Making a Wedding DJ Commercial

We were recently presented with a unique opportunity to broadcast a TV commercial for our Wedding DJ services.  It was the kind of offer we couldn’t say no to, but there was one obstacle… We had only two weeks to produce it.  Now, as a DJ Entertainment Company, we are essentially in the “production” business, yet producing a TV spot was slightly outside of our area of expertise.

So we called some friends.

Last week, we (and I mean “we”, because I could never have pulled this one off alone) put together a stellar team to help create our first television commercial.  The obstacle turned out not to be resources, but time, and I’m extremely grateful to everyone who participated and helped to pull off the impossible.  This blog post is more about the folks who helped than about the commercial itself, because – as I said before – I was out of my element, and this would never have happened without a little help from my friends (pun intended).  Perhaps my role/title in this project would officially be “Producer”, and that said, allow me to introduce the team and their titles, some official and some improvised for accuracy.

Director and Cinematographer – John M. White:  John was my second call after securing my on-screen talent, and I couldn’t have made a better choice.  The day after the shoot, I received calls from almost everyone who participated in the project on John’s professionalism, ability to communicate with other team members and essentially lead the project. He had all the right gear, and kept things moving while keeping the team at ease.

On Screen Talent – Justin Guarini: I am grateful to my friend Justin for taking the time out of his hectic performing schedule to be my on screen talent.  This was huge win for us, as Justin’s experience being in front of a camera made everything run smoothly, particularly on-the-spot script changes and in some cases multiple takes.  Justin was cool as a cucumber, and rolled with it like a true pro.  It also didn’t hurt that since we provided the DJ for Justin’s wedding (click here), it was also a great testimonial.

Assistant Producer and Script Editor – Sean Gallo:  Sean and I have known one another since the second grade, and have collaborated on countless creative projects, and he was my security blanket when it came to me feeling at ease that I had someone there who understood my often quirky and sometimes unfocused vision.  As my co-collaborator on the KatiesOpinion project on YouTube, Sean has always been able to see things I could not, and I was grateful for his help.

Sound Engineer and Boom Microphone Guy – Shane Dewalt: This was the first time I’d met Shane, but boy, could this guy hold a boom mic. He didn’t even need sand bags!  Shane and John essentially handled all of the technical aspects of the shoot, and watching them work was quite impressive.

Photographer – Kevin York: Another good friend, Kevin was there both for Photography and for moral support.  The images here were captured through Kevin’s lens, and afterward Justin and Kevin had a great photo shoot which can be seen on Kevin’s website.  Kevin also generously provided the white backdrop for the production.  Thanks Kev!

Event Designer and Woman’s Touch – Maya Shumar: Maya was a surprise participant, who tagged along with John and Shane for the shoot.  Her presence proved invaluable in smoothing some of the script and the pace to be more bride-centric.  Maya is an Event Designer for Beautiful Blooms in Philadelphia, and her input was welcomed and appreciated.

Friend and Moral Support – Dean Rubenstein: “Hey Dean, wanna come check out our commercial we are shooting today?” and that’s how Dean came to be there, guitar and pen in hand.

Again, thanks team.  Was a lot of fun putting this all together. Be sure to keep your eye out for our Cutting Edge Entertainment Wedding DJ Television Commercial. Oh, almost forgot, you can see it on “Say Yes To The Dress” in both Central Bucks County and Central Montgomery County. Let us know what you think!

Craig Sumsky
Cutting Edge Entertainment

www.cuttingedges.wpengine.com

Cutting Edge Entertainment
Wedding DJ and Lighting
Bucks County