Do you remember that sprinting spot I shot last year? In the commercial, I play a teacher dashing from classroom to classroom, teaching all subjects with varying degrees of success. This is it here:
I am pleased to announce it received a Silver Pollie Award this past weekend for the Best Use of Humor in a Ballot or Initiative Campaign as awarded by the American Association of Political Consultants. What is a Pollie Award? (I had never heard of the prize before and I think this is an unexpectedly good outcome for a commercial, don’t you?) The Pollies are the most prestigious awards in the political campaign and public affairs industries. To win a Pollie is to be recognized by the brightest in these industries as the best. The awards are often hailed as the “Oscars of Political Advertising”. So, a hearty congratulations to Squier Knapp Dunn Communications for producing such a creative spot! Thank you for selecting me to play the teacher. I really enjoyed … Read more »
If you’ve ever thought working with a diva was time consuming, try working with a sandwich. Or a salad. Or some potato chips. Yesterday was my first professional experience working on a commercial where food was the star and–let me tell you–the crew lavishes masses of attention upon that food. The chief lavisher? The food stylist. There were containers of perfectly-cut lettuce, trays of specially identified meat, dishes with symmetrically-cut cheese slices and pans of hand-selected potato chips. At one point the crew was joking, comparing the care in preparation of the food to surgery, which really isn’t that far off. The stylist did have assistants, there was a metal tray filled with tiny utensils (who knew there were so many?), and it could be argued they took their work no less seriously than that of surgeons.
The best part? Learning about stand-in food and “hero” food. Both are edible, but the stand-in food does just that–stands … Read more »
This morning, while I was in my pajamas and cleaning the bathroom, I received a telephone call. It was from a number I didn’t recognize, and since my hands were a bit damp and dirty, I didn’t answer. Upon returning the call (once the toilet was cleaned), I discovered the number belonged to the line producer of the commercial for which I had been booked, and who was on set and wondering if I could arrive earlier than my call time, which brought up an interesting issue and a revelation:
• I had yet to receive any information regarding the shoot’s call time and location (leading me to believe the commercial was not filming today as previously mentioned), so this phone call was news to me; and
• I was expected on set in 12 minutes, per the call sheet.
Needless to say, I was late to set. I had been as responsible as I could be, calling and sending … Read more »
Last month I had the fun task of participating in a quick commercial shoot in Maine. Apparently the spot began airing this weekend. Since I recall the focus being about some tax-related issue, thereby making the coverage area relatively localized, I was pleased to find the completed commercial in a non-Maine viewing venue: YouTube. It’s amazing to me–given all the running around I did for this gig–how brief it seems! There are some cute takes we did that clearly didn’t make it into the final cut. Perhaps there will be another, longer version to air in the future that may include some of these remaindered moments.
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