ANIMAL’s feature Artist’s Notebook asks artists to show us their original idea sketch next to a finished piece. This week, artist and performer Actually Huzienga talks about her $400 video for “Super Future,” shooting at the Cheetahs strip club and her aesthetic-specific mood boards.
When I write a song, I like to visualize a fantasy… usually my own. Actually, it’s always my own. It’s sort of like having a dream that feels like a movie… you wake up drooling with a hard on.
I make my videos, mostly with friends and always with lots of booze and the promise of a really good time. My last video “Super Future” was really low budget (as usual under 400 bucks), but I was more disciplined. I didn’t drink alcohol for an entire 10 days in a row. I actually saw things differently. I felt drunk from not being drunk… and suddenly I was organized and my laptop stopped crashing.
I wrote all of my ideas out in little notebooks for sale at Rite Aid and then I found images online that I felt channeled what I was thinking. The mood boards are really great for getting people excited…a visual to look at while reading the loose shot list and listening to the mp3.
It was really awesome getting to shoot at the strip club, Cheetahs. The owner said I could shoot from 11am til 5pm for free, before the club opened. I barked at a lot of people, but it all got done… and I think everyone had a great time. The spray paint on the car was just washable color hair spray. The rape scene felt really great after a few drinks and with a verified porn actor. Fake snow is great for mipples! And car headlights are great for lighting! (Only bad thing was that I forgot to keep the engine on and the battery died…boner killer having to wait for AAA after a rape scene; but we had access to a hot tub and that made it all okay).
I have more fun shooting videos than partying. It’s the sexiest stress ever.
The hardest work is in the editing. Since I have a very limited amount of time, money, and sobriety on my shoots. I find it important to have at least 3 people on cameras. I take all of the footage, organize it, color correct it, piece those fun times together and edit ’til the sunrise makes me shake.
Artist’s Notebook: Cody Critcheloe, SSION
Artist’s Notebook: Man Bartlett
Artist’s Notebook: Elizabeth Valleau
Artist’s Notebook: Eva and Franco Mattes
Artist’s Notebook: Anthony Antonellis [NSFW]
Artist’s Notebook: COPE2
Artist’s Notebook: Evan Roth
Artist’s Notebook: Ryder Ripps
Artist’s Notebook: Kristin Reger
Artist’s Notebook: Nate Hill
Artist’s Notebook: CYCLE
Artist’s Notebook: Jennifer Catron and Paul Outlaw
Artist’s Notebook: Andrea Mary Marshall
Artist’s Notebook: Angela Washko
Artist’s Notebook: Ron English
Artist’s Notebook: William Powhida
Artist’s Notebook: ULTRAFUTURO
Artist’s Notebook: Molly Crabapple
Artist’s Notebook: Mark Kostabi
Artist’s Notebook: Rollin Leonard
Artist’s Notebook: Don Hertzfeldt
