IamA "Real People" from one of the Chevy commercials. My gf is too! A(us)A!

You actually have that typical commercial guy look. Why do you think your looks played a part in not getting more air time?

I'm sure it was 99% percent my answers.

Wait. Real people were invited to a glass house and showed up in evening dresses? WTF?

Well. We were invited to a "Design Clinic" in Sonoma Wine Country on a Sunday.

When we were "applying" to be used for a video shoot, we were told to answer questions about our design tastes and visual preferences.

We were all under the impression this was supposed to be something fancy.

Did this happen to be in Jeff Gordon's vineyard?

I have no idea

How can I get invited to something like this in the future?

Luck.

With the opinions, I know you said you couldn't remember exactly, but did you say stuff like "I fucking hate Chevy", or just stuff like "This is an ad, isn't it?"

No. and I don't think anyone would. You are in front of a group of strangers. And they roughly appraise your personality before you get approved.

how rough do they get?

Kinky af

After you saw the host, did you not figure it out it was for Chevy?

This was one of the first few. And I don't really watch a lot of TV so I had actually never seen the host before.

How were you compensated for being used in the actual ad? Would that have differed from what you got for simply being there (and your likeness not being used)?

We got a couple hundred dollars for showing up. A visa gift card on arrival. And a check at the end. Given a W2 form to fill out on the spot.

A couple months later, my gf received an email from someone telling her they needed the rest of her info ASAP so they could sign her up for SAG to be used on broadcast. (This was how we found out the commercial was ready, and put on youtube). We made ZERO money off the youtube showings.

My girlfriend made a BUTTLOAD of money from the broadcast airings. I made almost nothing.

Aziz Ansari talks more about how much actors can make in National Broadcast Ads when talking about Master of None.

Knowing that she made a buttload of money, and you made next to nothing, do you wish you had faked it?

FUCK YES!

I'm currently unemployed and not sure what I wanna do with my life. That cushion would've been NICE.

so basically everyone was payed to make positive reviews on chevy in those commercials?

Not at all. I was paid for showing up to a video shoot. I didn't know what I was going to be commenting on. Paid in advance mostly. And the amount of payment didn't change depending on what we said.

AFTERWARDS those who were used in the video were simply paid according to Actor's Guild rules.

It seems more likely that they'd collect the good and bad reviews as raw footage, and simply not edit the negative ones in.

http://imgur.com/97eVUEf

If you're living near the bay area without a job I'd say you already have a cushion of some sort.

Not really. I'm on unemployment, which is about to run out. I'm not really sure what I'm gonna do next. I'm about to look for bartending jobs until I figure my shit out.

Yeah, but your gf got that dollar now. Just become her manager and take a cut of the profit.

She wants to be a journalist, and is moving to NYC... none of that money is for me.

Could you define "buttload"?

More than a penny, less than a million.

(it was 5 digits, almost 6)

[deleted]

http://imgur.com/97eVUEf

I think this is mostly because she ended up being used in 3 separate cuts of the commercial used over the course of a year. Usually they don't get used for more than 6 months. Nor do they get re-cut into new commercials.

People who are in any commercial get payed a lot

Keyword "National". Local commercials don't make nearly that much money.

Also really only if they abide by Actors Guild rules. And if one actor is, they all have to be.

If they signed everyone in the commercials up for SAG, they're no longer "not actors"!

But we were real people when we filmed. I think this is becoming a philosophical debate. So fuck that.

My girlfriend made a BUTTLOAD of money from the broadcast airings. I made almost nothing.

TIL if I'm ever offered to be in a commercial, TAKE IT!

Keywords: National, SAG

It's only a buttload of money if its national, and you get signed up for the actors guild. (which they did for us, after the fact)

You mean a W4.

Honestly. I dont remember.

No, I'm telling you, not asking you. You mean a W4.

I SAID I DONT REMEMBER!

I'm late to the party, but since she's now a part of the Screen actors guild like you said, isn't she now technically an actor?!

Possibly. But she wasnt when we filmed.

Also, I'm not sure getting paid ONCE makes you a professional. But then again, someone who has never gotten paid probably would love to be paid once.

What were some of your comments they cut out?

• When asked how much we thought it cost, I guessed around $35K
• When asked what brand: I guessed Volkswagen (I thought it was a Jetta)
• I told them they needed to get rid of a lot of the badges that they added to the Malibu. It was absurd and COMPLETELY killed my excitement about the vehicle.
• I also said it'd be a lot more valuable to me if they had Android Auto, not just Apple CarPlay

that one guy who is painfully honest

raises hand

PRESENT

I also said it'd be a lot more valuable to me if they had Android Auto, not just Apple CarPlay

Its doesnt? Chevy is suppose to support both

A year ago I dont think it did. (We filmed mine in Oct 2015)

Would you concider getting a chevy after that experience?

Yeah. Probably. With less badging.

Lmao. These answers are hilarious. Fuck gm though.

YASSSSSSSS. I really just want to be internet famous. That's all I want ever.

How accurate is the commercial's portrayal of everyone's reactions compared to your actual experience on set/behind the scenes? I cannot imagine anyone getting legitimately excited to see a Chevy like they always do in those commercials

It's spot on. That said, they show 3 minutes of HONEST reactions, after a couple hours of shooting different groups of 5ppl.

Redditors are so shocked that people think it's a BMW or a Lexus, and I really just think there were some very sheltered people with no exposure to cars.

A few people in my group actually did DID in fact say it was a lexus. The one woman who said it was 80K was in my group and I'm pretty sure my eyes bulged out and ruined one of their shots.

I was sincerely shocked when they pulled out the branded car from behind the scenes. I IN NO WAY thought I was looking at a Chevy. The unbranded version was actually kind of beautiful. Brand new, freshly waxed. ZERO BRANDING on it. And I liked it a lot. But I knew it wasn't a luxury car.

So they told us what it was and it was shock that it was a chevy, and not something better. Which, to be honest, is complimentary to chevy.

I immediately told them to take all the branding off it again.

Are you a car guy? It looks 100% Like a GM/Chevy product without the badging.

Ya, and if someone were to guess wrong I'd expect them to guess it is like a dodge dart refresh, not a fucking bmw (grill isn't even right for fucks sake)

I have no idea what a BMW grill is supposed to look like.

I am not a car guy. I know a few, but I'm definitely not a car guy.

Be honest, nice car?

Honestly, the one with ZERO branding on it was fucking gorgeous. Of course it was one of the higher tier models. But I loved it. Not a single logo inside or out and it looked great.

The second I saw the logos on it I got sad.

It doesn't look that different from the high trim versions of last year's model. The Malibu and the Fusion both look higher end than one would expect

Definitely. Also this was the 2016 version. My commercial was filmed in Oct 2015.

Were you there for one of the ones where the cars come out of the floor one after another, severs stories tall or where the car is half inside, half out and then the wall opens? Are those things done in post while using shots of actual reactions? I find it hard to image they'd use practical effects for something like that.

I was only in the one I posted in my text box in OP. I don't think they reuse anyone but the host.

I wish I fucking knew. I would love to know more about how those commercials were made.

But honestly, considering how much the people who get used in the commercial get paid, and how much money auto-makers make from sales, I wouldn't be surprised. If they were practical effects.

It doesn't really take much do make walls, and make them fall down. By my estimate, that's an easily repeatable expense with a one time $3000 cost.

And to raise a car up? Also not that hard, tons of vehicle lifts out there.

[deleted]

We all commented on camera.

I got paid less because I barely got used in any of the commercials. I was a "supporter" while she was a "lead"

Did they give you a script?

Read the other comments.

But just in case you're dense: no, they gave no scripts.

This guy fucks. He found an old thread where I had to rant after seeing twenty of those commercials in a row and reached out to me.

So my question that hasn't been answered is, do they other people suck?

I wish I knew what you mean by "suck".

Some of them were weird. Some of them were clearly rich. Some were a middle class mother. Most people were middle class. I mean, they had to drive out to Sonoma to do it. Some were definitely Upper class.

One woman in my group definitely seemed like a gold digging arm candy kinda lady

Hey there! I'm glad you hijacked my comment to announce this AMA. :P How did you go about being selected for this? What were your reactions that you wished would've been in it, but were cut?

We had a friend who told us she knew someone looking for people to be in a video. We only knew it was called "design clinic".

We were asked to make a video of ourselves answering questions about our design tastes. Then we found out we were in.

My gf is the only one who did that stuff. I was just in the right place at the right time. Someone didn't show up.

I don't think I had any reactions I "wish" had gotten in. It was over a year ago at this point and I cant exactly remember. But I did answer honestly about some stuff, since I have a design background, and those didn't make it in.

Oh, cool! Well at least you were in a commercial. That makes you way more famous than I am! Congrats!

Thanks!!! I wish I could get randomly selected for more XD

Did you have any indication that it was for Chevy, before they revealed it? That host seems like a prick, what was he like?

Oops, forgot to talk about the host. Real talk for a sec... the host is weird. Both my gf and I were creeped out by him. But to be honest, he knows what he's doing. He's been doing this for a while and he's trying to produce us all into certain reactions.

But that's not unique to this. Go to any product user testing and they try to get certain comments.

None whatsoever. I was just telling someone else:

We simply applied to be in a video shoot for a "design clinic". When we got there we were completely handled by the production team who couldn't tell us anything.

My gf and I were unique in that we were a "friend of a friend" of one of the producers. But we still knew very little. We actually did know there was a chance it was for a commercial, but we thought it was for some fancy home goods design brand. But even knowing it was a commercial was TABOO AF.

What type of car do you own? What's your realistic dream car?

I own a 2002 Mazda Protoge5 with a missing window and a cracked windshield, broken AC Clutch, and a new alternator in the mail. Fuck.

My realistic dream car is probably a Tesla Model 3, or VW Golf R.

dawg dream bigger.

A Tesla is a nice dream car...

A model 3?
That's like saying your dream car is a Buick when you could be dreaming Cadillac. It's like saying you want an Audi A4 when you really want an RS4.

They did say "realistic dream car"

They did say "realistic dream car"

Wait, is it your girlfiend that goes, "Santa, I want to go fay-st?" If so, I'm in love with her and you are a very lucky man. If not, do you know how to get in touch with that woman and ask her to do an AMA?

I have no idea what you're talking about, but i'm curious... link?

Have you ever banged in the back of a chevy?

I lost my virginity in the back of a Buick. And I had sex many times in a Mercury Villager, a Acura Integra, and once in a Mazda Protégé.

Never in a chevy.

How much were you paid to do this IamA?

Nothing. It's more likely I'm going to get sued.

I'm broke though, if you wanna contribute!

What are badges?

The logos for the automaker and the labels telling you the model and trim of the car. In this case it would be the Chevrolet "Bow Tie" logo on the front grill, trunk lid, steering wheel, center caps, etc. and "Malibu" on the trunk lid.

Is it possible to remove the branding from a car completely? Is that something a dealer would do? I usually just take of the license plate frame that the dealer puts on. Is anything else removable?

I dont know for sure, but I feel like everything is removable with the right tools. most of them are glued on, some are more sturdily connected.

I have a feeling the ones for the commercials are special made, which would make them pretty damn expensive. They dont even have the gaps or indents where the badges would've been.

on top of those, this malibu also had them on the sides too. So annoying.

All of the logos and similar nameplates on the body. The Malibu has extra ones, more than usual. on the side and stuff.

Are you not an actor?

Nope. I have a graphic design degree. Spent 5 years as a web developer. Currently unemployed.

I did plays in high school though. Never got paid for it.

You said that you might get sued, did someone cotacted you saying something about that or you assume that because you are giving out information ? In my country cars are so expensive. The 1980 malibu costs 19k... so i wont be impressed if the 2016 one is 60k like the other "actors" said

No one has contacted me yet, I was just being preemptive.

and they were using american prices in the video. so those prices were a bit insane.

Were you coached in any way? Did they tell you to be lively or excited without telling you what they wanted you to be excited about?

Nothing at all, honestly. They gave us some nice coffee and food while we waited to be bussed up to the house. Then it was a 15 minute session of comments. Cameras were all pretty damn hidden. I knew to look for them.

What is your favorite type of soup?

Matzo ball soup!

Is it at least partially degrading they have to put "real people, not actors" at the front of the commercial?

Not really. It's a marketing thing.

not that anyone here believes it.

Whats your personal opinion on the chevy commercial shoot you're doing for?

What? Of the car or the commercial?

of the car xD

When we were looking at it I thought it was a nice car, would probably be about $35K, and would be great for a lot of people. Possibly me if I could've afforded it.

How do you start getting into commercials ??

Get real fucking lucky. (at least that's how we did it.)

I have no idea what the real answer is.

Your picture of proof makes me think you want to tell me about your Lamborghini in the Hollywood Hills

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA i wish. I "drive" a broken 2002 Mazda. Currently waiting for a new alternator in the mail.

If i looked that rich I'd get more matches on tinder.

First of all: thanks for sharing this as I (like many others) had a hard time believing these "not actors" were really not actors. Just wondering; what is your regular day job / occupation? Anything related to acting?

I am (was) a web developer, and had been at the time, for roughly 4-5 years. Went to college for graphic design. Was in musicals in HS, and once in college.

So no, nothing related to acting. Unless you count acting like I think my clients have good ideas.

Will you suck on my dingaling?

Your ding ding dong?

How open are you about your sex life?

Incredibly fucking open about my sex life.

Excellent.

Now, did you wanna fuck any of the other participants?

Is there anything you partner hasn't tried yet that you're working towards?

Well... actually, I fucked one of the participants a bunch of times.

Anal sex used to be easy, but it got difficult again, so we're working towards that again.

How do you feel about balls in your mouth?

Not a fan.