The Canon 80D Made East 17 Call
- blacksproductions3
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
My first big job.
Never in a million years did I think owning a camera would land me filming insane views, iconic music legends, oiled-up bodies, and the fastest cars around. But here we are. Let's rewind to where it all began—with my Canon 80D and the wildest ride of a job I’ve had so far.
Crying – East 17
My first truly wacky gig was filming behind the scenes for East 17. One of my good mates had just joined the band and called me early on in my photography journey: "Fancy filming for East 17?" Hell! Yes!
If there’s one thing about me, I don’t turn down opportunities. Especially not when they involve a nostalgic throwback to my youth. White puffer jackets, “Stay Another Day”… I didn’t even need convincing. Bag packed in minutes.
We got to Great Yarmouth a day early since the video shoot kicked off bright and early the next morning. England was playing that night, and you could feel the energy. One drink turned into several, we bar-hopped along the seafront, eventually ending up at a karaoke bar. No table booked, security not letting us in. Cue the magic words: “We’re East 17.”Suddenly, we were VIPs. Tables cleared, the bar became ours. We even met two extras cast for the video, Pete from Big Brother and his girlfriend.
By midnight, I was already dreading the morning alarm. Karaoke was chaos. People dancing on tables, singing, cheering, more drinks flowing—it was madness, but unforgettable.
The power of four words: “We’re East 17.”
Surprisingly, I woke up feeling fresh. The rest of the crew? Not so much. Sunglasses on, trying to stomach a fry-up. We set off for the location now, if you’re imagining a glam 5-star hotel, girls in bikinis, Sean Paul doing his thing… think again.
We pulled up to a derelict building. No electricity. Knee-deep in toilet water. Every room seemed to house a family of six. I swear I saw newborn kittens. Out back? A full-on junkyard: bathtubs, overflowing skips, and… some very questionable piles of human waste.
Naively, having never seen a music video set before, I was like how the hell is this going to work?
The crew showed up band, director, makeup artist (who casually worked on Harry Potter, by the way). Things got rolling around midday. We started filming inside the building. One scene even involved a bathtub. Hours ticked by I thought we were nearly done.
“Right, outside scenes now.”
Wait—what?! It’s 9 PM.
Out we went. No lights meant dragging out smoke machines, rigged lighting setups, and filming in that backlot of chaos. We were all knackered, but it didn’t matter. I was completely in awe. My Canon 80D had brought me here, on this completely surreal adventure.
If these words don’t do it justice—watch the video below.LINK
We finally wrapped early hours of the morning and headed home, exhausted but buzzing. So many stories, so many memories all thanks to one camera and a single call.
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