Dell EMC takes over Cathedral event space for commercial filming

If you walked past Cathedral on Ballard Ave this week, you might have noticed a new sign on the front window: it reads “Dell EMC Cloud Marketplace”. However, it’s a fake storefront, set up for filming a Dell commercial.

Cathedral (5449 Ballard Ave NW), once the home of BalMar and Jones Brothers, now serves as an event space that donates 100 percent of proceeds to charity. According to GeekWire, Dell wanted a “Main Street USA” look, which made Ballard Ave an ideal filming location.

The commercial is timed for the upcoming VMWorld event in Las Vegas, when Dell plans to unveil their Cloud Marketplace internet storefront. The shoot is expected to be short and sweet: they’ll likely get it all done in one day. They’ve made a film set inside, and covered up a nearby utility pole in black fabric. 

“We’re about to start filming the most exciting part,” Ron Gross, creative director at Seattle production company The Distillery told My Ballard this afternoon. “A woman and her dog will be filmed walking out the door onto a green runway, which will have the special effect of walking on air,” Gross said.

“Ballard is a treasure of this city,” Gross said when asked why they chose Ballard for filming. He’s a longtime Ballard resident himself, and said the combination of facades and independent businesses make it perfect for filming.

The production company said they also loved that Cathedral donates all proceeds to charity; they’ve chosen World Relief to receive the proceeds from the two-day rental.

Photo courtesy of GeekWire / Kurt Schlosser