Friday, July 18, 2008

See Spot Run!

Hey all!!
Well, the term "spot" is used in the biz as a word for a commercial. I'm sure you knew that, but just in case you thought I was talkin' about a dog :-).

This past weekend I got up and headed in to the city from Brooklyn for my first national commercial shoot! Ok, well, I've been on a few national commercials, but not me per say, my voice. I did voice overs for musical artists and their promotional campaigns while I was in radio. This time around the spot is to promote not only me and my shows, but a new chick I'm luvin' and I hope you love too ... Aida Mollenkamp. Go check her show info out on FoodNetwork.com ... she is a crazy cool! We found out that we'd be shooting a commercial together a while back and kept trying to reach each other to chat on the phone. She lives on the left coast and was flying in for the shoot, so finally last week we both found time in our schedule to "meet" over the phone. I was in Oregon fresh from picking cherries, and she was in San Francisco making candied apples. Anyway, turns out she used to live in the tri-state area and listened to HOT 97, she was like "I think I listened to you, your voice is familiar". Small world huh? I was just happy we had something in common, food and music! So, needless to say we hit it off and both got off the phone excited to shoot our first spot. This is different for the network because it will air on other channels as well, so it'll hopefully give us some new viewers, cooooool with me.

Are you interested in the process? See, here's the rub, I have info and I dunno what's interesting to you lol. I know I'm blogging cuz boy, did I wish I had a peak inside as a viewer, so now that I'm on ... I'm just doin a lil stuff to fill the void for people like me out there, people that like information ... no matter how superfluous it is. So, I ask myself when I blog, "who cares?" ... here's a who cares paragraph ahead, if you don't care ... you can skip, but it's just some background on how things came together.

So, to backtrack, maybe like a month or so ago we got wind of the commercial. Then, there was the lunch meeting. I gotta tell ya, I love the lunch meeting. Biz gets done and tummy gets full ... what could be better for work? So the marketing people from the network, the advertising company people the network hired and lil ol me piled into Morimoto's restaurant to chat. The whole idea was for everyone to meet and then for the ad company to get to know me a bit before they went off to brainstorming land for the spot concept. I gotta tell ya, sometimes I can just babble for hours and that day I think I did ... it was a table of about 10 women and they all had questions and I had long-winded answers lol. The food was yummy and service was cool too. No complaints about the Iron Chef's spot. Well, after the lunch they said they had enough information to move forward and after that I didn't hear much about the concept until last week. Boy, those chicks at the ad agency, I say chicks with respect, really did get enough information! I got an email last Thursday from the marketing department and with it was an attachment of the story board for the commercial we'd shoot just 3 day later. It was simple and easy to understand with no words and it was hilarious and cute even at this stage. I'm sure I can't post it now, but I will when the commercial begins to air, so you can laugh along with me ... there's one frame where the ad company put both Aida's and my head on someone else's body, just to illustrate our placement in the scene and it looks hilarious!!!!

Ok, now that the details are over ... the fun. So, without giving away the concept, there are two little girls that play the younger version of us in the spot and this is little me, Kabrina.


Her mom found my blog and we've since emailed some, she says Kabrina woke up that Sunday morning and watched Cooking for Real so she could study my mannerisms more ... how cute is that? Such dedication from a young actor is probably why everyone on the set said she has a huge future ahead of her. They said at casting she walked in and they just knew it was her from her smile, but then wondered if she could act ... they found out in 2 seconds that she could and she got the gig!!! I don't wanna say it and have you think I'm biased cuz she plays me, but I think she is just such a pretty girl and the smile is a melter! Thanks to her mommy for the photos, you got a winner girl!

Here's me and Aida chillin between takes...


Lemme tell ya, every single thing in view is there down to the centimeter! They kept making teeny nudges to the left or right of the stuff on the counter behind us. All really to frame things up properly, so we did many takes and when the still photographer came in for the print ads that will accompany the campaign, boy did we take a jillion flicks. I dunno how models do it. Really ... definitely one of those gigs that looks like fun, but isn't 100%. I used to get that in radio plenty, people would say "oh it must be so much fun!" and I'd think, well most of the time, but some of the behind the scenes admin. stuff is a bore. This shoot wasn't a bore, but it surely wasn't cooking food or talking for hours, which is really fun lol!

Here's a long shot of the set and the monitor... the two dudes are standing in, blocking the shot to see where they want us to be in it.


and here's another shot of us workin'...


And here's all the execs and crew looking at one of the monitors ... there were monitors galore so everyone that needed to could check and make sure things looked right in the manner they were framed.


The shoot didn't take long, but it was in two locations. Aida and I shot in the Food Network test kitchens and the girrrrrrls aka "Young Sunny" and "Young Aida" filmed elsewhere (see me tryin' to be all secretive?) teeheehee. So, I never got to meet miss Kabrina, who played a younger me. By the time we wrapped, they'd wrapped as well ... what a production!!!

Anyway, I think today the network got the rough draft and stuff, but I have no idea when they will begin to run. As soon as I know, you'll know! Alright, stay tuned for a post about my Dear FN shoot yesterday in NYC with a Food Network fan from North Carolina!!!

UPDATE: TAKE A LOOK AT THE COMMERCIALS


12 comments:

Unknown said...

I met Aida a few months ago. We both did cooking demos back to back at the Saturday farmer's market in San Francisco. She made these delecious rhubabrb and almond bars..soo good.

Sunny Anderson said...

alex, well then you gotta know how great she is gonna be on her show right!? she's so funny and happy. i can tell this is right up her alley too.

Anonymous said...

yeah i saw "spot" for her new show and I was curious! so I can't wait to tune in.. do you remember I told you how I shot an epi with our pal Emeril for his new show Emeril Green!? Girl, was I all excited on monday when my epi made it to the premier night. I meant to tell you in advance to tune in--wanted your thoughts. It reran all week/end too so that was pretty cool. I was more geeked when I saw on my scenes used in a promo spot!! woo hoo! Once I put it up on my site, I'll let you know!

Isn't all so much fun!? You must be having a blast! Congrats to you all the things you're doing. The younger you is so cute! :)

Roopika Risam said...

The behind-the-scenes is most awesome... and check out the little cutie playing young-you :-)

Sunny Anderson said...

bren, i can't wait too. ok, why didn't you tell meeee about the emeril airing??? let me know when you have it up. plus, it is fun and i'm enjoying it as much as possible because i know it there's no promise as to how long i get to play! and ... kabrina is a a cutie pie, huh?

roobee, thanks ...i wonder how much is too much lol ... like it seems boring some of the details. glad you are enjoying. i can't wait to see the commercial, mostly to see the young girl do her thing! i'm really excited for her!

Anonymous said...

girl, between int'l traveling the week i found out the air date and only having 2 days to plan a party, it totally slipped my mind to tell yo u personally. i really wanted u to catch it... like i said, i'll have it up on the site sometime this week.. and i'm totally pitching myself here :) but if you ever need/want an tried, true and authentic Latin cook guest, you just let a girl know...plus i'm looking for an excuse to come to NY...

and yes darling, ride your wave!! i'm tuning in!

xo
B-

Anonymous said...

Really enjoyed your show last Sunday morning. I'm not much of a cook yet but I'm learning. Your segment was delightful to watch.

My kids also watched your "how did that get on my plate" that involved the bee keepers and the collection of honey. They squirmed the whole time but they love it.

Sunny Anderson said...

bren, i understand the busy sched ... thanks for at least letting me know, next time ... before it airs, eh? so i can support!

lisa, thanks for watching the show!!! if you don't cook much now, just try a few small things here and there ...once you see how easy it is, you won't stop. and be easy on yourself in the kitchen, mistakes are allowed! glad your kids like the show! plenty of comments of that nature. i'm starting to wonder if that's the audience ... hmmmm.

Iana said...

Hey Sunny, this is Iana I commented awhile ago and I just wanted to make sure to let you know I am still reading your blog and watching your shows. I am definitely one of those people that love the inside scoop and "boring details!" Please keep it up. I'm watching the egg episode of How'd That Get on My Plate right now. The donut segment was my fave.

My hubby and I remember you DJin' in the D. We loved Back in the Day Wednesday. If you are ever in the Phoenix area, we'd love to know!

Sunny Anderson said...

iana,
hey! glad you are still hangin' out! glad the inside stuff isn't too much. i gotta tell ya, with my memory, this'll be great for me too in a few years, i can barely remember 5 minutes ago. glad you like the plate show! yeah, the donuts were sooooooo good. like really bad for you good. yummy!!! and hey back in the day wednesday was it!! i had too much fun ... you know i had to go out and fund that segment of the show? spent months getting my music library together. glad you enjoyed!

Anonymous said...

Love your Show.It makes me Hungry
-Ray Houston TX

Sunny Anderson said...

rayj, thanks so much for the support and viewership!!