My 30 seconds of Fame

Actually it was more like 2-1/2 minutes, but who’s counting? Yesterday I appeared on a local morning show, Good Day Sacramento. I was invited to promote my Nursery Mural Registry.
It’s very exciting, being on TV. I told all my friends & family, FB friends, etc. Hubster came with, but took pictures with the video camera, which I haven’t looked at yet. So no pics here today. Sorry.
It was what they call in the biz a ‘live shot’ – meaning, on a remote location and shot live. In my case, this was at 0ne of my client’s homes, where I’d painted a mural for their little boy.

I liked shooting in my client’s home because I was much more comfortable in these surroundings. Shoot, I practically lived in this room for 3 weeks when I painted here.
Since it is a morning show, we had to be there @ 8:30. I was up bright and early to get ready. Thank goodness for my dance performance background 20 years ago. It really helps knowing how to put on stage makeup. I don’t have pancake makeup anymore, but I do have a great airbrush system.
We got there 15 minutes before the reporter, Lisa Gonzales. So we had a chance to visit with my clients and  look at the room I haven’t seen for 2-1/2 years.

She is incredibly sweet and beautiful in person. We had a long wait before the cameraman got there so we all got to visit with Lisa. She has kids (1 & 3 yrs old) so she enjoyed talking w/my clients.
I loved talking with my client who sold a dot.com 5 years ago and did extremely well. I mean, really, REALLY well! He had wonderful marketing advice, without being preachy.
Finally Cameraman got there, lugged yards and yards of cable thru the front door, up the stairs, down the hall into the nursery. Then it was wait, wait, wait.
Since it was a live shot, we didn’t really know when we were going on. More waiting. Standing around. Making small talk. Finally they were ready for a ‘tease’ – a shot of Lisa holding up one of my canvases, telling viewers they could have a mural on canvas or – cameraman pans to nursery wall – a painting on the wall.
Five seconds. Maybe. That’s all. Then more waiting. Finally she says, “Anyone who doesn’t want to be on TV needs to be out of the room.”  That’s why I don’t have pics. Hubster was shooting pics outside of the room, down the hall, trying desperately not to be on TV.
Before I know it, the camera light goes on, Lisa starts talking and says, “Get over here, Colleen,” and I’m on the air. I try and remember all my notes . . . Look into the camera. Use your hands.  Smile!
These are cues from years ago when I did PR appearances for the dance studio and was on TV or radio. Once you see yourself on TV, you learn quickly you have to ‘ham it up’ to even look alive!
Then it was over. Done. Cameraman reels in all the cable and is gone. Lisa hangs around a few minutes and then gone. Clients  show us the recording of the shot.
Okay, I’m thinking. Not too bad. I was animated. I smiled. Wait – what are all those wrinkles around my eyes when I smile? Where did those come from? Oh well. Make up looked pretty good. Okay. Not too bad. I can live with it.
Then we leave, after Clients say they want more painting done in playroom. (Yay!) Love getting more work.
Call Mom. Always the first call. She thought I was wonderful, of course. Thought I should work on TV – hah! That’s my mom! Liked my makeup. Thought I looked comfortable. Okay, thanks, Mom.
It’s all over. The build up, the anticipation, the excitement. Over in 90 seconds. Oooh, let’s check the website stats and see what’s happened. The hits poured in. Yay! Success!
I must say, however, my bloggin’ buddies have spoiled me. The numbers on my website are nowhere near the hits on my blog. I really have to keep it all in perspective.
Later last night, I checked the stats again. What? No more? What happened? I then checked Good Day’s website and they didn’t link to my website – they linked to my email! Oh no!
Just goes to show that one appearance on TV is not going to catapult you into fantastic numbers. So back to work for me – writing, marketing, painting – all the stuff I  really love.
Colleen