07 August, 2012

'Monkey Tennis?' we wispa'd.





Well it's taken over a decade to do, but finally I have managed to get a monkey in an Ad (kind of). And not just one; two and furthermore dressed in tennis whites and holding racquets. Shooting this was one of the most surreal moments in my career. Lets forgo the kick, bollock, scramble from nothing but George Lamb to shooting a final film in less than a week, and focus on the dreamlike events of the day.

Shot in an underground prison in Clerkenwell, you'd be forgiven for thinking we were about to embark on an episode of Most Haunted with Derek Acorah; apart from the fact that there was a 4ft high Dart board propped up against the wall and two Shoreditchonian extras getting into gorilla costumes.

Then George Lamb turned up. He didn't look happy that his boxfresh, Colgate white espadrilles were not the correct footwear for a damp, puddle strewn crypt but he seemed to get passed it. As the crew set-up, a bath arrived, fruit was being polished and inflatable chairs were being... er...inflated.

With water running down the walls and front doors being painted Cadbury Purple, we began turning over. A few shots down and the camera had to be moved. George was left to his own devices. Finding one of the gorilla's tennis balls he began knocking it about. Seizing the chance to play a spot of 'wall ball' with a celebrity?!?!? we struck up a furious competition drawing more and more male spectators eager to join in only to be brought to a stop when a rather ambitious volley of the now sodden and filthy tennis ball from myself left its mark on the shin of his pristine designer suit. For the sake of continuity we concluded our game.

After some great Basketball tricks with a melon and a pineapple, some javelin sized pub darts and a smoke machine filling the former correctional facility with purple fumes, we wrapped. For the pure insanity of it all, the tears and stress to get it in front of a camera and because we managed to get the client to sign off apes playing mixed-doubles, I don't think it's half bad.

Now edited together and turned into a Facebook App, it seems to be going down really well in social media circles. By adding our own Meme Generator people are picking up the idea and well and truly mis-spending some time on the app. As it stands, we're moderating all the Meme proposals ourselves, however at the moment there aren't enough hours in the day to get through them all, which can only be a good sign.

The Time Well Mis-Spent Foundation

06 August, 2012

And now for something inappropriate and childish.


Some old, some new, some NSFW and some really NSFW. However, some of the greatest use of the English language I've ever encountered appear on these - amazing vocabulary and sheer creativity.