I was in a Toyota Commercial!

[NickfromWI]

Last year through a very lucky and random series of events I was asked to be an actor in a commercial for Toyota Canada. They paid be about $1,500 for the day! I spent most of the day watching them film other shots. Then for about 1.5 hours I planted the same tree over, and over, and over...maybe 100 times and it was filmed from all different angles. It got annoying, but I just had to remind myself of what I've done for far less money in the past!

The filming was actually for a bunch of commercials. All for Canada. There were 2 versions of it, a short eco version (shown below) and a longer version that included non-tree-hugger stuff in it. They did both in english and french. They also filmed a commercial for Tree Canada, a charity group in Canada that helps peoples plant trees, I guess. I never got to see that footage, though.

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XJt5b_60KGE&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XJt5b_60KGE&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

They said if it ever runs nationally across Canada that I would start to get residual checks. A month or so later I ended up getting TWO checks in the mail on the same day. The first was for about $250 and the second about $1250!!!! Checks kept rolling in. They decided a few weeks ago to rerun it. I got another $950 check last week. So far I am up to about $10,000!

love
nick

 

[top hopper]

Sweet gig!

 

[MasterBlaster]

That's amazing how much the scale wage is for actors. I never knew they got paid that much PLUS the extra money! It's unbelievable!

Good job, Tom!

Now you can have a Treemotion raffle!!!

 

[sotc]

wow! cool! and you were only there breifly!

 

[Old Monkey]

I can't believe he's been lying to us about his real name.

 

[OTGBOSTON]

LOL, Tom Nanos it is!

 

[NickfromWI]

I think it couldn't have happened at a better time. In college I learned how to exploit credit cards for all they were worth. I didn't think much about how it would all pan out. It didn't seem like a big deal. Then I was $20 in credit card debt.

I realized the error of my ways about 3 years ago. I stopped using the card and started doing what I could to pay it off.

Had this commercial came before the "realization" I think I would've treated all this money as free money, resulting in lots of vacations, trips, and surely, more debt.

As it is, Tom Nanos now only owes about $6000 and I really think I will have the rest paid of by christmas of this year- that's not taking in to account any more toyota money.

Willie, you're right. You could see me in that clip for like...what....2 seconds? Ridiculous.

Seems like showbiz is not a free-market economy, MB. If they told me they wanted me for $500 for the day, no residuals, I would have still been happy to do it...just for the story! But someone else (the screen actors guild) had my back!

love
Tom Nanos

 

[Paul B]

cool Nick, I will keep my eyes open for the commercial. I have had some dealings with Trees Canada, some good ideas there.

 

[stehansen]

Cool Nick, er Tom. Just don't call me late for dinner, right?

 

[vharrison]

Nice commercial, great gig, Tom!

 

[inztrees]

oh what a feeling 10000 us$$$

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Cool Tom! Showbiz is where it's at. I've got two buddies who were in the Guardian who pulled down $75,000 for non-speaking roles...and they make royalties for life...and got their SAG cards. Crazy.

 

[Paul B]

whatsamatta with you? were you off fishing?

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

HA! They only used three guys from one unit in the movie. They're good guys though; all good friends of mine.

 

[Stumper]

I'm totally disillusioned. No truth in advertising. They don't even call the actors in commercials by their true names. I'll never buy Toyota.

 

[NickfromWI]

How do you know I'm really not TomNanosfromWI?

 

[Paul B]

TomnanosfromCA more like. Charlatan!

 

[Stumper]

That Canadian ad should have called you by your true name-Nick from Wisconsin-That way all the Canuckians could believe in the quality of Toyota. "Even american tree planters from WISCONSIN associate with Toyota-must be good Eh?". "Ya, must be real good Ollie? Bet they would work in Saskatchewan? Eh?"

 

[Tom Dunlap]

The next time that unions get bad mouthed there should be a reference to the payscale that SAG has setup. Unions aren't all bad as Nick has benefited in a big way. Great news!

 

[treesandsurf]

Cool Nick! Who in the world is Tom Nanos??

jp

 

[NickfromWI]

You know, this whole experience has made me think a bit about free market economy...and how it doesn't even exist. In a free market, they would've asked a few people if they wanted to be in the role. One guy would be REALLY good, but would want $10,000....then I would've strolled up and said, "$10,000? I'm from WI and I'd do this for $500 and the story!" I would've saved them $9500.

That money gets passed on to the buyer eventually. I'm sure the added cost in barely noticeable on a $25,000 truck, but you add a little to that, a little to the box of cereal, a little to my new shoes, etc, etc, etc.....that adds up.

Hollywood cracks me up! Now where do I sign up for that next role?!?!

love
nick

 

[Blinky]

NickFromHollywood!

 

[sotc]

free market economy and unions, oxymoron?

 

[NickfromWI]

Are unions just part of the FME? I mean....no one said anyone has to listen to the unions, right? The industry could just say, "You know what SAG, take a hike. We'll hire crappy non-union actors and be just fine."

Hmmm....

love
nick

 

[sotc]

then all the actors will go on strike and no new movies for the summer, drama