Whiteboard Journal. SetList Vol.02 : Swimming Elephants (Behind The Scene)

Chapter 1. Video Shoot Numero Un

That morning, February 19th 2012, Swimming Elephants was probably the busiest band in Indonesia (exaggerating). Two video shoots were scheduled that day, and the videos, well the first one isn’t published yet (we’ll update you when it’s out!), and the second video is for Whiteboard Journal’s SetList, Vol.02 (have you seen it btw?). Well just in case you haven’t, just click here or see our previous posting here by Gilar, or just visit www.whiteboardjournal.com and watch the video there. And while you’re at it, please do roam around all the other sections on their website, I can ensure you that it's very enriching for the soul! :)

Ok so the first video shoot was finished right at lunch-time (thank God we could have lunch), and although we were sweating like mad, it was so much fun and we certainly can’t wait to see how it will turn out! *cross fingers*

P.S : Dear April, can you tell that we miss you? 

So, energy flushed, lepek ("lepek" is Indonesian for sweating crazy like those people at the gym) and belly empty, we headed to RM Sederhana in Ampera first, where we (almost) always have our ‘familial’ lunches. There’s no way we could continue without fuel. Mind you, elephants must eat and they must eat a lot. Fully-fed with plates of coconut milk goods & fat & carb & protein and glasses of ice teas & juices, we’re finally good to roll! 


Chapter 2. Video Shoot Numero Deux

This, my friends, is W_Space. It's where the video shoot took place. Very spacious, equipped with fine lighting & air conditioners (thank God, again), and if you shout out loud here, the walls would just give you back the right echo. In short, this place is perfect :)

Our set is unplugged, and it’s so much simpler compared to our full set. Three songs were performed: Sarah, Digicam#2 and Marion. Now, that curly boy on the drums is Ninu (not Ninuk, just Ninu, without the k). And that white striped shirted boy is Heru Admadja, he’s the Director of Photography of this video. The boy with the hat is Gilar, and the one running in the background carrying a guitar is Yogas.  The right-most photo is of Ranggi (Renggo) on the chair, grinning. Yes he’s always all smileys & rileys. This is us waiting while the audio is being prepped by Rully, the audio engineer of the day.

On the left photo below, the tall dude at the back, that's Ken Jenie, the editor of the video. You may probably know him under the name Jirapah (the band). For more info on Jirapah, please go here. (You're welcome!) :D 

And that on the right is Jan, he’s always itchy around musical instruments. One time he was having such a good time with my Kenny (my CA-110 Casiotone), that I didn't have the heart to separate the two. lol. This video below shows a collaboration of Ken, Jan & James I (The Omnichord). Notice how soft Jan strokes that Omnichord, particularly on the last stroke haha. Silly jammings every now and then, that's pretty much what we do when we get together. Everybody on this planet should jam together! With or without musical skills, people should just get together and play. I bet the world would be a much happier place that way.

yaw-zah!

I was very excited about this shooting, cause we’re going to be working with some really good friends. And nervous, like hell, like always. If you’re a musician and you don’t get nervous before your gigs, do please e-mail me the tips & tricks to handle such nervousness. I need it bad! I always get cold feet before performing, you know, like those cold feet people get right before they get married? (so they say,  I wouldn’t know, I've never married anyone :p)

But I think the combination of those two dominant feelings (ultra-excitement & nervousness), have created this drive, this big determination to just give it my all and not mess it up, and I think my fellow elephants felt that too. So after around an hour or two, I think we managed to play quite properly. Well at least that’s what we think anyway. But hey tell us what YOU think! We’d love to know! :)   

Chapter 3. After Partay! 

Not so much a party actually, just a wee bit disarraying of stuff every here and there. It's the office's consequence for being so amusing. 

Ninu and Yudhis (from Jirapah & Vague & Clatter), rummaging thru Ken’s computer, in an intimate & heated discussion on BATTLES’s “Atlas” lol. 

Whiteboard Journal’s office, there’s Jan copying movies to and fro external hard disks, and our manager Adityo Cahyo, about to depart to Lawson Kemang for a contract signing (oh you know, managerial duty ;p)

Yogas cozily sitting in between Playmobil giant puppets. 
I think it's my turn now!

It was already 7 or 8 pm by then, and Ken, Heru & the rest of the WJ team were still inside, video shooting Stars & Rabbits for another Volume of Whiteboard Journal SetList (Stars & Rabbits is one local act that you just can't help but fall for, look them up!). And well after everything was a wrap (around 9 pm), there was just one more thing to do before we could call it a day: we needed a GOOD dinner. After much considerations & eliminations of other options, Ajo Ramon's satay Padang (Cikajang) finally came out as winner, so straight down there we went! If we seem like we're a big fan of Padang food, that's just because we are. Bon appetite! :D

Thank you to everybody at Whiteboard Journal, it was a very delightful experience to work with you guys, you bunch of awesome people! (Special to Nico, Putri, Rully, sorry for not having your photos here, I wasn't able to get too many photos, my bad :| ). And last but not least, thank YOU who is at the moment sparing some of your precious time to read my rantings. May the force be with you.

See you in another posting!

Toodles!

Saras