Lights, Camera, Action!!
Pfizer Pharmaceuticals took over The Plumed Serpent Bridal Salon on Monday using us as a set for a commercial they are filming for their "pneumococcal pneumonia" vaccine. (Say that five times fast!)
The story line of the commercial is that a mother and daughter are planning a wedding, the mom starts to fall ill during the fitting for her Mother of the Bride dress, and ends up missing the wedding because she develops pneumococcal pneumonia. (Such drama!!)
We should have expected the shoot was going to be a fairly big deal when this was a preliminary meeting in the store the week before the shoot.
I didn't get everyone in the shot - (apologies to all my photographer friends) - but there we no less than 10 people here checking out the lighting, angles, concepts, etc.
This was all pretty exciting for us - the location scout told us that he had been to all of the area bridal salons and ours was by far the nicest one they checked out. (Thank god they visited after we did the renovations!) So after the preliminary visit from the location scout there was quite a bit of back and forth between the scout, the director, and us trying to organize schedules, time frames and requirements. All very exciting!
Day of the Shoot
6:30 am call time. Still dark at the hour. But what was awaiting us when we arrived?
The craft services table!
Why yes thank you - I would like an egg white omelet and some fresh squeezed orange juice.
And who should they decide to hire as extras for the commercial? Alison & Lissa. Alison "role" was to carry a wedding gown through the store and Lissa would be fitting the mom in her dress. Both of us well experienced in both those roles!
Setting up for the Shoot
All sorts of people walking around putting things up, down, left, right - every which way!
Installing the lighting and accessorizing the salon.
Notice the "saran wrap" they laid down on the rug so as to not get anything dirty.
I have no idea what most of these things they kept wheeling in were for - but they all looked very impressive.
All the gear outside the salon
These were only a few of the trucks - there were about five more trucks and three trailers in the parking lot of the Playhouse next door!
Chairs for the clients to watch the filming.
Another piece of equipment that I have no idea what it is for - but pretty cool looking!
Starting to fill up even more!
There we no less than 75 people in the salon involved in some way.
Even more stuff outside waiting to be brought in!
Lissa and the "talent" practicing and standing in position for the cameras to figure out angles.
(We were both very disappointed that we were not considered "talent" as only the talent qualified for hair & make up - we had to make do ourselves. We'll put that in our contract next time!)
Setting up more lighting and spotting.
The story board for the commercial.
Sketch of Lissa in action and her role in the commercial
The director conferring with the "mom."
Almost ready to start shooting!
Lissa ready and waiting for her acting debut!
Resetting and doing take after take, after take, after take, after take……..
A different mom in this shot. They filmed the commercial in both English & Spanish.
And then it was all done by 1:00! And when they left - if was like the Cat in the Hat right before the mom gets home! SWOOSH!! All the equipment broken down and removed in about 45 minutes and the store left as perfect as it was when they arrived!!
It was such an interesting, fun and educational experience for us to see all that it takes for a commercial to be shot. Stay tuned and we'll make sure to let you know when the commercial airs!
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