Stuffing Throwdown!

It's anchor vs. anchor vs. anchor in the Good Day Stuffing Throwdown! Whose family recipe for stuffing will triumph? Here's a fun spot I made for the competition.

I needed a trophy for the commercial, so I had to build one myself. This involved an old Media League softball trophy from 2000 (3rd place) that I found in a closet, and a trip to FIVE different stores, because no one seems to carry Thanksgiving decorations anymore. 

Truly a trophy worthy of this level of competition (which isn't very high).

"Super" Prime Parodies

A few months back, I had some fun making parodies of CW's primetime shows. Each would air within commercial breaks for the show and promote Good Day. 

Arrow, The Flash, Vampire Diaries and Jane the Virgin were just the start... Now, I give you the premiere of Supernatural and Supergirl Prime Parodies! 

The New Kid!

Starting at a new TV station is a lot like moving to a new school. At least, it is at Good Day! 

When my former co-worker and dear old friend Bethany Crouch came to the station, I wanted to do something fun for her arrival. So I did this:

Flying High at Good Day

Here's a fun promo I put together for Good Day's coverage of the California Air Show. 

Ju's at Court?

News Director: "Hey, wouldn't it be great if we did a 'Who's on First?' routine with Julissa?"

Me:

Arnold & Me, or "The Accidental Handshake"

Arnold Schwarzenegger (actor, former governor) and I have a long and fascinating history together. Back in the 80's and 90's, Arnold starred in some great movies, and I watched them. Two peas in a pod, we were! 

As a big fan growing up, you can imagine my excitement (and his?) when we finally met face to face! But first, let me set the scene... 

In 2007, I moved to Sacramento from Eugene, Oregon. Took a gig as a news photographer at Fox40 after a year and a half at KEZI-9. Really moving up in the world! Of course I was excited to cover anything that involved "The Governator," and eventually caught glimpses of him at various press events. 

But it wasn't until a few years later when we finally met and he got to shake my hand. The event was some sort of grand opening for a business or office or something. Another photographer was there covering the event, and I needed to get the keys to his live truck.

Arnold was getting a tour of a room full of cubicles, shaking hands with various suits and dignitaries, with a hoard of cameras walking backwards in front of him. They were doing a loop around the room, so I cut through the cubicles to get ahead of the group. That way, they'd pass by, I could grab the keys from the photographer, and my mission would be complete. 

Unfortunately, as the photographer passed by, he didn't hear me calling his name. The hoard of cameras passed, and suddenly Arnold was standing in front of me.

"Good morning! How are you!" he said, offering a hand to shake. Clearly he thought I was one of the well-to-do's at the event. (I know, right?)

After a brief pause, I shook his hand and offered a "Thanks for coming out today!" Nailed it.

"Thank you for having me!" he said, looking me right in the eyes. Then continued on his way. 

Captured from the photographer's camera: the legendary handshake, followed by the slink-away.

I will say the man has an excellent handshake. Firm, yet not over-bearing. 

After they passed, I waited by the door for the photographer to finish so I could finally get the keys. It was quite the day. 

But it wasn't the last time we'd meet. Maybe a year or so later, I scored an exclusive one-on-one interview with him! At least that's what I tell people.

I was sent to a press conference for some sort of fuel cell car at the capitol, and he came out to give a quick statement. I was the only camera crew that showed up for the event, which was a little awkward, but he spent the whole time talking directly to me. Pretty sure he recognized me from our last encounter. 

My exclusive one-on-one with Arnold Schwarzenegger (actor, former governor). 

Then my big moment... he asked, "Any questions?" I blabbered out something stupid about loading fuel cells into a Hummer for him. It got a minor chuckle and something along the lines of "I sure hope so!" Nailed it.

Several years have passed since our last encounter, but I look forward to the next time we meet and I can say, "Hey, I'm the guy whose hand you shook years ago because you thought I was someone else, but I wasn't, but you didn't know that so you shook it anyway, and it was awesome," and then he can say, "Stay away from me please." Nailed it! 

The 20 Year Bender

Spending twenty years in any TV market is a rare feat these days. Most reporters are lucky to get two years before moving on down the market chain! So when our weatherman hit the big 2-0, it was time to celebrate. Here's a promo I put together to show off his stick-to-it-ive-ness. 

Good Day in Spanish!

Every day, Good Day has a booth full of Spanish interpreters who translate the show. They've done it for years, but is it well known if you don't watch the show? In an effort to get the word out, I produced this spot, which will air on Spanish cable stations and hopefully draw in some new viewers. 

From the Archives: FIRE!!!

Heading into wildfires was always an adventure because there was a real sense of danger. Navigating down backwoods roads, unsure of where the fire is, is never a good situation to be in, but it's one I found myself in regularly during the summer months. It was always a relief to come upon firefighters, because they could tell me where to go to stay safe (and shake their heads at the fact that we were wandering around out there).

Fortunately, I made it out of all of them unscathed, but one sticks out in my mind: the Sites Complex Fire. I almost set up a live shot on a turnout that was engulfed in flames ten minutes later. Close call! It also provided perhaps the best fire footage I got in my years as a photog. 

That smoke smell would stick with you for days. Can't say I miss that! 

Shark! The Return

In case last week's Shark! PSAs left you wanting more, here's #4! 

Shark! PSAs

It's summer time, and nothin' says fun like PSAs! Well, they can be fun if you don't take them seriously (which really defeats the purpose, so maybe they're not technically PSAs). 

I produced a batch of "Shark!" spots for Good Day. Pay close attention and you might just see me in there somewhere!

Yeah, that's me with the wig at the end... but only because I couldn't find someone else to do it. Fun Fact: I was in the shark costume too. That's right! Man of many talents.

Fun With Puppets

The hardest part about getting these commercials shot is wrangling the talent. They all have things to do after the show ends, so tracking down two and getting them in the same place at the same time is a real challenge. But I think I found a solution! 

Yes, this may be the dumbest promo I've produced to date (and that's saying something), but here it is anyway.

Fun with Topicals

The nice thing about working for a wacky morning show is that I can turn any ridiculous idea into a commercial. Here's a collection of some of that ridiculousness from the past month or so.

We're #1!

Another round of sweeps in the books, and we managed to pull off #1 in late news. Here's the spot I made to brag about it. 

Picky Eaters!

"Who wants to write a promo for kids who won't eat their dinner?"

It was the perfect chance for me to shine. 

It just so happens that that morning, and pretty much every one before it for the last several months, was spent dealing with that exact problem! So I brought a camera home and let it roll for mealtime in the Nelson house.

I'd worry about my daughter becoming a child actor, but there was no acting involved in this project.

Prime Parodies

How do we promote a morning show during primetime shows on CW? 

That question spawned the Prime Parodies series. Each tries to capture the feeling of a CW show while tying in Good Day. 

Here's the first batch, for The Flash, The Originals/Vampire Diaries and Jane the Virgin. 

UPDATE

Here's one more: Arrow! 

More to come... 

Soccer on CW

Here's a spot I put together for Sacramento Republic FC games on CW, using talent from our morning show. 

Crime on the Rise!

This is a "proof of brand" spot I produced and edited after CBS13 did a series on crime rising throughout the region. Similar to a news "natpack," I pulled clips from all the stories and let them tell the story. 

Hippity-Hop Races

Here's another spot I produced and edited for Good Day. Hippity-Hop Races! It's always an adventure when working with the morning show. 

From the Archive: Electric Cars!

One day, we'll all be driving electric cars and will never have to pay for gas again! That's what we thought ten years ago when I shot this story in Corvallis, OR. We're not there yet, but they've certainly come a long way since the "ZAP!" car. 

This was one of the first packages I shot as a news photographer at KEZI-9 in Eugene, OR.