This spec spot is set in the parking lot of the famed Hollywood Bowl, a landmark outdoor concert hall. A thoroughly bored parking valet is in his booth, listening to the night’s performance at low volume via monitor. Yet things perk up when he hangs a set of keys in the lock box, accidentally tripping a car alarm. He’s struck by the musicality of the sound. Activating a few more vehicle alarm systems, the valet is inspired.
Energetically dragging the lock box on its pedestal to the center of the parking lot, he throws himself into his fantasy. With the box for his podium he becomes a dynamic conductor. His orchestra of parked cars responds to his jubilant body language and waving arms with chirps, beeps, whirrs, pings and flashing headlights. Their electronic voices join to create a credible, albeit offbeat, version of Ode to Joy, from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
The attendant and his "musicians" reach a crescendo, wrapping the piece to an ovation. But our would-be conductor has barely a second to savor the moment. The applause abruptly stops and he is pulled back into reality by the "ahem" of a tuxedoed car owner waiting at the booth. The valet’s exuberance segues to subservience, and the key in his hand elicits one last protesting "blip."
The spot is simply tagged with Apple computers’ logo and "Think Different" slogan.
This 57-second spec commercial was written, directed, executive produced, and co-produced by Joe Forte, who’s been working as a television screenwriter and director. He created "Valet" to help get himself back into the advertising business, where he began his career. Co-producing the job was Paul Hunter; no production company was involved. The commercial was shot on location at The Hollywood Bowl by DP Christopher Pearson.
Ben Hopkins, who at the time was with Santa Monica-based Rex Edit, cut the commercial. Paul Song of The Finish Line, Santa Monica, served as compositor/effects artist. Mike Cosola of Sight Effects, Venice, Calif., was the colorist.
Sound designer/audio mixer was Peter Rincon of POP Sound, Santa Monica. Rincon’s contributions were key. He used a real recording of the Beethoven symphony as a bed and layered car alarm sounds over it. The musical bed begins a few beats before the first alarm sounds, establishing the melody and setting up the joke. As the scene progresses, the audio balance shifts, with the vehicle alarms gradually carrying more of the musical load and the orchestra fading out.
Finding the musicality in alarms proved to be a challenge. After hearing hundreds of stock recordings of alarms and horns, Rincon found few suitable for his purpose. Using the alarm system on Forte’s car, Rincon wound up making scores of new recordings and electronically modifying their pitches so that they formed musical notes. Additionally he used a synthesizer to record segments of the symphony, then manipulated those recordings to sound more like car alarms. Next Rincon mixed all of the elements together—the results of which are heard in the final spot.
