Credits (director, writer, DP, producer, etc.)
Director: Seth Rotkin
Writer: Dan Sorgen
DP: Jacob Hellinga
Main Cast: Jeff Daniels
Why this script/concept? How does it reflect your vision as a commercial director?
I was looking for a simple, funny concept. Setup and punchline. Something that could play out in 15 seconds. When I came across this script on Spec Bank, I knew it'd be perfect. My directing style is to infuse humor into little moments, and this script gave me that opportunity without being an outright comedy spot. In my initial research I figured out that adults can't fit fully submerged in most kiddie pools - either I'd need a comically large pool, or have to cheat the underwater shots using a full pool. That creative challenge intrigued me.
What was the casting process like?
We cast through Actors Access and asked selected talent to put themselves on tape. We were open to a wide range of types, and let the casting process lead us to the perfect actor for the role.
How did you search for/lock a location?
I needed a space that instantly read "backyard party" and luckily a family friend had the perfect corner of their backyard.
How did you select your DP, crew?
DP extraordinaire Jacob Hellinga and I work together on everything. With covid still a factor, I wanted to keep crew to a minimum. I substituted a thorough pre-production process for more hands on set. We found the perfect time of day to make lighting simple, tested out props and set design ahead of time, did a half day of photographing different possible framings, and ran lots of tests with the underwater camera. I decided against on set sound, instead recording everyone's ADR before they wrapped. So in the end, it was a crew of two.
How did shooting go? Any challenges?
Shooting was mostly a breeze. The biggest challenge was the weather - it dipped down to the low 60's, and everyone was either in a swimsuit or summery clothing. We tried to do everything possible to make the cast comfortable: hot drinks, warm food, blankets and towels, and a heated holding area. Jeff and the background performers were incredible troopers. All the prep work we put in made things run as smoothly as possible, and I think that makes everyone on set feel like they're in good hands.
Tell us about editing and finishing.
Most of my post production effort went towards compositing the final shot to make it look like Jeff was blasting out of the tiny kiddie pool. I was so excited to get into it that I started post by compositing the entire 20 second take when in the end we only needed the last 8 seconds. The lesson for myself here is that it's always smart to get a rough picture lock before going into the visual effects nitty-gritty. At the same time, I was motivated to make the visual effects work and learned in the process, so I don't consider it time wasted.
In retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently?
We had to come back a second day to reshoot the Coors Light can underwater - by far the simplest shot. I planned the more complex shots and figured we'd easily grab the hero shot at some point. It's a good reminder to plan out every shot all the way through. Even if you end up changing things during production, you have to have a strong initial plan.
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