Happy Halloween 2025

Most Fridays mornings in block prep I find myself at a well known bakery collecting pastries for big meetings. Today I did that in a cowboy costume all in aid of the Halloween cheer. It wasn't in short supply around our offices. Art and Costume departments thrived especially but everyone made a big old effort. The pumpkin carving contest I put on concluded with a runaway winner, and the overall vibe was just terrific in the workplace. I left tonight still soaking up the good energy. Usually on Halloween I watch a scary movie or do something similar, but I got my fill from simply being around such great people at the office.

 

 

Smoking Microwave

Powered through a bunch of my logging duties across the morning. The main team aren't working til much later on these days so I had plenty of quiet time in the mornings to get a wriggle on. We did have a full on fire alarm occur though, which prompted me to once again throw on my Hi-Vis jacket and frogmarch people into the back of the car park. We were let back in after the staff blasted a smoking microwave with an extinguisher. My pumpkin carving competition is now garnering so serious entries too, the level of skill is absolutely bonkers on this job and I'm actually flabbergasted at how impressive some of them are.

Traitors update: This will be the final update as I was banished tonight. I got voted out after a genuine misunderstanding that was used as leverage against me. Least I made it to round 3 but it still stings going out.

Down Cemetery Road

Louis shared the reviews for Down Cemetery Road which are looking pretty good! Always good to see the show you gave 11 months of your life to yielding some warm reception. You'll see my name in the credits for that one (if you don't blink that is) as the Assistant Script Supervisor, my first full role as such in fact and it was a great learning environment. I've already seen the first two episodes and already eager to see how the rest of it shakes out.

Traitors update: I was nearly banished tonight, winning my right to survive by a single vote. Very hairy moment for sure but hopefully that means the Traitors won't be voting me out in the morning.

Traitors

So at work a bunch of us have volunteered ourselves to play Traitors. We thought it would be a bit of a laugh that would love and die very quickly. How wrong we were.

Our 2nd AD has gone all out with flavor and theming. 25 players, two eliminated at the start of the day, then a task for everyone to do, then a roundtable to discuss who should go out, followed by a round of banishments. Happy to report I have survived to live another day, but by golly, the whole thing is so absorbing. Everyone on set is side-eyeing and asking for tea to be spilt... All the while no one trusts anyone. It's madness but is bringing people together in the best possible way.

Now I just pray I make it to breakfast as the castle tomorrow morning. 

Scripty Once More

All my stress and prep work paid off because my day on set as the Script Supervisor went smoothly. It helped that I was surrounded by a wonderful team of people who all knew what was what. The cast members all knew their lines and were receptive to all my notes. Got a few good saves under my belt but I can go to sleep knowing the scenes we shot will cut together in the edit without issue. Time to treat myself with a nice early night because my brain is fried. 

Sunday Homework

We originally planned to meet up with Daniel for a group lunch but a newly developed cold kept him grid locked... But that didn't stop Mark, Lucy, Rebecca and me from feasting on Asian inspired small plates. That was my sole 'fun allocation' for the day because I got my head back into the land of scripts. I'm doing easily the biggest day of Scripts Supervising of my career tomorrow so I've been doing all my homework ahead of tomorrow to ensure the day goes smoothly. I just want it to go well and prove to myself that I can do the big scary days. I already can't wait for this time tomorrow when I can stop worrying about things that haven't happened.

Another Bristol Boy

Only had two objects today: Move Daniel Roberts into his new Bristol flat and go a early Halloween party. First one went off without a hitch - I hooked up with Dan and his family and hoofed boxes up and across a car park in an incredibly jovial moving in event. We're seeing Dan tomorrow to officially welcome him into the Bristol way of life but I'm already so excited for all the hangout sessions in the works.

Flash forward 6 hours later and I was dancing with Long John Silver, Glinda from wicked, Fred Flintstone, an MMA fighter and Deadpool at a house party. I came 2nd in the Apple Bobbing but earned laurels for my tarot reading sessions which were a lot of fun to give out to people a la carte. 

Genuine Warmth

 Ended the week on a high note. My task list was looking a tad sparse so I joined the Script team on the floor for one final bout of practice before heading into Monday. I was invited into the Director's rehearsal which is always a privilege, but then the 1st AD saw me - he's only ever seen me sat at a desk writing emails but he gave me a big slap on the back and a genuinely warm smile for being there. Then we came Fiver Friday which always gets the crew gassed. Today's winner was a member of the costume departments who was legitimately floored by the result - such a great reaction that made us all smile. Even though it's a lot of time out of my day it's an event that helps the Production feel homely.

Firm Butter

The amount of crew with rosy cheeks and hunched shoulders shouldn't have been a surprise today, but Winter is coming faster than we all expected. At home, the butter is tough to spread and we just put our thicker duvet on (already noticing my feet thanking me for that decision). We're transitioning towards the cold now, it's a novelty now, but by day three of the winter I'll be over it.

Late Morning, Early Start

Enjoyed a baby lie in and a whole hour free in the morning to do with what I willed... Which turned out to be answering emails and hitting the road early to account for the morning traffic. The day's work was alright though, I re-read all the scripts to do my homework ahead of next Monday which put my mind at ease. We worked into the evening a bit so I offered to do some Tarot readings for the people on the truck and everyone flocked over - I basically spread good vibes for a bit and everyone was super grateful.

Time in a Conveyor

Another day that flew from right under my feet. It's getting to that point in the job now where time starts slipping by incredibly quickly, the finish line is still only a blur on the horizon, but it looms ever closer. In the meantime I'm giving small tasks to our work trainee and quietly cracking on with my to do list. The chocolate mousse was warmly received, I reckon I should keep up the baking habit, especially as we get closer to Christmas time - lots of flavours that make me feel more in touch with the season.

I also got the nod to return to the floor next week to do another round of Script Supervising. It'll easily be the biggest day I've ever tackled flying solo. In between my regular work I'm trying to cram in some prep time. Once I get that under my belt I'll feel a lot more comfortable but I'm down for the challenge in the meantime. 

Grainy Mousse

Managed a Monday. Like most days it started busy then plateaued nicely. I couldn't shake the feeling I had forgotten something important though... Guess time will tell what that was. 

In honour of dessert week on Bake Off tomorrow I once again thought it might be nice to make chocolate mousse. While I was at it, I might as well make enough for the office I thought. I always run into that forgotten hurdle of not owning a mixing bowl big enough for a double batch, but my baking sin was sadly a little greater than that. I successfully melted the chocolate without siezing it but in pouring it into my cream it solidified virtually on contact with the chilly mixture. So now I have a less-chocolatey pudding full of tiny suspended shards of solid chocolate. On a bad day you might call it grainy... I prefer textured but I'd be lying through my teeth. As least the particl are small enough to melt into your mouth as you eat - it's almost like a stratticialla chocolate mousse... Maybe I'll brand it as such after gingerly presenting it to my team.

Leveling the Mountain (of laundry)

Seeing as I've been wallowing in my own piles of manky dishes and dirty laundry, I figured I should make the effort and tidy up before Rebecca's return. Those few days with her away were a glimpse into the chaotic life I might be leading without her... Just yesterday I ran out of spaghetti for dinner so I had to add in some fusilli, but that still wasn't enough so some rigatoni went in as well. 

Ok. To be fair that's the kind of middle class chaos that come from privilege, but when left to my own devices I do let a lot of things slide until I reach the precipice. Only then can I stare out over the edge and say to myself 'crikey, these socks need a wash'.

Rebecca's back home is the headline though and the next working week is fast approaching. I feel oddly rested though so I'll take the day's curve balls with grace and good humour. 

Bristol Oktoberfest

For what feels like the first time in weeks, I enjoyed a lie in. Well, actually I got up early doors to feed the cat but after that I curled back in bed an slept for almost 10 hours. My body was clearly craving a bit of rest because I even had a nap shortly after lunch for 30 minutes - that's something I have almost never done before. 

But it was all in aid of keeping me going for Oktoberfest. A colleague had The r birthday today so a bunch of us at work went out for a night of beer steins and an oompa band. It turned out to be an insanely fun night. We danced and danced some more on a floor that was slick with larger all while wearing some naff fancy dress. We rang in their next chapter with gusto. 

Raferty Raffle

Hitched a lift in with a colleague and shot the breeze til we landed at unit base. Lots of little bits to tie a bow for me but it all petered out at 5pm. We did have a team members birthday to prep for so I invented a fake job to occupy them while we got everything in place for their return - sometimes other people's birthdays are more fun than your own.

Best part of today was a fundraiser for an old colleagues' short film. She brought us all together to a nearby pub for a quiz night and raffle. My team sadly didn't win anything (but I was the only one there who knew the names of all the Pac Man ghosts!) but it was a shining testament to their character that they managed to bring so many people together, on a Friday night, to make merry and put money towards a passion project. 

Holding Pattern

Caught the bus, did my time in the office, came home, cooked dinner, watched a movie, got in bed. It's tough finding individual moments of the day that stood out, especially as I know that every day is, in its own way, a blessing. But even still some days feel like you're stuck in a holding pattern as you wait for something. At work we're all waiting on a schedule to give us clarity, at home I'm waiting for the weekend and in my heart I'm waiting for Rebecca to come home.

Reverse Honeymoon

Attended what could well be my final dentist appointment of the year. I was handed the last remaining sets of retainers to wear over to coming months with strong reassurance that everything was going swimmingly. Just got to make it to the new year now and I'll be done with the trays, possibly for good!

My late night yesterday paired with the dentist visit meant my day was cut in half which was a bit of a win. Back in the office, dropping a gear and affording myself a small breather. Still loads to do, but it doesn't feel like a scramble anymore. Rebecca is also out of town for the next few days as she's heading to Italy. When I got home it was oven pizza in my pyjamas with films and video games - the dream bachelor lifestyle basically. As the days go by I'm sure I'll start feeling mopey without her, but if there's an opposite of a honeymoon period, I'm in it. 

Full Moon Kinda Day

Working on the second unit with later starting hours is a ropey gig. You still get all the emails before your day has officially started and you're squeezing in everything before they all go home. Despite a lot of careful planning and organisation today just felt a bit off. Nothing deal-breaking but things just weren't as smooth as they should have been, leading to me having occasional waves of worry if I had done all I could. The answer is a yes, it was just one of those Full Moon kinda nights were everyone acts a little differently. Just glad to be home now so I can warm up in bed.

Hazy Monday

It wasn't until I got home from work that I felt like I had finally woken up. I approached the day in a haze of ambivalence, working through the motions, completing my day and moving on. The only thing I did build my attention towards was yet another second unit which I'll be sitting in for once again. They keep getting bigger and bigger these things, guess I'm slowly getting more accustomed to working them too. Fingers crossed this one goes ok though, I could do without any dramas.

Screening and a Smile

Wore my fanciest outfit as I headed out to the cast and crew screening of Down Cemetery Road. It's almost been 18 months since I started on that project and to see it all fully realized and completed is a cool feeling. Better yet was rubbing elbows with old colleagues I found along the way. There wasn't an official after party thing so we took it upon ourselves to find a pub and settle in. The project was good for offering people their first opportunities in the industry and several people I spoke to today have successfully got their foot in the door and have started flourishing which brought a big smile to my face.

Bristol in October

Rustled up and unexpectedly good breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and avocado on toast for our weekend guests (Matt and Ben). Guess you can thank the nearby bakery for their great bread and coffee beans. But with bellies lines we hit the town for a jolly old saunter. One of the best parts about having guests is that you get to flaunt your city and it's highlights. Even though many of the sights are old favourites, it's an opportunity to celebrate them all over again. Wapping Wharf, Park Street, Windmill Hill Farm. Coffee, cookies, noodles. Local artists, independent bookshops, October walks. By the time we got home we were tuckered out but still had an appetite for board games, beers and a movie. We basically had, what I'd consider, a perfect little Saturday.

100 Days, 100 Doughnuts

Closed out the week on a high, I juggled a lot of small requests and other bits, towards the end of the day my head was swimming with the amount of little things I had to keep track of, but I tied everything off in a near bow, completing the important stuff while leaving the other bits til Monday. It also happened to be our 100th shoot day (blimey, the time went quick there) so many crates of doughnuts materialised, and we patted ourselves on the back - let's keep on going! 

Weapons

Pulled a lucky number out the Callsheet lottery so I got to walk to work today! Got the blood pumping before I manically started catching up on old emails from yesterday. By lunchtime I had cleared my backlog so after that I was back on track to do my actual work for today... Which I was trying to do quickly so there was enough time to get back to my house after work to host a movie night with my colleagues. Tis the spooky season and we were all joking about watching Weapons a few months back, but we're all too chicken to see it in theaters. So there we all were, huddled round my telly with me on the floor, all hiding our eyes at the prescriptive scary bits. There was a real energy to the viewing though because it was a pitch perfect horror for tonight. Tense jump scares to start with, then gory action to end with a real sense of dark, designed humour. It was a certified horror romp.

Doggie B-Roll

Slung my iPad over my shoulder once again to act as the 2nd Unit Script Supervisor. All the old steps and elements slowly came back to me and by the end of the day I was flying. I was mostly helping shoot a mountain of Dog B-Roll which I am incredibly excited to see in the final product. I submitted my notes, did the rushes and got home and now my eyelids feel like they could slam shut any second so I'd better get some kip.

The Tap

Glided into one of the easiest 2nd Unit Days I've ever worked on. It's a well oiled machine now, everything flows smoothly, people are happy and we get the days done. The only thing easier than today will be tomorrow's 2nd Unit... That is right until I got the tap on the shoulder to Script Supervise for it. I said yes immediately of course and the day itself is remarkably simple so no stress there, but I had to dust off my old software and remember how to bring all the elements together. I'm blessed with a very supportive team too who helped me do my homework - just want to make sure I do them proud tomorrow.

Raising A Glass

Alarm went off, I instinctively went to hit the snooze button, which as a result of a recent software update has put the 'stop alarm' button right next to '5 more minutes'. I woke up again with only a handful of minutes to do my whole routine yet I still got in before all my colleagues.

A couple hours after I settled into the day and email hit my inbox, in fact it went to to the inbox of everyone on our production. It informed us that Dame Jilly Cooper had passed away. It naturally came as quite a shock to all of us, just a month ago several people attended her annual garden party and she frequently came to visit on set. To honour her memory we arranged a toast on set, real champagne out of real glass flutes were handed out to crew on wrap as the execs came down to give a small speech. Amidst glum faces, we raised a glass, then smiled as we told stories and anecdotes about Jilly. It was like a funeral and a wake at the same time. It was surreal being all together in that moment, but comforting to be amdist a network of people who have been touched by her wit and her work.

The Girl with the Needle

Another Sunday come and gone, yet I feel a bit numb to it all. Tomorrow will come around but that's fine by me. Monday will be all well and good, things seem a lot more stable at present and stresses are evaporating. No doubt I'll be batting away curve balls, but I'm good at that now.

I think I absorbed a numbness today from the film I watched - The Girl with the Needle. Lordy it was bleak. Highlight of my day was sitting with the cat on the sofa as we watched the movie. Her fur felt a bit cold to the touch so I layed some blanket over her. Normally she hates that but she let it happen today - bless her cotton socks. That was the glimmer of warmth I needed to get through the film.

Sleep Withdrawal

Back to the classic Saturday headaches after getting an actual full night's sleep. It like I'm getting withdrawal from from being exhausted... Not entirely sure how that one works but we roll with it. A couple of coffees later and I'm on track to veg out - Rebecca was out this morning so I caught up on movies and games. Later on we did an Arts Trail, an opportunity to snoop around local front room and admire their decor. We didn't end up buying anything but it's a good warm up for the big one in November.

It's Showtime

With little over 6 hours sleep under my belt, I found myself unironically doing the All That Jazz beat where Roy Schneider addresses himself in the mirror on the morning with 'It's Showtime'. And indeed we all earned our wages well today (as did the whole crew) because there were a billion and one balls to juggle today - and we didn't drop a single one. The staff fridge was still full of zero alcohol beer so we all raised a bottle (or a tin) of non-booze and cheersed to a week well done. In spite of my tiredness level I made it up the road for a round of board games and had a vintage night playing Bomb Busters and a few other little winners. Always such a joy to make it up there each week.

Revenge of the Late Callsheet

Got in early to help a bunch of people with some odd jobs, only to find out that everything was much easier than we all had anticipated, so I just ended up having a chill breakfast. The flip side was that for the first time on this job I found myself on the production truck after hours waiting for a call sheet to print. Bunch of things scuppered our plans there and I stayed back and extra two hours, which was gutting because I planned to have a hang out evening with Rebecca tonight... I've not really had much spare time this whole week so the weekend can't come fast enough.

Got Wood?

Again, it's weird to think I was on Spain this time last week. Now it just feels like work is a way of life again, especially as the clutches of lack of sleep are starting to take root once more. Lots of odd jobs today, best of which was dealing with some crew members who went out to buy some urgent wood without any means of actually paying for it. Thankfully, myagic wand still hasld some sparkle in it so all was well, all it cost was a fraction of my sanity.