Creating an ad for the Super Bowl is something most college students can only dream about, but the Hy-Vee grocery store in St. Joseph gave Missouri Western that opportunity for Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2. Students in Dallas Henry’s Commercial Production class produced two 30-second spots for St. Joseph, Mo.-area audiences that aired in the second half of the game.
“Creating a real spot for a real client to be aired during the most-watched television broadcast of the year is the best learning experience,” said Henry, assistant professor of theatre and cinema. “It raises the stakes. It’s not much different from what I would have done with my production company.”
Henry said he and Brad McAnally, store director at the St. Joseph Hy-Vee, started talking about the project last summer. McAnally visited Henry’s class last fall, and students pitched their concepts to him. The commercial highlighted Hy-Vee’s Fuel Saver card by depicting the celebration dances of several shoppers after they discover how much they will save on their next purchase of gasoline.
Henry wrote the spot and was executive producer. Chris Rayle, from St. Joseph, was producer. Blair Stalder, from Liberty Hill, Texas, was director, and Kelsey Houser, from St. Joseph, was assistant director. Stalder and Houser each edited one of the spots.
“We just knew it was a big deal,” Houser said. “We had to be focused to make sure we got it right.”
The crew started at 5:30 a.m. Jan. 20 and wrapped at 9 p.m. after some outside shots were delayed because of weather.
“Organization was a huge part of the production,” Stalder said. “It’s not just time management, but making sure all the equipment is ready to use when it’s needed.”
Although the commercial production process was very similar to what students will experience if they go on to a career in the field, including state-of-the-art equipment purchased recently by the Department of Theatre and Cinema, there was one significant difference, Henry said. The collaborative, creative atmosphere on this set was something you very rarely see.
“Before every shot, we all got together and talked about what we needed to do to get the best shot possible. We all contributed in our own special way to make every shot work,” he said.
“It was fun,” Houser said. “The employees in it were really Hy-Vee employees, and they were fun to work with.”
Stalder and Houser were also recently recognized with Kansas City Regional ADDY awards for their cinematography. Stalder was recognized for three videos promoting Missouri Western, and Houser with one, titled, “Our Campus is Awesome.” At a February ceremony in Kansas City, the two each won one Silver ADDY Award. Their videos advanced to the national competition.
Both Stalder and Houser credit Henry with their outstanding experiences. “I can’t tell you how much I learned here,” Houser said. “He has helped me so much. I owe him a lot.”
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