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The filming of a new Dodge car commercial this past week closed off the greater downtown Main Street area, but still saw roads and sidewalks packed.
Wolfgang Studios occupied Main Street and its intersections from Veterans’ Memorial Park to Lexington Road with a fleet of high-speed show cars and film equipment. Aided by Elgin Police, they were able to film the advertisement from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. without crippling the flow of traffic or forcing downtown businesses to close shop. In fact, it brought a substantial boost of foot traffic to the stores.
“I actually think we’re going to start opening up earlier, we had so many new customers,” said Ashley Dahlke of the new Lo-Fi Coffee House and Studio, “It was a good test for us.”
The café was closed off just for the shoot’s talent in the afternoon, whom Dahlke said demonstrated fine etiquette.
The rest of the businesses and townsfolk in attendance were treated to an impromptu showcase. The premise of the commercial centered around a patriotic trio of red, white and blue vehicles driving through a car show, adding more cars to their crew as they pass. Over 20 performance vehicles shared the spotlight, including challengers and chargers with custom paint jobs, bodies and engine work.
Whi le the camera-mounted car reset for shots, those present were allowed to step into the road and check out what these cars were packing under the hood, talk to their handlers and get a closer look at some of the finer cosmetic details. A number of the vehicles sported detailed mural paint jobs and clean interior redesigns.
The crew didn’t close off the sidewalks for almost the entirety of the shoot, allowing attendees to sit, watch and listen to the muscle on display. As Texas summer heat has landed in Elgin, many chose to grab a treat from Off-The-Rails ice cream parlor and enjoy the show.
When it came time to move the public, the staff of the shoot made sure nobody was encroaching on the shot, but still allowed everyone to get where they were going.
Aside from adding a few minutes onto drivers’ commutes, Dodge rolled through Elgin without causing problems, and gave the people a show along the way.
