Shivaree Goodnight Moon: Another Video I Designed
Saturday, February 21st, 2009I did this in 1999 and was not paid, I had one assistant part time and a budget of $3000. It’s not really my design because the director wanted the drained swimming pool bedroom from the 1972 film “Ciao Manhattan” starring Edie Sedgwick so I just gave him exactly that. That’s my illustration below (which the record company called “too cartoony.”)
The ONE thing I did get to design was the custom neon microphone that would glow in response to her voice. I had an effects guy from Imagineering fabricate it. When unveiled on set it got an applause. I was very happy about that. I still have it in a box.
But the record company treated me horribly and referred to me as “that theme park guy.” However the singer, Ambrosia Parsley, was very sweet and has a great look. (I have a prop notebook I had her decorate while she was getting her makeup done if there’s a fan out there that wants it.)Â This song also plays over the end credits of Kill Bill Vol 2.
OMG I just watched it again and realized the black satin pillowcases on my bed came from this video. Also I’d forgotten how when I showed up the second night of the shoot, the pool was still being drained and had several feet of water in it. I waited a half hour for the pumps to drain it but then the record company started to freak out and demanded that I start placing the furniture and building her water bed IN THE WATER! I pointed out that this would ruin some of their set decorating but I guess they were fine paying the repalcement fees. So I took of my shoes, rolled up my jeans and prayed none of the electrical cords would fall in and electrocute me. The boards floated around and it was like trying to build a bed in zero G. It’s a miracle it didn’t collapse later.
Also, the director wanted to have Ambrosia spray a can of hairspray over a lighter to make that mini-flamethrower effect. I knew this was horribly dangerous (I have a scar on my nose from an aerosol can exploding when I was a kid). So, what I did was wait until all the record label people got there and then I handed the director the lighter and hairspray knowing he would immediately begin playing with it to show off to the execs. Sure enough, he did just that and they FREAKED THE SHIT OUT and said NO FUCKING WAY. So Ambrosia, you can thank me for saving you from Aqua Net exploding in your face.





