From my desk in Annapolis, I recently coordinated an interview in Dallas with a well-known and respected figure at a museum that donated the use of an empty room. Although I was not directing this shoot, I was responsible for making sure that the interview looked worthy of this guest. An empty room wasn’t going to cut it. Whatever the solution, it needed to be quick, affordable and nice.
Everything was falling into place. Our favorite crew members were available. The weather forecast called for a beautiful day. And, the room we were given was large enough to accommodate a three-camera shoot. There was just one problem. The room was an empty echo chamber. In order to pull off a broadcast quality shoot, we would need a rug (to keep the sound from bouncing all over the place), chairs that were not the squeaky leather kind that make fart noises when the sitter moves in them, and background props that would give some depth and dimension to the backdrops. Lastly, all of the furniture and props had to go with the deep red color of the walls.
The museum didn’t have what we needed and neither did the sponsoring organization. I googled theatrical prop houses but didn’t find much that looked helpful. Somewhere along the way, the thought occurred to me to try a real estate staging company. I had worked on a home sale series about six months prior and remembered home owners renting furniture to make their homes show better and sell faster.
I googled real estate stagers in Dallas and found a couple of websites that were easy to follow and featured pictures of some of their work. I went with Holly Bellomy of Dallas Real Estate Staging. The process was simple. We spoke on the phone and then I emailed her a list of our needs, a photo of the interview room and a video link of past interviews set ups that we liked. Within an hour, she emailed me some chair options and by the end of the day we had a contract in place. For a very reasonable price, she brought chairs, a rug, a coffee table, side table, lamps and other side table accessories. Holly and a staff member stayed for the duration of the set up period to make sure everything looked just right.
Interview Set Up
The report from the crew was that the shoot went well; and, that Holly and her team were great to work with. When I got a chance to view the footage the next day, I was equally pleased. The host and guest were seated in a warm, elegant environment during their conversation. If the need arises, I’d work with Holly again. And if I get the chance to work with other real estate stagers in other cities for set props, I’ll gladly do so.
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