Surprises On-Set

The Unexpected Moments You Don’t See in the Final Ad

Have you ever found yourself watching a television commercial or looking at a print or online campaign and thinking, “how did they do that?”  I’ve had the privilege of working on a variety of television spots and campaigns and I often ask that exact question on-set, “how are we doing this?” Seeing the finished product, you could never guess all of the factors that go into a spot that may only last 30 seconds, and as with any project, there are always situations that arise that you just never thought could happen.

Here are a few things I’ve seen when preparing for a television commercial shoot that now, just make me laugh.

Animals
Animals are unpredictable.  Even the most well-trained animal has a mind of its own.  So while filming a television spot on a golf course in Ireland, someone familiar with the area mentioned on certain days, you may see a wild goat walking around.  And with that phrase, my client had a twinkle in her eye and wanted a goat in the shot.  We got a goat.  Unfortunately, no one told the goat that this was going to be the day of his acting debut.  The goat didn’t want to go where we wanted him and, unfortunately, most of the shots of the goat were of him being pulled by his owner.  We didn’t end up using the shot, but we still look back and laugh about the time we filmed a goat on a golf course.

Taking One for the Team
A couple days before our photo shoot, one of our models backed out, so we needed to quickly find a new model.  Pretty easy, right?  Our photo shoot was all about makeovers, so we needed to find a model who would be willing to cut and dye her hair so we could show the before and after shots.  As I was running through a list of potential replacements with our client, she asked if I would be willing to be the model.  I froze for a second, but then agreed.  I hadn’t had a short haircut in more than seven years, but I took one for the team and got the makeover for the photo shoot.  I looked great and loved my makeover, but I did miss my long hair.

Marching Bands
I love marching bands and the energy they bring to athletic events.  But as our television director yelled action on a university campus, instead of hearing our talent talk about what brought her to this great university, we heard Mr. Roboto being played over the hill by a high school marching band.  We quickly realized we were filming in the middle of a band camp.  I still have a visual of my client running through the high school band practice to find out when they were going to take a break.

Times Square
What can be livelier than standing in the middle of Times Square in New York City in the middle of a weekend day?  Add a director, lights, audio, makeup, wardrobe, clients, agency team and our talent, who had to deliver a speaking line.  And then add the threat of dark clouds rolling in, ready to drop buckets of rain on us.  We had about fifteen minutes to set up the shot, film and get back under the umbrellas. Somehow we did it – the shot turned out great and not a single logo in Times Square was recognizable.  All in all it was a great day to be in advertising.