Amy McNulty from ESPN sent me in hot to a 2K Sports TV spot set to photograph Kobe for the Bodies Issue. The set was slammed with three camera operators, 25 crew and a fair bit of lighting and grip. All in a small living room. It was a mad house and although it was a go from the perspective of Kobe's PR people in that they knew I was to arrive and shoot a picture, the TV production people could have cared less about my needs. I don't blame them. But I made friends with the right people and was given a few minutes between a couple of takes to go in and get the shot I wanted.
I wanted to gain authenticity through energy and playfulness. The fact is they weren't playing a video game at all ( it wasn't available). "Elbow someone Kobe, get 'em back Derek, don't be a wuss Chris, blah blah blah. It was a fast two - three minutes.
In the end this shot did not run in the magazine because the article was more about how the 2K people were able to make the game so realistic and how it all got produced from the perspective of Kobe's physicality and likeness.
