Magical. That’s the word used by video director, Nigel Thompson in describing the shooting of Bunji Garlin’s Differentology video which premiered on ETCETERABUZZ this morning. We caught up with Nigel on the eve of the video release and he said the production was magical because it’s very rare that a shoot would play off as this one did.

On set, Nigel Thompson makes magic happen with his Black Ice studios crew.

Describing his crew at Black Ice studios as the ultimate family – a family that he would throw himself beneath a bus for, Thompson said he had all hands on deck to aid in the eventual outcome. Explaining that should there have been more time to play with, there would have been even more to the final production of what we now call the Differentology video, Thompson said despite this, the three days of shooting was literal bliss. “Day two was at the quarry and the sun was blistering hot and there was a point where everyone seemed drained but Bunji was a real trooper. He stood there in the middle of the quarry. We had tents but they were way in the distance. I’ve never had a shoot that ever felt that way- it felt like something great was happening,” he said. Thompson, with a laugh in his voice mused over a memory which he shared with us. He said on day two, with the heat of the sweltering sun bearing down, a female crew member came over with an umbrella to Bunji. “He turned to her and asked her what she was doing and said, nah nah… I not into all that celebrity t’ing.”

Bunji Garlin’s personality is almost mirrored in the new video. His straight face, tough demeanor and sharp features leave a lasting impression as the frames flow to the end of the 4 minute 37 seconds long video. “You know a real performer when he’s shooting and you don’t have to tell him much. We gave him certain innuendoes and he just flowed,” marveled Thompson.

On why the final product took such a long time to complete, he explained there were two consecutive days of shooting however the third date was approximately three weeks after the second as there were some costumes that had to be completed. Proudly, he attested to the creation of every piece of costuming in Trinidad and Tobago, with the exception of a harness which he said was flown in from Canada for the artiste. “All of the weapons you’ll see in the video, the clothing- the gladiator helmets- all of that was made locally. The swords were real,” he said, adding that this augers well for the local film industry as it proves that everything the film makers may need, can be produced in Trinidad and Tobago. Thanking crew member Princess Donela for the support she gave to the team in sourcing the items that were needed, Thompson said they really couldn’t have done it without her help.

Black Ice Studio’s Nigel Thompson.
PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY NIGEL THOMPSON.

On the premise of the storyline, Thompson said he really tried to deliver visuals that were akin to the song. “I think the song itself speaks of carnival on one level but it also speaks metaphorically of who Trinis are. You look around the world and you see various countries and you gather stereotypical thoughts of people – a basic premise of who people are and what they represent across the world. The song highlights us as a party people but it also depicts who we are in a very creative sense. Everybody thinks of carnival relative to the drinking, partying and liming, but it’s not just about that, it’s about the togetherness, the passion, the love- which you rarely see for the rest of the year. I wanted to show this in the same carnival sense,” he explained.

His brother Keron Sheriff Thompson was the producer of the song and Nigel said he is proud of Black Ice Studio. He told us he had told everyone about Sherrif’s talent and now, it has been proven. “At the end of the video I hope everybody feels some sense of pride. These are the kinds of things that we do- the types of creativity we express. As a people, we used to do a lot of these artistic things – we need to keep the creative parts of carnival in the carnival,” he said. Thanking his team, he pointed out the members who he credited for their dedication to Black Ice Studios and to the project. Take a look at the list below.

• Director: Nigel Thompson
• Director Of Photography: Sean “Science” Edghill
• Assistant Director: Roland “Rembunction” Yearwood
• 2nd Assistant Director: Richard Rawlins
• 1st Assistant Camera: Damien Jobity
• 2nd Assistant Camera: Iscah Straker
• Gaffer: Selwyn Henry / Kerron Lemmessy
• Best Boy Electric: Ken Bailey / Selwyn Henry
• Storyboard Artist: Richard Rawlins
• Producer: Nigel Thompson
• Associate Producers: Kerima Rahim, Princess Donelan, Alana Ramlal
• Production Manager: Kerima Rahim
• Grip: Keegan Rudolfo,
• Driver / Transport: Navin Suchit
• Props: Frank Seales,
• Make up: Jennelle Orosco, Steven Taylor, Liz-Ann Jaggernauth, Christopher Rama
• Music Provided by: Rawle “Boobie” Edwards
• Costumes by: K2K Alliance. & Tribe
• Location: “Melau” Provided by TCL / Readymix