The 30-second video, which was produced on an $80 budget, is one of 10 selected from nearly 4,900 submissions around the world.
By Natalie Brubaker ’15
A video produced by four Elon graduates has been selected as finalist in the 2015 Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest. They are competing with nine other finalists chosen from nearly 4,900 submissions as part of a global contest to create a Doritos advertisement.
After hearing about the contest, Alex Pepper ’11 enlisted the help of friends Kristen Sandler ’13, Mark St. Cyr ’10 and Sarah Linn Reedy ’10 to produce the 30-second video, titled “What Could Go Wrong?.” In the span of two weeks, Pepper found dancers and videographers willing to help, and edited the video on a program he’d learned just six months prior. The total cost? $80.
“It sounded like a fun way to spend some time being creative with a group of people I enjoy,” acting graduate St. Cyr recalls thinking. “The idea of moving forward in the competition was just the cherry on top.”
As one of 10 finalists, the group is already guaranteed seats at the Super Bowl in a private suite and is now competing for the public’s votes to win 30 seconds of coveted airtime during this year’s Super Bowl, along with $1 million and a chance to work as a contractor for a full year onsite at Universal Pictures in Hollywood.
The video features Pepper and St. Cyr, as well as dancer Morgana Phlaum. Practicing on a rooftop, Phlaum (or her duct tape dummy stand-in) is practically thrown off of the roof after she leaps up into Pepper’s arms, as he is unable to stay balanced and hold her. Pepper explains that the idea for the video came from a common fear among male dancers. “Being a male dancer, your worst nightmare is ever dropping your partner,” he says. “I took that fear and raised the stakes in this concept.”
Pepper credits his experiences at Elon with teaching him the skills he needed to produce this video. “I knew nothing about videography before Elon,” he says. As a dance and music theatre major, Pepper utilized camera equipment and editing programs via the School of Communications for his senior dance thesis. He met friends Sandler, St. Cyr and Reedy through the performing arts department at Elon. They have since spent time together in New York City. “The fact that they were willing to give me time out of their busy schedules for what was supposed to be a small project, shows how the Elon community thrives even in New York City,” Pepper explains.
Passionate about his journey as an actor and the performing arts industry, Pepper says he would use the $1 million to give back. “I would love to support struggling arts organizations that have shaped me into the performer I am today,” he says.
Voting for the contest is open until Jan. 28. Fans can vote once a day per electronic device here.