A Night of Board Games

Hooked up with Louis and Rachel this evening for a board game night - a little bit retro, but board games are really coming back in fashion recently. Started out with a classic game of Cosmic Encounter which I lost once again, perhaps I need to re-evaluate my strategy and play-style, but its a game I just enjoy to play, even when I'm losing. Secret Hitler was our next game, an experimental one Mark picked up online a few months ago. The premise is similar to Mafia or Werewolves, in that roles are passed around and you secretly have to forward your own team's agenda without giving away your identity. It started off a bit rocky, none of us had played it before and we didn't understand the nuance to the game. But by the firth round, we were doubting and pointing fingers as if we were in a kangaroo court. Defo excited to play that one again. 

Pokemon GO While you Work

Walking to work has been reinvigorated by the addition of Pokemon GO. Rebecca and I strolled into work together, catching Pokemon and hatching eggs as a cute, social activity. Also, since she is doing a lot better than I am, I'm trying to catch up with her in the long run, turtle and the hare style! Once again, office was quiet but we got a lot done. I got to proof read our submission request for an advertising convention which was pretty cool since the grammar checks needed doing super fast, I got it done in no time at all. Came back home to Bake-Off and chill, right now though I am already looking forward to tomorrow as Louis is apparently going to be gracing us with his presence for a board game night.

Market for Houses

Coffee was very much my friend today. After yesterday's late night session I was admittedly a bit groggy once I got into the office. I think I hid that fact quite well and just kept my head down and cracked on. I was in a small conference call with another future client today too, begun brainstorming potential avenues for filming on that one, everyday is something new at Rubber and they really are keeping me busy.

Rebecca went to look at some potential houses to rent this morn, its still early days for us on that front, but its good to get a yardstick on what will suit us best. She though they were both a solid 3 stars, but we could do better!

Tapas and Beer

Attended a few meetings and just knuckled down with work on this very dreary Monday. Got invited out to a leavers drinks session after work at a really cool pub just outside the office. Leavers drinks quickly turned into leavers tapas and it was bloody gorgeous. Slightly drunk, and homeward bound, I decided to call Mark to see if he was home. Instead he was still at the office moving furniture so I opted to help him out. Back home now and knackered from the festivities, but really glad I headed out with the Rubber crew.

Final Studenty Thing

Rebecca and I had a fun old jaunt to Bournemouth and back, and to Federica no less. It was weird being back in the old gaff again, it was weirder to think that it didn't smell of men either. We went back for a party there last night with the new tennants and did studenty  things for one last time. This morning we ate a Weather spoons breakfast, had a light lunch in Newbury and then got Atomic Burger in Bristol. Basically a mini food tour of the South.

Both camped out again in Brizzle and ready to face the Monday.

Chill Office

Really chilled out Friday office vibe today. We rounded up a few of the jobs for this week and just relegated them to jobs for Monday now. Took myself out to lunch at St. Nicks with another co-worker as we collectively had a hankering for pulled pork and Grillstock was happy to fill that hole. Following that, I had a really nice creative session with another worker I hadn't really spent much time with and we got on really well. The vibe was so chill, that communal beers were even cracked out the fridge! Cheers to the weekend!

Netflix's The Little Prince

Tucked into The Little Prince with Rebecca, Mark and Lucy. I set aside any reservations I had with it not living up to the book long before I sat myself down in front of the screen, but I was still surprised with its overall quality. The sentiment and tone is almost spot on, and the 'real life' narrative that wraps around the original story was genuinely well constructed. The animation style that accompanies the 'Little Prince' parts was a clear highlight, and it's a shame we didn't see a bit more of it.There is also one extended sequence towards the end, which I won't spoil, that borderline derails the pace of the film and plays out like a dream sequence at best, and fan fiction at its worst. It felt really out of place and really against the rest of the vibe of the film, and again, while the message of the sequence was ultimately ok, they could have done it in a far more concise way.

Overall though, I liked this one more than I expected to. Still won't be trumping the book, but it's a valiant effort to bring the story to a new generation. Hell, it might even prompt more people to read the book, and that can only be a good thing.

Phone-Less

I surrendered my phone to the office as a prop for tomorrow's shoot - thing is, I'm not going on that shoot so I will effectively be phone less for a little while. Funnily enough, I didn't expect this to be a bother at all, but it was a little bit of a hindrance when I tried to meet up with Rebecca after work. We normally meet outside a Tesco on Broadmead before walking home at around 6:30, but she wasn't there at that time. Being the romantic type, I went to go meet her at work but she wasn't there either. After 45 minutes of double-checking/waiting in various spots, I walked home to find her there, chilling on the sofa. Without stating the obvious, phones really do help in the communication department, especially when there has been no pre-disscussed plan B offered for meeting up. 

One Thing Or?

Day of tough love at work. Was put on a few scripting job where I was under the impression that I was only meant to be tweaking what had already been written. So I spent most of the day writing up re-drafts only to be later told that they effectively wanted whole new scripts from the ground up created. Ultimately, that will obviously be the best thing to do, but there was perhaps a slight miscommunication at some point. Ah well, gonna go in and try to smash it tomorrow.

Monday Beer

Felt a little strange being back in the office today.Hadn't actually been in there since last Wednesday but it felt very natural once I got back into my big red chair and bashed out a few more ideas. I was taken out to lunch by the rest of the crew for someones Birthday meal, went for some pretty dang tasty pizza nearby and I even got a half-pint of beer with my meal - just what you need on a Monday afternoon.

I had a mini 'ah-ha' moment while writing up a draft script for one of our pitches so I sent it over to my boss and I'm waiting for his approval. It's probably the best bit of actual creative work I've done at work so far so we'll see what happens.

Celebrated Rebecca's first day too - she came out of work with a big smile on her face and an employee handbook. So far she seems to be digging it, despite the fact that her legs ache. It only gets easier for her from now on.

Overcooked

Rebecca has officially joined me in Bristol as her first day working in Foyles is tomorrow. Her folks drove her down and we went out for lunch together before saying a heartfelt farewell. I think she's very eager to make a good first impression and I think she's planned out her morning routine for tomorrow so she gets there with a bit of time to spare. Along with Mark and Lucy, we sampled Overcooked one of the co-op game I got for my Birthday. It simulates the hectic nature of the food industry and demands teamwork for success. The banter got a bit heated towards the end of our session though as the levels quickly ramped up in difficulty, one level set on a pirate ship in particular should be used for CIA torture rather than a friendly bonding exercise. But we have accepted each-others skills now, and Mark asks that we play a 'zen' version of the game which exists without the shouting. I was just tring to channel my inner-Ramsay, but I can see why it could have been a bit manic in our virtual kitchen.  

Happy 21st Louis!

Took a spin out to a Lebanese restaurant for Louis' 21st Birthday and it was bloody good. Bristol's Mezza Palace is a real hidden gem, and all of us who ate there left with a big smile. So with spicy meat in our bellies, we walked back to Louis' pad for a game a Keyflower before heading out to a pub that does live music. We crammed a lot in today and I really think Louis had a nice, chill Birthday, and I'm just glad that I could be a part of it.

Popcorn Shoot Day 2

Back to the set of the popcorn advert I've been working on, and this time, I got to help out a lot more with the lighting. Basically I was asked a few times to change the bulbs in a kino flo and was trusted to pack away a lot of expensive kit, so that was pretty cool. I then continued to do the shot logging for the second day and put all my notes into a spreadsheet with the production manager. I got a small compliment from him, he commented on how useful my log was, especially since the film needed editing for the end of Sunday, my notes should be super useful.

The shoot is wrapped now, all the popcorn kernels have been swept up and I am longing to spend an extra few hours in bed tomorrow. Well deserved I think.  

Food Ad Shoot

Got back into the film shooting groove today, working on a food advert all day with Rubber. I was assigned to do shot-logging, which is admittedly not something I have ever really done before, but it's a small step above simply being a runner, so my degree is already paying off! Jokes aside, I did a little bit of set moving and lighting assistance today too, and I even got to star in it! I'm an extra sat next to the talent playing video games, basically I was born to do this role. I'm back at it again tomorrow which is really exciting. I was getting a lot of "thank you's" from pretty much everyone and I hope I've done a job that will satisfy my team.

At the Table

Rubber invited me along to an advert shoot of theirs yesterday and I jumped at the oppurtunity. Rocked up to do a few odd moving jobs and within 5 minutes I got offered some lunch from the restaurant next door - big win already. Then I got to sit at the scripting table while we went through final revisions of the ad along with our contributor and the various people who represent the brand. It all felt really official and I felt privileged to be on that table, chipping in my input whenever necessary and making last-minute edits to the script. Walked home with a spring in my step.

Trust in my Work

Attended my first ever team meeting with Rubber this afternoon. We discussed the future of my projects and they even agreed to send me on location tomorrow to briefly help out on a shoot and smooze the clients. After that, they even wanted me to do a little bit of audio editing for them. Nice to see them giving me a greater variety of jobs and trust now too - stoked for tomorrow.

The Sculptor

Got up especially early to cast my eyeballs on The Sculptor, a graphic novel I have been interested in reading for the past few months, and it was entirely worth the wait. It is truely up there with the best graphic novels I have read, and while it's story exists on a much smaller scale compared to its contemporaries, it really does punch above its weight thanks to its art style and impeccable pacing which manages to effortleasly find beauty within quiet moments.

Additional good points come from work. Firstly, someone from the London branch came down to introduce themselves and personally invite me up to their London office as an extra part of my introduction to Rubber. On top of that, one of our clients I did some bits for got back to us this afternoon and gave us the go-ahead to start work on the project officially. I got an high-five from my boss to make it official. Think I'm doing good by those guys so far!

Turning 23

As of yesterday, I turned 23. Several people asked me if I felt any different now that I was older and I answer that question every year with the same ambivalence, truely I feel no different in that moment to how I would normally. Looking in the mirror I see an older version of myself, but I am always proud to be me.

I got a smattering of graphic novels and Cosmic Encounter for my Birthday. On top of that I hosted a small talk about the EU with some younger Europeans and the. Headed down to the Newbury Beer Festival. It was great to get together with all my old friends once again on a wet afternoon surrounded by beer, couldn't breally ask for a better Birthday.

Office Cakes

Woke up especially early so I could head into a shop tobget some cakey bits for my coworkers. I ended up splashing out a bit to get some slightly more artisan cake (well, as artisan as Tesco could muster) and they went down a storm at the office. My colleagues were super grateful and I got several well-wishers for tomorrow. So after enduring a really crappy train journey, I am resting my head down in Newbury, stoked for my Birthday!

Tasteful Funeral

Attended my first funeral today for Grandad John and it was a decidedly lovely event. Every aspect of the day was tasteful and well done. The procession itself was moving and resonated clearly throughout everyone who attended. Afterwards we headed down to a nearby pub for the wake where I got to spend some time with some family I hadn't seen for years and years. I'm back in Bristol now though after a lotnof travelling today, ready for on my Friday of being 22.

Bagel Boy

Pretty calm day at the office, did a round of tea making which was probably the highlight - basically continuing to make a good and lasting impression on all of them and I think I'm doing exactly that. Cane back for Bake Off alongside a take-away from a Bristol joint called Bagel Boy which was delicious! I got the Chile con carne bagel which came with some guacamole and jalapeños, it was just so much better than any bagel deserved to be!

Bacon Jealousy

Treat for lunch in the form of a Bacon sandwich. Got up early to cook it so I could bring it into work and bestow food envy apon my colleges. Actually, it wasn't even envy, it was more surprise from them that I was committed enough to prepare a packed lunch, it seems they all go out for lunch while I'm trying to save my pennies.

And I have a good reason for being frugal now as we have tested my graphics card and we have concluded the worst. It shall receive a Viking funeral sometime so  while I dream of a future of even better graphics. One day...

A Bit Here, A Bit There

My first ever Monday at Rubber Republic was spent with admittedly, quite little direction. The team is headed into a rather busy period so I'm trying to lend a hand anyway I can. While I don't officially have any briefs to work to, I am currently trying to pre-empt some potential things moving forward so I spent most of my day researching and absorbing YouTube content in 3 different fields. Whatever happens, I'm generally prepared!

Tomorrow, I'm hopefully going to get some closure with my graphics card situation as Louis can doctor my issues in the evening. We are gonna whack it into his machine and find out whats up. Keeping my fingers crossed for a positive/cheap outcome.

Coffee Conundrum

Back in Bristol now, but I spent most of the day alongside Rebecca during a very turbulent morning. First thing she does after getting out of bed is ask if I want a coffee, bless her cotton socks. She asks me if I wanted and instant coffee or a 'posh' nespresso type coffee. Well, I am only human, so I picked the latter, unknowingly setting off the first of the bad turns.

Long story short, the coffee machine did a death gurgle and ejected damp coffee grouts all over the kitchen which Rebecca valiantly cleaned up, but it took her an understanbly long time as those grouts really did go everywhere. She turned to her own coffee after for comfort, knowing that she was safe with an instant jobbie. Before taking a sip, her eyes caught the milk's expiry date, then went back to her already milky coffee. I had to do the sniff test on the milk bottle and gave it the thumbs down. It was all a bit much for Rebs that morning and she just went very quiet afterwards. Luckily I was there to prep her a fresh mug of coffee and put a smile back on her face.  

Netflix Binge Session

Spent the day chillingnout in London with in the company of Rebecca. I took the late coach out of Bristol yesterday evening and arrived just in time to conk off to sleep. Together we did manage to do something productive: we finished watching Stranger Things and it was wholly enjoyable. I was constantly worried throughout the series that they would somehow screw something up, but all the way through it remains true to itself and offers a satisfying ending.

Shot Down, Good Day

Although my initial advert idea was ultimately shot down by the client, I actually thought today was my most productive and useful. Initially we were scrambling to get something ready to pitch without much clear direction from our middle man for our client. A quick phone call later though, everything seemed much more clear for both parties and we could just crack on. The new concept I'd been assigned to developing was way more in line with what they wanted, so it feels less like we were rooting in the dark - I have a greater sense or purpose now and I think I'll be able to write up a decent one-pager for the new and improved idea.