VML EP Craig Sklaver Plays Five Questions with SCREEN
What do National Roast Day, Barack Obama and Superman have in common? They’re all right here as VML Executive Producer Craig Sklaver stops by for a thoroughly entertaining round of Five Questions with SCREEN. Let’s get to it!
SCREEN: Ok Craig, one restaurant, one meal, anywhere you want, and we’re buying. What will it be?
CRAIG: Alinea, because I could never afford it otherwise, hah. What the hell is an edible balloon anyway?
We have no idea either so let’s watch this clip and get to the bottom of this balloon mystery…
SCREEN: Most famous person you’ve ever met?
CRAIG: Does being on a conference call on mute with then presidential candidate Barack Obama count? I was working on his 2008 campaign as a field organizer in Florida and we had a few statewide calls in the weeks leading up to the election for him to hype us up.
Let’s take a look back at 2008, Craig!
SCREEN: If you could play any superhero in a major motion picture, who would it be?
CRAIG: Am I getting their powers or I just have to act in that movie? The latter is a bit more terrifying. I’m not much of a Marvel or superhero movie guy, so is it cliche to just say Superman? He can pretty much do anything and also stay anonymous as Clark Kent. It feels like every other superhero goes through some crazy, painful mutation or something.
SCREEN: Your favorite project you’ve ever worked on?
CRAIG: Wendy’s National Roast Day. We created a program that animated Wendy’s face in real time so we could respond quickly to roast requests and had 25 people in an edit suite just laughing and writing jokes. Then we handed the lines next door to VO talent to record.
Let’s take a look!
SCREEN: You’ve been chosen for the new season of Shark Tank. What are you pitching to the Sharks?
CRAIG: Before AI, I would have said an app where you can enter the ingredients you have in your fridge or pantry and it spits out easy recipes. Seeing as that’s as easy as a ChatGPT entry, how about a system outside your house to accept packages and stop porch pirates.
BONUS QUESTIONS!
SCREEN: What are you looking forward to in the second half of 2026?
CRAIG: The end of Winter feels like a tease right now, so how about some continuous good weather.
SCREEN: What is your most prized possession?
CRAIG: I don’t think kids apply here, so how about my dog, Otis. My wife begged me to get him and I finally caved. Now he’s my guy.
SCREEN: Best advice you’ve ever been given?
CRAIG: The golden rule is an easy one. Treat people the way you want to be treated. It applies as a kid, and it applies to life as an adult. You get nowhere from being terrible.
That or in the production world – fast, cheap and good – you can only pick two.
Thanks for playing, Craig! For more from Craig and his team at VML, click right here.
Check back here at SCREEN for new rounds of Five Questions with SCREEN. You can also click right here to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.
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