Tray #6

Nailed another coffee run (it's like we've done this before) and returned to base to crack on with the day. No real curveballs or oddities today, just coasting along on a steady tide of work as it all cranks up. For all intents and purposes, today was a day, everyone else was dealt the same hand and I spent it answering emails.

Tray #6 wrapped itself around my molars though. Still getting used to the feeling of this new set inside my mouth, no doubt it'll once again be a bit ropey to yank it out before I eat breakfast tomorrow... It only gets easier though and preoccupying myself from thinking about it too much is the best medicine.

Beige Flood

Another day, another early morning coffee run for the tech recces. We have these two big polystyrene catering hot boxes we've been using for the runs, they're great because they're capable of holding around 20 cups and can keep things relatively hot. Where they ain't so good in in their bulkiness, a fact I learnt trying to load a full box of drinks into my car boot - it wasn't happening. My plan B was quite brilliant though. Wedging it longways between the back and front seats, reclining the passenger side seat back like a clamp to hold it in place. It was perfect. If only our Production Assistant had the same idea as their container arrived spilt in arrival, the exec Producer's being one of the greatest casualties of the beige flood. We laughed it off and sorted it thankfully, the fled from the scene if the crime, back to my inbox which consumed my attention til hometime.

Awards on Parade

Some people bring re-usable cups into the office, other brings their dogs. Only a choice few will bring their BAFTA in. That marks the second time I've seen a real award with my own eyes. A bunch of the creative departments all won trophies at last night's ceremony and the atmosphere couldn't be better in the office. 

Most of the guys were out on a big round of recces for the duration. I managed to catch up on everything in their absence and even had room to breathe a bit in between emails. It's crunch time, but the pace is manageable for the most part. If only they gave our awards for well managed time... Actually I wouldn't win it.

Iced Car Coffee

A hearty breakfast of sausages and halloumi was all I needed to keep me going. We took a short walk up into the London suburbs before embarking on the long ride home. A mini heatwave has hit the UK and of course, Rebecca's little car has no air conditioning. We sweated our way down the motorway, stopping for an iced coffee at the halfway point which just about got us over the finishing line. Our friend is off attending a TV awards ceremony in which Rivals was nominated for a few catagories (spoilers, we won a few of them) but Rebecca and I just wanted some peace and quiet tonight, opting to stay in and decompress before the week starts anew.

Editing Masterclass

Flocked to an edit house alongside the other peeps who submitted a short film to the competition my work hosted a few months back. We were attending an editing masterclass hosted by a few members of our post production crew. The entire session was remarkably wholesome, we watched each other's shorts, gave legitimately constructive criticism and then offer fun and creative solutions to everyone's work. Even though none of us had ever met the editors before, we all got on like a house on fire, we were cracking jokes, listening intently and all feeding off the creative atmosphere. It was legitimately a real thrill to be there, not only to see a few of my old colleagues but to chat earnestly about our projects.

I returned to our friends house while Rebecca and Ben sat in the garden, enjoying the last dwindling patch of sunlight. Matt prepped dinner while I contributed by cleaning the snacking bowls of nibbles. A bread and butter pudding made from leftover hot cross buns came out the over and topped with hot custard which was a genuine post-Easter treat. Tomorrow will also Mark the first day in quitta while where I'll be bedding down without setting an alarm. After a big old day (and week) I can't wait to catch some zzz's.

Back to the Backburner

Though it's only been a four day week, my levels of exhaustion are trying to convince me otherwise. I immediately started playing catch up after being out of the office all day yesterday, and I didn't slow down until I basically got home. I'm really hoping there's some breathing room next week as I have a few jobs that I've left in the back burner for a little too long. 

Though I was in London 24 hours ago, I find myself back there for the weekend. We're staying with friends and I'm off to an editing masterclass - the final reward for my short film. I don't really know what to expect from it but there'll be a few old faces which I'm looking forward to seeing again.

Another Readthrough

 'Theo'

 

Shouted a semi-familer voice as I was lugging 90 pastries up the street. It was a member of our London crew on their way to our readthrough who was offering to help me carry the food. I had only had wee coffee and a very modest continental hotel breakfast at this point so I was very happy for the help. My colleagues were still setting up tables and getting things ready for the big day when I got back to the hall, but many hand make light work and by the time the cast arrived we were all ready to rock. While the talent did their thing I was up in the rafters tinkering away on my laptop, catching up with emails and the like. The whole thing went really well all told - we hit all he beats and everyone left happy which is a big old win. We even got invited to post-readthrough drinks - which we totally stayed too late at and missed our scheduled train for. My Coordinator and I continued with tradition and enjoyed a canned cocktail on the train home. Another readthrough done and dusted in style.

What struck me most though was how much of a family atmosphere this show has cultivated. It was visable in the cast reading their lines, the hugs everyone gave when they greeted each other again and the calling of my name to help with the smallest job of carrying pain au chocolats.

Up and Down *That* London Road Again

 Continued doing some email firefighting before hopping on a train up to the big smoke. We have our read-through coming up and once again I found myself running up and down a very specific part of London to get all the bits ready for the day. Deep down I'm having a great time but I already can't wait for this time tomorrow when it's all over and I'm back home. I'm certainly back doing the runner type jobs in lieu of any other candidates, but there's no job too small at the moment and we're all just trying to scrape by.

Cosy no More

I knew I was in for an unwelcome slew of emails and responsibilities, and every second I spent sat behind my desk was draining. The day went quick but in a bad way too, that kinda way where you wished you had more hours in the day... But if there were then you'd just continue dealing with nominal busywork. Today was the first day it felt like crunch time, which makes sense because deadlines are fast approaching and people are crowbarring everything into a four day week. We got a big thing coming up on Thursday which we're all scrambling to get sorted. I'm basically building my week around it so I'll be very glad to see the backside of it so I can get back to the real job. Back home I only really had time to shower and pack a bag since I'll be taking an overnight bundle into work tomorrow. I'm already exhausted and it's only fake Monday!

Easter Monday Scaries

Louis and I bid farewell to Newbury after a swift breakfast. Back at Bristol I landed just in time to see Rebecca's folks who were down visiting her for the Easter weekend. After they left though Rebecca and I just kinda coasted through the rest of the day. I'm pretty sure all I had for lunch was Easter chocolate (it's what Jesus would have wanted) and a cup of coffee. Every minute on the sofa was bliss, but I could never quite shake the niggling feeling that the long weekend was drawing to a close. The Monday scaries hit me big time, but there's nothing I can do to change the flow of time so I learnt to accept the incoming return to work. It could be a big week for us, everything is coming to a head now, we just need to grit our teeth a little bit and get through the week.

Easter Sunday 2025

Easter hoodies were passed around the breakfast table. A chocolate egg for me and a chocolate cat for Rebecca (my parents know her so well). In the spirit of family togetherness Louis and I holed up in the living room and played Street Fighter while whooping loudly - we just big kids at heart. We opened up the floor though to a handful of movies with Mum and Dad though which is always a family favourite activity. Playtime was a good shout, an easy going French visual comedy, plus The Life List, a Hallmark Rom-Com that was a little light in both Rom and Com.

Frozen In Place

Threw my luggage together and bid Rebecca farewell for the holidays - Easter is for the boys this year. In a fairly left of field, but no less appreciated move, Dad prepared a Christmas lunch, complete with steamed pudding. I had a calorie deficit after yesterday's vomiting episode so I tucked it heartily (even mustering a glass or two of red wine). Then we drove up to my Auntie's house, somewhere I couldn't actually figure out how long it had been since I was there last. It really was a place frozen in place though, the geometry of the rooms, all the knick knacks and photographs jogged parts of my memory that I had almost parted with. A Canadian relative was staying over so the family came together to spend the afternoon with them - it was a good natured little event actually with everyone on their top form. Best part was us all helping finishing off a jigsaw puzzle. Several pieces had been hammered down incorrectly so it turned into a forensic science event, holding up flashlights and combing over all the slotted in pieces to find the misfits. Once we unpicked that knot and put it together properly there was a big cheer and then it was time to go.

(Feeling Not So) Good Friday

To celebrate our last day of work before the Easter break my team all went out boozing in Bristol. I spent the entirety of today regretting every choice I made last night. I got up not thinking too much of it, I poured out a bowl of cereal and was about to crack on with my day because I assumed I was invincible. Turns out, standing up re-jigged all my stomach acids and I was then in agony for the next couple of hours... Occasionally barfing my guts up when it all became a bit too much. By lunchtime I was mostly past it but waves of nausea kept hitting me even as the sun was setting. Only the new Paddington film was able to inject enough food vibes into me so I could finally see straight again. Got it all out of my system before heading back to Newbury for the holidays.

Looking Sharp on the Sharps

Instead of doing any real work for most of the day, I was politely roped into helping with the camera tests. They had all the lights, lenses and equipment, they just needed a subject to shoot. So I sat in a chair for 90 minutes and looks down the barrel as the DOP and Director scrutinized lens flare, depth of field and bokeh. We had a laugh though, all the while we cracked jokes and kept saying how well I scrub up on camera... I didn't even do my hair this morning and I still looked fabulous.

It did take me away from my day job though. In fact, my day job took me away from my day job - every time I say down to do a task I felt a tug at my shirt pulling me away from what I was meant to be doing. I'll be playing catch up all of tomorrow for my sins.

Speed Up to Shooting Time

Halfway through the work week which is a wonderful and daunting prospect. The weeks before the shoot now feel like they're evaporating rapidly and time is becoming a greater commodity. I'm still helping out all the other departments set up their spaces, meanwhile I'm playing a bit of catch-up with my own workload. I'm just about staying afloat at a comfortable pace but I can sense all that could change in the next week or two. I'm still enjoying my evenings at home while it lasts though. Still eating dinners with Rebecca and watching movies while I can, a slice of humanity to savor before I give my life to the shoot.

A Friend of Costume

Filled the day by mostly helping our Costume department fill up their space. Every job I'm seemingly rebuilding the same shelving units, some friction fitting sets that go up quick but fall apart just as fast if you're careless. I'm regaining my reputation as a fixer for most and people are genuinely are grateful for my efforts which is always nice. We even managed to get Louis some second hand good will at work. He was looking to get rid of a table that just so happened to be perfect for us. Gotta buy that guy a beer for help me out.

Budget Board Games

Our local  board game shop is closing down and put a shout out online saying they're having a closing down sale. So after brekkie Rebecca and I made a beeline for the shelves for some bargain board games. We left with a very sensible haul of one game but I could have gone on if I wanted to, but that would have just been buying things for the sake of it, and my games shelf doesn't exactly have many gaps left in it. The rest of the Sunday was spent just letting the world pass by. I got a big chunk of my book read and got to watch a movie. 

Very excited by the prospect of a four day week coming up. I want to carbon date this next statement though so it'll age like wine: this Thursday will be uncomfortably busy because everyone will forget Good Friday is coming up. Instead of spreading the five days work evenly across four, it'll all get panic dumped into us Thursday afternoon. I hope I'm proven wrong.

Booze Cruise

 I felt unusually grumpy for most of yesterday so I dedicated this morning to going into goblin mode for a reset. I did all the things I was aiming to do - watching films and finishing games, I came out the other side with my battery refreshed and my spirit willing to do some socializing. I met up withe a colleague to celebrate their Birthday. I had every intention of leaving at a sensible time, then then they gestured at their boat and said 'wanna go for a ride?' Wagt followed was an incredibly boozy up-stream boat ride. I did a lock as the others drove, all of us were a shade more tipsy than we'd care to admit but it was a good lark. More than anything, I want sleep right now. I'm tucked up in an Uber ready to be in my bed. The GPS says 3 miles, I already cannot wait...

Pushed It Too Far

Yesterday's run took it out on me, I pushed myself a little harder than I had planned and it was indeed a bit too much. I was knackered before bedtime, but that didn't translate into a deeper or a more restful sleep - I woke up feeling the same. As a result, my muscles weren't 100%, nor was my energy levels so I spent the whole work day counting down the minutes before I could go home. I found myself in a bit of a bad mood overall, but took the evening off to ensure I got a change to recharge my social battery. Deep down, I just want to read my book and continue through my current game. I already feel much better now, hopefully the new day comes with a renewed attitude.

Tirami-Gloop Strikes Again

The tiramisu was warmly received by my coworkers and the birthday boy. We even stuck little candles in the top as we sung to him which was cute. I was asked to cut the pudding into portions and my worst nightmare manifested: I cut into it and it was what my mother would call 'Tirami-gloop'! The mascapone later hadn't set and started pooling like thick cream/thin custard. The saving grace was the fact it was still blooming delicious, if you treated it like slightly melted iced cream with some coffee flavored sponge to mop it up with it was actually a good time. Just a far cry from what I hoped to deliver. That said, I think it was all nearly gone by the time I checked in by the end of the day - it still found it's audience! Though it is your quintessential staff room kitchette - leaves anything in there and it'll be gone by the end of play.

Stoppin' the Scammers

My workload dripped in at a remarkably steady rate, almost to the point where I was playing whack-a-mole with emails, Whatsapp messages and phonecalls. The day's highlight was stopping our boss from getting scam called. She frequently has her phone in loudspeaker so we can sneakyly listen into her calls, when she said 'But how do I know you're HMRC', followed by 'Ok, what do you want me to type into Google', that's when we knew to run in and tell her to pull the plug. 

I also made a very speedy batch of tiramisu with the help of Rebecca. I always say that I've honed my recipe to perfection, but anomalies always rear their heads. It did look a little wet when I poured it into place - not a deal breaker because I'm certain it'll firm up over night. The pressure is on a little bit though because it's for a colleagues birthday tomorrow, plus there has been unbelievable levels of hype for me to make a tiramisu ever since I started the job. Just hope I can deliver.

Professional Family

A big meeting with a lot of important people went down today and I was quite taken aback when the execs all remembered me and gave me a hug. I was mostly on tech support / tea and coffee duty once again. Everyone and their mother wanted printing done ahead of the meet and when one of the machines went down they all flocked to our printer. That said, we all got pats on the back for pitching in and helping everybody out - Production rarely get any special recognition so it was nice to hear that. In fact, today more than ever I noticed how the 'family' vibe has been heavily cultivated. It's so much easier to work and communicate with returning crew members. You get the sense that people want to be here, not in a workaholic way, but because we respect each other and we get our best work done together. And when even the execs are treating even the lowest people down the ring like old friends you notice the positive attitude spreading like wildfire.

Somehow Less

As per, I spent the first hour of my day responding to emails, up til lunch doing work, post lunch chasing people on emails, and in the final hour everyone coming back to me and asking for tasks done by end of day. There's a big meeting tomorrow that requires all parties to scramble and prepare an end of term presentation. From a production standpoint, we just need to coordinate travel, catering and tech - servicing basically. My new role though still feels oddly removed from it all. The teamates above me do all the big organizing jobs, the ones below me arrange the food, while I sit in the middle logging NDA's which feels unhelpful in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes it feels like I have a higher salary and less responsibilities, is that truly a net gain though?

Garden Grappler

Grappled with some of the garden's weeds in anticipation of a grand transformation. We're letting Rachel use our soil patch as an allotment space, at least it might mean getting some free produce out of the deal, but at it's worst it'll breathe some new life into the garden. I learnt just how invasive mint can be, Rebecca is in some state of blissful ignorance about it. She's just keen to put it into a glass of Pimm's, whereas I can see it running rampant already - for such a small plant those roots spread like wildfire. 

Outside of the garden I went on a run (just a little 2K to get me back into the swing if things), I made lemonade, cooked a roast and made stock from the scraps. All in, a fairly productive weekend... Just wished I had another day to recover from it.

Bar Stool Best of Three

In lieu of any plans this Saturday we opted to go out and enjoy British Summer Time. There wasn't a cloud in the sky as we strolled over to the harbourside to get ready for some day drinking. Just me and Rebecca, and a couple of board games we brought along to the pub, we even played a best if three set, loser had to buy the next round. I'd never used so much of my brain on a barstool before but it was well worth it to watch Rebecca get out her wallet and do a walk up shame up to the bar. Back at home we just took it easy. I started reading Project Hail Mary at Rebecca's recommendation and I'm already chewing through it. Tomorrow is looking just as sunny, might finally go out and tackle the garden...

A Box within a Box

 About 18 months ago I was tasked with sending an American cast member's luggage back to the States while holding onto a couple of boxes in case they return to the UK. Today they asked about those boxes left here and my whole team turned around and said 'we remember that, but none of us remember where they ended up'. I then spent three hours doing detective work, racking my brain and trawling through blurry photographs before finding out the truth... We did indeed have them, but they were loaded into the wrong storage container, hence why it got lost. Thankfully it was a problem solved and I came out of it looking like Sherlock which was kinda funny. I spent the rest of the day on catch-up but still managed to get everything done before home time. Very jazzed for the weekend, Rebecca and I have some day drinking and some Bristol sunshine to make the most of.

The Other Shoe

 Can't believe it's almost Friday, another week has flown by and prep still hasn't felt like it's ramped up to an uncomfortable level. What was nice is seeing some of my research pay off, I was looking into international fixer companies and delivered a shortlist to my boss. Today I saw a meeting was being set up with one of the big names I put forward, with any luck that will be really positive and count as another job done. I'm mostly doing backend housekeeping, ensuring all our spreadsheets are up to date and everything is ready to go at a moments notice. I even did the easiest lunch run of my life today... Surely the other shoe will drop soon, but for now, I'm enjoying myself.

Switch 2

Crammed the cat into her carrier before shooting her off to the vets. I know that she knows that carrier is a sign of bad news, but I've never seen her wriggle so fiercely before as she was being picked up to be put inside. Bless her, she spent the whole car ride making the saddest meows but Rebecca tells me she was as good as gold with the vet. She got a clean bill of health too - cat MOT complete.

Back in the office I had one eye on my emails and another on the latest Nintendo Direct where they talked about their new consol, the Switch 2. While the hardware may not be a revolutionary upgrade it still made me watch with child like wonder as saw the new games and system detail bombard my imagination. A couple of my colleagues tuned in for the start too, it was a ton of fun to share that hype train with some chums, especially because we all love Mario Kart.

Mum, Louis and Rachel popped round for a Chinese takeaway. In between mouthfuls of chow mein Louis recounted his recent weekend trip to Center Parcs with his friends which always elicit belly laughs from us. As we waved goodnight I savoured a few moments extra with my teeth feeling normal just before I put in my fourth tray. My jaw feels tight again, but I guess that means it's working.

Short Film Panelist

Still a team member down so my colleagues kept joking saying that I've gone back in time to being a Production Assistant. I'd laugh with them but I was too busy doing a lunch run, washing up mugs and finding lost post. 

The day's highlight was attending an evening event which I was invited to be a panelists for. It was kinda like speed dating for short film pitches, and I was one of the 'experts' that young filmmakers presented their ideas or scripts to so I could provide feedback. I gotta say, the quality was pretty damn high, most of them were just finishing uni mostly but their concepts were fresh and passionate. I gave input where I could and it was mostly on boarded by them, in each instance I gave out my email address for extra notes later on. I'm curious to see how many of them get in touch but hopefully I steered them towards me improving their works.