Best of Both Worlds..

This PhotoFeature shows the remarkable changes of character Nick created on recording artist TOMA for the 1996 music video BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. Other features with technical details will follow in time but this will certainly whet your appetite.

In all there were sixteen characters.... each the antithesis of at least one of the others. Just as the locations of Los Angeles and Antigua provided the contrast of city life to simple island living so the Feminine Toma was the antithesis of the masculine Businessman . The Businessman was a pivotal chracter. He was the key to unravelling the imagery of the piece. Besides being a foil for TOMA's femininity he was, on different levels, also the antithesis of the Native, the Punk and the Hobo.

The Masochist was the antithesis of the Sadist and the Artist was the antithesis of the Model. If you ever get to see this video (maybe when the 6.0 browsers are out) you will notice TOMA supposedly painting one of Nick's pieces of art...... a study of....... TOMA the Model, naked.

The comical Rabbi was the antithesis of the Priest whilst both were also the antithesis of the Devil who was in turn was the antithesis of the Angel. To make things more complicated most of these characters had alien counterparts such as Alien Priest and the Alien Rabbi.

The Devil and the Angel were two favorites of Nick's. He likes to tell of how the Angel was created at 24 hours notice to counter balance the Devil who was used much more than originally intended. The sequence was shot in the Executive Producer's lounge in L. A. with a paper photo backdrop and a dry ice machine on the top of a bookcase.

Alien Imp TOMA, (himself a blend of contradictions.... at times playful, at others malevolent), was the most involved make-up. Wearing only a jockstrap TOMA gallantly weathered 7 hours of prosthetics, intricate hair dressing (where a multitude of materials from rope to dried flowers and feathers were woven into his own locks), and a head to toe pearlized body make-up. This modern Puck like character was at the heart of the video, just as TOMA was at the heart of all the characters..... lurking within the airwave.... creating the practical joke that is life to the rest of us.....a virtual chameleon. For photos of the casting, modelling and application of that make-up click here.

It isn't hard to see why Nick won this Bronze medal at Worldfest Houston 1996 (Worlds largest film festival with over 4300 entries from 38 countries). The inscription reads.....

"TOMA - Best of Both Worlds"
Music Video Awards - New Artist
Nick Maley (Producer Director)
Richard Franklin (Executive Producer)
ALIEN ARTISTS INC.

For information on the Audio CD..... click here

Nick's CinemaSecret......You make movies? click here .......Nick's Art Online

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