2008 Woodie Awards
Students snacked strong
Five NKU actors participated in Doritos commercial contest
Regan Coomer
Issue date: 1/17/07 Section: Entertainment
Five Northern Kentucky University students of past and present starred in two Doritos commercials that made it to the top 8 and top 5 in a national contest held by Frito Lay Jan. 3 and 4.
The winning commercial will be shown during Super Bowl XLI Feb. 4. The top 5 finalists won $10,000 and a full paid trip to Miami for a VIP Super Bowl viewing party.
"Duct Tape," the top 5 finalist, and "Ultimatum," which made it to the top 8, were directed and produced by Joe and Dave Herbert, of Batesville, Ind.; and co-produced by May 2006 graduate Josh Beshears. Beshears also starred in "Ultimatum."
Beshears and the Herberts attended elementary school together, and many of the actors found out about the commercials from Beshears.
"My hat goes off to Josh, for sure," said Greg Tillner, an NKU graduate who starred in "Duct Tape."
The commercials was Beshears' first attempt at producing, but he didn't find acting and producing at the same time difficult due to his time at NKU.
"I got the best of both sides," Beshears said. "The technical side with Chris Strobel (professor of communications), and the acting and performing side with Ken Jones (professor of theater)."
Doritos allowed each production team to enter up to five commercials in the contest.
"The fact we had two in the top 8 was unreal," Beshears said. "No other group (submitting commercials) even made it to the top 16. Here we are, just a few guys in the Midwest, and we're hanging in with them."
The Herberts' commercials were filmed in OMS Photography of Cincinnati during a two-day period in the fall of last year.
"Duct Tape" features a group of college-age guys leaving for a night out, but one (Tillner) has to secure his Dorito supply (with duct tape) from his roommate before leaving. As they leave, the door swings shut, and his roommate is taped to the back of the door.
"He was taped to the door for 40 minutes," said David Hymen, a former NKU student and stand-up comedian who also starred in Duct Tape.
The winning commercial will be shown during Super Bowl XLI Feb. 4. The top 5 finalists won $10,000 and a full paid trip to Miami for a VIP Super Bowl viewing party.
"Duct Tape," the top 5 finalist, and "Ultimatum," which made it to the top 8, were directed and produced by Joe and Dave Herbert, of Batesville, Ind.; and co-produced by May 2006 graduate Josh Beshears. Beshears also starred in "Ultimatum."
Beshears and the Herberts attended elementary school together, and many of the actors found out about the commercials from Beshears.
"My hat goes off to Josh, for sure," said Greg Tillner, an NKU graduate who starred in "Duct Tape."
The commercials was Beshears' first attempt at producing, but he didn't find acting and producing at the same time difficult due to his time at NKU.
"I got the best of both sides," Beshears said. "The technical side with Chris Strobel (professor of communications), and the acting and performing side with Ken Jones (professor of theater)."
Doritos allowed each production team to enter up to five commercials in the contest.
"The fact we had two in the top 8 was unreal," Beshears said. "No other group (submitting commercials) even made it to the top 16. Here we are, just a few guys in the Midwest, and we're hanging in with them."
The Herberts' commercials were filmed in OMS Photography of Cincinnati during a two-day period in the fall of last year.
"Duct Tape" features a group of college-age guys leaving for a night out, but one (Tillner) has to secure his Dorito supply (with duct tape) from his roommate before leaving. As they leave, the door swings shut, and his roommate is taped to the back of the door.
"He was taped to the door for 40 minutes," said David Hymen, a former NKU student and stand-up comedian who also starred in Duct Tape.
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