Credits
Director: Aaron Kodz
Writer: Aaron Kodz/Dan Sorgen
Producer: Farideh Rezagah
Director of Photography: Alex
Gallitano
Production Designer: Terra McNerthney
Assistant Director: Michael Sutphin
Sound Designer: Patrick Burgess
Cast: Zoe Kypuros, Adrienne
Sorg, Randye Kaye, Jim DiMunno, Val Kica, Andrew Joseph
Pagliara, Daniela Rivera, Shea Saracino, Ava Salvatore
Why this script/concept?
How does it reflect your vision as a commercial director?
I liked the cheerfulness of the
narrative, and I thought this script would provide a good challenge to express
this visually within our tight budget. It's the story of a home told through
vignettes, but each moment had to be sweet. The visuals needed to conjure
up nostalgia, make people want to own a home, give their loved ones a kiss.
I figured this was a good venture, and would provide me a unique platform
to expand my style.
What was
the casting process like?
Casting was a nightmare; we had to
not only find the best talent, but the best talent that looked like each other
as we were showing a family growing! Like everything else though, we
truly lucked out. Adrienne and Randye were both our first choices, and
with our great make up artist Nick DiRamio we were able to make them match.
This, along with their great performances, really sold the storyline.
Jim and Andrew were also a challenge, but we found it was much easier to
make men match then the women, so that was never much of a concern - we picked
the best actors. It plays very well, which given our budget we were
tremendously lucky to get.
How did
you search for/lock a location?
We filmed at my parents' house in
Connecticut for the interiors, and my high school friend's house for the
exterior.
How did
you select your DP, crew?
My producer Farideh Rezagah and I
have worked together in the past, and she's always a great creative mind.
She consistently brings great ideas to the table and comes up with unique
solutions. I had worked with production designer Terra McNerthney back during
my time at NYU, and her schedule allowed her to come aboard. I also went
to school with Alex Gallitano, but it was during our time on the set of The
Wolf of Wall Street that we ended up tossing around ideas.
Michael Sutphin was a last minute hire to be Assistant Director, and he
was phenomenal despite the fact he no time to prep. We had a
few local hires, as well as a friend's brother, and we lucked out on every one
of them. They all knew their stuff and were a pleasure to have around.
I always love the sets when the G&E guys are both hard workers and
laid back - even during the most stressful times they could always crack a good
joke.
How did
shooting go? Any challenges?
The biggest concern I had was filming
with the baby, Ava Salvatore. It was my first time on set with a baby
that young, and I was pretty nervous. However, Ava was great. She
got through twelve takes without a single word of protest. Her dedication
to her work was really inspiring, and she really dived into the role. I
think it ended up being the one of the best parts of the commercial - it
certainly warms the heart.
Tell us
about editing and finishing.
The edit was pretty simple.
Brenna Perez was post supervisor and I edited, with her doing color
correction as well. Patrick Burgess was our sound designer, and he got to
build the soundtrack from the ground up as we didn't record sound on set.
The sound design was a blast, and while it was our first time working
together, it certainly won't be our last.
In
retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently?
I really wish we could have shot
during spring - I think it would have been great to see the trees beginning to
bud at the opening of the spot. We actually decided to film in April to
capture that "spring" feel, but it just wasn't meant to be.
Summer came late this year.
