It's 5.00am in one of the casino bars at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Neil Gordon, from Big Balls Films, and I are drinking Heineken, Captain 'n' coke and Patron - mostly at the same time. The beautiful African American hooker that was sitting behind us has just left with the short Mexican guy with the Hitler moustache. It's two and a half hours since we wrapped on the Alesha Dixon video shoot, and approximately one hour since we left directors Max and Dania at the Planet Hollywood casino. Producer Phil Barnes had just thrown the last of their chips on black at the roulette wheel. It landed red. Home time for them.
Neil and I get talking to a young brother and sister from Oregon State. They're drunk. The brother wears the signature slug-like goatee on his chin so beloved of American teenagers. The sister's face is red and blotchy. She's been crying. But she instantly takes a shine to Neil. 'You talk funny' she says as she strokes his hair. Neil runs through his repetoire of comedy English accents. They laugh enthusiastically. He then shows them his Big Balls Films business card. The brother spits his drink: 'No way man. My construction company's called Balls Deep Construction'. Two kindred spirits from other sides of the planet united by a shared sense of humour. It's a beautiful, tender moment, pregnant with erotic possibility.
Neil has to go and pack. His plane is leaving in an hour. He asks the sister if she'd like to come with him to the lift. 'You're really cute, but I'm engaged' she says.
It's 8.00am. I stand in the shower for half an hour trying to sober up before I have to meet Alesha in the lobby. I eat my last Vicodin and some sudafed. The next two tortuous hours are spent talking to Alesha about her album midweeks while trying not to seem drunk.
At 11.00am a distressed Neil calls. He's been rolled at the airport. He put his camera bag down for a second while ordering a coffee and some crackhead made off with it. Piff puff poof. We've lost all the b-roll rushes and all the stills. Luckily I documented the entire shoot on my Flip camera, which comes with inbuilt editing software. Basically you load your selects into a computer and press the Movie Mega Mix button and the program automatically edits your footage.
So here it is. In Your Face TV proudly presents the Alesha Dixon 'Breathe Slow' offical 'making of':
Breathe Slow 'the OFFICIAL making of from inyourfaceTV on Vimeo.
While waiting for our flight connection in LAX, Alesha decides that she wants to go to the nearby Marriott hotel to find a swimming pool to sit by. We eventually locate it on the second floor terrace. It's been drained. As Raymond Chandler said, 'there's nothing emptier than an empty swimming pool'.
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