Ultimate Birthday by Noah Makarome

Noah Makarome (far left) with Serena Williams and crew at Wilson photoshoot

A typical birthday for me would consist of just hanging out with my family and friends and eating birthday cake. However, about a week before my 14th birthday, I received an invitation that was going to give me the best birthday present ever. I was handed the opportunity of a lifetime – to shoot a Wilson ad with the greatest women’s player ever: Serena Williams.
When I arrived on set on the morning of the shoot, I was astonished when I saw the number of crew members that were needed for the production. With this being my first shoot, I didn’t know what to expect at all. However, everyone was very cordial which helped me to relax. The crew shot several takes of my friends and I repeatedly performing tasks for the video, which was time consuming and fun at the same time. There was actually a lot more waiting time than you would think! Everyone on set was having a great time and it hardly felt like there was any work involved. The entire Wilson team kept the atmosphere alive and joyful and they were very patient when working with me. Their professionalism was a great asset in saving time and maintaining proficiency.
Serena arrived in the afternoon, and meeting her was an inspiration for my friends and I. To meet the winner of 16 singles Grand Slams and 13 doubles Grand Slams was unreal. She was really friendly and I got the opportunity to ask her questions about her career and all. Serena was very professional when it came down to the business of shooting the scenes, and it showed me how to act in situations like those.
The Wilson team handled the whole experience very professionally and made it very convenient for my family and I. They took care of hotels and planned the day perfectly. I would like to thank Tracy Singian and the entire Wilson team for giving me this opportunity to star along with one of the greats of tennis in their commercial. I don’t think I could have received a better 14th birthday present!

– Noah