Me and Matthew Mead turn Hollywood!

Its been a whirlwind week!  Matthew Mead, legendary "Style Guy Guru", asked me to be in several videos for Wagner Spray Tech Company introducing their new Home Decor Sprayer.  OK, maybe not so Hollywood, but for this girl, its pretty close!  We will be in the LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION world!! He's been putting together their visual campaign for all their new sprayers and rollers.  And since we are buddies and I am a designer who loves to paint stuff, it was a natural fit.  So, up at 4:30 in the morning and on the road to New Hampshire to get to the shoot for the 7 am start.

 The first day of shooting would be in Matthew's 8000 square foot warehouse.  A 4 man video production team from TriGlass,  as well as the Wagner Marketing and Development Group had flown in from their Minnesota HQs to create a series of professional How-to videos for their website.  It was exciting stuff!! They would be shooting 6 videos, and I would be in 3.  It also happened to be one of those hot humid dog days of summer, and the warehouse was without air conditioning. Upon my arrival the video guys were setting up the lights and the cameras.  We would begin shooting momentarily.

The video team set up their shot and finally it was time to join Matthew "on set" to do the Introductory video for Wagner. How cool is this!?

I snapped a quick pic and then joined Matthew while the Wagner team sat on the upper level of the open warehouse floor. They would  watch and advise us after each take.  This was going to be fun!

 Since I was in front of the camera, these shots were provided by Matthew's assistant Tory.  These pics give a good depiction of behind the scenes making of the videos.  Matthew and I would shoot about 4 takes in a row without a script.  We had the idea of what information we were providing but it was all ad-libbed which made it exciting and nerve wracking.  Each take was a little different as you can imagine, and there is sure to be an entertaining blooper reel. The new HomeDecor Sprayer is sitting on the table and the old flea market chair is one we will be transforming live on video.

 After the introduction about the Home Decor Sprayer, it was time to spray.  Mind you, I had never used this sprayer before.  The Wagner team handed it to me filled with paint, and then it was time to point, shoot and spray.  After spraying an area of the chair, they would yell CUT and then we would get ready to spray the next part of the chair.  Sometimes they wanted to be in nice and tight for closeups and other times it would be from a distance so you could see all the action.  

 At this point, all that is left to shoot is the vinyl seat on the chair.  I was totally floored and amazed by how darn easy this sprayer was to use, and how awesome it was covering the chair!  If you have ever painted a chair, you know that they are the most tedious pieces of furniture to paint.  But with the sprayer it was done in about two minutes total spray time.  And check out the drop cloth for the lack of overspray.  It was tight and controlled with great coverage.  No paint clothes, no apron either...just a drop cloth underneath and we were good to go!  This sprayer is a game changer for indoor painting for those pieces you want to knock out quickly without a fuss. 

Look at how amazing the chair looks after the paint job!  Only three more to go, and you know that with the sprayer you don't get the feeling of dread when you have to paint another chair.  When we did custom painting at Maison Decor, we charged a minimum of $100 per chair because they are so difficult to paint without globbing and dripping.  Every time your brush meets a joint you have to pay attention to the excess of paint that naturally gathers in those spots.  With the sprayer this was a non issue. 

Two videos down, one more to go!  The day was heating up and we had to cool down by putting iced down cloths around our necks for relief. The team had a large bucket filled with ice water and all these cotton cloths soaking at the ready, which was a life saver.

 In between shots, Matthew and I would sit on the upper level waiting for the next video to get set up.  I was having a blast even if it was 90 degrees!  It was so fun being part of this creative project and working with Matthew.  After ten hours we finally wrapped up.  I would return the next day to do one more video all about spraying smalls with the Home Decor sprayer.  This would show the versatility of the sprayer. Smalls and furniture are all fair game with this sprayer.  

 As a designer, I had input on how to create a stylish room out of found objects.  Accessorizing in a monochromatic scheme using different shades of one color on a paint strip is an easy way to get great results.  This grouping shows off a mismatched collection, but after spraying with shades of one color you have a total WOW factor! 

 Can you imagine trying to paint this sunburst with a brush?  It's a one minute spray job with the sprayer.  Embellished with a bit of gold and its a scene stealer for sure.  On day two we did a video all about spraying the smaller things.  This time we filmed in Matthew's studio.  At one point I found myself cracking up because we had to do so many takes on one section.  Each time Matthew would start off by saying "SO AMY! " in a very excited voice.  It just got funnier and funnier every time we shot it until I finally had to stop to compose myself.  You know that laughing that turns to crying thing that happens sometimes when you least expect it? A case of the sillies?  OMG it was happening in front of the crew.  How unprofessional.  Hahahah .  Oh well....I got it under control and we finally got it done.  Like I said, I would love to see these bloopers. 

This shot is the only one I have showing what the Wagner Home Decor Sprayer looks like.  It will be in stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby next year, but at the end of September they are going to sell on the Wagner website with a limited amount to see how the public receives it. They are going to be in for a surprise because most people I know that paint, will find this the ideal sprayer and its going to sell out in a flash.  How about this?  I will be doing a giveaway on my blog for my readers, so stay tuned for that! I might even giveaway two if they let me!!

This was a week I will never forget.  Doing something like this, as part of a professional creative team was new and exciting!  Matthew is a dream to work with, his creative abilities continue to shock and surprise me. We will be collaborating on more things, like a book (yup) and more videos, and maybe even some television!! We will be hosting an event in November too,  how to shop flea markets and antique shops to find those special vintage items at great prices. You will spend the day with us  "Hitting the Holiday Antique Trail" to pick up gifts and special finds, on a guided tour to our favorite haunts.  Sound good?  So lots ahead for us as we team up with Wagner as well as each other creating Lifestyle Events and publications that are all geared to finding beauty and bringing it home.  

PS~I was lucky enough to take one of the Home Decor sprayers home with me after last day of shooting.  I have some stuff that I plan to paint (starting with my new French Doors for the dining room that will be arriving soon).  This sprayer really rocks! Oh did I already say that?