We all UNDERSTAND the economics of the Super Bowl - 10 or 12 minutes of the ball in MOTION will be stretched into THREE and a half HOURS or more of money-making commercials.
When I was in advertising, I did a great deal of work on television COMMERCIALS. A co-worker and I wrote a screenplay, which led to a few more screenplays, and some were optioned by PRODUCTION companies. I was advised to move to CALIFORNIA but didn't WANT to MAKE the move. I decided to use another form of storytelling, so I wrote a novel.
I SKIP through the PROGRAMMING to WATCH the COMMERCIALS.
I have been doing COMMERCIALS on CAMERA SINCE I was TEN.
I began MODELING in N.Y. and doing COMMERCIALS. That led to regional theatre and then BROADWAY and then MOVIES.
Actors go, 'I just want to act.' And I say to them, 'You know, stop for a second and THINK about what CHARGES you up the most. Do you want to be on the stage, do you want to be in film, do you want to be a comic actor? Do you just want to MAKE it for the money and CAPITALIZE on your look and do commercials and soaps?'
It was a LOT of FUN doing the NIKE COMMERCIALS, too.
I was always snobby about SOAP operas, and commercials, too, but one does have to eat. I remember auditioning for a commercial for a mouthwash or chewing gum or SOMETHING, and I had to pretend to be the back end of SOMEBODY in a horse costume. After that, I SAID, 'That's it. That's it. You've sunk too FAR!'