Los Angeles, November 2019

Chopped through the cafe crowds with gusto. It felt like I was still in 'filming mode' so I ended up Assistant Director'ing my shift, pointing my colleges in the right direction so we could crack through the queue as fast as possible.

Rebecca and I met up shortly after to have a second look at the house we're looking to buy. Took a tape measure too so we could get an idea of where we could squeeze our furniture, there's a good space allocated for my desk so I'm pleased as punch.

Returning home we got ready for a movie night with Louis, Rachel and Pete. The original Blade Runner was the movie of choice since it's set in November of 2019 (yes, we truly picked the last possible day to watch it in the month) I always remember the first time I saw the film I was totally lukewarm on it, but now, I'm blown away by every tiny detail. In terms of art direction this film is a masterclass, just the scale and the vision behind this project is staggering, it left me aghast even after a 4th or 5th re-watch. 

Flat-Out Exhausted

Can't actually believe the shoot is all done. After two days of prep and a lot of hard work we only filmed for 2 hours in each set we built. Our efforts really paid off though, several people were stunned by how incredible our sets all looked, and with the right lighting, the shots looked great. Really looking forward to seeing the final film now, but in the meantime I'll be snoozing on my coach home, dreaming of days off and cuddling up to Rebecca.

London Rat Race

A rat jumped out in front of me as I walked to the bus this morning, a precursor to how commuters treat each other like rodents on the undergroud. Is there anywhere worse on Earth than the Waterloo and City line during peak times? If so, I'd like to see it.

Otherwise the day went swimmingly well. Constructed and dressed all three of our sets and they're ready to go first thing tomorrow. I'm actually quite excited to see what out sets look like on camera and to see our hard work pay off.

Art Runner and Prep Days

So glad I bought those working gloves yesterday, they were invaluable during work today. I helped unload trucks, constructed flats, built flat-pack furniture, streached canvases and painted stuff all in one day. Every job I did, I did alongside art department and it was humbling for them to see me as an equal. The work was undeniably tough, I've got blisters on my hands and I needed to jump right in the shower when I got back, but I can't wait to do it all again tomorrow.

Got Gloves

Seeing as I'll likely be doing a lot of painting and DIY over the next few days for my next film shoot, I figured I might need some extra bits. Firstly, I popped into a charity shop for a cheap shirt I could afford to get paint on, second was a nice pair of heavy-duty leather gloves for liftin' 'n shiftin'. Not only will they come in handy for filming, I'm sure I'll find some use out of them when we move house.

My trip to London was painless and I'm now primed and ready to go tomorrow with a rucksack brimming with little bits and bobs I might need. I've got my 'set bag' down to a fine art now, I like to be versatile and be able to say 'yes' if someone asks me for basically anything. Not such an early start tomorrow either so I can have a tiny bit longer in bed, fingers crossed tomorrow goes well!

Special Quesedillas

Powered through an early shift at work and an afternoon of video editing so I could go see Mark and Lucy this evening, their company was worth the wait. Mark rustled up some totally incredible sweet potato quesedillas which paired very well with my curated dessert: sticky toffee pudding! Lost miserably at King Domino and chatted about art and Christmas movies, racked up a few extra lil' films to watch during the festive season now. Again, it was real nice to see those guys again, especially since I'll be out of town for most of the week. Still got to pack and buy some provisions in the morning tomorrow, is it also wrong that I'm secretly looking forward to my 3 hour coach trip? I can just read and listen to music the whole way without feeling guilty.

Pressing Edit

Rolled up my sleeves and got to work on one of the trickiest videos I've had to edit. Basically had to accrew a library of stock footage, feels more like a research project. Made a bit of headway in cutting, but admittedly not as much as I would have liked. I think I hit that creative wall where you just spiral into self-doubt, I'm just trying to push those feelings down and press on.

Got an email about the next shoot I'm on next week, though its three days total, the first two days will be pure prep work, I'll be painting sets and arranging furniture as an Art Assistant (once again!) I'm stoked for it too!

There's Busy and Then There's Busy

Hands down, today is the busiest I have ever seen the cafe. The crowds just never ended, whenever the queue died down, more people who were waiting in the wings for a lull in people sprung up, then the whole cycle started again. In all honesty I don't even know how me managed at points, at one point we had to clean up a bit of baby sick, another time there was no less than five different sandwiches/porridge to go out but despite all odds the day flowed like clockwork. We even found enough time to deliver a warm Happy Birthday to one of our friendliest regulars who went bright red when we gave him a card. I stayed at work for an extra 90 minutes so now I'm beat, can't wait to go to sleep.

Making Latte Art

The chills and the rain brought flocks of folk into the cafe, luckily I was ready to deal with the masses. My latte art is really coming along nicely too, haven't figured out a good way to do a snowman yet, but my flourettes are really coming along. Not that I get to properly practice when we're super busy mind, but when I see a little break in the crowd, I like to treat people with an Instagram worthy coffee.

I begun voice recording on my next video, managed to splice all my audio into a sequence too which is always my least favourite job in making a video. Now that's out the way I can make a start on the main edit tomorrow, I know it sounds like I've been a little down on this one but after reading the script again I think it'll turn out ok. I've got an even better one lined up in my mind after this one though.

Got my Digits?

Locked myself in the Wildseed offices to finish up a video script that has been bugging me for ages now. I've spent far too long working on this one and I don't think it'll benefit from any longer in the over so I just want to get it done so I can focus on other projects. I think I've finished it up, might just need a proof-read and final edits but I think it's good to go.

Almost got locked out of my own block of flats today too. The door code got changed but out letting agents failed to give us the new number in time so I had to sneak into the building like a rat. Once home, I made a heated phonecall to them saying it was unacceptable that they hadn't told us the code and that they left me out in the cold and rain - they buckled pretty quickly after that despite initially saying they didn't have the new code. Frankly they've been pretty dreadful letting agents anyhow but this was the tipping point for me. As much as I like our flat, I'm glad we'll be rid of them soon.

Food > Writing

I'd set out to do a mini day of writing, instead though it turned into a day of cooking and food prep. I'd recently decided to try my hand at some chilli sauce, last month I got a batch of chilli peppers and I finally put them to good use today. I'm starting with a fermentation process in a lil' jar full of a spicy brine. In a few weeks time I'll have some super tasty peppers ready to blitz into sauce. If the yeild is good enough, I may even send some out as Christmas presents.

For dinner I strayed outside my comfort zone and made a spanakopita, a kind of Greek chicken and spinach pie, any recipe that calls for 5 cloves of garlic is a win in my book so I gave it a shot. It was a meal that could be entirely done from the comfort of a cast iron pan and Rebecca was so impressed with the final product she took this little photo:

Served with a side of some roasted mediterranean vegetables and boy, it made for a good mid-week meal.

On another note, I accepted another Running job for next week. Three days total in London through a contact of mine, its flattering to get headhunted like that I must admit.

Double News Whammy

Slept unusually badly last night and that wasn't especially welcome when I had to get up early for the open shift at work. Once I got home I had a short sit down then wrote up not one, but two news articles for Sick Critic. The second of which was a real buzz, basically the nominees for the gaming equivalent of the Oscars were announced on a live video stream, wrote them all down off that video and got the list of nominees up before the official website for The Game Awards did. Never typed so fast in my life, but I got the scoop!

After my typing fingers got a rest I took Rebecca out for a small date nightbat a nearby Italian restaurant that was due for a re-visit. The food wasn't as good as I remembered it being but at least we got to share a tiramisu (again) and enjoy a bit of quiet time away from home. I can't believe how tired I am now though, I was nodding off at stages during the day. I know I'm going to enjoy this sleep.

The End of Death Stranding

Was kinda looking forward to writing some new stuff on Sick Critic today but their website has been down for just over 24 hours now. Instead I got on with my small jobs, emailing invoices, and mailing parcels to Italy. Afterwards I cracked on and finished Death Stranding. If you thought the prolonged farewell at the end of Lord of the Rings was bad, then you haven't experienced Death Stranding's ending. The credits rolled twice between a lengthy 2 hour cutscene, I could feel my goodwill draining from me every minute. Pleased I finished it up though, now I can finally read some discussions about it online without fear of spoilers.

Christmas Movie Showdown

Shared yet another busy shift with the new co-worker but I actually had a bit of spare time to get to know them a little better. We also brainstormed a nifty little charity money spinner that revolves around Christmas movies, basically I want to start a tournament where customers get to 'vote with their wallets' on the best Christmas movies until we arrive at a democratically selected favourite. In my heart of hearts, I fear the public will crown Elf or Love Actually, but we all know the answer is actually Die Hard or A Christmas Story.

I took a trip to the nearby market on my break with Rebecca, in addition to getting a bonafide tiramisu, we bumped into my friend who asked me to model for her foraging bags. She was selling them at the market too and seeing them all lined up again made me eager to buy a few as Christmas presents.

Weary Wine

Couldn't fathom just how busy we were today. I shared the morning shift with a very friendly new starter and by the sounds of it both of us wanted to us the sleepy morning to chat and get to know each-other a little better, instead we were swept up in a rush of people thirsty for the new Christmas drinks and cakes. Guess we'll have to get antiquated properly tomorrow now since I left fairly early today, but I was admittedly happy to leave the busy gaggle behind me. Once I was home, Rebecca and I relaxed a bit together and go the flat ready for a visit from my Mum, Louis and Rachel. We chatted the night away as the red wine made Louis' and my cheeks equally go crimson. I'll sleep well tonight knowing that I'm a little weary and a little merry, but it was really lovely to have Mum round again for a social visit. Some of the best memories of our flat are of times when my family are sat round a table, chatting and eating good food.

Nourish the Soul

Got up at a normal time for the first time in ages, had the time to have a nice breakfast and enjoy a cup of coffee. Instead of feeling like a busy-body drone I felt like a human being, free to enjoy the day and that's exactly what I did. I chipped away a bit more at my new game and met up with Rebecca for lunch. I even did a bit of pudding prep by making some chocolate mousse for the weekend. Basically I got to do all my favourite things at my own pace, I'm back to it at work tomorrow but now at least I have a bit more pep in my soul after a busy ol' week.

Showered in Praise

Didn't think I'd need any kind of waterproof clothes on set today, but boy I was wrong. First job I got was to buy a Birthday cake for a crew member, while I was shopping the heavens opened up and the rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Still Ibchanced it by waiting for a weather break, instead it started snowing. The trek back to set was a soggy affair I wasn't without sympathisers, the costume and make-up people all flocked to my aid. Two ladies used a hairdryer to dry my jacket and wardrobe gave me a new jumper to wear, why were they so generous? Because I seemed to have made a good impression on them. In fact, that's the recurring notion of the day, whenever I had a chance to stop and chat to anyone they showered me with compliments for all my hard work. The shoots all done now and I alreadyvhave a feeling I'm on the cards for the next one.

Handy Firemen

My energy is draining from me after a pair of early starts and late nights on account of the film shoot. Got one more day now and its going really well so far. We got the fire department to turn up and spray down a large space outside to give it a rain-slick look, that was a first for me anyway, seeing firemen in action. I'm totally pooped now though but I've got enough in my reserves for one last push tomorrow.

Snakes and Lattes

Rolled out of bed into several layers so I could face the early morning chills with confidence. I was on a filming job in Bristol today up at Cribbs Causeway and I cannot stress just how lovely it is to come home to my own bed after a long shoot day. Although, heading to bed wasn't what I did when I got back because I immediately dashed out to Coffee 1 to help host the board game night: Snakes and Lattes which turned out to be a sleeper hit. At first there were only a smattering of people, but as the evening went on, more and more folks flocked to our humble cafe. Rebecca and I played Rummikub with two total strangers and it was brilliant! Meeting new people like that is exactly what I wanted to happen with the event, the night itself was a real success overall since several friends, strangers and co-workers mentioned how much they enjoyed the night. Its just like the Rummikub box says: 'Brings People Together'

Silent Cafe

Was charged with making the Remeberance announcement at the cafe, I went around to all the tables to let people know I'd be asking for a two minute silence and when 11 o'clock came everyone was very compliant. A lady came up to me just as she was leaving and thanked me for doing it, she seemed genuinely impressed that we made the effort and that put a smile on my face.

I'm psycheing myself up for me Bristol shoot tomorrow, its over 3 days this shoot so I'm eager to make a good first impression amidst a new crowd. Literally never met anyone on this shoot and if all goes well I may leave with some contacts, gotta nail the day first though and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Bromley to Orpington

With four hours sleep under my belt, I left Lincoln's house in Bromley to go visit my Grandmother in Orpington. I set out a good time and travel schedule for the trip, as the crow flies, its a pretty simple journey but it took a lot longer to get there than expected. I didn't take into account the Remembrance Day parades that ultimately changed a lot of my bus routes, in one case my bus terminated 12 stops away from my destination. But when the front door opened and Grandma greeted me I knew the journey was worth it. We had a cup of coffee and some biscuits and chatted about life and how much we were both looking forward to Christmas. She remarked that this was the first time I'd ever really gone to visit her without my parents, I left thinking I should make a habit of dropping in to visit more often since I had such a lovely morning.

Long Into the Night

Bombed down the motorway with Rebecca in London for a range of social calls. First was her Mum, then her best friend for coffee and finally I met up with Lincoln to help him shoot his latest short film. In classic passion project style, the shoot overran dramatically, I'm writing this now at about the same time of day that I wake up to open up the cafe on a morning shift. It was totally worth it though, working as a journeyman sound guy again was a ton of fun and it was gratifying to work on a film that I could see the heart in.

Death Stranding

Stood outside GAME with two other dedicated gamers to pick out our copies of Death Stranding. I dashed home, plugged it in and lost myself in playing a sci-fi Amazon delivery guy game. After a very long gaming session I went out with Rebecca to see a friend and watch a firework display done by a nearby school. The fireworks were way better than they had any right to be and really made me reflect on that feeling of watching fireworks as a child. Something about the sparks, lights and whistles still manages to mezmerise.

Death Standing Around

Wrote a list of lil' job to do yesterday and systematically ticked them off first thing today. I'm heading to London over the weekend to help my old housemate from uni to make a short film, really stoked to go see him and help him make a project a reality. Otherwise, I've just been clearing the runway for a dedicated gaming day tomorrow, one of the most anticipated games of the last few years, Death Stranding comes out tomorrow so I'll be queuing up on the high-street to get my hands on a copy. I've done a total media blackout for this game recently just so my experiences will feel just a little more personal. I'm so pumped for it I even wrote an article a while back explaining why this game's release is important to so many people.

Double Sick

Ran home after work to not only write up a time-sensitve news article forbSick Critic, but also to look after a sick girlfriend. Rebecca took the day off work to swan about the house and watch crap TV, and she expected me to feel sorry for her.

In reality I gave her plenty of sympathy and soup so she'd get back on her feet, plus it was nice to spend some time with her after my shift ended in the early afternoon. I also finally got to enjoy the fruits of my labour now that a online sketch show I was a Runner on back in April is finally airing on YouTube. I shan't be posting a link here because they are rather naughty, but if you head to YouTube and type in 'Comedy Central Waiting' you'll be graced with some giggle-worthy videos.

Bright Bonfire

Remember, remember the 5th if November, most years I actually forget to do anything on Bonfire Night but this year we took the initiative and join in with a big old fireworks party. This one happened to be on the park next to us and a much bigger community event than I was anticipating. Hundreds of people came to see a big fire being lit and to watch the backyard displays of several nearby firework displays, by the end of the night thebair was thick with that smokey smell that you only get this time of year and it made me feel like a kid again.

Snakes And Lattes, The Final Poster

Committed myself to a day of writing at the Wildseed offices and ended up making some real headway. I almost have the entire downstairs section to myself now which is great, no distractions while I work is lovely, and I was close enough to town to pop into the high-street during my lunch break to pre-order a new game. I also got in touch with Lincoln, my old uni housemate about being a sound recording for us upcoming short film - very much looking forward to working with him again to make a little film.

Just about finished designing the poster for the cafe's upcoming board game night too, this is the version they were happiest with anyhow. It's not great work of art but I'm happy enough with it.

Good Pud

Today was the dictionary definition of a Lazy Sunday. I felt like I had enough time this evening to confidently make a batch of Yorkshire pudding to go with our roast dinner, for the second time I've ever made them, they came out incredibly well. We even had one leftover so I treated it like a mini Dutch Baby and dusted some icing sugar on it for a dessert. For better and for worse, it just tasted like a Yorkshire Pudding with some icing sugar on it.

Internally did a bit of week planning today too, I'm heading to Wildseed to crack on with some bits and bobs first thing tomorrow. Excited to get back behind a desk and blitz through some writing to hit my deadline.

Merry Making Board Games

Trained the new starter at work today on how to do a handful of odd jobs around the cafe and after chatting to him for a bit I felt like we'd become fast work friends. The rain and the rugby ensured today was a busy one so I felt relived once my shift was over, I stumbled back home in a soggy heap and got myself ready for a night of entertaining a few guests and playing some more board games. I cracked out some red wine, some whiskey and even some mead as we enjoyed each-other's company and cursed each-other's tactics during game time. I made notes of all the games we played tonight so I can hopefully add them to a Christmas list, nice to have a few ideas.

Feasting on the Leftovers

Best part about throwing a Halloween party? Getting to eat all the leftovers! I must have had about 3 mini lunches today, since I was working from home today I just found myself picking at whatever I found in the fridge first. In turn, today was one of those days where you start with the best of intentions, but for whatever reason you're not as productive as you'd like to be. I really wanted to get more writing done but I felt myself losing confidence in my tone today so I took to staring at a bit of paper for long periods. I've given myself a hard deadline for the project now, I know I respond well to these and I do like to stick to even self imposed restrictions.