WMET

This is all from memory-- it had to be after the initial MTV campaigns, but before we officially started Buzzco Associates, even though Buzz Potamkin (of Buzzco Productions) was, by then, full-time in LA.

Dale had asked us to come up with a board to contrast crying babies with babies jiving to sweet music. We were not initially awarded the job because his client wanted the newer, hipper CG look.  But after their first look at the work the other production company did, he determined it "lacked heart" and came back to us.  The delay also took a couple of weeks off our timeline.

I remember Marilyn scrambling to find a casting agent for babies-- they needed to be about 18 months old. And she set a session within a couple of days.

Our good friend and great photographer, Gilbert Ortiz was wrangled, and he set up his studio to accommodate the casting and shooting of the babies with a side room for the moms to wait... and a large trash can for diapers...

It was a wild shoot! All the babies were good with plunking down on the piano (the same toy piano Lionel Richie used in the MTV ad!) and the sax was no problem since it contained apple juice for the child to chug...but the kids had no use for the guitar.

Gil had a motorized camera and shot the babies separately and we chose the ones who had the best performances, 2 boys and a girl.  The girl took the guitar-- not necessarily to play it-- she treated it more as a necklace...

Then the chosen children had to cry. I held each on my lap.  The girl was told that mother went away and she cried immediately. The sax boy didn't cry at that, he was a pro.  Then his mother suggested touching his nose because he had a cold and ... total melt down. Finally the piano boy.  "Your mother's left." "She'll be back" he said, smiling. "You won't get a cookie"-- no response. "You'll have to play the guitar." He totally broke down-- "No guitar, please! No guitar!!"

As for production-- all the photos of the babies had to be physically cut out and placed on cels. They were tiny to all fit in a 12-inch frame. Among Vinny's numerous talents was his ability to wield an x-acto knife with great accuracy, then the edges had to be blackened in so they didn't reflect light and he taped them down on a cel with double sided tape..

I was happy adding tears and potchke to the babies.  All were delighted with the final result (except maybe the piano boy, who I assumed would be in therapy about guitar issues!)