35,389 Applicants for Video Shoot ("Sankei Sports" - Japan)

Time of publication: 23.06.2003

35,389 Applications to Take Part in Tatu's Video Shoot (guess that means my application doesn't stand a snowflake's chance in hell, then :-) )

It was discovered on the 21st that there have been 35,389 applications to appear in the video being shot by the Russian high school girl duo Tatu, who will arrive in Japan on the 25th. Applicants are said to include television personalities and female TV announcers, showing that Tatu's popularity is increasing further.

The popularity of the group in Japan has already been demonstrated, with its debut album having sold more than a million copies, but with only a few days left until the girls' visit, this is further proof of the intensity of Tatu Fever.

The filming of the video for Show Me Love, which will take place at various locations within the capital on the 29th of this month, will be the main event during their visit. At the request of Tatu's producer, Ivan Shapovalov (37), Universal International solicited applications to appear in the video, and as of the deadline on the 20th, 35,389 women had applied.

The conditions for application were that applicants had to be females aged between 16 and 25, and able to participate wearing clothes that fit Tatu's image - a skirt and a white blouse. The paperwork for the application process was rather demanding, with underage applicants (those under 20) having to get their parent or guardian to put their seal (used instead of a signature in Japan) to the consent form. In addition, potential extras had just a week to apply.

Given all this, insiders at Universal could not hide their surprise at the number of applications.

A breakdown of the applicants revealed that there was an overwhelming number of high school girls who applied, but according to Universal, they were surprised also to receive applications from female TV announcers and women in the entertainment business.

Universal plans to choose 300 participants by the 25th. Shapovalov will arrive in Japan today (22nd), ahead of the rest of the group, in order to choose the location for the shoot, so there is also the possibility that he might be the one to choose the participants.

Tatu are popular around the world and Universal has had a rush of applications to cover the event from media organisations in the UK, Russia, the US and countries in Asia, and there will be heavy security on the day of the shoot.

Tatu have caused various problems, including the shoot in May on Moscow's Red Square that took place without permission, leading to the girls being taken away by the police. What kind of uproar will they cause in Tokyo? We can't take our eyes off the behaviour of these two.

* Secrecy Regarding the Location

There is extreme secrecy regarding the location of this video shoot. Shapovalov shows an enthusiasm bordering on the abnormal, saying that, "There is somewhere we want to use, and there's nothing we can do if we use it and get arrested." In addition, their chief manager, who sets up the locations, declared that "We will shoot in a place that people all over the world will recognise as being in Tokyo", but where on earth could that be?

The shooting began on May 2nd at Big Ben in London. Shooting has already taken place in Moscow's Red Square. After Tokyo, there are plans to shoot in Washington DC in the US.

22nd June Sankei Sports

Thanks to Lenochka0.

Return to "Articles"