O-town visits Hilltop for commercial shoot

Trailers and limos packed SMU Boulevard yesterday while pop band O-Town filmed a commerical for HitClips.

HitClips is a popular cartridge targeted for ages 6 and up that plays music clips of the stars. The trend is cost effective, easily transportable and durable for families who don’t want to buy a c.d. player for their child.

Kids also like the pictures of the stars featured on the outside of the cartridge.

For students who don’t know of O-Town, the pop band consists of five members (Ashley Angel, Erik Estrada, Dan Miller, Trevor Penick, and Jacob Underwood.) Their first hit debued at number five on the “Billboard 200.”

O-town began their career with a bang by doing seven shows per week for MTV’s “Making the Band.” Currently, they are in the midst of filming the third season of the show. O-town also plans to tour with Britney Spears.

The Executive Producer for Stone Core Films, Elaine Sibert, said the comercial will take on a “back stage type feel.”

Stone Core Films set up a temporary back stage set for O-Town in the Bob Hope theatre located in Meadows.

Some Meadows students were able to help the production company with lighting and other technical aspects of the shoot.

“A few of us saw them preparing for the shoot. It was pretty cool,” said senior theatre studies major Andy Bothwell.

The commerical was also shot in front of Perkins Natatorium.

“I should have left swim practice to see them for a minute,” said junior computer science major Debbie Forinash, “but everyone just said a commercial was being shot, like it was no big deal.”

Students lingered around the Meadows building in packs to catch a glimpse or get an autograph from the sleekly dressed pop stars.

Junior broadcast major Lindsay Davis saw the band on her way to class.

“I was on my way to photography and I was wondering what all the commotion was about. Then I saw Jacob, Trevor and Ashley,” she said. “So when I left class they were outside and Trevor was giving autographs. I was like, so pumped. He was so cute.”

Trevor Lee Scott Penick, 22, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. talked to fans and signed autographs. He told students he loves the campus and said it was very different from his school Cal State Fulerton.

Penick also told a student his favorite band was Boys II Men but he enjoys listening to Maroon 5 at the moment.

He mentioned that O-Towns’ new single “These are the Days” is on the radio now, and their new album will be released Nov. 12.

“I think it’s awesome here,” Penick said.

He said he loves Dallas but never gets to stay long enough to truly enjoy it.

Before he could finish the conversation, Penick was rushed off by his manager to go to make-up for the second shoot. He smiled flirtatiously and vanished into a black SUV with the rest of O-Town.

The crew members said they arrived at the Hilltop at 6:15 a.m. and remained on campus until mid-afternoon.

Between sets for the commercial, the band and producers ate a quick lunch in the Meadows atrium.

Staff of Stone Core Films said the day ran smoothly thanks to the flexibility and welcome of SMU faculty and students.

The HitClips 30-second commerical is set to air in late October.