TV Commercials with Flair

Sometimes the hardest days can be the most fun. The Bauhaus Media crew experienced this Tuesday as we worked with a very professional group to produce two 30-second television commercials.

Lugging equipment around under full sun in 100-degree temperatures tends to frazzle the crew as the day wears on. But fresh talent at midday and planning inside shots for the peak hot times helped us maintain a fresh, upbeat look throughout the day.

Our friends at the San Antonio Current, who are the agency for the campaign, kept close oversight on the shoot for two traditional TV commercials promoting two high-end shopping centers in the Alamo Heights area. Highlights include a range of shopping experiences from fashion clothing and accessories to jewelry to health and beauty experiences to fine dining.

Attention to detail required professional models, a makeup artist and a stylist on every shot. The list of more than 30 shots meant the crew needed to move quickly from location to location, while maintaining their high artistic standards. Craft services were not needed on this full-day shoot because great food was everywhere. In fact, the crew later wished they still had all the delectable food that was provided for the shots and left behind.

Adding to the “fun” of this particular session was the need to shoot many scenes with masks, and also without masks, so that the spots will have relevance in our current reality, as well as being re-edited for a time when masks are no longer needed. The requirement of masks and social distancing also affected the shoot in other ways, as crew and store employees tried to maintain safe procedures.

At the end of the day, as we packed up equipment and checked over the shot list, we felt a sense of accomplishment, as well as relief at having completed the gargantuan task. Chief videographer Eric Hanken quipped, “It’s just like eating an elephant: You take one bite at a time.”

The project is in edit, choosing the perfect voices for narration and just the right music. Our senior editor Christopher Montford will work his magic to bring the shots together into lively, expressive, colorful impressions that will give television audiences a hint of what awaits them at Quarry Village and the Shops at Lincoln Heights.