Are You Ready (for a commercial)?

This past Monday was a perfect day for me! I spent the entire day filming a commercial and that evening I attended a reception for a textbook release as a contributing author . Surreal day because both dreams were being lived all in one day - acting and writing!

The commercial opportunity came up when my supervisor popped in to my office last week and ask if my Alma mater would be terribly upset with me if I was cast in a commercial for Ole Miss.  All I heard was commercial audition and I was grabbing my purse before she could even really finish explaining what the commercial was about.  On Sunday I learned I was cast in the commercial and when I arrived on Monday I learned I had been cast as a student.  I feared all day that they would eventually realize that I was 32 and tell me that I was too old to be in my role. But it didn't happen. I guess they knew what they were doing after all and I got to be in five scenes. I figure I have a pretty good chance of being in the commercial even if four scenes land on the cutting room floor.

Being this is the first time (hopefully not my last!) that I have ever participated in the filming of a national commercial, I allowed myself to be a little starstruck and my camera phone was a huge help in documenting the experience.   I am told it will air during every televised Ole Miss Game - I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Sona (make-up/wardrobe) working with an actor on clothing choices. In the past, she has worked with Reese Witherspoon in Walk the Line and Emma Stone in The Help. And now she has worked with Casey Cockrell in the Ole Miss Commercial (yes, that would be me!!!)

Director in front of the classroom scene. 

Director giving instructions in front of a very hot crowd (about 100 degrees at this point) in the Grove scene.

Setting up to film The Grove scene.

A commercial takes a lot of people!  Every location came with a team of people including security, make-up/wardrobe, production assistants, a producer, and directors along with a flurry of other people doing a variety of important things like driving "the talent" around on golf carts so we wouldn't get sweaty.  Yes, we were known as "the talent" which cracked me up along with my fellow actors. Oh, but we got use to it.....probably a little to use to it by the end of the day!

Not quite tailgating season yet....set for The Grove scene.  Beautiful display!

Fellow actors waiting between scenes.

Just had to take a picture of this centerpiece. Isn't it cool? Roses immersed in water!

More waiting....

This little girl was such a pro!  She isn't sleeping although she fooled all of us.  They filmed her as a sleeping child so they ask her to pretend. She didn't move for several minutes as they got the footage. I think they may have promised her a cupcake...

Isn't he cute?  I couldn't resist getting a pic of this little guy in his very stylish monogrammed outfit. He was one of many Ole Miss babies running around the scene.