2009 Campaign

Last Fall, seven of reACT's most active RCT members starred in the program's first-ever commercial shoot, which was shot in and around Helena. After two crazy days, we ended up with two spots (wanna see 'em?), tons of pics and a great experience.

Here's what our stars had to say:

"The commercial shoot was something I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought oh maybe three people will be there, the camera man, some lady with a brush then the director. Little did I know that there was a team of about 10 and they were all so friendly and inviting. The first thing I noticed when they walked into the lobby of the hotel was this man taking our pictures. And I don't mean one or two here and there...I'm talking tons. We were told to bring like 10 outfits, mind you I only wore two and with those two outfits I wore the same jeans...I thought that was a little funny. It was a little nerve racking when they were filming us because you didn't have a mirror in front of you so you weren't sure if you were portraying a good enough angry face or if you just looked like a goon. We also were able to travel up to the mountains to this GIGANTIC/BEAUTIFUL lodge/cabin thing and I believe Bambi was filmed inside and a second group of us were filmed on the deck over looking some sort of valley/mountain range. All-in-all it was a wonderful expereience and it was amazing to be part of because it's the first commercial for reACT and hopefully will get the word of our group out to the teens of Montana!

-Shannon, Columbus

Well first off, it was such a COLD weekend. OMG I couldn't believe it. I loved how the director said not to wear "seasonal" clothes, aka wear T-shirts and freeze! haha, while he was bundled up behind the camera. Other than that small pitfall, it was soo fun. I loved the spots we picked out - they screamed Montana which is crucial to the commercial I think. And standing there posing acting angry was fun, definitely helped with some anger issues that could have been looming. I loved watching the other shoots - especially when there were cow patties everywhere, haha. It was overall amazing fun and a great way to get to know my way around Helena better that's for sure.

-Bambi, Plains

Basically shooting a commercial is all about behind the scenes, what happens when the camera ain't rolling. I do believe we spent about half our time in the 15 passenger van, also known as the girls' closet, trying to read, listening to music or if you're cool like me I watched Scrubs :) But in front of the camera, serious business, yo! Your face had to be ready to express any given emotion. It's like being a piece of clay for the director and film crew, but maintaining your own swagga. I got caught leanin' wit it, but apparantly I was supposed to stand up straight - go figure. I think the best part of the whole experience was kickin' it in the van, being around both people with a passion for anti-corporate tobacco and people with true artistic talent. It's what reACT is all about, combining each other's skills to fight corporate tobacco. I think shooting the commercial was the ultime example of reACTivism, plus my face is aired all over the state :D

-Nik, Billings

Our trip to Helena was a blast! Everyone that went got to hang out for hours chilling and catching up with one another. The weather there could have been better but we made due, we didn't let the cold get us too bad. Stop after stop we made our shoot, so by the end we had a whole new experience to take home.

-Aaron, Billings

I really enjoyed doing the commercial and I really learned a lot. The stop and go took a little getting used to (especially the stop). For the most part, the commercial was made up of individual shots of people and I think the hardest part of the whole ordeal was just dealing with the boredom when it wasn't your turn. A book was necessary, and iPods were a "must-have." But through it all I feel is, was and will be a rewardsing experience for me, as well as the entire reACT movement. This will help promote awareness about our cause and help reACT become a household name.

-Eric, Columbus

See the pics	Watch the video