Merry Christmas and stuff!
A number of people have requested that I keep a blog of my progress along my forthcoming journey with Ozzy this spring. So here I am, bloggin' and junk. To those that don't know, I have been officially hired to tour with Ozzy Osbourne for a few months this spring to make viral videos for his website. I'll be taking a semester off from school, and plan to return to Michigan State University in the summer. Here's how it started:
So there's this guy, Adam Sloan. Adam graduated from Michigan State University last spring sharing a major with me in Media Arts & Technology. We became good friends and partners throughout my freshman year, working on various projects including The Show, a sitcom under MSU Telecasters (a student organization consisting of entirely student-run television shows and web series). After graduation, he split town and moved to L.A. promptly, as he knew that was the place for him, no question. After hopping around from set to set putting on different hats in the TV industry, he landed a steady position as an assistant to the hosts of CBS's "The Talk," starring Sharon Osbourne. A watercooler chat one day at the office brought light to a need for viral video content on Ozzy Osbourne's website during his tour. Adam dropped my name, and I received an email from Sharon's manager a few weeks later.
The email asked some standard questions. What equipment do you have? Are you in school currently? What work have you done in the past? Can you come out to a show in a week to get your feet wet? Bring your gear, too.
Wait...hold on. Yep, I was just asked to come backstage to film an Ozzy Osbourne show. Huh..
Absolutely! I'll definitely come to a show! December 7th in Grand Rapids? You got it!
At this point, as far as I know, my purpose is to shoot any/all backstage and concert footage of Ozzy doing his thing, and post a video about it.
December 7th, Grand Rapids - My "Audition"
Thank god Matt Radick let me borrow his car. A blessing to say the least. So here I am stumbling into the loading area of the arena with all my gear, and I'm ushered to a small room with a few fold-out tables and some guys speaking in tour code. I don't walk in, but one of the men, Noel, asks if I'm Colin?
"Yeah."
"Ok, go down the hall that way to the production room and talk to Opie." He points. Noel's Australian.
Opie has no idea who I am, why I'm here, and why I'm putting my stuff on the floor of his production room. I'll wait outside. The event staff comprised of mostly older gentlemen chatted me up for a good while before Noel came to acquaint me with where I'll be getting my shots that night. There's still a good hour and a half before Ozzy gets there. I go outside for some shots of the building.
Noel keeps telling me that Ozzy will be here very very soon, and I'd better be ready to go. Realistically, he'll be here only kinda soon, but I wasn't about to lollygag about and potentially miss my shot.
White balance...check. Focus...auto. Iris...good. I'm ready to roll, and standing in a noisy loading dock waiting for an SUV carrying the Prince of Darkness, himself. Oh, there he is. Soon after stepping out of the car, he looks at me and goes, "What's this for?"
I tried to get a word in, but one of his escorts confirmed that my presence was approved. That was enough to satisfy Ozzy, who was actually a great sport about my presence the whole night. The shot I was getting as he walked to his dressing room involved me walking backwards in front of him, when he had to stop me from continuing before I tripped on some stage equipment. Noel then told me to, "Just stay out of the way."
Off to a great start!
Ozzy then had a meet-and-greet with some VIP ticket holders, where I made friends with a few MSU alum and Alan, the VIP ticket package manager. This was really the only time I saw Ozzy outside his dressing room aside from going to and from the stage. Apparently he takes a lot of time for himself before a show, which is definitely understandable.
The opener, Rob Halford (front man for Judas Priest) went on while I scoped out the arena. It was a pretty big place and had lots of potential for some kick-ass crowd shots. Since I couldn't shoot any of Halford's set, I went exploring. I found the VIP party room, talked to some folks about this and that, and was all over the snack table. Spinach and artichoke dip? Can't not. Speaking of food, where's the catering room? There it is. It was a beautiful banquet room with lovely decor and tables upon tables of food. Eggplant parmesan, caramelized carrots, au-gratin cauliflower, a salad bar, cereal, desserts. Is Ozzy a vegetarian?
So Ozzy goes on for his set, right? All the media are allowed to be in the pit for the first two songs for pictures, but then they gotta scram. No problem, I can do that. The second song ends, and all the other photogs bail, but I'm still in the pit. I figure, I'll just get some shots until someone asks me to leave. I've got security on my left, security on my right, and they're giving a friendly smile and a wave, so I just keep doing my thing.
I'm right in front of center stage, and there's Ozzy in all his metal spotlight glory, when all of a sudden he picks up this hose and starts projectile firing foam into the crowd! This ain't no bubble bath foam either, folks. This is intense, comin-at-ya foam, and I got completely caught off guard. I tear away from the scene and dart off to the side of the stage to be welcomed by a crew of stagehands who are having a good laugh about the whole thing. I joined in, and toweled off.
The rest of the 1 hour, 45 minute set was spent running around to any and all parts of the arena getting any shot I could think of. I knew I had to get the most out of my time there to pull off the best possible edit. I got to be on stage a bit, although I was hiding behind some amps that were taller than me by a few feet. I went into the crowd for a shot, but then came the hose again. I ducked for cover and came out mostly dry, although my steadycam broke from a sudden impact with an audience member as I evaded a certain foamy death. Shoot.
Ozzy put on a crazy good show, and looked exhausted from the whole bit on the way back to the dressing room. He stayed behind a closed door long enough to grab his belongings and his coat, and it was off to the car to get back to the airport. On his way out, he shook hands with whoever was around, wishing them a Happy Holiday, and to "Chill out, man." He even asked me if I got some good stuff, and, "Did I get you with the hose?"
"Yeah you did, but I was definitely asking for it."
Nice guy, that Ozzy.
So I threw together the edit and sent it off for review the second morning after the show. People who needed to be impressed were impressed, and I got the gig! I start Janurary 12th here in Minneapolis for the first show. More to come...
