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  Behind
the Scenes
of
 Addie
Diaz's
"No Me Queda Mas"
Music Video
Compiled by Manny Siverio
Photos by Damian Achilles
Intro:
It’s no secret that NY Mambo Instructor,
Dance Company Director, Choreographer
and performer Addie Diaz has announced her desires to pursue a singing
career.
She already has cut a demo CD with two songs (the first a Salsa, the second a
Ballad/Cha-Cha) and is using it to help her shop around for a record label.
Since cutting her CD demo, the Salsa song “Mi Amiga” has been made into a
music video and is currently a part of her demo/press kit. Shooting that first
music video was a true learning experience for both Addie and myself. Though she
had already worked with me in the past during the production of her
Ladies
Styling Instructional Video, it still didn’t prepare her for the demands of
being the lead talent in a music video. And even though I have worked in well
over three hundred Film and Television projects in the past, I still felt the
pressure of what it’s like to be a producer.
 
 
Learning
Curve To Shoot A Better Video:
The first time around I simply had an
idea, I gathered the equipment and the supplies, I spoke to Addie about what I
wanted her to choreograph for the shoot and set a date. Thankfully my years of
experience on set helped prepare me for the shoot. I learned to think on my feet
and rolled with the punches. But it’s one thing to be a stuntman, an actor, a
stunt coordinator or a director and quite another to be a producer or an editor.
In the end I was happy with the final cut of “Mi Amiga”, but I knew I could
do better. The next time around things would be different.
The
Concept:
I wanted to make the second video better than the first so I did a couple of
things differently this time around. In the first video I wanted to highlight
Addie as a performer who could both dance and sing. This was easy to accomplish
since “Mi Amiga” was a salsa song with a lot of energy and feeling (mainly
of anger and betrayal). All I had to do was find an ideal location (under the
scenic Queensboro/59th Street Bridge) and surround Addie with
talented dancers to perform with (the Side Street Kids, members of Addie-tude
Dance Co.) and bingo we had ourselves a music video. This would not be the case
with the “No Me Queda Mas” video.
“No Me Queda Mas” is slower song since it’s a ballad that ends with a
smooth Cha-Cha. This time around I wanted to shoot a story that would evolve
around the song. I still wanted to showcase some of Addie’s dancing and
choreography, but it would be for only a small fraction of the song (mainly the
Cha-Cha segment)
Director, Camera Operator,
Producer:
Manny Siverio
  
Reading the lyrics and playing the song over and over again helped me come
up with a series of images that I decided would be the center piece of the
story for the video. Video Storyline
In a nutshell: Addie happens to be at a club with a friend where she
meets a guy. He turns out to be very charming and they start dating. She’s
heart broken when they break up and learns that he is now seeing her friend.
Once the images were stored
in my head, I decided I needed a better way to communicate my ideas with others
who were going to be collaborating with me (Director of Photography or DP, Hair/Make-Up, Wardrobe,
Production Assistant or PA’s,
Dancers, Actors, etc). Having had difficulty conveying my ideas to others during
the “Mi Amiga” video made me want to storyboard my shots for the “No Me
Queda Mas” project. A storyboard (for those of you who don’t understand the
term), is a series of drawings which illustrate a shot or a series of shots much
like what a comic book does. It also helps to illustrate how different shots can
be edited together to create a smooth visual sequence. Mind you, I’m not the
greatest artist, but I did manage to create images that conveyed what I wanted
to capture on video.
The
Song:
The song was originally sung by the
Tex-Mex vocalist Selena. Addie has always admired Selena and her work. As a
matter, of fact she even had the pleasure of meeting Selena during a gig a
couple of weeks before her fatal shooting. When the song was being arranged for Addie, she didn’t want it to be a Salsa song, instead she wanted it to be a ballad that ended in a
Cha-Cha.
Breaking
the Song Down for Shooting:
I happened to do for the “No Me Queda
Mas” video what I did for the “Mi Amiga” project. I carefully listened to
the song and determined where I could break it down into different segments.
After listening to it, I decided that “No Me Queda Mas” could be separated
into 4 sections. Each section was about a minute long. In order to save time
looking for the exact spot to begin and end each segment, I decided to make a
working CD with 4 different tracks. Each track would contain one of the four
divided sections of the song. I also gave a couple of seconds at the beginning
and end to help Addie begin and end each vocal sequence. Once I had my sections
laid out, I went back to my storyboard shots and carefully looked over all my
drawings and assigned a track to each shot. This way I knew that I had the
entire song covered in the video. Some sections where assigned more that one
track. Even though much of the video is not synched and illustrates a story, I
decided to shoot Addie singing the entire song in one form or another. I did
this in the event that I found myself in the editing room wishing that I had
more of her performing the song and kicking myself for not getting it when I had
the chance.
Understanding
My Editing Capabilities:
I purchased a Mac G4 Turnkey Editing
System (2 Computer Monitors, 1 Video Monitor, Playback deck, Final Cut Software)
before I began shooting the “Mi Amiga” video. But I shot and edited most of
the “Mi Amiga” video before I enrolled in this 10 day Final Cut Pro Editing
course offered at this state of the art facility of Future Media Concepts. Only
after I finished the class did I realize what I might be capable of doing with
the editing equipment I had at my disposal. Though I was able to put together a
good video the first time around, I knew that I could put together something
even better the second time around. Understanding my editing software even
helped me visualize a couple of the sequences that I planned to shoot as well as
how I wanted to shoot it. It was like having bought a Ferrari and thinking of it
as a Toyota Prelude until someone showed you what type of engine your really had
under the hood of that car and what you were capable of doing with it.
Putting
Equipment to Better Use
I admit I’m more of a director than I am a technician, so most of the time I
know just enough about using equipment to get the shot done. Working on
Addie’s first music video helped me better understand both the limits and
advantages of working with some of my DV (digital video) Video gear (dolly, wheelchair, Jib arm,
tripod, Ladder, Steadicam, etc). I felt that this time around I got a couple of
good dolly shots using my DV dolly, at least one worthwhile shot taken from a
wheel chair, hopefully a nice little jib arm shot that I can use in the opening
sequence of the video, several hand held shots, a couple of tilting shots,
ground shots, tripod shots and if I’m lucky, maybe, just maybe, one good
little Steadicam shot. Not to mention a good morning’s worth of NYC Skyline
& Bridge shots from within a moving SUV that I hope to open the video with (Addie
is a NYC girl and I always want to provide images that associate her with this
city).
The
Start of My Creative Team: Hideaki
Jimbo
My
DP (Director of Photography),
Lighting Person, Camera Operator:
 
The first time around I was director, grip,
producer, camera operator, caterer etc. In other words I wore many hats. Though
I think I did a good job, I knew that if I could delegate some of these
responsibilities over to qualified people that I could focus more on the
creative aspect of being a director. Therefore I managed to interest Hideaki (or
Hide for short…..pronounced “He-Day”) Jimbo to be my director of
photography (or DP as it’s called on set). I met him early this year while in
Florida
. Both of us were taking a Steadicam Operator course at the time. After showing
him a DVD of the first video he asked if he could be a part of the second video
when it came time to shoot it. Hide was a godsend. He’s a very hard worker, a
stickler for detail and takes a lot of pride in his work. As my DP, his
technical understanding of lighting and filters were superior to mine which gave
the overall look of the video a higher production value.
Set Photographer & "The Guy" in the video:
Damian Achilles
I asked my close friend Damian Achilles to play “the guy” in the video. Not
only did Damian fly in from
L.A.
to play the part, but he also worked behind the scenes as the set photographer
for the project (as he has done in the past). Damian has been taking pictures of
Addie for the last 5 years. He was the photographer for her first and second
photo shoots and did some improv behind the scene shooting during Addie’s
“Mi Amiga’ music video. Damian had a tough part to play in the video,
because I never wanted to have camera see his face. It was always to be the back
of his head. I felt that Damian should represent “any guy” or “every
guy” that a girl could meet at a club. The story was not about the “Guy”,
but about how “the girl” (Addie) felt when she interacted with her
“guy”. (Footnote: Not only is
Damian a professional photographer by trade, he is also an acting coach, has
directed several plays himself and is a member of a theatre company out in Los
Angeles).
Hair/Make-Up &
"The Other Girl" in the video:
Aisha Koswara
For the second video I wanted to
focus more on Addie’s looks. I wanted to let people see what I see in her (the
more sexy side). Like they say “Sex Sells” and I wanted her to project this
but in good taste. Therefore, I had to think of what type of hair and make-up
she needed for each scene. Enter Aisha Koswara. Aisha Kowara is a NY Mambo
dancer that Addie and I have worked with during the first two runs of LATIN
MADNESS. What few people know is that she is one hell of a hair stylist and has
done magazine shoots, the hair and make-up to members of the Abakua Dance
Company, helped provided hair and make-up for some of the girls during the first
two runs of LATIN MADNESS and has been Addie’s hair stylist. Like Damian, she
was a great talent to have working for me in the video. As a hair stylist she is
extremely talented, creative and giving. She was on the same page as me from the
get-go. I spoke to her about the several outfits that I wanted Addie to wear in
the video and how I envisioned her hair and make-up to be. I was happily
surprised by how many different looks she was able to get Addie in. They matched
perfectly with her wardrobe outfits.
 
I came up with the character of “Other Girl” shortly after Aisha signed on
to be a part of the project. She was perfect for the part and extremely happy
when I asked her to play the small role in the video. It seems that she has been
entertaining the thought of acting for sometime and has been going to auditions
and getting extra work to become more familiar with the business.
Creating
The Look:
Another deficiency I wanted to improve
upon from the “Mi Amiga” video was that of Addie’s overall look. In the
first video I merely wanted to project her as an NYC girl. So the look was
pretty much simple and straight forward (which wasn’t a bad thing considering
I was wearing so many different hats at the time). This time around I wanted to
have a more creative input when it came to her outfits. My goal for the “No Me
Queda Mas” video was to give her more than that urban girl look. I wanted to
make her more into a three dimensional character (remember “Sexy” but in
good taste). With that in mind, I began to do my homework and looked into all
sorts of magazines. I began to find photos that helped illustrate specific looks
which I thought went with the song. During the course of our 2 day shoot Addie
made at least 7 different wardrobe changes which included what we called a club
look, dancer look, depressed look, lonely look, several different street looks
and an elegant look.
The Night Club Singer Scene
 
The Bathtub Scene
 
The Lonely Scene
 
The Chair Scene
 
Wardrobe Supervisor,
Lighting Assistant:
Atsuko Kino
 
Once I had an idea of what I wanted Addie to
wear for the video I decided to get a Wardrobe Supervisor. Enter Atsuko
Kino. Atsuko was recommended to me by my DP (Director of Photography, Hide
Jimbo). They had worked together in the past and like Hide, she proved to
have an eye for detail. She went straight to work once I showed her my
magazine clippings, spoke to her about the song and told her what I wanted
out of each look. Atsuko searched high and low for me (the sign of a good
wardrobe supervisor). She traveled around all sorts of department stores,
smaller clothing stores, little boutiques, inside Addie’s closet, etc. We
communicated with one another via email and cell phone and scheduled
meetings at several of these stores to see what she had located for my
approval. Finally we brought Addie in for a fitting to make sure that both
the clothes fit and that I liked how she looked in each outfit.
The
Use Of Props and Symbolism:
The “No Me Queda Mas” video also employed the use of props and symbolism.
During the shoot we used a motorcycle, chairs, tables, hats, microphone, a
bathtub, candles and roses when we were shooting scenes from the storyline. The
rose especially became an important prop in the shoot since I used it
symbolically to represent love, betrayal, abandonment, loneliness and loss.
Damian Achilles, who was the “Guy” employed it when he “courted”
Addie’s character. Another quick shot of the rose dropping into a puddle and a
guy’s boot stepping on it symbolizes Addie’s love being crushed. A dead rose
lying near a lonely Addie represents a love now past. Finally, Damian handing a
rose to Aisha, “the other girl” symbolized betrayal. Using dissolve cuts
from clip to clip, I plan on showing the stages of love between two people. We
go from a couple walking down the street hugging waist to waist, then dissolve
to the same couple walking down the street apart holding hands and finally we
dissolve close up to their hands separating from one another and leaving an
empty frame.
The
Dancers
 
Most of the video is dedicated to Addie singing and illustrating story related
scenes, but I still wanted to feature some of her dancing. After breaking down
the song, I decided that the last section of the ballad (about a minute long)
where the song changes into a Cha-Cha rhythm would be the spot to showcase her
dancing. I asked Addie to put together some choreography and to approach
several dancers regarding her second music video. In the end, the dance sequence was
shot with 11 talented dancers who were kind enough to volunteer their time to
the project. As in the first video, it was a pleasure to work with them. All
were professionals who came prepared, changed into wardrobe, got into their
makeup on, fixed their hair, went over their choreography and patiently waited
for their turn in front of camera.
Locations
“No Me Queda Mas” was also a little more ambitious when it came to shooting
locations. Last time we shot mainly in one location (under the
Queensboro
Bridge
), this time around we worked on the street, inside a house, inside a dance club
and on the highway. This required us to work two very long shooting days along
with an additional two second unit days. The principal two shooting days
required us to work both in front and inside of a house as well as inside of a
dance club (Con Sazon). The dance club scenes were important for the video and
we really lucked out when it came to shooting in one mainly due to the help of
one of Addie’s friends Alma Gonzalez.
Alma is owner of the Con Sazon Nightclub Club in the
Bronx
, she along with her husband Mike went well beyond the call of duty and we’re
grateful for it. The first 2nd unit day required waking up at the
crack of dawn to get some establishing NYC skyline shots; while the second 2nd
unit day required to shoot a little important night shot that takes place on the
street (the rose dropping in a puddle).
 
 
GIRLS: Gina Peterson, Izaline Skerrett,
Jennifer Silva, Kimberly Flores, Sheena Figueroa
GUYS: Brett Sturgis, Eric Baez, Joey Ramos, Michael Garcia, Rodney Lopez,
Sherwin Johnson
Working
with Addie:
 This
would be the third time that I have collaborated with Addie in what I consider
to be my field of work (our first was during her instructional video, the second
during the “Mi Amiga” video). This is a rare switch in our working status
since we usually work in Addie’s field (dancing) where she is the boss (Dance
Company Director) and calls the shots. From behind the scenes it’s nice to
know that she trusts my instincts and vision. She basically puts herself in my
hands and lets me run the project how I see fit. As a talent in front of the
camera, Addie has come a long way from her first instructional dance video.
She’s become more of a pro when it comes to working on set. She’s more
comfortable in front of camera, understands what it means to hit her marks and
follows direction really well.
Now that everything is in the
can, I’m looking forward to going over the dailies, picking my shots,
capturing (digitizing) the footage into my computer and begin with the post
production process of editing.
The Crew that worked behind the scenes
Special thanks to those people, the
unsung heros of every production, both big and small, my crew. Without their
help, this project would have never been made. Thanks again guys.
Assistant Set Photographer
and "Slate" person:
Devin Flores
 
Set PA's (Production
Assistants)
 
from Left to Right Irving
"Tony" Pagan, Rich
Goldman and Rodney
Lopez
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