By Miranda Perez

Lights. Camera and….. Action!

Whether you’re a NYU student filmmaker or an aspiring advertising guru, this is your chance to hit the big time and make a name for yourself in Hollywood. You’ve probably heard of the Superbowl, right? What American hasn’t? The mid-winter football frenzy is as famous for its extravagant half-time show and slick, witty and creative commercials as it’s first downs and touchdown passes.

Doritos has just released plans to hold its seventh “Crash the Superbowl” contest. All you need to do is put on your thinking cap and have a moment of amazement, because the winning Doritos commercial will give you the chance of a lifetime, and we’re not just talking about water cooler fame either.

Lets end the suspense. In a cleverly tailored promotional way, Doritos has teamed up with Michael Bay, the action director globally recognized for his Transformer franchise, not to mention “Pearl Harbor” and “Armageddon.” And if you create the top-ranked Doritos commercial aired during the Superbowl, which will be chosen by USA Today’s Ad Meter, then you will get the chance to work with Michael Bay on the next Transformer movie.

OK, calm down now, take a minute for this to sink in. Have you got it? In other words, this is your opportunity to see your name rolling in the film credits of Michael’s Bay’s next blockbuster extravaganza. Remember: “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” is the fifth highest grossing movie of all time, so chances are a couple of people are going to show up at the theater for the next installment in the series.

However, before you start drawing up storyboards and working on your tracking shots, lets take a closer look at how the whole process works.“Crash the Superbowl” will have five lucky finalists, and they’ll be announced in January 2013. At that point, fans will vote online and the top two commercials will air during the game. The creator of the winning Doritos commercial will not only have the chance to work as a director, but win a million dollars as well. If the big Hollywood break doesn’t happen now, then at least you will have some money to film that indie crime drama you’ve been writing for the past decade.

The commercials that air during the Superbowl are often big as the game itself. They’re dissected and analyzed, brooded over, put on a pop-culture pedestal or tossed in the trash heap. The phrases “did you see that coke commercial” or “dude, how about that Doritos skit” are uttered with the same fervor that people talk about missing field goals and holding penalties. In other words, you want your commercial to become part of the national vocabulary, yes?

The Doritos “Crash the Superbowl” contest is a bit like “American Idol” meets “Mad Men.” If you’re a creative type, it’s time to start thinking about your thirty second slot.