My Cousin, The Director

My cousin Alison is ten years older than me and has always been my role model. My earliest memory of her is listening to her beautifully sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” to our family on Christmas Day. Her New York City apartment, Super Bowl commercial feature, and the set of her most recent project are all perfect displays of Alison’s character: mysteriously gifted and effortlessly appealing. 

Let me give you some context about Alison. She is undeniably a Creative; from singing to acting, to directing and writing, she truly does it all. She went to college in Connecticut, but moved to our very own New York City shortly thereafter, becoming a Williamsburg local and one of my many inspirations for applying to NYU. I viewed her as the older sister I have never had, until she betrayed me. 

Got you! No overt betrayal; she just moved to the farthest place she could get from our East-coast-based family: Los Angeles. After ten years of living in NYC, the second I decided to move there, she leaves. Messed up right?? Kidding, again!  Do I wish she still lived in the same city as me? Yes. But, am I incredibly proud of her for moving away from her loved ones and achieving her dreams? Also, yes. Anyway, now that I have raved about Ali’s personality, talent, and influence on me long enough, allow me to tell you about the most energizing experience I have had in a while, all thanks to my cool cousin. 

When Alison texted that she was coming to New York for just a couple of days to shoot a commercial she was directing, I knew I had to find an hour where I could stop by set. The location was in a brownstone right on campus, directly next to the Lipton Hall dorm on Washington Place. Alison handed me shoe covers before she confidently led me up the stairs of the $25 million, five-floor apartment. She had thoughtfully set up a chair for me to watch the process, and I actually got to experience being a fly on the wall in this unfamiliar television and streaming production setting.

From my perch in the corner, I looked into a crowded living room. It was really interesting to see a commercial from behind the scenes. The props on the table, I think a bowl of fruit and a book, had to be positioned not perfectly centered on the table, but perfectly positioned so they looked centered from the camera angle. There were draped curtains lining the room, covering the artwork of the family who owned the home. There were huge lights overhead, with reflectors to make the shadows look right. There was a wall of imposing technological equipment; I couldn’t even begin to imagine what each thing did.

I silently settled down next to the chipper woman who was running the teleprompter from a small folding chair, and we chatted between takes. I was so impressed as I watched her execute a task so unfamiliar to me: as my cousin, the director and writer, altered lines between different shots, the woman quickly edited the script on the prompter. 

Let me pause here to make an acknowledgment. I’ve been focusing on Alison because of how easy it is to brag about my cousin. But she also has a partner, Bonnie, who is equally as amazing – she travels the country shooting commercials, writing and directing, while also parenting four-year-old twins – and they work together to form a powerful directing and writing pair. 

Now back to the regular scheduled programming – Ariana Madix, the star of the commercial, walked in. For those of you who don’t know, she’s an American TV personality, who was recently featured on the most recent season of Dancing With the Stars (which I watched, hence my excitement). Alison introduced us, and Ariana was so kind. She artfully sat down on the chair in the posed living room and was immediately swarmed by her hair and makeup team, who made adjustments based on seeing her in the set lighting and through the camera displays. Not a single detail went unnoticed, even a crease on the shoulder of her peach-colored shirt. 

Then, shooting began. A man authoritatively snapped the clapperboard (yes, I had to research the name of this), while a different man yelled, “Action!” Ariana would say a line, then Alison and Bonnie would ask her to recite the words in a more conversational tone, or with a slightly different intonation in her voice. Then, everyone would wait, as the company financing the commercial would watch from a different room I did not have access to, and approve of the shot through a Walkie Talkie. It felt super disconcerting knowing there was an omniscient third-party, spying on the set and sending orders and authorizations. 

This specific commercial was for BIC Women’s EasyRinse Razors. So, in some of the shots, the product was brought in so that Ariana could hold it up next to her face with a smile, perfectly on cue with a specific word of the script. There was a dog in the commercial, Eggroll, and even he had a personalized team of people to costume, position, and feed him treats to make sure he stayed seated next to the razors. Finally, a character called “BIC Boy,” or really a man in a giant BIC Logo suit, came in for the last scene just as I left. 

I was so impressed by the skill of everyone involved, all performing many unrelated roles, and a dedicated person responsible for each task, which made me recognize my oblivion to all the different aspects that comprise the filming of a simple 30-second commercial. 

Though I only observed an hour of the shoot, seeing my cousin Alison at work was an inspiring experience. Even though I do not share the same goal of writing and producing for film and television as her, seeing her on set in her matching director jumpsuits with her partner and best friend Bonnie, motivates me to continue working toward a career that I am passionate about. And Alison, throughout the whole process, the considerate person she has always remained despite the sometimes volatile industry she works in, made sure to shoot me a smile or a wave or ask me if I wanted a snack. Another side of my cousin was revealed, one in which she was overflowing with passion and vision, and that made me appreciate our relationship in an even deeper way than I already had. Plus, I got to meet Eggroll the Chihuahua, which was really the best part.