"Sixty Second Spot" - a film about how a TV commercial was created from the mid 1970's

foreign [Music] independent film production company in Hollywood which specializes in TV commercials this storyboard presents a concept for a TV commercial or spot as they're often called the idea came from Jay Walter Thompson advertising for many years they have planned the ads for their clients 7UP the Ad Agency is assigned Jack a job of making this concept into a film a 60-second spot a storyboard will provide him with an outline for the creative and practical decisions which he's now beginning to make without the right to make her own decisions we want to give millions of kids just like her the chance to make a fresh clean start all right plus the two from do you think we can make it Captain which I didn't have I've got it down to 20 now foreign looking for a shooting location like all the decisions he will make this one involves both Aesthetics and money filmmaking is costly and the desert setting in the storyboard multiplies all the normal difficulties of outdoor shooting it means problems of weather Transportation equipment sand and blowing wind this desert is close to Yuma Arizona yet it looks a lot like North Africa it seems ideal to the Jack and the Ad Agency agrees so Jack returns to Hollywood to try to find the right actors for this spot [Music] hi Marge Diane yeah hi um we're doing commercial episode and Sam for 7UP and I need an English captain and a lieutenant and they don't have to actually be English but that would be uh kind of a knife most slices will be going scale but I want you just to ask you about a couple of people can we sing interesting well um also I'd like to see Josh Shelley who I know is not English but I think can handle that kind of nicely um let's put him at 2 30. and and we get uh Ben tiazza to work with him he may not represent ative stuck in the cloud over here thank you we're doing a 7-Up commercial it was a takeoff and all the desert films have never been produced yeah the commercial will take place in the Great American Desi which is just outside of Yuma you'll be up on a sand dune now that you're capped and you'll be looking around the horizon and you'll be surveying the land we'd like it in sort of a clip British accent it's British accent we'll let the audience decide if they're British or whatever Australian new zealanders or whatever it happens to be we'd like to have you stand up behind the Sand Dune which is the bench and proceed to give us a read anytime you're ready thank you I say sir do you think we can make it I'm going to make it boss worth we've got him on the Run we can't let up now sometimes I I wonder if it's all worth it surprise that you Bosworth odds have never bothered you before sure we're outnumbered but we've always been the underdog haven't we you know what we're struggling for a Bosworth freedom of choice I think of your kid back home Bosworth well you want her to grow up in a world without the right to make her own decisions why we want to give her and millions of other kids just like her the chance to make a fresh clean start quite sense that's why we have to keep on going boss to make sure the light shining over the dark doesn't flicker out all right good heavens look like they're ready sir these lines can't be played seriously do you think we can make it sir we have to make it Cosworth we've got him on the run you can't hit up now times our Wonder if it's all worth it we have to make it possible we've got them on the Run we have to make advice with we've got them on the Run we can't let up now he wanted English sorry take two right a little bit if you think we can make it sir we have to make it buzzword we got them on the Run we can't let up now we have to make it both what we put them on the Run we can't set up now we have to make it possible we've gone on the road and we can't head up now we have to make it ballswell we've got them on the Run we can't let up now we have to make it possible we got them on the Run we can't get out now do you think we should make it sir make it we have to make it possible we've got them on the Run we can't let up now times I wonder if it's oh where we have to make it possible you have to make it once worth we have to make it Buzz with okay this is your uh broker that I think we can toss yeah wow this guy I wasn't too shy about anyway no he froze yeah he looked the same throughout okay I can't remember him I mean this is out let's leave that this guy really didn't get a fair chance but um he was out out this is your agency friend this guy's house I think the Irish yeah he had peace out okay he's out out out okay I'd like to do a profile and like do it straight on Zach talks with the ad agency's executive producer art Lun and art director Bill Bosworth about pre-production decisions they discussed the overall mood of the film lighting and camera angles on every shot they know that the most efficient and economical way to make a film is to do all the shots that will be needed from One camera position before the crew moves on to another setup so films are not usually shot in sequence from beginning to end instead the scenes are assembled later into proper order in the editing process long before he begins to shoot Jack will have a master plan of every shot needed for the film but he will also modify the storyboard during production as problems arise and ideas evolve what I've done as to what the slides are kind of time if you like those shots huh all right if they don't hire me for drawing man no but there's a night course at the Art Center I would like to have you do both versions so that Arthur can see exactly where we're at in this or if you did a little thing that uh I just flipped out on it it was kind of crazy you kind of had a twitch in your lip I know you know that came at the end of the last speech because of the seriousness of it you see with that and then right the payoff is for the program yeah there isn't the slightest hint of the sender anywhere in it to be going it's totally real yeah it's very dangerous situation all right well let's let's take it that way and it just be one absolutely still sure we can do more than one all right I mean there's no no Panic that's what we're here do you think we can make it we have to make it possible we've got him on the Run we can't that have now sometimes I wonder it's all worth it price did you fuss with the odds have never bothered you but you've always been the underdog and you know what we're struggling for freedom of choice I mean think of your daughter back home would you want her to grow up in a world without the right to make her own decisions we want to give her and millions of others the chance to make a fresh clean start that's why we have to keep on going to make sure the light shining over the dark doesn't flicker out looks like they're ready sir carry on I'd like to try just the opening in a little different way from you right a little bit of a doubt but a little bit of a nervousness doubt in the earth just remember you're still the inexperienced and then because that'll contrast to the end you're now understanding and you're agreeing and uh all right yes thank you do you think we can make it sir we have to make it possible if they've got him on the Run we can't let up now sometimes I wonder it was all right was it's a did you buzz with the odds of never bothered you remembered but we've always been the underdog I mean you know what we're struggling for freedom of choice what's next about the logos um you know he's also picking up what she's doing Linda Stewart is production manager for disord and sound Productions she coordinates every element going into the film she arranges for costuming cameras contracts film equipment Transportation Insurance meals props permits and Personnel even hotel reservations Linda must keep track of everything because perfect teamwork will be needed to pull the job together [Music] thank you foreign [Music] Sam Shapiro Jack's partner prepares budgets and watches production costs and production needs Jack now plans to use three cameras to cover the action from three different angles at the same time triple the cost of expensive 35 millimeter film stock get away from that straight yeah you know I wonder why are we using three cameras because I don't know if the trucks in the Jeep can make it through there and if what kind of problems exist if it if it's like going down the highway beautiful then I only cover it with two when does it get covered Linda hired dune buggies and drivers in Yuma the buggies make it fast easy and exciting to move people and equipment Jack has set aside this first day on location to translate the storyboard into exact camera positions to rehearse the actors and to study the qualities of light at different times of the day Jack's cinematographer on this job is Mike Brown a first-rate professional with an easy going temperament Mike's job is to achieve on film The look and feel of Jack's Direction the last scene in this commercial has a convoy of 7Up trucks driving off into the distance Jack has decided that the best place to Stage this shot is deep in the sand dunes this will mean construction of a makeshift Road using water trucks tractors and heavy equipment operators [Music] [Applause] foreign [Music] thank you [Applause] thank you there's one kind of Camp thing I want to get and and they were very famous for this and I think that this shot over here which is indicated by but I think it's more like right yeah this is awesome we have blue sky up here right this is wrong uh drunk the other way and that that way they come across there into a big Horizon shot and we get a minimum of blue in there yeah but I think that could be groovy as hell and I think that it's not wrong because I'm anti-chowing Eastman Kodak uh Blue Sky I don't think it's wrong to see it in this spot yeah yes thank you [Music] the assistant cameraman loads film and equips cameras with lenses and Motors even makes on the spot repairs blowing sand is a constant problem of the desert and it can turn a twenty five thousand dollar aeroflex camera into instant junk [Music] [Applause] five and four take two running day one oh for crazy move your glasses a little bit you think we can make sure but how'd the airplane sound dude get out of here your mother Mark roll take three and action you think we can make it sir make it we have to make it Buzz with we've got them on the Run we can't let up now sometimes I wonder it's really quite all worth it sir I'm surprised at you password uh come back as quick as he can he's gonna find out the weather very nice light it's very soft it may rain tonight he's expecting rain in Arizona either we can do all the close-ups under this kind of lighting or we can wait and we can continue on shooting hope that either stays like this tomorrow which is going to not be the world's greatest answer Jack I said I think illustrated by erratic weather Jack moves to shoot another setup which will work better in the existing light [Music] [Music] tomorrow they'll be ready to shoot Before Dawn Jack hopes that the few brief moments of Sunrise will give them the quality of light they've been waiting for Sunrise it's a bitter cold but the light seems perfect [Music] [Applause] [Music] all right the trucks are having rough going in the soft sand they can make only a few runs before the road crumbles tax plan to cover this scene with three cameras seems to have been a wise one foreign by the end of this day Jack must have all the shots needed to complete the film otherwise he will go into overtime and over budget who is setting up for a close-up shot of the Commander's last line of dialogue the engine of the Land Rover is not used because its noise would prevent a clear recording of the actor's voice the whole crew pitches in to push the vehicle later engine noises will be added to the final soundtrack [Music] come down a little bit more okay and action freedom of choice I mean think of your daughter would you want her to grow up without the right to make her own decisions all right see nine take three [Applause] and action freedom of choice I mean think of your daughter would you want her to grow up without the right to make her own decisions who knows we want to give her and millions of others a chance to make a fresher clean stuff no come on there you know you're gonna have to go up to the top and come down here let's just hike up there right here's another one Michael away well I I would feel better having a third one I must say I like it say nine take four freedom of choice I mean think of your daughter would you want her to grow up without the right to make her own decision yes we want to give her and millions of others the chance to make our fresh clean start no problem Michael the reading what's wrong with the camera well but we've always been the underdog you know what we're struggling for freedom of choice I mean think of your daughter back home would you want her to grow up in a world without the right to make her own decisions we want to give her and millions of others the chance to make a fresh clean start [Applause] [Music] [Applause] shooting is complete still to be done is post-production work on sound effects music titles editing and Optical printing this was the making of a 60-second spot absolutely rigidly to the to the reality and and two so that you so that when the guy turns on the TV he doesn't say oh yeah this is a commercial this is another cell but that said that when he when he turns on the TV he at the least he says hey that's a drama that's pretty good or at the very best this is what I'd really like to see happening the best is that he he says Hey Myrtle you better come in here there's a couple of guys talking about war I'm wondering if some of the things we see then he totally believes it's real it's not funny we're not doing any and then right at the end we pull back and we see the seven up tracks coming through the desert and they said ah we've been sucked in you know it's a commercial one more time yeah and that's what makes it great I think you know you think we can make it yeah make it we have to make it possible we've got them on the Run we can't get up now sometimes I wonder surf is really quite all worth it I'm surprised that you possible the odds have never bothered you before I know oh sure we're outnumbered but we've always been the underdog you'll know what we're struggling for freedom of choice I mean think of your daughter back home but you want her to grow up in a world without the right to make her own decision we want to give her and millions of others the chance to make a fresh clean start that's why we have to keep on going to make sure the light shining over the dark doesn't flicker out looks like they're ready sir carry on [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music]