music BC's Best Teen Band Contest, Ivory Coast

BC's Best Teen Band Contest Top 3 Photo Shoot

by Kirsty Chan - Riverside Secondary, Coquitlam BC Feb 16, 2011
If a band wants to make it in the music business then their image is almost as important as their sound. How a band is represented will affect everything from the kind of fans they attract to the media’s portrayal of them. Every band is unique and I got a chance to watch BC’s Best Teen Band’s Top 3 bands cultivate their image at an amazing photo shoot on February 12th. With professional photographer Jeremy van Nieuwkerk behind the camera, and stylist Alecia Ebbels and makeup artist Janella Churchill at the shoot as well, the three bands were definitely getting the rock star treatment!

The first band on the day’s schedule was a very eager Ivory Coast, an alternative/indie band from Abbotsford, who arrived even before the photographer. Once everyone else got there they had their makeup put on and wardrobe styled before being herded across the street to a factory for a location shot. The shoot took place in a metal elevator, which looked pretty cool even before all the lighting, which I can only assume made it look even better. The guys learned some tips on how to pose and work with the camera, and by the end they were looking like pros, to me, at least.

 
Then, the energy picked up! Imagine, if you will, five teenage boys told to go crazy in a confined space while trying not to mess up their makeup. For those of you whose imagination fall short, there is a video of it floating around the Youthink Facebook page (facebook.com/youthinkmag). We managed to finish up the session with both the elevator and the band intact before heading back to the studio to meet up with band number two, The Archers.

The Archers are a five piece indie/folk band hailing all the way from Victoria. Just being at the photo shoot on time would have proved their dedication, but these guys actually got there several hours early meaning that they had to wake up at five in the morning to catch the ferry. We went back to the same factory as before, but this time using a simpler background. With the addition of an old wooden pallet, and of course, the band it ended up looking amazing. After a few quick shots it was time to return to the studio where Ivory Coast was waiting to get their second shot done.

One of my favourite moments of the day actually happened while The Archers were waiting for their next shoot. The entire band had brought their instruments and somehow the potentially tedious wait became a spontaneous jam session. All I can say is that if they sound that great now, I can’t wait to see them play in the finale.


The Archers and Ivory Coast both finished up their shoots just in time for the third and final band to show up, Stoned Optic. Stoned Optic is a three-piece rock band, also from Victoria. Since all the lighting was already set up they had their studio shoot first, and their energy was immediately evident. There was a point when drummer, Calvin Patterson, was being held upside down by his ankles.

Their second location shoot took place just outside the studio with a shopping cart in a little courtyard in the rain. Don’t forget that this is Vancouver, which meant that it was not just raining, it was something more similar to buckets of water being poured down on you. It didn’t matter for me since I was undercover, but poor Stoned Optic got drenched. We had to take a break part way through so that they could blow dry their hair. I’m not sure the band itself even noticed the rain, if so, then they were too busy having the time of their lives to mind.


All in all, it was a crazy, hectic, and unforgettable day. All the bands were different, and in a way their personalities all reflected their music. It was so cool to meet the bands whose music I have been listening to for months now and I can honestly say that based on the photo shoot they are all deserving of first place. The lesson of the day? No matter what image these bands end up with, it’s their talent and passion that will ensure their success, and they have lots of talent to work with.
 
Check out more on-set videos from the BC's Best Teen Band Contest Top 3 photo shoot on Facebook.
Comments (4)
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I liked how the article took

Submitted by Hannah.mccoach on Mon, 02/28/2011 - 19:08.

I liked how the article took you through the day and explained a little bit about each band and even talked about the in between wait time and the youtube videos included were nice to show what was going on.

Seriously fun!

Submitted by j9 on Fri, 02/25/2011 - 23:44.

This was a blast! All three bands are a ton of fun :)

Kayla

Submitted by ka_iso on Mon, 02/21/2011 - 17:46.

How cool! I never knew how photo shoots worked before and these few photo shoots in particular sound like lots of fun! It is especially great to hear this from a fan's perspective. :)

It was definitely a lot of

Submitted by kcfiction on Wed, 02/23/2011 - 00:33.

It was definitely a lot of fun. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Kirsty

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