A Ghanaian Movie Director and Script Supervisor, Mr. McLord Ice Impraim, has landed a role in one of the Super Bowl’s biggest commercials, The NFL Super Bowl Commercial Titled “Born to Play,” as First Assistant Director (1st AD Gh).
“Born to Play” made Ghana to become the heart of one of the Super Bowl’s biggest commercials.
“Born to Play,” is a two-and-a-half minute advert which saw an ensemble of current NFL superstars hurtling and hurdling through Accra’s bustling streets to celebrate the growth of the sport across the world and, crucially, the opening of global pathways to play at its summit.
The game waged by Saquon Barkley, Justin Jefferson, Cameron Jordan and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah may have been staged in the imagination of a football-mad young boy, but it ended at a very real location – the inaugural NFL Africa Camp in Accra.
There, the inspiration for the commercial – two-time Super Bowl champion Osi Umenyiora, awaited to greet the youngster, played by Eldad Osime.
The British Nigerian, former New York Giants defensive end’s regional football program in Africa, called The Uprise, helped spawn the continent’s first camp in 2022.
According to Mr. McLord Ice Impraim his role as the First Assistant Director (1st AD) in “Born to Play,” begun with a call from Chief coordinator of TD AFRIQUE production Victotria during the 2023 Christmas period about an upcoming job.
“So, just after Christmas festivities when Danny Damah the Producer for TD AFRIQUE film production in Ghana called me personally and said McLORD ICE there is a commercial coming up and you and Owusua Dacosta will be first AD Ghana. So, he sent me the script and mood board to start the breakdown,” he said.
According to him, Owusua whom he has also worked with several times on projects like Borga, Joseph and more, called him about her getting the nod.
He said: “Later Dzifa the production coordinator and secretary also called me briefing me more details and told me about a meeting in 48hrs. I led Owusua Dacosta to meet the Executive Producer and the Director and Danny the Producer and Yaw Amponsah location/production manager to defend and detail the breakdown.”
McLORD ICE said, it was then that he noticed the magnitude of the work and how intense it will be but he quickly called Zoree his partner and the Unit Logistics manager for the commercial “…and he also put Yaw Amponsah on the line. They detailed me more of the commercial encouraging me how it will either add up to my already made CV or it will break me down. It was then that I seriously visited the breakdown again few hours before the meeting.”
The meeting he said, went perfectly well and the Director Andrew Dosunmu right then confirmed working with him as lead and Owusua who has been his backbone.
McLORD ICE said he received all the encouragement from his partners who believe he can do it.
“My brother Zoree and Ronnie called and gave me words of encouragement and Mawuko of MK casting who was the casting director for the project also called telling me he wishes I was there to hear the good testimony Danny Damah gave about me at early preproduction meeting.”
He also said, Yaw Amponsah on the other hand gave him details on how serious the work is and told me to give my all specially the paper works.
Soon Dzifa called me and link me to the 1st AD USA Randy who is a very well experienced 1st AD who at that time is on retirement but has been called to work with him.
“I began talking to him and sharing plans how we shall execute the work. He landed in Ghana later and we began the preproduction recce. A d finally the technical team got here and we took them to tech recce with the director. Finally, production started and principal photography commenced. It was very challenging dealing with over 500 extras plus the bustling and hustling of Tudu and Makola market, but my third AD King Luu was very much on point as well.”
He said: “It was so great when principal photography wrapped on the 4th day as I detailed in the breakdown. The director Andrew Dosunmu shook my hand and said thank you and the producer said thanks and Dzifa said McLORD you did it. As at now Randy the 1st AD from USA a well-aged man now my industry Adopted father walked to me and said hence you are my son.”
According to him, ever since they have been communicating and Randy mentioned him to top directors who has worked with directors like SPIKE LEE, SAMUEL L. JACKSON and many more.
