop of the bus behind everybody else."
"Got it!" she calls from the back of the bus. The cameras start rolling, and all twelve of them come piling off the bus. Livie gets off and begins walking towards the camera lip synching to her part. She isn't acting big or boisterous; her expression is calm and quiet - and rather hopeful.
"Cut!" Erik calls. Livie is nervous for a brief moment, but Erik smiles and so does she. "Good work!"
Livie: I was actually really nervous to shoot today, but once he got started I calmed down, and I think that my session with Matt helped me out loads.
The next scene is with Lila. She and Erik are standing in the school's art room with the rest of the crew. Zach and Robert are watching as Erik is explaining the shot to her.
"So you're going to walk in as you sing your part, and just play around with what's in here." Lila nods. "really just do what seems natural to you, because we want you to be demonstrating your own individuality."
"Right. Yeah. Okay, let's do this!"
The crew begin filming. Lila walks in as she lip-sings her part. Unfortunately, she doesn't really do much else beyond that, instead opting to sing most of it jut standing in the room. Erik shakes his head.
"Okay, let's try that again. Try to be more animated Lila, alright?"
Lila nods, but she looks a tad more nervous than before. They try again. This time as she walks in she trails a paintbrush across one of the canvases as she enters. Beyond that it's mostly the same.
"It seems like she's getting nervous with the camera there." Zach comments. Robert nods.
"It's like that spark and energy that we saw in her before is completely gone." The two nervously watch as Erik tells her to try one more time.
After that, the crew moves out to the football field where there are many extras running about in football gear.
"This scene is going to involve Harry and Dallas" Erik explains to the two contenders in front of them. "Harry will sing his line first, then pass the ball. Dallas will catch it and then sing her line."
"Got it." Harry says. He and Dallas share a fist-bump before running out to opposite ends of the field. Harry messes around with the ball as he sings, tossing it in the air and catching it again, before tossing it over to Dallas. It goes long, though, and she misses it. Harry lets out a nervous laugh.
"That's fine, that's fine." Erik comments as he watches Dallas chase after the ball. "Try again."
They do, and once again Harry misses. Both he and Dallas are laughing it off. Zach and Robert observe from the sidelines.
"They really don't seem to be having problems aside from that" Zach says laughing.
Dallas: The shoot actually went really well for me, except that Harry couldn't throw the f***in' ball!
Harry: It's not my fault! The sun was in my eyes!
In her confessional, Dallas looks offscreen at the producer. Dallas: What was his excuse? The Sun? Oh please.
After those scenes have finally been finished (it took Harry eight tries to throw the ball before Dallas was able to catch it) the crew moves into the Library, where Francis and Jing are about to shoot their scene.
"So we're just dancing through the stacks of books?" Francis asks as Erik stands before the two of them.
"Yep. Francis is going to come down this one side, then we're going to shift to Jing coming down this aisle. So the two of you can meet up."
The two of them nod and take their places. Francis begins, and while he lip synchs very well he doesn't do much other than walk past the stacks. "Cut!" Erik shouts. Jing frowns from the other aisle, obviously peeved that Francis is already screwing up.
"Francis, buddy, you've gotta give a little more energy than that." Erik seems to loom over Francis.
"Okay." Francis replies meekly. He goes back to the start and...doesn't fair much better. Erik shakes his head.
"You have to give us something Francis. Anything. Let loose a bit, okay?"
"Alright." Francis takes a few deep breaths and swings his arms around, trying to calm down and get in the zone. Jing stands on the other side of the stacks impatiently waiting for her cue to come. Unfortunately for her, it does - and she's not ready. Her lines play over the speakers and she quickly begins to sing along with them, but it's too late and Erik has to yell cut once again. Jing looks really embarrassed.
Erik: Jing must have gotten complacent or just plain bored while we were working with Francis, because she was not prepared at all for her part to come on. When you're in this kind of business you always need to be on your mark; you can't get lazy if you're going to be on camera in a matter of seconds.
Francis walks over to Jing while the crew resets for the beginning of the shot. "Hey, don't worry. It was just a fluke."
Jing brushes him off. "So embarrassing" she mutters. She looks incredibly pissed off.
The final scene takes place in the theatre. All of the kids line up and, when the music starts, they begin to dance the steps that Zach taught them the day before.
"They're actually doing very well" Zach observes as he and Robert watch from the sidelines.
"I think this might actually be the first time the kids have been able to learn the dance steps right off the bat" Robert replies with a smile.
Zach: Me and Robert were very surprised by how good the kids were at learning the dance steps. Normally we need several takes before we're on the same page, and even though we did do a few takes here there wasn't anything really...major that we had to work on. Even Jamie and Francis, who have disabilities that would interfere with their dancing abilities, pulled off decent performances.
"Livie, this is your stand out moment!" Erik calls from where he's sitting. Livie takes note mentally and, when her cues occurs, runs to the front of the stage and spreads her arms wide as she sings her big note. As it fades and others take the stage she dances backwards, pumping her arm in the air. Erik doesn't comment, but he nods approvingly from where he is sitting.
Robert: At the end of the day, there were a few hiccups, but everybody seemed to do very well at the end.
INDIVIDUALITY MUSIC VIDEO: CALL ME MAYBE
A school bus pulls up in front of a high school. As the doors open, music begins and a big group of teenagers pile out of the bus. The last one out is Livie, who steps off with a smile and a bright look in her eyes.
Livie:
I threw a wish in the well,
Don't ask me, I'll never tell
I looked to you as it fell,
And now you're in my way.
Cut to Arthur, who sings as he grabs a soda from the vending machine. He mimes using the bottle as a microphone.
Arthur:
I'd trade my soul for a wish,
Pennies and dimes for a kiss
I wasn't looking for this,
But now you're in my way.
Cut to Lila entering an art room, grabbing a paintbrush and sliding it against a nearby blank canvass, to the ire of one of the art students there.
Lila:
Your stare was holdin',
Ripped jeans, skin was showin'
Hot night, wind was blowin'
Where you think you're going, baby?
On her last line she ruffles the hair of a nearby male student. Cut to Harry on the football field, tossing the pigskin around while he sings.
Harry:
Hey! I just met you
And this is crazy!
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?
He throws the ball, and we follow it until it's caught by Dallas.
Dallas:
It's hard to look right
At you baby
But here's my number
So call me, maybe?
She holds the football up to her ear, acting like it's a phone. Cut to Luke standing on the bleachers checking out some passing girls as he sings.
Luke:
Hey! I just met you
And this is crazy
But here's my number
So call me, maybe?
The football suddenly lands in his hands. He causally tosses it over his shoulder. The camera pans to Jamie sitting on the bleachers nearby, clearly checking out Luke as he sings his own lines.
Jamie:
And all the other boys
Try to chase me
But here's my number!
So call me, maybe?
On the last line he jumps up and jogs offscreen, with a clear implication that he's following Luke. Cut to Francis strutting down one of the aisles in the library as he sings his part.
Francis:
Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
I missed you so bad
I missed you so, so bad...
The camera pans over to Jing, who does the same, but more animated.
Jing:
Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
And you should know that
I missed you so, so bad...
Francis meets her, and shows her his phone. We cut to Dallas and Harry also staring at one of their phones, and Lila and Arthur doing the same thing. We see a glimpse of the text that they're all reading. "Come to the Auditorium! Quick!" They all rush down their, and are greeted by the other contestants. Several in the background begin dancing with each other. Fred and Livie stand in front, and Livie gets a lift from Fred. Fred clearly struggles with the move, but gets her up.
Fred:
It's hard to look right, (Livie: Hard to look right)
At you baby, (Livie: At you baby!)
But here's my number
Fred:
So call me, maybe? (Livie: Yeah, yeah yeah!)
Livie belts the notes, spreading her arms wide in celebration. She backs up, fist pumping in the air, as Rebecca and Blanche get in the front and begin their part of the choreography.
Rebecca:
Hey, I just met you
And this is crazy (Fred: Crazy)
But here's my number (Blanche: Maybe!)
So call me, maybe? (Fred: Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Rebecca and Blanche:
And all the other boys
Blanche:
Try to chase me
But here's my number
So call me, maybe?
The organized dance dissolves into a great big mob of friendship as everybody hugs close and celebrates being back together.
All:
Before you came into my life (Livie: Before you came into my life)
I missed you so bad (Livie: I missed you so so bad!)
I missed you so bad (Livie: So bad!)
I missed you so, so bad...
All:
Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
I guess you should know that
Livie:
So call me, maybe?
The bell rings, and everybody looks around before immediately scattering to their different classes around the school. Livie is the last to get to her class, room 301, put before the door closes behind her she smiles and winks at the camera.
"Alright, that's a wrap!" Erik says. The contenders cheer and several of them high-five at a well-done day's work.
