Copyright Union-Tribune Publishing Co. Mar 4, 2007
SAN MARCOS --
Three sheep, two dogs, twin baby boys and an airport security expert dressed as a pirate were among nearly two dozen wannabe movie stars who answered the casting call yesterday for a television ad promoting a San Marcos street fair.
"We could have brought a steer," said Jesse Piceno-Puzak, 16, a San Marcos High School junior and member of the school's Future Farmers of America.
Good thing they didn't.
As it was, director James Allyn had a fun time leading his motley cast through 10 takes in the San Marcos High School parking lot to tape the ad, which will promote the April 1 Grand Spring Festival/ Taste of San Marcos fair.
The sheep did fine, baaing at the appropriate moment. The cute- looking twins dozed in their stroller and the dogs -- they barked, but not too much.
As for the "actors," well, they ultimately pulled it off, shouting out their line -- "Only in San Marcos!" -- just fine when the time came after some coaxing from Allyn, a former director of the "Gumby" television cartoon.
In one shot midway through the morning, someone plunked a potted palm too close to announcer David Hayek, a lawyer summoned as a last- minute replacement when the planned announcer came down with the flu.
Hayek appeared to be munching on a palm frond or two, but he delivered his spiel for San Marcos like a pro.
Still, Allyn insisted on trying for a better shot. Take it again, he shouted, without the frond chewing.
The commercial, produced by Greg Parman of Elfin Forest, will air on Cox Cable television and KNSD Channel 7/39 through the April 1 festival, said Sandy Rees, chief executive officer of the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce.
This was the chamber's first try for a live-action ad, Rees said. Chamber officials issued a call for anyone who wanted to be in the television spot to show up in the high school parking lot, ready to ham it up.
Fresh out of acting classes, retirees Kathleen Meehan of Escondido and Carol Garan of Poway said this was their first gig in what they hope will be a brilliant career.
"We're ready," Garan said. "We're open for all acting jobs -- commercials, voice-overs, training videos, theater and film."
Not so Samantha LaCarte, 17, a Mission Hills High School junior who helped herd the sheep across the parking lot but has no interest in acting.
"They needed some livestock," Samantha said.
Samantha said she wants to be an animal chiropractor and agreed to do the television commercial to promote Future Farmers of America.
Glen Winn, also known as Captain Marcos, came dressed in pirate garb toting a treasure chest as part of a Kiwanis Club project promoting literacy.
"I'm the guy who got picked, I raised my hand at the wrong time," said Winn, a retired airline worker who teaches college courses on aviation security.
Winn said the actor in his family is son, Scott Winn, a sheriff's deputy who came dressed as a surfer. Scott Winn said he started acting as a hobby about a year ago and has a bit part in a movie filming in Los Angeles -- "Young Davy Crockett."
He said he figured appearing as an extra in a television commercial might give his acting career a boost.
"It's just so hard getting into it," Scott Winn said.
[Illustration]
3 PICS; Caption: 1. Would-be actors performed in San Marcos for the filming yesterday of a television ad for community street fair. 2. The director for the TV commercial, James Allyn, shook a hand before the filming yesterday. 3. Getting instructions was a group of residents with various talents before the filming of a TV commercial in the San Marcos High School parking lot.; Credit: John Gastaldo / Union-Tribune photos
Credit: STAFF WRITER
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
