an article from the Pacifica Tribune about the commercial we made for Colt Cannon's new truck.
Mini explosions set the stage for commercial filmed on Pacifica State Beach
By Jane Northrop
Colt Cannon, (yes, that s his real name), running a gauntlet of explosives on the beach. (Photo courtesy of Gene Day)
If you didn't know it was a commercial being filmed last Friday, Pacifica State Beach looked like it was under siege. Cannons shot thick streams of smoke while buried mortars blasted 20 feet of sand up in the air. It resembled the ultimate warfare obstacle course as an actor threaded his way between explosions.
All the fuss was for a little skateboard truck (the piece that holds the wheels on) called "Cannon," made by Krux and distributed by NHS.
Because pyrotechnic technician Reuben Goldberg and his assistants deployed explosives on the beach, Pacifica firefighters from the North County Fire Authority were on hand for the entire day of filming. They were watching to make sure that experienced people were doing the tasks that required special training and skills. All was in order, per Eugene Day, Pacifica's fire inspector.
This series of three cannon and mortar explosions was all small potatoes for Goldberg, who has worked in the television and motion picture industry for many years. The biggest pyrotechnic display he ever created was a wall of fire 125 feet by 45 feet for "Akira Kurosawa's Dreams," (1990), a film created by esteemed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Another big blast for Goldberg was when he had the chance to throw a Mercedes car 50 feet in the air for an episode of "Nash Bridges." He had to hold himself back for the "Cannon" commercial last week because the director had asked him to create relatively small explosions.
Early morning fog cleared to present a picture perfect Pacifica day, sunny and warm at the beach with no wind, but the creators of the commercial hoped the early morning fog would return. They said their early shots had a "Saving Private Ryan" feel to it and they wanted to re-create that later in the day.
No luck.
The changing weather presented a big challenge for those on the set whose job it is to make sure continuity is maintained. As the weather continued to be spectacular, there was talk about re-shooting that early morning footage.
The commercial featured the acting talents of Colt Cannon, who played the lead role, and Doug Farrel. Farrel is a multi-talented actor who has lots of show business experience. He's also a motocross athlete and weightlifter who competes in the para-Olympics. He portrayed one of the Ewoks in "Star Wars." The Ewok suits were pretty tricky, he said, because they fogged up just from breathing. The actors had to tilt their heads downward to avoid fogging up, which made it difficult to see.
The cannons used in the commercial are actually beautiful sculptures that Jack Lawton, a Santa Cruz based artist, created. To make one of his signature sculptures, he begins with used oxygen canisters, which he modifies into bells. He is a good friend of the director, Eric Norren, who asked him to turn a few bells into cannons for the commercial. Lawton, a recent film school graduate who is looking for his first big break, was more than happy to oblige.
Megan Mulligan, a production coordinator with Teak Motion Visuals, a San Francisco based post-production company, discovered the Pacifica location for her client, NHS/Krux. She was very pleased with how city staff worked with her and facilitated her idea to shoot in Pacifica so it resulted in a good experience.
