Corporate Entertainer Rick Lewis - Conference Clip April 2009

Ladder Safety Promotion

Using Humor to Educate and Inform

This television spot is an example of the way that humor and specifically physical comedy skills can be customized to make a point or educate an audience. Especially relevant are safety messages which can be relayed and demonstrated in an exaggerated fashion for humorous effect.

I was approached by the producers of this television commercial and asked to help develop a physical comedy routine that would demonstrate the dangers and risks involved with the improper use of ladders. The script had already been written and we needed to film the visual sequences that would convey the message in an engaging and entertaining way. An initial meeting to design a storyboard gave the production team plenty to do seeing as they had to create an entire soundstage set for the filming of this interior sequence featuring a man who is simply trying to change a lightbulb in his house, but is having trouble reaching the socket.

It took us 18 hours to film the four separate falling segments. This empty room was surrounded by approximately 20 crew members who were responsible for all aspects of lighting, filming, sound and props. We had several mattresses stacked around the base of the ladder to cushion each fall from the top of it. The four sequences required approximately 115 takes, translating to 115 stunt falls off the 6 ft. ladder. Even onto mattresses it took me several days to recover from the day's efforts. In the end, however, we were more than happy with the product.

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March 2009 Edmonton Comedy Festival Appearance