Giant Filming Day

Possibly sat through the biggest filming day of my entire career. 10+ core vast members, 80 supporting artists, period costumes, stunt rigging and on a massive hand-built set. I was sat 100 meters away at my desk throughout though, making coffees for cast and booking couriers for emergency costume pieces. Every now and then when I'm walking to and from set, I stop and drink it all in. I say hello to the crew and they ask how I'm doing, when that happens it feels like I belong.

Amend Hell

Rarely sat at my desk for longer than 10 minutes without having to get up and run some errands. Funnily enough I didn't need to make that many coffees for people though, a crewate usurped my throne by making oat milk hot chocolates which got everyone buzzing. Tis a fad though, they'll all come crawling back to my brewed goodness. A wad of script amends hit us like a ton of bricks however and they changed a lot of our pre-laid plans. I ended up working fairly late while we tried to unpick it all. Good way to spend the Bank Holiday - working past Summer Sunset.

Denim or Duck Egg?

For the past 8 years I've been holding onto hlpld clothes, promising myself that I'd wear them when I'd do some painting. Now I have a very full closet full of ugly clothes that I have no intention of wearing. Well today I finally honored the promise to myself and donned some old jeans and a shirt and dove into the world of decorating.

Rebecca and I bought a lot of paint early this morning (we stumbled into a bank holiday sale too so we accidentally saved a substantial bit of cash). We washed and sanded walls and begun decorating our living room. Got a brilliant white plus an off white looking mighty fine on our walls and ceiling. We prepped our feature wall and spent a fair bit of money in a pot of specially mixed paint. We put one test streak onto the wall and Rebecca felt sick to her stomach when she saw what it looked like. Our denim blue was clearly more duck egg... The next 15 minutes were spent stressing and calling up customer services to see if we could return the paint. In that time, the paint dried and revealed itself to be a much more agreeable shade of blue. Crisis averted. Still a lot of work to be done, but we're super pleased with what we did today - just can't wait for it all to be beautiful and back to normal.

Moonstruck

Despite being bleary eyed for most of the morning, one thought kept me going: I would get to see the Moon today. Bristol Cathedral were hosting The Museum of the Moon, a roaming art exhibition with a miniature, perfectly scaled down Moon. Walking into the Cathedral and seeing it there was a bizarre sight indeed, but it was enchanting. 

My excitement to see it was well documented to Rebecca, but after getting a few pictures I started feeling a bit nauseous. Something about seeing the Moon that close to my face must have really upset my sense of reality because after a while it made me a little sick when I looked at it directly. I'm normally a pretty hardy fella, so I don't know why is disagreed with me so... Still had a great time though!

Crankiness Emerges

The weekend loomed, but Friday stood in the way like a final boss fight to end the week. Try as I might, I never got a chance to sit at my desk for long today, I was tugged away to run an errand or do an odd job. Atmosphere amidst the unit was one of weary crankiness, learning that we'd now have to work next Saturday wasn't a popular decision, especially on relatively short notice. Despite being tired, I still managed to find the headspace to play some games with the boys this evening, advancing the story for our tabletop adventure a little bit further. Dan's acting as our storyteller once again and he's doing an incredible job setting the scene and making me forget about having to work a 6 day week next week.

Chummy with Catering

The best people to make friends with on a film set is the caterers. My team was a man down today so I spent more time than usual grabbing food for people, each time I made sure to chat with the caterers - I think we bonded. I got an extra helping of food this morning as a result and they were willing to do a lot of favours for me. It was a big day at the studio backlot, lot of extras and horses around the place while we shot the 'bustling townfolk' scenes. It all looks incredible though, out art department hit a home run with their set building.

Stolen Staplers

The beginning and end of my day was marred by some speedbumps. I got in early this morning to provide a stapler to bind all our paperwork as, inexplicably, all the truck staplers were stolen by the other unit. Then tonight I was held at work by the callsheet, it transpired that a member of the crew had been double booked between both units and there were lengthy chats about who needed this person more. In the middle of the day though, just when my team seemed battered and beaten, I went out to buy chocolate bars for everyone (the nice kind too). Morale instantly lifted. Just work hard and keep people smiling, that's a good perspective to have in this industry.

Production Ward

Back over the Severn Bridge for a day's filming. I was stationed at a Unit Base we used back on The Last Bus, but this time the cafe was open. Our transport captain insisted on buying us a round of posh coffees, we couldn't really say no! Immediately afterwards the day got stressful again for the people above me and I felt a little powerless in helping them. Best I can do is keep the truck life ticking over effortlessly and keep smiles on faces. A 1st AD once said I was the Production Ward... Maybe I should get that on my business card.

Asda Nostalgia

Monday hit us like a ton of bricks. I learnt that working over the weekend was emerging as a possibility at some point, that and the coloured printing paper I bought at great expense was discolored by the manufacturer. Just a lot of small jobs added up basically too make the day more exhausting than it had any right to be. I met up Rebecca afterwards to do a little after-hours shopping at Asda. It's nice in there after sunset, there's virtually no crowd and everyone is much more docile. It reminded me of when Rebecca and I used to live next door to the supermarket, a wave of nostalgia hit me in that moment and even though I was wearing my mask, Rebecca knew I was smiling fondly.

Return to Lapworth

A cafe breakfast in the heart of London is a virtuous way to start any Sunday. Rebecca and I made the trip into Orpington to meet up with Grandma Margaret. I hadn't been to visit her for almost two years now and you could tell she was thrilled to pieces to see us both on the doorstep. We were treated to a lovely roast dinner, with fresh chard and kale from the garden - plus a big bowl of strawberries for pudding which were delicious. I showed Rebecca around the house and the garden (she was blown away by how spacious it was) and I was humbled to see how it was still teaming with life. 

We had to leave mid afternoon to catch our coach back, the time with Grandma always goes so quickly but it was ever so nice to see her again. Hopefully there won't be such a gap between now and the next time I see her.

A German Farewell

 My coach to London was slated for 2 hours, 40 minutes. Instead it took 5 and a half hours thanks to a motorway closure that sent us on a big old diversion. Luckily I wasn't running late for anything important. A good friend of Rebecca and mine is moving to Germany and was hosting a farewell shindig. It speaks volumes to the testiment of his character seeing how many people turned up and from all different walks of life. The party was nothing but good vibes through and through, I even managed to get my dance moves on. Bedding down now in a hotel, though I did nothing but snooze on the coach down, I still feel exhausted.

Friendly French Coach

I coordinated a French speaking lesson for a a cast member through a professional voice coach this afternoon. I'd been chatting on email to arrange the lesson with the tutor and the tone was all very formal. She then asked how I get her contact details, purely our of curiosity. I revealed that we had a mutual friend and immediately she transformed into a different person. Capital letter, in-jokes and photographs all came torrenting out, as if by having a proxy friendship meant we had been in the wars together. Such a remarkable light switch moment that I just couldn't get out of my head.

Odd Pace

Had one of those awkwardly paced days where I had very little to do in the morning, and then everything all happened in the last 30 minutes of the day. Someone from the other unit was gasping for umbrellas 10 minutes before we finished for the day. Then we went into overtime. The. A new batch of script amends came out, with that, I spotted that I needed to re-book our French dialect coach. Earlier in the day I was oddly worried that I hadn't had a high stress moment for a long while and that I would have forgotten how to manage myself. Thankfully, I was unflappable in the heat of the moment and a few people even told me afterwards that I was a little star.

An Early Wrap

 All things considered, today was rather unremarkable. Everything ran like clockwork and I kept my head down and tended to my work - mostly script amends that needed printing and triple checking. I got to leave work in really good time today though so I got to spend some real time with Rebecca tonight. We started up The West Wing again and immediately remembered why we fell in love with the series. If only every evening permitted me to do the things I enjoy most.

Whist Expert

Put my 'Historical Games Advisor' hat on once more, this time I was teaching Whist for to a group of 4 ladies attending a Whist Drive. I got to rehearse alongside the actors and figured out a way with them to re-load the cards in each time so there was playing card continuity between takes. Then I parked myself by the monitors and effectively joined the Script Supervisor in watching the scene unfold and ensuring the game was being played correctly.

 At some point during this mad, crazy day, I realized it been exactly one year since I started on The Last Bus. 365 days ago I was as green as they come, not really knowing how to behave on a big film shoot or how to carry myself. One year on to the day, I find myself having a chuckle with the director and DOP while working on an ITV primetime show and having the time of my life. I just have to thank Mark Stopher once again for coaxing my into the world of telly proper - without him, I certainly wouldn't be where I am today.

Oh by the way. if you do happen to watch the show once it goes out, keep an eye out for the trump card that's played in the Whist scene... as a callback to my roots and the hayday of cafe Studios, I suggested that the 8 of Spades should be the trump card. I said it with a professional gusto, so no-one dared challenge that decision, but it's technically correct for the game and serves as a little homage to an old project of mine.

Double Dosed

Took myself off for an extended lunch break to go stand in a queue for my second Covid jab. I'm double doesed now and feel literally fine. I've heard all the side effect horror stories but I haven't even sneezed since getting my injection. Freshly innoculated, I stepped into set to watch another horse drawn carriage scene being shot - it all looks really good so far, can't wait to see the final cut when it finally hits the telly!

Seaside Between my Toes

Didn't expect to dunk my feet in the sea today, but there I was in Brean, enjoying the warm water. Our houseguests drove us up to the coast to enjoy a very brief venture to an overcast coastline. They were brave enough to dive right in while Rebecca and I just went up to our shins. Once every grain of sand was rubbed out from our toes we headed back to Bristol to give our guests the classic tour route Rebecca and I have down pat. Pinkman's Bakery still do sourdoughnuts and good coffee and Park Street is bustling with life. Days like this I'm proud to say this is my city.

99 Luftballoons

 Totally zonked this morning - though I woke up fairly early, I closed my eyes again for just a moment and the next thing I knew it was 9:45. Thankfully, there wasn't an awful lot to do today, a weekly shop and some Spring cleaning was all that was mandated. In the evening a friend and his new German girlfriend came to visit, she's 100% vegan so we sourced a vegan burger place and tucked into plant based chicken burgers which was as good at the real thing. Best part was while sitting in the garden we noticed some of the hot air balloons from Balloon Fest going by. Our scaffolding was still in place too so we got to see them from our unsightly vantage point (nice way to get my money's worth too).

Car Office

Friday went quick, this morning passed me by before I could even start on my 'to-do' list. We are swapping production trucks once again so I had to pack down and rejig everything. Most of our office is stashed away in my car at the moment, including my wonderful drawer unit full of coloured paper. Just as the day was really starting to drag, our rushes runner told me he was feeling under the weather so I got roped into the graveyard shift. I'm raking in the overtime now, I've never earned so much money in my whole life - just a pity it comes at the expense if my sleep and social life

Sides

One of my primary jobs on the day-to-day is preparing the 'sides' for the next day - a little A5 pack with the callsheet and the relevant script scenes. As such, I've got my nose buried in scripts for a sizeable chunk of my day and I take great care in making sure nothing is wrong when I prep them each day. Imagine my horror then when I was told the sides were wrong. I put my back up whenever this looks like it's about to happen, I very rarely make mistakes (plus I get a second party to confirm everything). Turns out, our director made a pretty substantial script amend without telling Production - it even looked dodgy when we looked at it closely. We called them out on it and they very quickly decided to just go with what we had already... Honestly, the amount of faff we sometimes have to put up with the amounts to absolutely nothing.

Cast Coffee

'Is Theo here?!' asked one of our cast member moments after stepping off set. Someone else answered for me and moments later I was face to face with a well-groomed chap with a disposable coffee cup in hand. 'Can I have one of your coffees before I head home?' they asked. In truth, this isn't the first time I've been asked for coffee, my barista skills are the talk of the set apparently and I've already got folks queuing up for a cup of my brews. It's all about hearts and minds being on set, and I think I've charmed my way into the realm of the actors.

High Profile Banana

Got the call from my Producer this morning 'I need you to come down to set Theo'. Gearing up for something important, I put my raincoat on with gusto, then I read the second part of the message. 'I really want a banana.' So I hopped in a minibus to hand-deliver a piece of fruit to our glorious leader. That was the most high-profile thing I did all day. 

 Got out of work unusually early again, none of our team knew what to do with our newfound freedom. Rebecca actually was meeting a friend in the park so I got to enjoy the mid-August evening and drink a cheeky beer just as the sun was setting. I've said it a thousand times, but once Covid is a distant memory I can't wait to enjoy our park to it's fullest.

Mousse Morale

Yup, we're in the eye of the filming hurricane for sure. Today was oddly quiet, everything went fairly smoothly, to the point where I was actually kinda bored. My to-do list was minimal and when I was given tasks, people changed their minds moments later so I didn't have to action anything. My chocolate mousse went down a storm though, some people didn't even think I made it because it was so good. It clearly swooped up the team morale and moreso than ever my team said 'We're glad you with us Theo' all I could do was blush quietly.

Mousse Mountain

Visited a different garden center this morning - the range was new, excited and far too enticing to ignore. I walked away with a new pot and some goodies for my lemon tree, I really want him to flourish in the coming months so he's not so anemic over the winter. 

 The remainder of the weekend was spent whipping up chocolate mousse on mass. I decided last week that I'd treat my team to some homemade chocolate pud. I asked catering for plenty of disposable potsast Friday and remembered I still had a friend's thermal box to transport them in. So, with a pair of mixing bowls that were far too small, I eventually made a mountain of mousse. As garnish I got some tinned cherries and shaved some chocolate, made myself a little production line to assemble it all and Rebecca thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. Just hope they bring team morale up tomorrow - lord knows we need it.

Reclaiming the Living Room

Third weekend in a row that we've trundled up to B&Q to hunt for the perfect pot of paint for our back garden. The off white we got was too yellow, so we struggled to find a non-white that wasn't too white. Today I learnt there are more off whites than there are real colours in the rainbow, after a lot of deliberations we landed on a smooth, warming and very pale yellow we think will work a treat - third time's the charm anyway.

After much we begun reclaiming our living room. The works are all but done so now we just have to repopulate it with bookcases and soft furnishings all over again. In doing so, we clawed back our dining room and reinstated it to its former glory. Feels like a whole new house now that we've regained all this space!

Triple Runner

Both the AD and Production team were down a person today, so I stepped up and did a fari amount of running around. Did some Base Running for a lot of the morning, then got in my car and drove for 3 hours as a Rushes Runner (I thought I'd left that world behind but here we go again...) The whole crew were immensely glad it was Friday, we'd been put through the wringer this week for sure, battered and broken, all we could do was laugh when things started to go wrong. I can mentally bookmark all my work now though. All I have to do now I enjoy my weekend.

Summer Maiden

Drove Rachel into work with me today, I roped her into being a supporting artist for a barn dance scene of ours. They dressed her in a real Summer Maiden outfit and she did a dance on camera for what will be the first scene of the series. She sounded like she had a great time, my team kept taking pictures of her down on set and sending them to me which really made the day a lot if fun.

Three Midwives

Was tasked with finding a midwife to help us advise for an upcoming birthing scene on our show. All this week I couldn't find a soul, an hour after lunch I somehow had three all calling me up fighting for the position. Good place for me to be in I guess, just makes me giggle the image of three midwives all clambering to get on TV. Early start and late finish again today. I'm raking in the overtime but at the expense of my sleep pattern and social life with Rebecca in the evening - I've never been so unconvinced by the value of money.

French Coach

Non stop this afternoon after I was roped into finding a French Dialect coach for our cast member before 3pm. Luckily, our 2nd AD had a contact so I was able to set something up and coordinate an effort to teach a young girl how to recite a paragraph in French as is she were fluent. Then I had to load up my car with stationary, coffee grounds and wifi routers. Production tried to sneaky and not pay for a great big double unit move. We scheduled it beautifully, but we still had to cross load a lot of our Gubbins onto a new truck. Feels especially bad because I kept such good care of our current truck - it's my pride and joy. Now we have to share it with the other unit, I've heard a lot of grumblings about this but I'm doing literally everything in my power to ensure this move is invisible. 

Spilt Soya Milk

Whoever said 'No sense crying over spilt milk' never had to scrub stale soya milk out of a cupboard full of mugs and penguin bars. The stink was particularly offensive at 6:30am this morning - when I was needed for work. Still, I got it clean, then I just got on and did my thing. The big hoo-haa today was around lunchtime when the caterers really dropped the ball and messed up a lot of people's food orders. It was uncharacteristic of them so we narrowed our eyes and let it pass this one time, but the whole crew endured a broken lunch which has some pretty expensive ramifications for Production. But even the late lunch didn't change the fact that I left work surprisingly early for a change - only a road closure threatened to take away a quiet evening away from me, Rebecca's out with a friend and I'm just enjoying my own company and the sound of silence after the hullabaloo of the day.

Table Top RPG

Slept in for a long time this morning, my eyes barely let me wake up. Glad I did though, we ventured up to North Street to drink one of the best coffee's I've had in my life. Invigorated by the flavor, I continued to enjoy my weekend to the fullest by watching some TV with Rebecca and playing a table top RPG with Mark, Dan and Louis. Lot of laughs as we tried to desperately tried to wrestle a figurative character towards an attic that may, or may not house an ancient terror. Already eager to finish the story.