Table Tennis Players in "MTV" Video with P.O.D.

By Pam Ramsey, SDTTA Board of Directors

Back row: POD band members Traa Daniels & Marcos Curiel, SDTTA Member Steve McGrew, SDTTA Vice President Greg Turner; Front row: SDTTA Board Member & personal friend of POD’s Sonny, Pam Ramsey; POD Lead Singer Sonny Sandoval, POD Drummer Noah "Wuv" Berdardo, and SDTTA Members Mike Gift & Davy Umel, Jr.

P.O.D., a local San Diego rock band gone big, has shot a music video for MTV using table tennis as the theme. (Hey, we’ll take any publicity that comes our way!)  This local band hit the airwaves just a couple short years ago and was already up for a GRAMMY this year for their song “ALIVE.” One of their first released songs that hit the charts with a bang was titled “SOUTHTOWN,” named after the area they grew up in (San Ysidro/South San Diego). Even though the band has dreads and is tattooed, they are a Christian-based rock band, originally touring with other Christian bands across America, before signing on with their current manager who made them famous.

Even though SDTTA’s Pam Ramsey is a personal family friend of P.O.D.’s lead singer Sonny Sandoval, it was the band’s producer who had the idea to use table tennis in this video. The casting director had contacted USATT Editor Larry Hodges, who in turn told them to contact table tennis’ Pam Ramsey in San Diego … (funny how that worked out). Clark Mitchell then spoke to the casting directors … who, it turned out, he had known for years (Clark is in the video production business). Clark was asked to be the technical advisor for the shoot, but had to decline for previous appointments he had with the CEO of the USA Olympics. Clark recommended using L.A.’s Diego Schaaf since he is a table tennis player and also in the video business.

Action during the filming. Photo by Steve McGrew, copyright 2002.

SDTTA members were used in the shot: Greg Turner acted as P.O.D.’s trainer, Steve McGrew was chosen as the Swedish coach, Mike Gift was on the French team, and Davy Umel Jr. was on the Chinese team. Diego Schaaf provided the tables for the shoot and helped the band with a crash course in table tennis. Diego also brought players from his L.A. club, which included Brian Briscoe, David Damanik (from Germany), Johnny Lin, Lu Guo Hui & Lee Hak Jin (a recently arrived player from Korea who must have thought: “Hey Great! Two months in Hollywood, and I’m already in the movies!”). Los Angeles table tennis player Mas Hashimoto acted as the Chinese coach.

The video begins with P.O.D entering the playing arena (Cox Arena at San Diego State University) strutting and singing as they walk in for their tough competition against International teams from France, China and Sweden (played by a real rock band from Sweden called BLINDSIDE). In the course of the video’s scenario, P.O.D’s drummer “Wuv” flies through the air in slow motion to retrieve an unbelievable shot, cheap shots hit the edge, arguments ensue, plants go flying and all the teams have a massive free-for-all rumble. In the close-ups of Sonny singing, he is actually standing on/walking across one of Diego’s tables (OUCH!). Of course, in the end, P.O.D. wins the $35,000 prize money and the winners’ trophy … against the CHINESE in the finals. (Hummmm, imagine that.) For most of the band’s table tennis playing action, the ball was computer generated. (If you see the ball in slow motion, it says ‘P.O.D’ … not Nittaku!). Diego’s players demonstrated how to hit the ball and taught the band how to do shadow strokes. Other than the band’s production crew, MTV had a separate crew shooting the production for two days, for MTV’s behind the scenes “Making Of The Video,” which was aired just ahead of the world premiere release on April 28, 2002. The song is called “BOOM” (Is that all you got???? Hit me with your best shot! Is that all you got???!!!….)

POD band member Noah "Wuv" Bernardo jumps after a ball during filming; cheering him on at right are POD lead singer Sonny Sandoval, band member Traa Daniels, the POD "manager" in the video (an actor playing the part), POD band member Marcos Curiel, and SDTTA Vice President Greg Turner. Photo by Steve McGrew, copyright 2002.

A Side Note From Diego....

“They used a Butterfly table they rented from us, and the singer performed most of the play-back dancing on it. I knew they were going to do that, so I wasn’t surprised. He was wearing soft shoes, and I thought it would be OK. Well, it turns out the music is pretty violent (the song is called “BOOM”), and so was the dancing. The table rocked and rolled – literally – but it survived with only a few scratches on the playing surface. At the end there was supposed to be a planned mob scene, but it got a bit out of hand, and one of the band members lifted the table and threw it on its side!! Still, built like tanks as these tables are, it survived with only a bent net post. It also survived the transport back to our club. Yards from the finish line, when they were unloading it, the lift gate malfunctioned … and the table – a long-time ‘friend,’ on which Wei had done most of her training to win her National Championship – crashed down to a quick but painful death….”