2. VICKI
  3. HOMES - Vicki

Childhood Home - Vicki Skinner's - an Eichler Home in Orange, Calif. (Fairhaven Tract) used in the lates "Meet the Volkswagen Family" commercials!!!

http://Saronggoddess.com/Vicki/HOMES-Vicki/VickiSkinnersChildhoodHome

Childhood Home - Vicki Skinner's - an Eichler Home in Orange, Calif. (Fairhaven Tract) used in the lates "Meet the Volkswagen Family" commercials!!!
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This is the COOL house I (Vicki Skinner & my brothers Michael, Billy & JB) grew up in - an Eichler Home in Orange, California - the Fairhaven Tract. They are TOTALLY "BITCHEN" homes!! Ours was 3/4 glass, U-shaped with a big atrium in the middle of it!! In the middle, it was like one long open room divided by sections - living room, dining room & family room (like a loft in a way). It was REALLY BRIGHT (with floor to ceiling windows!!) & the air conditioning/heating vents were under the floors so your feet were always warm!! I think my mom bought the house back in '63 for around $37,000. At the time we sold it upon her death in '04, it was one of the highest sold Eichler homes BECAUSE it was in mint/original condition & a hot property at the time & was again when we sold it for $675,000!! (I LOVE the guy that bought it because he [like MANY that LOVE Eichler's] has such respect for the energy & importance of our family home!! Which is why it was VERY important for me for him to get it!!).

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For more info on the "I LIVE(D) IN AN EICHLER" Facebook Group I started (there you'll also find a BUNCH of links to other Eichler related sites!):
http://facebook.com/groups/ILivedInAnEichlerHouseGroup


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In April '09, the exterior of the childhood home I grew up in & my old neighborhood in the Fairhaven, Orange Eichler tract starred in 5 "MEET THE VOLKSWAGEN FAMILY" (Max the Talking VW) tv Commercials!!! (I lived there from 1963-1975 & we sold it in 2004) Below is the report & links to the ads from our old next door neighbor Bruce Creager on how it went down. FILMING OF THE VOLKSWAGEN TV COMMERCIAL: This is a story of the filming the Volkswagen TV commercial in front of our house. I have sent most of this by e-mail to you. This is just dragging it all together in one place.

This is the story line of "Max the Talking VW" as Bruce Creager understands it:
“The house next door to ours (the Skinner's old house) has been bought by a 1968 Volkswagen Bug. My understanding is that he has a wife (a 1968 Volkswagen Bus) and 4 children (2009 or 2010 Volkswagen cars).

He wanted a house where all of his children could have their own garage. He liked the Eichler houses but could not find any with 4 garages. Therefore, he bought the house next door to us and had it remodeled to fit his family’s needs.”

On Wednesday April 15, 2009 a crew of about 20 people showed up and started building a façade in front of the house. By Wednesday or Thursday evening the modification was well under way. By Friday evening the transformation was complete (you will note that the front door is the center where the car port was. The extra wide garage door is now the front door. A family of Volkswagens has no need for a small 3 foot wide door).

Friday the facade was in the trash and the painters started repainting the whole house. Monday the painters were finished. Tuesday a crew rotor tilled the front yard. Thursday a crew came in and took still pictures.

The actual shooting of the ad started on Saturday and continued through the next Wednesday.

Saturday - Bright and early (7am) a crew of about 60 people showed up on our door steps (we don’t actually have any door steps) and shooting of the commercials started.

Sunday morning they had an SUV with a long boom and camera on the front. One of the cars was racing down the street going backwards about as fast as it could go in reverse. About 20 feet in front of the car was this SUV going the same speed in reverse taking pictures. This camera had a transmitter on the video output so the director could see what the camera saw without actually riding in the SUV. Good driving!!!

The house was restored on Wednesday 4/29/09 with new paint and new yard.

One thing I saw that I thought was particularly funny. One day they were shooting a scene where a car was driven away from the house and down the street. I noted that after the car was driven into the street, the driver got out of the car, another driver got in and backed the car back into the driveway. This happened several times. How is that for specialization? It was all very exciting and rewarding.”

Bruce wrote "They paid us $1,000 a day for the use of our driveway and front yard. I’m not sure how they count days. I think they intended to use our driveway and yard for only 2 days, they paid us $2,000. They used our driveway for only one day and used the side yard almost every day they were shooting. Both of our cars were out of our garage and I allow them to store their equipment there at night. In the end they brought us an additional check for $1,000. This was the easiest money I ever made. I told them I had enough fun that they didn’t need to pay us anything.

HERE ARE THE COMMERCIALS!!! Here are links the Volkswagen/VW tv commercials they filmed in '09 in the Eichler home I grew up in:

The FULL 5 commercial compilation created by neighbor Bruce Creager:
http://SarongGoddess.com/VickiSkinnersChildhoodHome
• Meet The Volkswagens - Jetta TDi Meets The Prius (they also used the Duntley's & Creager's house) = https://youtu.be/JXK63kvUi6U

• Meet VWs - Carefree Maintenance HD (the Bob's home) = https://youtu.be/dm32lpm4eyY

• Meet VWs - Top Safety (they also used the Duntley•Creager home) = https://youtu.be/tp9X7QOxB_o

• Meet VWs - Routan Meets Odyssey (they also used the Duntley•Creager home) = http://youtu.be/h-S-WG-Q5a4

• Meet VWs - Routan Housewives (Jeff Schoenberg's childhood home is at the end of the block) = https://youtu.be/6q0yr056daY


HERE ARE SOME SITES EXPLAINING THE CONCEPT OF THE "MAX THE TALKING VW" COMMERCIAL:
http://adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/client/e3ifcdf91a54bfcc659aa8d9631694c2b12 - the concept
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NhIYJs_acEc&feature=related - "The Making of Max"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Le5Rx2xy8Y4&feature=related - the David Hasselhoff commercial
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RtHaWApyC5I&feature=related - the Heidi Klum commercial
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lXEaYAaaLuo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=L_Fd3nS7Ayc


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Former El Modena classmate Jeff Powell has started pulling together some pictures of the old & historic city of Orange (in "THE O.C."/Orange County, California)
http://Facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2004743475956.2109748.1164715168 . Vick Skinner - now ENJOYING life in Costa Rica!!!!
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  • I LOVED living in this house!! It was a U-shaped house with a big open atrium in the middle & 3/4 glass!! A TOTALLY COOL house to be brought up in (& hence why I like places that are OPEN & BRIGHT!!! [maybe that's why I'm so open & bright!!!]).

    I LOVED living in this house!! It was a U-shaped house with a big open atrium in the middle & 3/4 glass!! A TOTALLY COOL house to be brought up in (& hence why I like places that are OPEN & BRIGHT!!! [maybe that's why I'm so open & bright!!!]).

  • The open Atrium in the middle of the house looking in.

    The open Atrium in the middle of the house looking in.

  • The open Atrium in the middle of the house from inside.

    The open Atrium in the middle of the house from inside.

  • Hey - I didn't pic the furniture!!

    Hey - I didn't pic the furniture!!

  • I LOVED the open floor plan & LOTS of windows!! (actually - it sort of has that lofty feel now that I think of it!! Maybe that's why I've ALWAYS wanted to live in a loft-style place [& a houseboat & a motor home traveling wherever Spirit took me that day]).

    I LOVED the open floor plan & LOTS of windows!! (actually - it sort of has that lofty feel now that I think of it!! Maybe that's why I've ALWAYS wanted to live in a loft-style place [& a houseboat & a motor home traveling wherever Spirit took me that day]).

  • This painting of my daddy (he died/crossed over when I was 6 in a plane crash) is eary!!! It was painted in France & if you look at it straight on & then walk either direction - his eyes FOLLOW YOU!!

    This painting of my daddy (he died/crossed over when I was 6 in a plane crash) is eary!!! It was painted in France & if you look at it straight on & then walk either direction - his eyes FOLLOW YOU!!

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  • These houses have the air-conditioning & heating vents underneath so the floors are warm!!

    These houses have the air-conditioning & heating vents underneath so the floors are warm!!

  • Kitchen

    Kitchen

  • Kitchen opening onto the Family Room

    Kitchen opening onto the Family Room

  • Family Room

    Family Room

  • Backyard

    Backyard

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  • On Wednesday April 15, 2009 a crew of about 20 people showed up and started building a façade in front of the house. By Wednesday or Thursday evening the modification was well under way,

    On Wednesday April 15, 2009 a crew of about 20 people showed up and started building a façade in front of the house. By Wednesday or Thursday evening the modification was well under way,

  • VW COMMERCIAL STORY LINE The crew in our (the Creager's) yard and driveway! Looking across the street to the Bob's old house and the SOB (Some Other Brand) in their driveway. Note the man (actor) to the right of the camera. He is suppose to be the owner of the SOB and is complaining about the work required to keep those pesky German cars maintained.

    VW COMMERCIAL STORY LINE The crew in our (the Creager's) yard and driveway! Looking across the street to the Bob's old house and the SOB (Some Other Brand) in their driveway. Note the man (actor) to the right of the camera. He is suppose to be the owner of the SOB and is complaining about the work required to keep those pesky German cars maintained.

  • Creager's House (Bruce, Ann, Lynn & Ronnie/Ronald Creager) in the background (next to ours). Bright and early (7 AM) Saturday morning a crew of about 60 people showed up on our door steps (we don’t actually have any door steps) and shooting of the commercials started. The street front of our house (you can just see our house behind all that stuff) The crew in our yard and driveway. Note the man (an actor) to the right of the camera. He is the owner of the Mercedes (or some kind of German car) walking across the street all covered with oil and grease. He says “Dang! Those German cars sure require a lot on maintenance.” I hear what I assume is the Volkswagen telling him that the maintenance of the Volkswagen is covered by the warranty. There is a girl with a bucket of grease and oil to keep the actor looking messy enough. It was all very exciting and rewarding. They paid us $1,000 a day for the use of our driveway and front yard. I’m not sure how they count days. I think they intended to use our driveway and yard for only two days, they paid us $2,000. They used our driveway for only one day and used the side yard almost every day they were shooting. Both of our cars were out of our garage and I allow them to store their equipment there at night. In the end they brought us an additional check for $1,000. This was the easiest money I ever made. I told them I had enough fun that they didn’t need to pay us anything.

    Creager's House (Bruce, Ann, Lynn & Ronnie/Ronald Creager) in the background (next to ours). Bright and early (7 AM) Saturday morning a crew of about 60 people showed up on our door steps (we don’t actually have any door steps) and shooting of the commercials started. The street front of our house (you can just see our house behind all that stuff) The crew in our yard and driveway. Note the man (an actor) to the right of the camera. He is the owner of the Mercedes (or some kind of German car) walking across the street all covered with oil and grease. He says “Dang! Those German cars sure require a lot on maintenance.” I hear what I assume is the Volkswagen telling him that the maintenance of the Volkswagen is covered by the warranty. There is a girl with a bucket of grease and oil to keep the actor looking messy enough. It was all very exciting and rewarding. They paid us $1,000 a day for the use of our driveway and front yard. I’m not sure how they count days. I think they intended to use our driveway and yard for only two days, they paid us $2,000. They used our driveway for only one day and used the side yard almost every day they were shooting. Both of our cars were out of our garage and I allow them to store their equipment there at night. In the end they brought us an additional check for $1,000. This was the easiest money I ever made. I told them I had enough fun that they didn’t need to pay us anything.

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  • The director, script girl, and TV monitor are in our side yard. (The camera they were using is a 35 mm film camera with a video output.) The actual shooting of the ad started on Saturday and continued through the next Wednesday. On Thursday a crew came in and took still pictures.

    The director, script girl, and TV monitor are in our side yard. (The camera they were using is a 35 mm film camera with a video output.) The actual shooting of the ad started on Saturday and continued through the next Wednesday. On Thursday a crew came in and took still pictures.

  • This is a compilation of all 5 of the "Meet the Volkswagen Family" commercials that Bruce Creager created (THANX Bruce!!).

    This is a compilation of all 5 of the "Meet the Volkswagen Family" commercials that Bruce Creager created (THANX Bruce!!).

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    Creager's House (Bruce, Ann, Lynn & Ronnie/Ronald Creager) in the background (next to ours). Bright and early (7 AM) Saturday morning a crew of about 60 people showed up on our door steps (we don’t actually have any door steps) and shooting of the commercials started. The street front of our house (you can just see our house behind all that stuff) The crew in our yard and driveway. Note the man (an actor) to the right of the camera. He is the owner of the Mercedes (or some kind of German car) walking across the street all covered with oil and grease. He says “Dang! Those German cars sure require a lot on maintenance.” I hear what I assume is the Volkswagen telling him that the maintenance of the Volkswagen is covered by the warranty. There is a girl with a bucket of grease and oil to keep the actor looking messy enough. It was all very exciting and rewarding. They paid us $1,000 a day for the use of our driveway and front yard. I’m not sure how they count days. I think they intended to use our driveway and yard for only two days, they paid us $2,000. They used our driveway for only one day and used the side yard almost every day they were shooting. Both of our cars were out of our garage and I allow them to store their equipment there at night. In the end they brought us an additional check for $1,000. This was the easiest money I ever made. I told them I had enough fun that they didn’t need to pay us anything.
    VWActor.jpg
    The director, script girl, and TV monitor are in our side yard. (The camera they were using is a 35 mm film camera with a video output.) The actual shooting of the ad started on Saturday and continued through the next Wednesday. On Thursday a crew came in and took still pictures.