Commercial shoot completed
- Posted 05/18/07 -
Last Friday, Bill returned from Chicago after spending another 2 ½
days there assisting with skate related aspects of the McDonald's commercial
shoot. Filming took place at the Lynwood skating rink and began
Thursday, May 10 at approximately 3:00 in the morning, ending around 4:00
that afternoon. The cast consisted of 17 principal characters most
of whom were Chicago JB style skaters and 28 young actors and actresses
who were the extras that will be seen in the background.
Bill was very impressed with the organization of the Chi-Force skating
group who he found very easy to work with due to the fact they had a choreographed
routine prepared. Bill was able to use their routine and only add
his own finishing touch to it while other groups, in contrast, were not
as coordinated in terms of teamwork even though each group member excelled
at skating independently.
Because the commercial director primarily wanted unity and group cohesion,
Bill said those groups which were not as unified in action as Chi-Force,
had a more difficult time delivering what was asked for. As a result
of the experience, Bill has found another reason to emphasize the importance
of having versatility and being able to skate not only solo but in
pairs, trios, and larger groups.
In the future, skaters should start leaning toward group activity and
learning to skate together as a group, he told RST upon his return from
the Windy City. He added that individual skating has its advantages
in certain situations but that may be a crutch to many who are unprepared
to meet new and exciting challenges in film, commercials or other areas.
Bill finds that group activity in skating has benefits which carry over
into everyday life and should help people see the cultural advantages of
unity and group action. It tends to bring people together, he said,
also noting that individuals become more well-rounded as a result.
Other than that, the shoot went well, minus an observation Bill made
about the director's choice of sequencing. It seems that the scenes
requiring the most energy and stunt work from the skaters were shot last,
at the end of a long 12 hour day, while Bill thinks it would have been
better to have shot those scenes first when everybody was fresh and had
more focus and enthusiasm.
Now that the filming is complete, all is in the director's hands to
decide what shots and scenes will make the commercial's final cut
which will be seen on TV screens nationwide later this year.
- RST -
UPDATE 06/19/07 - View the finished product on YouTube
Mr. B to choreograph TV commercial
Posted 05/04/07
The skate maestro is riding the edges of a new curve in what has been
a most adventurous life on wheels. Bill is set to travel to Chicago
this weekend after having been selected to choreograph an upcoming TV commercial
for McDonald's, the world famous fast food chain.
After a fast-paced week of phone communications which led to him being
offered the job, Bill will be flying to the Windy City to meet the commercial's
directors and producers in person. On this trip, he will also be
assisting in the process of determining which skaters make it past initial
auditions and become part of the chosen few who will fill the roles needed
for the video advertisement. The long-time skater and performer has
never choreographed a television commercial before so the experience itself
is brand new to him although the task at hand putting together a dynamic
skate production is not.
Bill plans to go in with an open mind that is ready to absorb what the
directors and producers want to convey and from there, he'll put his skills
to work to make the vision a reality. If the skaters are on it,
he said, the commercial will be wonderful. I'll have them doing
some funky stuff, he told RST, adding that he might even make an appearance
on camera as a floor guard.
As of now, the scene is set to take place in a skating rink and according
to Susan Koestner, manager of Fleetwood Roller Rink, her facility is one
of two being considered for the shoot. Fleetwood and the other rink,
Lynwood Sport Facility, were both utilized in the filming of Roll Bounce
Fleetwood as the neighborhood rink on the Southside that was shut down,
and Lynwood was transformed into the upper-scale Sweetwater rink that was
the location of the big skate off in the movie. A decision on which
rink will be selected for the McDonald's shoot should be made this weekend.
Stay tuned to Good Jammin' News for more Behind the Scenes reports from
Bill as he returns to Chi-town the week of May 7 for the actual filming
of the commercial.
(Just a side note: for those who know Bill, you
know how particular and selective he is and this is something the producers
and directors are already coming to know. When asked by a staffer
what he thought about the music selected for the commercial, Bill replied
that he didn't like it. He thinks the song was by Hip Hop/R&B
artist Timbaland - but he's not sure, all he knows is that he gave it a
thumbs down. The staff person said they would pass that message along .........................
stay tuned!)
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