Johnson & Johnson Part 3

So our J&J experience continued this week. A few weeks ago we found out that we weren't chosen for the documentary but were chosen for a commercial! On Monday we received a shipment of J&J products (our compensation for being in the book). Perfect timing as we are running low on Lilly's body wash (happens to be Aveeno - which is J&J brand). Anyway, we now have TONS of "J&J Head to Toe" wash, bubble bath, lotion and shampoo.

our J&J booty!

Today, 3/23, we shot the commercial. We originally sent in photos of our bathroom and photos of Grandparents Goodman's, but alas none of our bathrooms would work - ours was too small and too white and grandparents was too colorful. The plan was to shoot in a hotel bathroom. The crew got here yesterday evening (just as the region was under a major winter storm warning (yes, it is technically spring)) and decided the bathroom was much too small. So we needed another plan. Obviously our very first thought was go to NPS's showroom, where there are plenty of bathtubs to choose from (w/running water) but it would just be too hard to set up. Then I suggested my friend Sadie's house - only bc she had offered her house for use last week.

too busy for film

too small. too light

Sadie's master bath proved to have the simple one color setting they were looking for and it was big enough to shoot in. So, around 8pm we got the official word we would shoot at Sadie's in the morning and she made a mad dash to clean her home and the bath. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

two buddies

Lilly, Brian and I got to Sadie's around 8:15 this morning and the Bug went straight to playing w/her buddy, Sadie's daughter. Who has play dates at 8am? Lilly and I are barely awake and functioning at this time! The make-up and hair stylist arrived soon after - they contracted through a local salon here in town, Salon Seva. The production crew arrived later on and went about setting up the scene - which included taking the bathroom door off its hinges to get better camera angles. Again, there was a lot of playing w/lights and bc this was a commercial - there was a set stylist. Everything was color-coordinated in a teal and yellow scheme. Sadie is a floral and event stylist by trade so she was super helpful on the set as well - in decor and in reining in the Bug.

waiting to start

Having Sadie's daughter around was great for Lilly - it kept her occupied and in a good mood. Then we were able to try a first-shoot. DID NOT GO WELL. "I don't want bath! No bubbles". (we were shooting a bubble bath scene) By then it was noonish, the Bug was super tired and believe it or not - the girl who never naps, fell asleep. So we had a lunch break at which point my gf from college, Marguerite and Jill (also working on the project) arrived! (They had major travel delays). Miss Cranky Pants woke up, she ate and was immediately 100% in a better mood.

After some major coaxing, the crew got some footage of Lilly and I playing in a bubble bath with lots of bubbles, making a hat of bubbles, a beard of bubbles and of course, having a mocha tea party of bubbles. This kid drinks "mocha" (hot chocolate) like it's water. Unfortunately, the tub has an automatic timer on the jets so then they went off which freaked Lilly out. We then tried to put her back in the tub for a shampoo scene, but she would have NONE of it. She was screaming bloody murder and so they called it a day for the Bug.

I, however, had some more filming to do. The production company called it "cheat" scenes - footage of me doing the action but then editing it so later on it appears as if it's one continuous scene - like a green screen. That was hard. I had to talk to a stuffed animal, ad lib lines and watch my handling of the product. I was nervous and a major sweatball - it was super warm in the room and under the lights. Afterwards they took some footage of the products, "J&J Bubble Bath and Wash".

Since Sadie is in the styling business, her well-decorated home (very clean, light, airy) was the perfect set for the commercial and the product footage. They were able to use lots of different rooms in her home bc of the brightly colored walls in her children's rooms and of course she had tons of different props that production could use. The production crew were really cool, calm and collected - just another day on the job for them! I really am starting to think that it's a pre-requisite to be "chill" to live in Los Angeles - as both production crews are from there.

no more Bare Minerals for this girl

I have learned that I am DEFINITELY not cut out for the acting/modeling business. I cannot ad-lib or pretend to wash hair and I can't help but be a major sweatball. I also do not have the patience to be on the production side. If I had been the production manager I probably would've yelled at  me for flubbing lines and not getting the right perpendicular view of the bottle of shampoo towards the camera. I also learned that Bare Minerals make-up is NOT for me. My face felt so itchy all day.

The worst part of the day, besides the itchy face and the pressure I put on myself was when Lilly was truly unhappy. She'd either be frightened by the jets or clinging on to me for dear life and screaming bc she didn't want to go in the tub. I also felt  a lot of pressure (self-induced) wondering if she would perform as well as I knew she could.

The two best parts of the day was playing with Lilly in the bubbles and seeing Marg. When Lilly actually got in the tub and she was groovin' - the experience was awesome. We played and genuinely had a fun time. It was great to see Marg who I haven't seen in a long time! After the shoot, Jill, Marg, Brian and I stopped by the Grandparents Goodmans and went out to dinner at The Toasted Frog. It was nice to catch up, hear more about the Moments of Joy project and just relax! (and we got to keep the wardrobe, set props (bath toys, etc) and all the J&J products on the shoot - which actually all shoot stuff went to Sadie and fam (besides the clothes) - freebies are always fun!!

some of us at The Toasted Frog

The ad will air around Mother's Day! Watch for it!! Thanks to everyone involved in this entire J&J process! From X-Up and Pilgrim Films (and the man known as Zig - who we feel like we know really well, but in all actuality we've only emailed and spoken on the phone), Women's Entertainment television, Johnson & Johnson, Ron & Dana, Sadie and family and especially Marg to whom we owe the honor of telling us about the casting call. We're excited to see the finished product!