By: Nick Lee
Staff Writer
Junior Quenton Jackson tried out for an Adidas commercial with low expectations. Little did he know that one week later he would play the advertisement’s main role alongside Jeremy Lin.
On Nov. 1, Jackson arrived at the tryouts with 30 others hunting for the one role.Jackson found this opportunity when one of the producers asked the Mira Costa basketball program if any players were interested in being featured in the advertisement. Jackson and other Costa basketball players drove out to a park in Hollywood to show off their skills.
“The experience was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Jackson said. “Not only did I get the part in the commercial, but I was given the star role.”
In the advertisement, Jackson acts as a high school basketball player in a game. The camera
crew filmed Jackson and Lin performing the same basketball moves on court.
“Lin made my job easy because it didn’t feel like I was dealing with a conceited star,” Jackson said. “Now that I’ve had the opportunity to work with him, I have a newfound respect for him.”
The commercial was filmed on Nov. 5, 7 and 11. Each day, Jackson and Lin filmed for 11 to 12 hours. Some of the shots were filmed at Poinsettia Park in Los Angeles, while others were filmed on the Costa campus.
“I have learned that being an actor takes a lot of work, dedication and long hours,” Jackson said. “I have also learned that I must work hard in anything I do to be successful.”
On the first day of filming, Costa basketball players senior Gavin Regan and sophomore Brandon Chan also played with Lin. They were able to interact and talk to the NBA player, who had tips for playing at higher levels.
“Since basketball is my life, being in the same area of a basketball star like Jeremy Lin was amazing,” Jackson said. “It was amazing to see how the commercial industry works, and it was an honor working with Adidas and Mental Entertainment.”
On the last day of filming, Costa basketball players from both the boys and girls teams came out to be extras in the commercial at Costa’s campus. In return for the many volunteers, Adidas donated funds to the basketball program.
“Having our basketball players work with Adidas and Mental Entertainment builds an overall enthusiasm among players in the program,” varsity boys basketball coach Jeff Amaral said.
Jackson wants to continue playing basketball in college and at the professional level. By having a part in the Adidas commercial, Jackson was exposed to the professional side of basketball and was also able to learn how the film industry functions. The commercial is supposed to air on April 1.
“Just the experience of meeting an NBA player and seeing how they treat others as professionals is great,” Amaral said. “Seeing the pros up close and realizing that they are just like any one of us is great because it keeps the players motivated to achieve.”
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