Tots get a shot at fame in Doritos Super Bowl commercials

Burbank resident Scott Zabielski’s wife had promised their son Jack would not be one of those “Hollywood actor kids,” but when Zabielski, a television director, needed a baby for a small project, he pleaded for permission to cast their 13-month-old.

He had a short deadline and a low-budget for a commercial he had written and planned to direct, so his wife granted a one-time exception.

“This one exception could air to 100 million people,” Zabielski said this week.

The project, a 30-second spot for Doritos brand chips called “Middle Seat,” now has a shot at Super Bowl XLIX airtime. It’s was one of two entries by Burbank residents among the 10 finalists in the snack brand’s “Crash the Super Bowl” contest.

Either, or both, could be among the two winning ads seen during the big game — one picked by fans, one by the Doritos brand team.

Last year, Burbank resident Daved Wilkins starred in and co-wrote the winning ad in the annual contest; two years ago, a local dog named Yoda starred in one of the finalists.

The grand-prize winner this year will receive $1 million and a one-year job at Universal Pictures.

Burbank resident Travis Braun, writer and producer of the ad titled “Baby’s First Words,” is also among the finalists. He said the money would be great, but the job would be the real prize.

“It’s a dream being a finalist,” said Braun, a 24-year-old aspiring filmmaker. “You can’t [normally] get this kind of exposure.”

Zabielski also hopes his spot will help him break into commercial and feature film directing gigs. Though he’s worked his way up over the past 15 years from a lowly production assistant to directing episodes of the popular cable show “Tosh.0,” he said he wants to show he’s “not just a one-trick pony.”

The finalists won’t know if they’ve won until the ads air during the game, but both Zabielski and Braun are campaigning for votes at the website www.crashthesuperbowl.com, where all 10 ads can be viewed through Jan. 28.

Zabielski’s ad, produced in just two weeks on a budget of $2,000, tells what he hopes is a story many viewers find relatable. In it, Burbank resident David Hoffman plays a man in an aisle seat on a crowded airliner. He’ll do anything to repel fellow travelers from taking the empty middle seat next to him — including sneezing, clipping his toe nails and snoring.

Then comes the twist, involving Zabielski’s son.

Braun also had a small budget — micro at $350 — which went mainly toward feeding the cast and crew of mostly friends and family, he said.

Braun’s ad features a toddler, too: 2-year-old Landon Crew, who’s been in several Internet ad campaigns, but has yet to make his TV debut, he said.

“To do that during the Super Bowl — that never happens,” he added.

In the ad, set at a family barbecue, Landon plays “Liam,” a toddler about to speak his first word, but what he says is unexpected.

Braun, who auditioned a few tots for the role, said Landon was “a little Brad Pitt” and perfect for the role.

Zabielski, on the other hand, initially had doubts about his little star.

“We didn’t know if he was going to cooperate,” said Zabielski, adding that it turned out Jack “was like a pro.”