After some relatively low-key shoots, the Kilz / Magnolia Paints project was a change of pace. Which was fine by me, I’m a worker, a laborer, and I like to do the heavy lifting to get things done. As such my focus is always on how best I am going to implement an art director’s vision. That said, variety is always welcome, and I also got a chance to work with Lee & Shane at Arcana Academy again, which was great! We previously collaborated on a campaign for Southern Comfort out on this farm in Wisconsin a few years back, and had a blast, on and off the job (fly-fishing in a thunderstorm, don’t knock it till you try it haha). All I really care about is working with good people who know how to bring out the best in each other and Lee definitely fits that bill. I’m going to be honest and admit that I had no idea who Chip and Joanna Gaines were before I landed this gig. But as soon as I mentioned to anyone what I was doing they would rave about how much they loved the couple’s show on HGTV, and as I found out once I got to Waco, it’s for good reason. My father was a contractor, so I know a little bit about that world and the Gaines’ really do great work. Also, for a couple who are as famous as I eventually realized they are, they are really down to earth, genuinely nice people. Like I said, it was a pretty big 4-day project; we did stills, we did video, we had a DP, second camera, so it was a lot of coordination over those four days. Doug, Francis and I have done all this before though, and for their part, Arcana knows how we work, our commitment to quality and makes it easy for us to go out there and do our thing. Chip and Joanna also deserve credit because they really welcomed us into their home in a way that made the work easy. Maybe the most rewarding part of the experience was when we wrapped and they seemed genuinely amazed at how efficient the whole process had been. I always want clients, celebrities or not, to feel like their time was valuable to me, because it is.
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