I Jumped Into a Lake for a Bag of Doritos
What does it take to make a winning commercial for the Super Bowl?
I love comedic roles. I especially love comedic roles in well-written scripts for projects that may get national attention. The top prize of all? A commercial for a top brand aired during the Super Bowl.
I've had two opportunities for that this year. One, I didn't book. I did make it to callbacks, but the producers decided to "go another way." That's producer-speak for "You didn't get it."
The other has a decent job of making it. I was cast by a top Atlanta production house, FUGO Studios, for a Doritos spec commercial. A spec commercial is a fully-produced spot that may or may not be ever broadcast. In this case, it was for the Doritos' Crash the Super Bowl annual contest to find the best customer-produced commercial. It's a pretty good deal for Doritos: a ready-made commercial with plenty of publicity that's fun for the general public. But it was a real hoot to make, too.
And we've done well! Out of thousands of submissions, "Home From Work" made it to the semi-finals, one of the top 20 favorites chosen by Doritos. This week, the Doritos powers-that-be will choose their top three and ask viewers to vote for their favorites. Hopefully, "Home From Work" (which you can watch right now) will be the clear winner. I watched all 20 and while I'm slightly biased, I think ours is quite original and topical. And funny as hell. I hope you think so, too.
"Funny and outrageous" is what counts when making a Doritos commercial and all 20 semi-finalists delivered. Strangely, three different commercials used urns (complete with ashes) and at least two featured the very elderly. There were two comedic takes on historical/Biblical events (the Trojan War and The Flood), another about alien abduction (always a fan favorite), and at least one that I didn't think would be considered suitable for family viewing during prime-time viewing, if you know what I mean.
At the time of this posting, you can watch all 20 semi-finalists here. Starting on January 14, the top three will be presented ... and your vote matters! Especially if "Home From Work" is among them. If so, please please pretty-please vote for us!
Doritos made me do it...
Oh, about the title of this post? Yes, I did jump into a real lake in mid-October, fully dressed in business attire and pumps, carrying a fake laptop. Disclosure: I'm not much of a swimmer, especially fully-dressed and in cooler weather! Fortunately, a hunky lifeguard was floating nearby, out of sight of the camera, holding the little fishing boat steady for the shot. Yelling "help! help!" after the director called "Cut!" did cross my mind (just because), but considering that I felt like a cat plunged into water, I just made for the dock as fast as my little heeled legs could kick. Those towels looked WARM. So did the lifeguard, but I'm a married mama and discretion dictated sticking to the towels.
FUGO Studios took great care with every detail. If you watch the commercial closely, you'll see the "break glass in case of emergency" stand with Doritos inside, an entry labeled "Cool Ranch Room," and my cubicle made up like a real bedroom. FUGO did an amazing job.
Most scenes were shot in one day in a nearby office suite that production had rented, with plenty of extras (background actors) to provide that bustling office feel. My fishing boat scene took place on a different day at a lake just an hour north of Atlanta. No CGI there, just real wet little ol' me. And yes, it was done in one shot. The director told me exactly how they wanted it to look, down to the expression on my face and the determined leap to get to those free Doritos at the office. Considering the weather, the time it would take to get ready again, and all the other logistics, I was going whole-hog for that one-take wonder. Fortunately, production was pleased with my literal leap of faith.
Behind the scenes
How did I get the role of Janet, the wacky, Doritos-obsessed employee? They had all actors audition for one of the two boss roles. I submitted an audition for the lead boss, the one who starts off the commercial. They really liked my takes on it, but considering how the commercial ends - and I'm not spoiling anything, just look at the thumbnail above the producers chose for the spot! - they thought it would be a bit creepy and inappropriate for a woman to be standing there in her undies. I totally agreed. Maybe in bygone days when women wore slips under their dresses or skirts; you saw plenty of slips in older movies. Much better to be the fully clothed comic relief. Even if I got totally drenched.
What's it like on a film set? Busy busy busy! Except when you're not doing anything at the moment. Film sets aren't all action all the time. It takes a while to set up each shot just right, with multiple takes to get each shot the way the director wants, and then again with usually more than one camera angle. There's plenty of downtime when you're not in the scene that's shooting. If you ever want to be an actor or even an extra, bring plenty of materials to keep yourself busy when you're waiting to be called.
The best part? When you can see the finished piece. Actors don't often do until the movie, TV episode, or commercial is screened, the exception being a red carpet event or a production that shares part of all of the finished work. With corporate industrials, which are for a company's internal use, we almost never see them, which is a shame, because I've been a part of quite a few very creative projects. But all in all, I find it great fun and often come away with some terrific stories to share, though I often have to wait until a piece is aired before I can talk about it or share any type of promotion.
You're not done living 'til you're permanently horizontal, so make the most of it.
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A few takeaways from my quantum leap into the deep, dark cold
Even if you're not ever considering making a commercial - or jumping into a lake fully clothed - there are a few takeaways from this story:
Be bold - just like the Doritos. You're not going to stand out if you don't try something new and different from time to time. Even if it doesn't work out.
Take risks - nothing dangerous or unwise, but if you want to expand your horizons or experiences ... go for it.
Enjoy what you're doing! Otherwise, what's the point? Unless you have to make the $$ to pay the mortgage, send the kiddos to college, etc. Then try to find the joy in the little moments. It's what makes life worth living.
My philosophy is that you're not done with living until you're permanently horizontal, so make the most of it. And pursue your passions before you run out of time. Acting is one of mine and I certainly hope you enjoy this particular result. So... if you like our Doritos commercial, the team and I would greatly appreciate if you vote for "Home From Work" if we make it to the Top Three. And we sincerely thank you for your support...!
Glutton for punishment? Have a looksee at some of my other recent projects.
Want to learn how to be great on camera? Let's talk!
I'm Laura Doman, a voice & TV/film actor and video communications coach. As an actor, I create memorable characters that tell my client's stories well, from the friendly CEO to your sassy best gal pal dispensing real-world advice. As a coach, I help you become more comfortable and charismatic on camera in videos, presentations, and online appearances.
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