A Big Email

Sat down for a good old writing session, each script is effectively like a mini essay so it really takes me back to my 6th from or uni days when I would toil for ages over getting certain bits right and expressing it in a cohesive way. Slowly but surely, I'm getting faster at this writing style and that pleases me greatly.

Got an email through earlier asking about my availability for an upcoming filming project that needs a runner - couldn't believe people were coming to me to give me work. I am 90% certain I can make the dates for it all too (it's a long shooting schedule), but I may have something else on the cards that equally promising, but we'll see how that pans out.

Sucker for Sweeties

Got back into the driving groove today and had a pretty standard lesson now. Wouldn't say I made any massive strides this time round, but I'm slowly developing my confidence on the road. After my lesson I decided to treat myself to an affordable tin of soup and something I haven't bought in ages for myself: a packet of sweeties! There was a little old lady perusing the candy as I arrived, I smiled and though that she was either buying a treat for her grand-kids or she had one hell of a sweet tooth. Walked out sucking on some rhubarb and custards and they went down very well as I continued writing the script for my next video. Hoping to do the bulk o the writing done by tomorrow now, I'm conscious that my channel hasn't been nurtured in a while so I'm hyped to bring out a new video.

High Momentum Monday

Rattled through a whole bunch of my 'to do' list, making for a very productive Monday. Shot off another job application for Rife Magazine again, they are looking for content creators and it sounded like I fit the job description to a T. Then I sent off a few emails and started working on my expenses for the filming last week. In the middle of it all, I sat back for 30 minutes and just played a bit of Zelda, Rebecca had a coca cola she didn't want too so I chilled out with that in hand. Nice rounded day in other words, just trying to keep up the momentum from last week now.

Road Trip to Wales

So this is a bit left of field, even by my standards. Rebecca's friend invited us both on a mini roadtrip to Wales to do a whistle-stop tour of various historical sites. We visited Tintern Abbey where I got several flattering pictures of Rebecca trying to get the perfect shot for her instagram:

We also got a chance to visit another castle, followed by a really lovely picnic in the middle of some forest somewhere. Totally different way to spend our Sunday and you know what, I'm really glad I did something a little bit outside my comfort zone. Felt a little bit nostalgic too since Mum was always taking Louis and me around different castles and the like when we were younger, felt a bit historically deprived recently, but this is just what the doctor ordered.

The Detectorists = Easy Day

Took it very, very easy today after my shooting days. Rebecca even ran out to the shops so we could have a nice big breakfast together. After that we watched a bit more of The Detectorists which was the perfect watch for a day like today.

Went over to Louis and Rachel's new flat for a belated Burns night meal. Rebecca tried haggis for the first time, it took her a lot of convincing but after she took her first mouthful she was converted. It was just nice to hang around their new flat too, they have really settled in now which is lovely to see.

Strange Cities Day 5

That's a wrap! Spent the day running in between a pub and a travel agency, but had a fair bit of easy going downtime in the interim. Had a mini wrap party at the pub which served as our unit base and had plenty of good chats with some lovely, lovely people. Heading back to Bristol now on the glamorous MegaBus, getting home at about 1am but that's all good with me.

Strange Cities Day 4

I was told today was like going to be pulling teeth, but in reality it was absolutely fine. Stayed in a Turkish coffee house where we had a seemingly endless supply of exotic tea to hand out to everyone, that kept folks chipper. Actually not a whole lot to say about the shooting today, but I did manage to get a cheeky photo of the crew watching the monitor just to give a sense of the manpower that goes into these films.

There's about a quarter of the people we had in the cafe today, the rest were about one meter away in front of, or just behind the camera.

Strange Cities Day 3

There was a complete U-turn in stress on the shoot today. Yesterday we were fighting the clock and huddled in tight rooms, but today I spent most of my time drinking coffee and waiting for a job. Super chilled out day, and I did get to do a bit of background d acting though, as a 'gentleman if no permanent residence' as the script put it. Basically just had to look disheveled and wear tatty clothes - good gig.

Strange Cities Day 2

Headed up the early morning art department strike team to dress a very large living room set. One of my first jobs was to unload a whole lot of plastic boxes full of books into our room, first crate I took in the words 'lift with your knees' echoed in my mind, like Obi Wan giving me some subtle guidance. Did just that, went to put down my first box and my trousers ripped instantly. Oh well.

Rest if the day was a bit of a mission. Tight corridors and some rude curtain tweakers made the day needlessly difficult. But the shots loomed beautiful and we got it all in the can so that's all that matters.

Stranger Cities Day 1

Mad dash to Greenwich first thing today, after that I was pitching large canvas tents for about 4 hours first thing this morning. The smell of those old tents really reminded me of my scouting days, guess being in a filmshoot is a bit like being on camp in a weird way.

Early Man and Early to Bed

Super quick blog: went to see Early Man as part of the Bristol Premiere and was lucky enough to get free tickets for both me and Rebecca. Certainly didn't expect to see Nick Park himself introduce the film, that was pretty cool. Then he called up Maisie Williams  to the stage! Bonkers.

Film was charming in all the right places and made it was a nice way to spend a few more hours with Rebecca before heading g off to London. I'm there now and bedding down early so I can catch an bus into Central early-doors.

Date Day, Plus Coco

As I'm heading away for a week for filming soon, I decided to have a 'date day' for me and Rebecca. Started off with some buttermilk pancakes, never made buttermilk before but apparently all it is is milk cultivated with a bit of lemon. Every fiber of my being told me not to mix those two together, but it turned out just fine- Rebecca reckons they are some of the best pancakes I've ever made!

Much later on we headed out to see Pixar's latest film: Coco which was absolutely splendid. It's been a while since I've seen a film that felt so considered, the world of the dead felt alive (pun somewhat intended) and it's rules and laws paved the way for clever little plot avenues that raised the stakes of the main plot. Nothing was wasted, every line, shot and character has it's own purpose and added something of value to the film - from a writing perspective the film ticks a lot of boxes.

It's central themes of death and family are also dealt with really well too, for all it's jokes and energy, the film slows down at just the right moments to let things sink in. If I had to pitch it to a board meeting I'd say it was 'Spirited Away meets Corpse Bride' but I think that still does it a little bit of disservice as it stand proudly on it's own as an excellent animated film and a return to glory for Pixar.

Basically, it was a great date film. And to seal the deal, Rebecca and I went out for dinner. Very successful date day and a good send off for me before heading to London tomorrow.

Catching up with a Cold

Woke up with a shockingly bad throat and cold to go alongside it. I felt it creeping in last night, but it hit me pretty hard first thing today. Managed to send off my application today after a lot of doctoring by Rebecca, we got it into a very good place by the end though and I'm super pleased with how it came out. Afterwards I sat down and took it easy to recover a bit from my cold, finishing both BoJack Horseman season 3 and the graphic novel From Hell. Both of which were excellent. Glad I got round to finishing both of them before I head off on my film shoot next week anyway!

Collab Time?

In the midst of my low-tier YouTube fame from Eyebrow Owl, another Youtuber has reached out to me and asked to work together on a collaboration video. Who am I to say no? We each have near identical levels of engagement so it should be a bit of a laugh. Just sent him a message asking what he has in mind, it could literally be anything too so it's a bit exciting.

Better Behind the Wheel

Had what felt like one of the best driving lessons I've had today. Everything started feeling a little more natural, I was even able to shift gears while going round a roundabout without getting flustered! My day was pretty tame despite that though, continued with applications and invited Louis over for dinner tomorrow. Thinking of making pho again, I'll be dreaming of all the different things to throw into it.

Dinner Table Desk

Made myself a little make-shift desk space on the kitchen table. I'm trying to discipline myself a little more with my work focus and I'm dedicating that space to a limited internet zone so I don't procrastinate while I'm sat there. Think its working a little too, I was a bit more on the ball today and I got a fair bit done on my applications again but I still have a ways to go when it comes to keeping my mind on track.

I guess another way to do that is to start the day right with a hearty breakfast. I'm back on the overnight oats train after I discovered Asda sell chia seeds for peanuts. I'm gonna be in heaven first thing tomorrow.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

On a bit of a whim, Rebecca and I went to Bristol's lovely Watershed cinema to see Martin McDonagh's take on bleak Southern Americana with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. 

Hands down, best thing here is Frances McDormand, who feels like she was born to play this role. The plot follows her plight for justice, (the eponymous billboards play a central role in that) as she calls out the local police for not conducting a thorough investigation on her daughter's murder. It's a quick and easy set-up that quickly gets your attention and serves as a good excuse to explore the lives of the townsfolk over the coming days.



It some cases though, McDonagh feels a little bit too pleased with his writing, the jokes especially since some of them are begging to be cut out, 'cus on the one hand, the film wants to be a understated drama but on the other wants to be a sharply written character comedy. Sometimes these tonal jigsaw pieces fit together well, but other times they smoosh violently and you just wish they never tried.

Underneath all the gags and swearing however, the film was about developing compassion. There's a remarkable amount of humanity within each of the characters, they are all deeply flawed individuals but in some case, you can see them trying to shed their personalities and hope to become someone better by the stories end. Speaking of endings, it was almost, almost seven minutes too long. It clawed it back just barely but it nearly lost me in it's closing moments. If you were interested in seeing this then go do yourself a favour and go make you own opinion of it, you'll see a pretty good movie while your at it.

Veg Out to Stranger Things 2

Felt stiff and a bit naff for most of the day and I'm not totally sure why. Just had a bit of a 'veg out day' as a result, taking it easy and finishing off Stranger Things 2. I stand by my thoughts of it not being as strong as season , but the final pair of episodes were quite strong, most likely because they were both written and directed by The Duffer Brothers. It's their baby, and when they are at the helm things come together a bit tighter and that 80's magic starts to shine through the cracks a bit more, which is what the show is all about.

Think I got the hang of cooking roast potatoes now though too, out them to good use next to Rebecca's mustard chicken recipe from Jamie Oliver's latest cookbook which went down a real treat. I think I should also have a quick paw through that book and see what I wanna make in the future... 

Badminton and Movies

Hung out with Mark and had a second session of badminton, and it turns out my muscle memory from playing it back in secondary school has returned with it. Really got back into the swing of it and ended up having a few really good games with him - last time we went I was embarrassingly bad, but now we can have actual matches which is great!

This evening Mark, Lucy and Louis came over to watch Get Out, a horror film we have all been meaning to watch for quite some time now, but it was well worth the wait. I ain't good with horror, but this one was on just the right level and was tense, funny and entertaining throughout. I always think horror is at its best when it doesn't take itself too seriously and when watching with friends, it ended up being hugely enjoyable.

Clean, Clean Loo

Feel like the requirements for driving tests is in a state of flux. Last week I was bemused by the fact I was suddenly expected to learn how to bay park and reverse bay park (not challenging having to know these things, they're important, but it's the way my instructor just grumpily dumped me down and asked me to do it). Because now I apparently don't need to know how to do reverse bay parking, but instead I may be asked to reverse the lengths of two parked cars and then pull off. I just wanna know what I need to know for my test now, should probably do some googleing and see for myself.

My week long project of giving our toilet a long term scrub is finally paying off too. Been spraying it down with chemicals to dissolve all the limescale that's been sitting down there since we moved it. It's really gratifying to finally get all that stuff off, on the one hand I'm a bit gutted I didn't take a before and after picture, but on the other I don't think anyone reading this really want to see pictures of my toilet, no matter how clean it is.

The Eureka Script Moment

Spotted another really hopeful sounding job to apply for today, front of house for a well known production company in Bristol. Would be a dream job actually, so I'm making sure a lot of passion goes into my application. Finally cracked my next video concept too, after writing up a fair amount yesterday I looked back on it and thought 'Boy, this makes me sound really grumpy' so I've changed direction slightly again and now I'm really enthusiastic about my next project which is what you always wanna be.

Gonna get a fairly early night in so I can wake up fresh for an early driving lesson tomorrow. At least I get it out of the way though.

Healthy, Healthy Me

Having a bit of a mare structuring the script for my next video. Again, I'm trying a slightly different style that I haven't attempted before since it'll likely be a critique video rather than a review. While I can write up the analysis just fine, it's piecing it all together in a coherent manner that's proving to be a little tricky, but I think I'll get there in the end.

I'm also still amazed that I haven't been ill for the entire of this Winter. Rebecca is gradually coming down with a boring ol' cold, but it hasn't touched me one bit. Guess that Berocca I got for Christmas is working its magic?

Stranger Things 2...

Again, today felt like a bit of a planning day where I didn't fully commit to anything. I think I need to segment my jobs and deal with them one-by-one rather than trying to juggle a whole bunch of mini jobs in my head. What I really want to do is make another video, but I'm struggling to think of a really original topic to discuss which is a bit annoying, but I'll think of something.

I was told things get good later on in season two of Stranger Things, but now that I'm 5, I'm still failing muster the same level of enthusiasm I did for the first season. I'll continue to give it the benefit of the doubt and reserve judgement until I've seen it all though.

From Hell

I admittedly didn't get quite as much done today as I would have liked. Started with good intentions though, managed to find a really good sounding job to apply for and begun brainstorming ideas for a new video. On top of that I even started amassing footage for a personal showreel which is something that would really bolster my CV's in some cases. So it was all good stuff today, but nothing left a planning stage which was a little annoying.

Really committed a bit of time to start reading From Hell however and it's very, very good. As someone who knows very little about Jack the Ripper, I am experiencing the story through some very fresh eyes. Plus Alan Moore is doing that thing where every important image or line of dialogue turns into that chapters motif and I absolutely love that.

Their Finest

Last night Rebecca and I agreed to help out a friend move his stuff out of his ex-girlfriends house. I expected the entire thing to be really awkward, I was thinking there would be a boxes labelled 'Jerk's Stuff' or we wouldn't be allowed in when we got there. Turned out to be absolutely fine and dare I say, quite civil. No dramas, went in, grabbed a few books and T-shirts and got lunch afterwards to celebrate a job well done. 

Conscious that I hadn't actually seen a new film this year, Rebecca and I prowled through the offerings on Netflix before settling on Their Finest, a film I heard generally good things about in Mark Kermode's podcast way back last April. I ended up liking it an awful lot more than I had expected, and I'm not the type who typically goes in for costume dramas. Its about a young woman who gets a job in a British film studio in WW2, she's tasked with writing a feel good / propaganda film with a feminine touch to appeal to a wider audience. It turned out to be a film about film-making, and a damn good one too that struck a real chord with me, especially towards the end when it begins to dwell on the impact films can make on people akin to Cinema Paradiso, albeit an incredibly British take on it. I feel this one flew under the radar a bit when it first came out, but it's found an excellent home on Netflix since it's a feel good movie with more heart than it initially lets on. Highly recommended.

A Whole New Bathroom

Slow start to the day, I successfully hooked Rebecca on Picross so she was playing that for most of the morning. Mum came round later to sort put the state of our bathroom. It had nasty blobs of mould growing on the sealant around the bathtub, but Mum put an end to that with a Stanley knife and a bottle of Viakal. She worked her socks off and the whole bathroom sparkles as a result, we couldn't thank her enough after she was finished, but hopefully the bacon, brie and cranberry sandwich I whipped up for lunch was enough.

Met up with Rebecca's friends later again for board games and Pass the Bomb! A game I'd always seen, but never played properly. Turned out to be a real winner and I look forward to being able to play it again.

Adult Lego: Standing Desk Edition

Continued work on an application for the BBC I started yesterday, just about finished it all up before having to head to Louis' flat to help him and Mum put up some IKEA furniture, or as I like to call it 'Adult Lego'. Louis got one of these very swanky adjustable standing desks, basically its got this large crank on the side so you can choose how tall it is, so if you get bored of standing, you can wind it back down and use it as a regular ol' desk. Pretty nifty.

Mum took us all out to an Italian restaurant Louis recommended and I had one of the best pizzas I've ever had there. It got to the point where I was just admiring each slice before putting it in my mouth. It turns out pepperoni, artichokes and chili flakes are a winning combination.

Back home with Rebecca now and I decided to spend a bit of my Christmas money on a wholesome farming game Stardew Valley. I let Rebecca play it before me and I don't have the heart to tell her that she's been playing it for well over an hour now and it's nearly midnight... I'll give her a bit longer before I break the news.

Oh No! Not Epiphany!

First driving lesson of the year was interesting. Basically, today was the first time ever I was asked to do a bay, and reverse bay park. My instructor was grumpier than usual when he announced we were going to do this, he muttered something about it being on the 'new test' and only gave me a very brief overview on how I should maneuver it. I since spoke to Mark and Rebecca about this and they said they both had to know how to do this for their test, but this is quite literally the first time my instructor even mentioned the necessity for me to learn it - and he's previously been very verbal about everything I needed to know on my test. Just struck me as a little odd I guess.

It's also officially the end of Christmas in our flat. There was plenty of moaning about having to take away the tree in the corner from Rebecca, but we both agreed that we'd better get it done sooner, least we face the wrath of Epiphany tomorrow. Flat looks really bare without the tree in the corner, we don't actually know what to put there instead now either so it feels especially barren there. 

Friendly reminder... take down all your Christmas stuff if you don't want bad luck, because 12th night decrees it!

Media Boot-Camp

Hopping back on the old job hunt and I shot off another application, not for work, but for a free media boot-camp happening at The Bottle Yard. Figured it may be a good excuse to do a bit of networking and show my face there, even if nothing comes of it, the workshops sounded like fun! I'm now mentally psyching myself up for tomorrow's driving lessons, feels like ages since I was behind the wheel, just gonna have to swat up a little bit on the tricky bits before heading out.

Two Great Things

So two really amazing things happened to me today:

1. I woke up to a sweeping amount of new views and subscribers on YouTube. Turns out, someone retweeted on of my older videos, this is what he posted:

Off the back of that, my subscriber count has more than doubled, and I got nearly 100 more views on that video alone. Really pleasant surprise to get up to in the morning. I thanked the chap on Twitter and spent a bit of time interacting with folks in the YouTube comments too which was real nice.

2. I got an email from Colour TV just after lunch asking if I wanted to join them on a paid short film shoot at the end of January. I snapped up that offer the second it came through and now I'm really pumped for that. In the midst of that, I started applying for some more long term stuff with the extra confidence boost that today gave me.

Top 10 Games of 2017

Started the New Year in the best way possible: with a full English breakfast and a game of Mario Kart. Rebecca and I stayed over at a friends house last night for a New Year party, we all spent the morning together but we are both back in our flat now recovering from a late night.

In the midst of all that excitement, I'm happy to present my 'Top 10 Games of 2017' video. In previous years I just did a quick write-up on this blog, but I've always wanted to make a video on the topic so people can see some gaming footage too. Hope you enjoy!

Happy New Year 2018

I was lucky enough to get invited to a friend of Rebecca's for a New Years party. I'm actually tucking into a bed at their place after spotting the various firework displays erupting all over Bristol from their attic balcony. Genuinely had a really lovely time ringing in the new year with them, was an easy going and entertaining New Year. I've already set myself some life goals for next year, 2017 felt a bit naff so I'm ready to start afresh with 2018.

Happy New Year all, hope you rung it in well!