Bose

A while back, I saw a post that someone I knew had posted about a casting call for a Bose commercial that they were casting in Austin. There was a pretty specific description for the type of family they were looking for. I thought it sounded just like our family. So on a whim, I sent in a pictures of us from the beach last summer. Just sent in the first one I found, it was nothing special. I did not even mention it to Blaine because it seemed so silly and seriously, what were the chances. I totally forgot that I had even done that, until I got a call that they wanted our family to come in to audition for the part! I sheepishly told Blaine what I had done, and that we were going to the audition the coming Saturday expecting total resistance. But lo and behold he was open to the idea. I know it was because we would be compensated if we got the part, but come on, what were the chances we would get it. But we were all excited just for the experience.

We seriously had no idea what we were doing for the audition, but we showed up and was surrounded by other families there for the same thing. When it was our turn, they explained that they would have us line up, and have each of us do a slow 360 turn, state our name and our age. Then we sat in a "car" and pretended like we were heading to a soccer game and had to carry on regular conversation that we would have in real life. It was awkward. And weird. But whatever, it was a great experience. We talked about who would win the game, did we remember the water bottle, and the ball.

We left, both agreed that it didn't go well, it was uncomfortable and that we were definitely not getting it!

We carried on with life, and about a week later we got a call that they wanted to cast us! We were all shocked! I had also just found out at my 36 week appointment two days earlier that I was already 3cm and 75% effaced. So I started to panic that I would go into labor before the shoot and we wouldn't be able to do it!  On April 30, we went in for a wardrobe fitting and on May 2 we were going to shoot the commercial. They had asked us how we felt about shooting at our own house. We thought it would make things easier for the boys, so we agreed to it. We sent them pictures of our house and surrounding streets and they did a drive by and checked out the front of the house and the neighborhood and agreed that it was a good fit for the commercial. We frantically got someone over to do a deep clean of our house--I was 37 weeks pregnant and there was no way I would be able to get everything done in a day! 

The night before the shoot, we were heading out to dinner and found this on our door! We all kind of nervously giggled and couldn't believe it!

The day finally came and the baby was staying put. The morning of the shoot, the boys all stayed home from school and we anxiously awaited the arrival of the crew. We really had NO idea what to expect. Or really what we would be doing. So when one giant BMW van pulled up we couldn't believe it. Then another one pulled up. And another, And another. And another. And 6 cars. And a police on a motorcycle. And before we knew it, there was like 20 people, and cameras out front. We were totally geeking out inside watching through the window!

People started coming into our house and setting up outside and before I knew it, Blaine and I were both sitting in a hair and make-up chair with our own personal make up person getting into our clothes.

They explained what we would be doing and bright and early we started shooting. Doing the same shot over and over again, and then a little bit differently and doing it that way again and again.

Sometimes it was me and two of the boys, other times it was just the boys or just Blaine. Or some other combination of us.

At one point, they had Blaine for hours driving around the neighborhood, and meticulously filming his hands and face and anything you can think of. It was a whole scene driving through the neighborhood--the car the commercial was being shot in with Blaine in the front and a camera man squished in the passenger seat filming and a lighting guy in the backseat, the camera van, our police escort, another van and then a mini van at the end with more crew members and me and the boys so we could swap out in the car if they needed a specific shot.

It was an ALL DAY ordeal, and we had plenty of breaks in between different shots. Blaine and Cash threw the baseball, Owen chilled in his Bose headphones he wore for the shoot, and they all did a little bug hunting.

Every one was so kind. There were corporate people from Bose in town from Boston, production people from Portland and Boston, and LA. We had conference calls happening in our breakfast room, people working in our dining room, and all kinds of camera work and production business happening in front of our house the entire day-it was a way bigger production that we were prepared for!  The boys did amazing! It was a very long day. We started at 9am and didn't wrap up until about 5:30 pm. But wow, what an experience! I can not wait to see the finished product! It was very cool to be a part of something so big like this.