Our initial visit to the jewelry shop was pivotal. We sat down with the owner, Don, a man whose passion for his business was palpable. We presented our video production demo reel, a carefully curated compilation of our best work, showcasing our storytelling capabilities and technical prowess. Don’s reaction was immediate and enthusiastic; he was, in his own words, “immediately hooked.”

The conversation quickly shifted from initial impressions to a collaborative brainstorming session about the future. Don was eager to outline a course of action, and it became evident early on that our creative visions aligned perfectly, inevitably leading us down the path of comedy. This shared appreciation for humor, particularly in the context of advertising, fostered an immediate and strong connection between us. We simply “clicked.”

After a long but really productive day, we headed back to Lubbock, Texas. The drive was pretty long, but it turned out to be a great chance to brainstorm. On the way home, we came up with and started developing three to six different script ideas for Bullock’s Jewelry. Our main goal was to create pitches that would totally fit their brand but also bring some fresh ideas to the table.

Some of those first concepts were pretty wild, really pushing the envelope for advertising. While they were super innovative, we eventually decided these “out-there” ideas might be a little too unconventional for Bullock’s current marketing approach, so we decided not to show them. However, several other concepts looked really promising and were then polished into full-blown scripts, ready for a proper presentation to the client. This careful selection process made sure we’d offer Bullock’s Jewelry a hand-picked selection of strong, workable ad stories.

Bullock’s Jewelry Curing the Headache: Our Spec Ad Adventure

So, once we were back in Lubbock, we had this awesome creative spark. We were sitting on a bunch of promising ideas, but one really grabbed us – a concept we just knew could show off what we’re good at and totally nail it with a client’s product. Our mission? Turn that idea into a killer spec television commercial, something tangible that really showed our vision and how we get things done.

At the heart of it all was this super relatable (and kinda funny) marriage thing. It revolved around that conversation no married guy ever looks forward to: when he’s feeling a little romantic, but his wife hits him with the classic “I have a headache.” We figured, yeah, it’s a cliché, but we saw a chance for a clever, unexpected twist. The challenge was to flip that common problem into a solution that felt genuine but also delightfully surprising.

Bringing this whole thing to life took more than just good ideas; it needed some real effort and a sprinkle of ingenuity. With a solid dose of “elbow grease,” a ton of ambition, and Ross’s wife’s aunt generously offering up her house in Lubbock, Texas, we snagged the perfect spot for filming. It gave us this really realistic, lived-in feel that instantly grounded the story and let everything unfold naturally.

The story itself was designed to be simple and pack a punch. It kicks off with the wife at home, doing her own thing, when her phone buzzes with a playfully suggestive text from her husband. Not quite in the mood, she shoots back the classic, understated “I have a headache.”

But her husband, totally unfazed and clearly rocking a brilliant plan, texts her back, telling her to “check the nightstand.” Curious, she heads over to the bedside table, opens the drawer, and boom – the mood instantly shifts. Inside, there’s this beautifully made jewelry box, clearly from Bullock’s Jewelry. And nestled in the plush velvet? A handwritten note, both funny and sweet: “Do you still have a headache?”

As she carefully pulls out the note, her eyes land on the glittering piece of jewelry. And at that point, well, the rest is up to you! The message is loud and clear: a headache can magically disappear, and a thoughtful gesture, especially one involving a stunning piece of jewelry from Bullock’s, can turn a regular evening into one filled with joy and connection. Our spec ad wasn’t just about the product; it was about the powerful emotional vibe it could create in a relationship.

Making this television commercial was a tricky balance between what we wanted to do creatively and what we could actually pull off. The filming itself wasn’t too bad, but we ran into some technical snags that really made us think on our feet.

One of the biggest headaches was our limited gear. We were working with a Blackmagic Cinema Camera 2.5K, which is way ahead of its time, and our trusty Rokinon prime lenses. Since we had so little, we had to make every shot count and really lean on the existing environment. Lighting was especially tough. Our basic light kit just wasn’t enough to properly light all the rooms, and it wouldn’t blend well with the practical light.

So, we got clever and used the natural light pouring in through the big bay windows in the living room. We’d put our subject there to get that soft, diffused glow. This not only looked great but also helped us keep a consistent lighting style for all the scenes shot in that space.

Camera support was another immediate problem. Our tripod just couldn’t handle the weight of our camera setup, especially since we were no longer shooting on a light-weight Canon DSLR. In typical problem-solving fashion, Ross took charge and repurposed a surveyor’s tripod. He brilliantly rigged it to take a Manfrotto 502 fluid head, giving us a much more stable and capable platform that securely held our camera and let us get those smooth pans and tilts. This improvisation really showed our philosophy of making do with what we had and finding new uses for old tools.

And sticking with our past productions where we often had to build our own gear, Ross cooked up a compact dolly system. This homemade “Dana dolly” style setup was made from a roughly one-foot-square piece of plywood. He slapped on eight inline skate wheels, attaching them with four bolts and four L-brackets. For the track, we just used simple conduit piping – super easy to get and cheap.

To keep the track spaced correctly and stable, the end brackets were made from two pieces of PVC, each with 90-degree barrels at the ends. While it might not have looked pretty, it definitely worked. It gave us the smooth, controlled camera movements we needed, proving yet again that when you have to innovate, you often get the best results.

While on set of this Hamil Bros Studios television commercial video production, we shot a little behind the scenes time lapse. While Ross and Jacob worked on building the set, our actress, Heather Byers, arrived along with her son Liam, who made sure that the carpet never went anywhere by continuing to roll around on it the entire time.

Well, the afternoon definitely got interesting when Jacob tried to grab Ross’s socket wrench set. He ended up spilling the whole toolbox, sending sockets and other bits flying everywhere. It took us a good half-hour to get everything back in order, which wasn’t ideal, but it certainly made for a memorable moment! Rumor has it that we’re still picking up the pieces