Byron Pickett fast facts

Thursday, Sept. 25, 1997 | 9:21 a.m.

* Background: Born in Southern Illinois, where he tooled around on a tractor for his grandfather's farm. His mother whisked him off to Chicago and then Palo Alto, where he attended the San Francisco Art Institute for music, and then studied film.

* On his heritage: "My grandfather is the last full blood native American, and I'm a quarter. There's a strong storytelling tradition in my family. I always thought I'd like to be a storyteller -- but in a new medium. Instead of sitting around the fire, we'll sit around a glowing box."

* Previous jobs: Pickett owned Pickett Movie Company for 10 years, producing dozens of TV commercials in the southwest.

* Current job: Moved to Las Vegas last year to be Director of Broadcast Productions at the Thomas Puckett agency, which gave him the time to work on his film projects when not directing commercials like the Westwood computer games shoot-'em-up ad for "Command and Conquer Red Alert."

* Filmmaking philosophy: "I used to think my job was to please people, and it is, ultimately. But the way I can do the best job for them is to make the best piece of film I can make for me. I used to say, 'well, how do you want it?' Now I'm being hired for my creative expression. People are more interested in what my ideas are. More people will see my commercials than will ever see my films."

* Notable achievement: "I used to do all the 'You never get a second chance to make a first impression' -- the Head & Shoulders commercials. It's in 13 languages."

* Tricks of the trade: "We put this chemical stuff on the burgers, so when you lift the bun, it's steaming -- it's acid eating away at the meat. And that perfectly scooped ice cream? Colored lard. ... I'll tell you one thing: Miss Rosarita (of the salsa sauce) is not really Hispanic -- she's Italian!"

archive