How do other veggies feel when they learn that a new superfood is sweeping the nation? What do they have to say about our favorite tuber when everyone is turning to it for a healthy dose of nutrients?
Linda and David put together a video exposé for long-time Foerstel partner Idaho Potato Commission (IPC), and it’s an absolute riot.
If you haven’t seen them already, you’ve gotta watch the Jealous Veggie Series on the IPC Youtube channel. You can see the full length version here:
David covered the concepting, Linda took care of the production/costuming, and they collaborated on the spectacular script. They took some time out of their busy day to answer a few of my burning questions:
Q: What inspired the gritty, silhouette-style interviews?
David: Honestly, the inspiration came from the collaboration of our team during one of our brainstorming sessions. With all of that creative power being bounced off of each other, this ended up being an amalgamation of several different ideas.
Q: Such terrific costumes and prop work made these videos shine. How did you put together such great outfits? And how can I get bling like Brock O. Lee?
Linda: On the costumes, it’s not very romantic. Apparently tomatoes and bananas are popular costumes while broccoli really isn’t. Go figure. We got those first two from a pre-fab seller. Not necessarily the highest quality, but since the video was going to be shot in silhouette, we knew costuming would be forgiving.
The broccoli was a whole other thing. When we couldn’t find a prefabricated costume, I put some feelers out on social media and a friend from the Idaho Shakespeare Festival saw my plea and sent me the name of a costume maker. As for scoring some bling, you’ll just have to ask Mr. O. Lee where he shops!
Q: The wonderful acting talent really brought your script to life. How did you cast from the huge variety in the Boise theatre scene? How were the interviews and auditions?
David: I think that education is incredibly important, and I wanted to find another way to make the videos relevant to Idahoans. I reached out to the theatre departments of local colleges and universities, asking if they had any students who may be interested in participating. We had a great response, so Linda and I spent a couple days conducting interviews and auditions to hone in on our cast.
Linda: Interviews were a blast, and I can’t speak for David, but shooting video was something super new to me. I’ve been on loads of photo shoots but never art directed a video. I can’t say enough nice things about the folks at North x Northwest. The producer really knew how to bring out the character in each actor. Knowing we were working with students who could use a little extra direction, he was happy to accommodate and did a fantastic job working with them. The editing team also did a really awesome job. True pros!
Q: Did you know from the start that the videos would be so chock-full of fruit and veggie puns? You really didn’t leaf any out!
David: Linda and I love puns. Like, a lot. Most of the writing process involved sharing and laughing at puns. I’m sure the rest of the office questioned whether or not we were really working. But such is life when you work in an environment where you have the opportunity to flex your funny bone.
Linda: Definitely agree with what David said. I ❤ puns.
Here at Foerstel we take on anything, including interviewing some strong-minded veggies. Thanks to IPC for the wonderful opportunity, and be sure to check out each individual interview when you have the time! Bonus brownie points for whoever can spot the most puns.
Got questions? We are all ears:
We totally get it—a good chat can work wonders in steering your project! Luckily, we love meeting new faces and diving into diverse projects.
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Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 60’s, Tom developed a strong desire to create positive change for people and planet.
He went on to pursue his passion for art and design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and worked for design firms in Southern California before moving to Boise, Idaho in the early 80’s. Foerstel Design opened its doors in 1985. Since its inception, the firm has cultivated a bold, happy, forward-looking team focussed on creating distinct and effective work on behalf of their clients.
An integral part of Tom’s philosophy is giving back to the community in which he lives — a company cornerstone that drives Foerstel’s long history of providing pro-bono services to local non-profit humanitarian and arts programs.
One of Tom’s proudest personal achievements is his ability to say Supercalifragilisticexpyalidocious backwards.
