We just shot two TV commercials for our show at the Rio. We shot one on each of the last two days (with one shot from the first on the second day). We had guns, knives, a car trunk full of live rabbits and Teller hanging off my back. We had a zillion other actors and a bunch of locations. We had Jonesy, Arturo (nothing like a little person for comedy), and all sorts of Vegas characters. It was two days of shooting and I was in just about every shot. I should have a bunch of stories and complaints, but I don't. These fancy-schmancy ad people are so great, that it all went smoothly. The director seemed to have a great eye for comedy, and the ad people seemed to know how to get a joke really really fast. We have like 10 "jokes" (they are, of course, not really jokes, "little amusing things"), in each 30-second ad. It's so short; there are no lines, just a word here and there. It's a bit outside of our style, which is why we hired them. I think I'm going to be very proud of these ads. Once again, even though it was a bit outside of our style, I wasn't forced to do anything that seemed cheesy or not me. The coolest thing is there is no mention of the show. We're not performing. I eat fire for a second (in a BBQ shop) and I juggle broken bottles for an instant in an alley, but no Vegas show stuff. Teller does a little card stuff, but only in the service of titles. It's amazing.

Once again, Krasher gets credit. He pushed us to go with a "real" ad agency and that seems to have been the perfect decision. I don't know if it will sell tickets. I have no idea. No one does. But, we'll have advertising that doesn't make me wince.

The first big ad is up in the airport baggage and I get compliments on it. I've never gotten that before. I stood and looked at it and I was proud. All the other ads look scared and desperate that they have to have one big image and a name. Ours has a cool joke, an interesting picture, and I think people will be able to look at it a while while they're getting their bags. It's the only ad you can look at for more than a glance and I like that. It's an ad that makes me feel good about myself. I hope it sells tickets, but at least it's a start with pleasing me.

I have confidence that the TV ads will please me too. I won't see them (they're not airing on anything I watch), but I'll know that there are ads I'm proud of out there.

So, two days of shooting and no stories. Nate, Zeke, and James put a kitten's head in a guillotine, Teller was hung off my back, there were rabbits all over, but it was all easy and funny. Amazing. Good cats are good.

Penn

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