Mar 28, 2024
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Front Page, Industry News

THE BRIEF: Casting has gone to the dogs

By TO411Daily Columnist
Linda Chandler

The Brief was curious about the status of commercial work for actors today. We all know production cools during the summer, but looking retrospectively at the year 2012, it appears many of the commercial acting jobs were going to different species. Say pigs, sheep, geckos, bulldogs, chimps, cows, hippos – why even meerkats and macaws have more calls than actors.

Dogs may not be a commercial actors best friend. So many commercials go to the dogs (or cats) because, like babies, we love them. And they will upstage actors no matter how loyal we are misled to believe. If you watched the 2012 Superbowl you saw Tucker the Pomeranian steal the show.

What a performance, right? Then, Mr. Quigglly, the tiny French bulldog, ran circles around real people in the Sketchers-Go-Run commercial.



Traveler’s Insurance managed to get true pathos from this pup:

Is it any wonder dogs have such brilliant careers?

Where’s the work for humans? The Brief is beginning to worry that the dirth of parts may make commercial actors go down a slippery slope. Like the slippery slopes expressed in the ‘big idea’ campaign for DirecTV.

A version of the “slippery slope” for commercial actors:
When you haven’t landed an audition in a while, you fire your commercial agent.
When you fire your agent you sign up for expensive acting classes.
When you sign up for expensive acting classes you have to pay for them by waiting tables.
When you wait tables, you bump into your former commercial agent thus cutting off your nose to spite your face. 
When you cut off your nose to spite your face you have to join a small-time circus. 
When you wind up in small-time circus the elephants in the big ring make you see red. 
Don’t let the elephants in the big ring make you see red. 
Call your local hair salon and change your hair colour to red instead.

The Brief believes that having red hair gives you a singular advantage to get whatever roles are left for humans. See below. *

Nobody has put more animal talent to work than Telus.
Telus, formerly Clearnet, truly owned cute animals. Animals against a white limbo set with very cool music. Over the years, they’ve employed hummingbirds, parrots, lizards, macaws, hippos, pigs, cheetahs, red pandas, hippos, rabbits – you name it.

Recently, and unfortunately, Telus added a human touch to their spots. A 50/50 ”problem/prologue” part with a real human scenario and “solution” part with the loveable animal. The Brief yearns to make a ruthless edit. Out with the humans and on with the animals. It wasn’t broke, why’d you fix it? See if you agree.

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid hired the entire animal planet. Auditioning for this spot were bears, squirrels who can drop a nut on command, groundhogs, wolves who can pant and drool, armadillos, foxes, owls, ostriches, raccoons, deer, and a driver in the car. There was even a call for raccoons that could wave goodbye to the Sonata as it drives by. To indicate that the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is environmentally friendly, Hyundai made animal talent and their agents, handlers and owners very happy.



Upstaged by a Gecko? You bet. In the case of Geiko, the Gecko, voiced by English comedian and actor, Jake Wood* the droll animatronics character will tell you why people trust him, a talking Gecko, more than a human spokesperson. Watch and slither back.



The competition is wild for animals too. Around 40 animal talent agencies inhabit North America.* They’re indigenous to places like New York, Honolulu, Miami, Chicago, Portland and of course, Hollywood. These agencies handle hundreds of clients including animals of the wild, and trained domestic and exotic creatures. They work like all commercial actors auditioning for roles and in most cases, under contract. But sadly, an animal, no matter how gifted, groomed, exotic or tamed it is, from the production end, it’s considered merely a prop. Cathryn Long, the vice president of All Creatures Great and Small, a New York-based animal talent agency says, “I never refer to [them] as props… They are animal talent.”*

Don’t be an ostrich, get out there and fly like one? This commercial, created by Saatchi & Saatchi Johannesburg, makes us feel joy, hope, happiness and desire. It’s a hoot. And the point is, of course, if an ostrich can hold out for a part like this, so can you!



Make ’em laugh, make ’em laugh, make ’em laugh. No creature on earth entertains us like chimps do. For example: Careerbuilder.com’s Super Bowl ad.

But those hilarious chimps are actually babies who have been taken prematurely from their mothers and are now malleable*. And their smiles are behaviors taught by their handlers through fear and manipulation. The Huffington Post says that a study conducted at Duke University revealed that the inappropriate portrayal of chimpanzees in media is also likely to hinder conservation efforts and distort the public’s perception of endangered animals “Yes, the chimpanzees are immature — that’s because they’re babies who should be with their mothers,”* PETA writes about the campaign.* The Associated Press reports that the Lincoln Park Zoo (which has had its own controversies) has been on top of Careerbuilder.com since 2005 to stop using these baby chimps.*

Garrrrr, woof, bahh, moo, quack, tweet, oink, prfff, hoot, neigh.
Human actors, let’s talk. This trend with animals is unsettling, but you may find some solace in the following: Animals cannot scarf at the Craft table. Also, there are no sycophant hair and makeup artists who fuss and flatter. No trailer with a TV and private bathroom. And for you ladies, those grips, the only true animals on the set, will never flirt with a meerkat. Hope this helps.

SOURCES OF INSPIRATION

* An observation by The Brief that many actors, especially in the awful Rogers campaign, have red hair.

—–

Comment to Linda at this address: thebrief@to411.com.
LinkedIn // Facebook // Twitter

http://to411daily.com/catalog/the-brief/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Front Page, Industry News

THE BRIEF: Casting has gone to the dogs

By TO411Daily Columnist
Linda Chandler

The Brief was curious about the status of commercial work for actors today. We all know production cools during the summer, but looking retrospectively at the year 2012, it appears many of the commercial acting jobs were going to different species. Say pigs, sheep, geckos, bulldogs, chimps, cows, hippos – why even meerkats and macaws have more calls than actors.

Dogs may not be a commercial actors best friend. So many commercials go to the dogs (or cats) because, like babies, we love them. And they will upstage actors no matter how loyal we are misled to believe. If you watched the 2012 Superbowl you saw Tucker the Pomeranian steal the show.

What a performance, right? Then, Mr. Quigglly, the tiny French bulldog, ran circles around real people in the Sketchers-Go-Run commercial.



Traveler’s Insurance managed to get true pathos from this pup:

Is it any wonder dogs have such brilliant careers?

Where’s the work for humans? The Brief is beginning to worry that the dirth of parts may make commercial actors go down a slippery slope. Like the slippery slopes expressed in the ‘big idea’ campaign for DirecTV.

A version of the “slippery slope” for commercial actors:
When you haven’t landed an audition in a while, you fire your commercial agent.
When you fire your agent you sign up for expensive acting classes.
When you sign up for expensive acting classes you have to pay for them by waiting tables.
When you wait tables, you bump into your former commercial agent thus cutting off your nose to spite your face. 
When you cut off your nose to spite your face you have to join a small-time circus. 
When you wind up in small-time circus the elephants in the big ring make you see red. 
Don’t let the elephants in the big ring make you see red. 
Call your local hair salon and change your hair colour to red instead.

The Brief believes that having red hair gives you a singular advantage to get whatever roles are left for humans. See below. *

Nobody has put more animal talent to work than Telus.
Telus, formerly Clearnet, truly owned cute animals. Animals against a white limbo set with very cool music. Over the years, they’ve employed hummingbirds, parrots, lizards, macaws, hippos, pigs, cheetahs, red pandas, hippos, rabbits – you name it.

Recently, and unfortunately, Telus added a human touch to their spots. A 50/50 ”problem/prologue” part with a real human scenario and “solution” part with the loveable animal. The Brief yearns to make a ruthless edit. Out with the humans and on with the animals. It wasn’t broke, why’d you fix it? See if you agree.

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid hired the entire animal planet. Auditioning for this spot were bears, squirrels who can drop a nut on command, groundhogs, wolves who can pant and drool, armadillos, foxes, owls, ostriches, raccoons, deer, and a driver in the car. There was even a call for raccoons that could wave goodbye to the Sonata as it drives by. To indicate that the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is environmentally friendly, Hyundai made animal talent and their agents, handlers and owners very happy.



Upstaged by a Gecko? You bet. In the case of Geiko, the Gecko, voiced by English comedian and actor, Jake Wood* the droll animatronics character will tell you why people trust him, a talking Gecko, more than a human spokesperson. Watch and slither back.



The competition is wild for animals too. Around 40 animal talent agencies inhabit North America.* They’re indigenous to places like New York, Honolulu, Miami, Chicago, Portland and of course, Hollywood. These agencies handle hundreds of clients including animals of the wild, and trained domestic and exotic creatures. They work like all commercial actors auditioning for roles and in most cases, under contract. But sadly, an animal, no matter how gifted, groomed, exotic or tamed it is, from the production end, it’s considered merely a prop. Cathryn Long, the vice president of All Creatures Great and Small, a New York-based animal talent agency says, “I never refer to [them] as props… They are animal talent.”*

Don’t be an ostrich, get out there and fly like one? This commercial, created by Saatchi & Saatchi Johannesburg, makes us feel joy, hope, happiness and desire. It’s a hoot. And the point is, of course, if an ostrich can hold out for a part like this, so can you!



Make ’em laugh, make ’em laugh, make ’em laugh. No creature on earth entertains us like chimps do. For example: Careerbuilder.com’s Super Bowl ad.

But those hilarious chimps are actually babies who have been taken prematurely from their mothers and are now malleable*. And their smiles are behaviors taught by their handlers through fear and manipulation. The Huffington Post says that a study conducted at Duke University revealed that the inappropriate portrayal of chimpanzees in media is also likely to hinder conservation efforts and distort the public’s perception of endangered animals “Yes, the chimpanzees are immature — that’s because they’re babies who should be with their mothers,”* PETA writes about the campaign.* The Associated Press reports that the Lincoln Park Zoo (which has had its own controversies) has been on top of Careerbuilder.com since 2005 to stop using these baby chimps.*

Garrrrr, woof, bahh, moo, quack, tweet, oink, prfff, hoot, neigh.
Human actors, let’s talk. This trend with animals is unsettling, but you may find some solace in the following: Animals cannot scarf at the Craft table. Also, there are no sycophant hair and makeup artists who fuss and flatter. No trailer with a TV and private bathroom. And for you ladies, those grips, the only true animals on the set, will never flirt with a meerkat. Hope this helps.

SOURCES OF INSPIRATION

* An observation by The Brief that many actors, especially in the awful Rogers campaign, have red hair.

—–

Comment to Linda at this address: thebrief@to411.com.
LinkedIn // Facebook // Twitter

http://to411daily.com/catalog/the-brief/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Front Page, Industry News

THE BRIEF: Casting has gone to the dogs

By TO411Daily Columnist
Linda Chandler

The Brief was curious about the status of commercial work for actors today. We all know production cools during the summer, but looking retrospectively at the year 2012, it appears many of the commercial acting jobs were going to different species. Say pigs, sheep, geckos, bulldogs, chimps, cows, hippos – why even meerkats and macaws have more calls than actors.

Dogs may not be a commercial actors best friend. So many commercials go to the dogs (or cats) because, like babies, we love them. And they will upstage actors no matter how loyal we are misled to believe. If you watched the 2012 Superbowl you saw Tucker the Pomeranian steal the show.

What a performance, right? Then, Mr. Quigglly, the tiny French bulldog, ran circles around real people in the Sketchers-Go-Run commercial.



Traveler’s Insurance managed to get true pathos from this pup:

Is it any wonder dogs have such brilliant careers?

Where’s the work for humans? The Brief is beginning to worry that the dirth of parts may make commercial actors go down a slippery slope. Like the slippery slopes expressed in the ‘big idea’ campaign for DirecTV.

A version of the “slippery slope” for commercial actors:
When you haven’t landed an audition in a while, you fire your commercial agent.
When you fire your agent you sign up for expensive acting classes.
When you sign up for expensive acting classes you have to pay for them by waiting tables.
When you wait tables, you bump into your former commercial agent thus cutting off your nose to spite your face. 
When you cut off your nose to spite your face you have to join a small-time circus. 
When you wind up in small-time circus the elephants in the big ring make you see red. 
Don’t let the elephants in the big ring make you see red. 
Call your local hair salon and change your hair colour to red instead.

The Brief believes that having red hair gives you a singular advantage to get whatever roles are left for humans. See below. *

Nobody has put more animal talent to work than Telus.
Telus, formerly Clearnet, truly owned cute animals. Animals against a white limbo set with very cool music. Over the years, they’ve employed hummingbirds, parrots, lizards, macaws, hippos, pigs, cheetahs, red pandas, hippos, rabbits – you name it.

Recently, and unfortunately, Telus added a human touch to their spots. A 50/50 ”problem/prologue” part with a real human scenario and “solution” part with the loveable animal. The Brief yearns to make a ruthless edit. Out with the humans and on with the animals. It wasn’t broke, why’d you fix it? See if you agree.

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid hired the entire animal planet. Auditioning for this spot were bears, squirrels who can drop a nut on command, groundhogs, wolves who can pant and drool, armadillos, foxes, owls, ostriches, raccoons, deer, and a driver in the car. There was even a call for raccoons that could wave goodbye to the Sonata as it drives by. To indicate that the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is environmentally friendly, Hyundai made animal talent and their agents, handlers and owners very happy.



Upstaged by a Gecko? You bet. In the case of Geiko, the Gecko, voiced by English comedian and actor, Jake Wood* the droll animatronics character will tell you why people trust him, a talking Gecko, more than a human spokesperson. Watch and slither back.



The competition is wild for animals too. Around 40 animal talent agencies inhabit North America.* They’re indigenous to places like New York, Honolulu, Miami, Chicago, Portland and of course, Hollywood. These agencies handle hundreds of clients including animals of the wild, and trained domestic and exotic creatures. They work like all commercial actors auditioning for roles and in most cases, under contract. But sadly, an animal, no matter how gifted, groomed, exotic or tamed it is, from the production end, it’s considered merely a prop. Cathryn Long, the vice president of All Creatures Great and Small, a New York-based animal talent agency says, “I never refer to [them] as props… They are animal talent.”*

Don’t be an ostrich, get out there and fly like one? This commercial, created by Saatchi & Saatchi Johannesburg, makes us feel joy, hope, happiness and desire. It’s a hoot. And the point is, of course, if an ostrich can hold out for a part like this, so can you!



Make ’em laugh, make ’em laugh, make ’em laugh. No creature on earth entertains us like chimps do. For example: Careerbuilder.com’s Super Bowl ad.

But those hilarious chimps are actually babies who have been taken prematurely from their mothers and are now malleable*. And their smiles are behaviors taught by their handlers through fear and manipulation. The Huffington Post says that a study conducted at Duke University revealed that the inappropriate portrayal of chimpanzees in media is also likely to hinder conservation efforts and distort the public’s perception of endangered animals “Yes, the chimpanzees are immature — that’s because they’re babies who should be with their mothers,”* PETA writes about the campaign.* The Associated Press reports that the Lincoln Park Zoo (which has had its own controversies) has been on top of Careerbuilder.com since 2005 to stop using these baby chimps.*

Garrrrr, woof, bahh, moo, quack, tweet, oink, prfff, hoot, neigh.
Human actors, let’s talk. This trend with animals is unsettling, but you may find some solace in the following: Animals cannot scarf at the Craft table. Also, there are no sycophant hair and makeup artists who fuss and flatter. No trailer with a TV and private bathroom. And for you ladies, those grips, the only true animals on the set, will never flirt with a meerkat. Hope this helps.

SOURCES OF INSPIRATION

* An observation by The Brief that many actors, especially in the awful Rogers campaign, have red hair.

—–

Comment to Linda at this address: thebrief@to411.com.
LinkedIn // Facebook // Twitter

http://to411daily.com/catalog/the-brief/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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