Quite Curious

otta do this. We gotta do this. No excuses, WE NEED TO WIN!” Then we got up, scribbled down some notes, quickly set up the lights and camera, and started making the video for Oxo’s “The Search for the Biggest Oxoniac Contest“. I have never won anything before in my life, so I’m really hoping to win this one.

Oxo is a company that makes mostly kitchen products. Can openers, oven mitts, tea kettles, that sort of thing. You’ve probably seen an OXO product before - they’re the ones with the big cushy rubber handles, and are higher-end than most kitchen utensils on the market. Now they’re looking for the biggest “Oxoniac” - the biggest Oxo product fan - to host their how-to demos.

And if you don’t win grand prize, you can be one of “Two First Prize Winners will receive a basket of OXO products (Approximate Retail Value of each is $500) to be selected by Sponsor.” YEAH! I’ll take that too.

We found out about the contest three days before the contest ends, which I think worked in our benefit - it got us moving rather than sitting around contemplating whether or not we should do it. Well, we did it, and it turned out GREAT. We’re pretty proud of it. Check it out…

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Here’s why we should win:

• Our video is creative, and actually has a story.
• We read all the rules, and pronounced everything correctly. (”World’s Biggest Ox-oh-nee-ak.”) Basic stuff, but many of the other contestants didn’t do either of these.
• We did our research on the company and product. Bonus points, baby.
• It took us 7 hours to film and edit this one minute video, whereas it looks like it took others maybe 20 minutes. This was definitely not something slapped together. A+ for effort, right?
• We truly are, fans of OXO products. (Except for maybe the vegetable mandolin. Everything else is fantastic.). Yes, we own all the OXO products you see in the last frame of the video.

We goofed off between takes. I don’t know about you, but I think Mike’s video is way better…

Behind the Scenes

Here I am, focusing the camera. I used my new Canon T1i with a 28mm f/1.8 lens (wide angle) to shoot the video.

Mike fixing the lights.

We made sure that OXO products are in the background of every shot in the kitchen scenes. We have…two mixing bowls, an ice cream scoop, cheese slicer, bottle opener, corkscrew, basting brush, two travel mugs, oven mitts, trivet, and a boatload of their containers.

If you look closely at the video, you’ll see that the OXO products in the background move throughout the entire video - they need to be seen! Mike is strategically placing and OXO bottle opener for the closeup shot when I take the jar off the shelf.

Mike setting up the power saw. The jar is actually far from where the sparks are flying - the sparks are coming from the blade cutting a piece of metal. This is my second time doing this, ever, so I really had to try looking like a pro in the video!

You know you like it.

Here’s the sugar jar in the clamp. We chose an extra large jar for these scenes - a regular sized one wouldn’t film as well.

It was so cold in the garage! We did this after work, so it was kind of late.

…and then I got even colder. I’m wearing a welding mask, leather welding apron, furry warm jacket, and…sweatpants. I look crazy.

Mike expertly editing the video. We filmed 70 video clips. He did such a great job, especially lining up the voiceover parts with the matching video.

Look - we made it just on time! There was one day left in the contest.

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