Plan B Sunday

Our day trip to the funfair was unfortunately cancelled in account of bad weather. My plan B turned out to be even better though as a trip out to some nearby taprooms turned out to be just the ticket for a dreary afternoon/evening. I low-key forgot it's a bank holiday tomorrow which explains why the pubs we visited were packed. Technically tonight is a school night for me so I couldn't go too hard on the beer, but couple of pints and a pizza set me up for a fab evening. Back at work earlyish tomorrow, double pay softens the blow a little bit, but knowing that Rebecca is having a nice long lie in will sting a bit.

Chips Outdoors

 On a recommendation from a work chum, Rebecca and I took a stroll along the Avon River on the outskirts of Bristol. It was one of those beautifully rounded mini-hikes: free car parking, 45 minutes of walking along a canal route and ending up in a pub for lunch. We ate chips outdoors for the first time this year as the sun broke through the clouds just as we went to sit down. The walk back we wore out jackets round our waists and dreamed about the BBQ dinners we'd host and the holidays we'd take. Summer is knocking.

Fiver Friday

I inherited the lofty responsibility of organizing Fiver Friday, the crew lottery in which everyone puts in £5 into a hat and the lucky person wins the pot. I'm running it alongside our Base Runner and it's turned into a really great excuse to run down to set and meet literally every member of my workforce. We ended up with £160 in the pot which all went to a very fortunate member of our lighting department - I was just glad it put smile on a lot of faces. It'll be a weekly occurrence now no doubt.

Sedate Shoot

 Raindrops pelted onto the flat tin roof of my mobile office. Only teas and coffees kept use warm and chirpy throughout the day, that and the good, but noticably sleepy vibes on the truck. Working split hours and coming back into work earlier the following day always means everyone is a bit more sedate. I was feeling it too as my energy levels were diminished. Just one more day til the weekend though, here's hoping tomorrow goes well and we get there quickly.

Cardiff Schlep

Flexed my music listening skills because I got to drive to Cardiff and back again this afternoon. Some kit needed returning and I was the only one with a van (and the time to spare) to do it. My team saved me a mushroom risotto dinner which had gone the wrong side of Luke warm once I got back. There's no way of presenting a cold risotto pleasingly, my box just looked like someone barfed in it but once I treated it like a savory porridge my brain felt happy tucking in. Being on the road for hours meant I had a fair bit of work to catch up on, had to juggle a lot of sudden printing requests as amends and a new schedule cropped up just as I sat down. Day went nice and quick though... Get to do it all again tomorrow.

Solid 2nd Unit

 British Summer times means very little when you're still waking up before sunrise. I got to Unit Base this morning to check my catering team were all good and happy and that the day was off to smooth start. There was a lot going on early doors but once everyone was set up and in place the day basically ran itself. Our catering team pulled it out of the bag once again and I actually got to sit in the sun and enjoy my meal with the team for a change. Was a fun double bank day all in, I mostly got to ride 4x4's up and down a muddy bridleway which never ceased to be fun.

A Double Banker

 Piece by piece I created my house of cards. Chatting with our PM I very gradually put together a list for all the faces on our 2nd unit... Although this will be double the size of any other one I've been charged with as this is a full on double banker. We had two teams out all of today so running around helping them and getting stuff ready for tomorrow was a hell of a juggling act. A late finish and an early start tomorrow is the price I pay, but I'll get a lie-in later after burning the candle at both ends. I keep thinking I should feel more anxious or stressed about tomorrow but instead I feel quite calm. Either I'm blissfully ignorant of a huge problem or we really have to planned it to perfection. Guess we'll find out tomorrow.

A Sunday Play Date

Got the house ready for a mid afternoon visit from one of Rebecca's friends for a little chin wag and board game session. I recently bought a jungle themed racing game which I had never played before but I could sense it would be a huge hit... And it was! During the rest of the afternoon I was mentally prepping myself for the week to come. Monday and Tuesday are going to be our biggest tests yet in terms of scope. A LOT is going on over the next two days, if we can pull it all off though we'll be laughing and patting ourselves on the back. If it falls through... Then we can always blame the weather.

Breakfast and Boogie

I nursed a rather sore head throughout most of my Saturday. Thankfully Rebecca popped into the nearby bakery earlier in the morning and bought me a pastry and a delicious loaf of bread. Once my stomach felt up to it I devoured all those bits and then some. I needed plenty of energy because tonight was a friend's 40th Birthday party which was hosted at one of our favourite local breakfast places. I tucked into an alcohol free beer and chatted the night away about Western films and occasionally got up to do a little boogie.

Crazy Night

 Thank God it's Friday. At least that was the general sentiment of the crew throughout the day. Between long days, location moves and split hours we were all ready for a break. After work drinks were offered and I felt sheepish saying no. What resulted was a crazy night out involving a very tight knit group of my crew plus me which I felt very privileged to be a part of.

Smoothie Operator

The day passed me by a little too quick. All I can remember is going out to buy the team smoothies from a nearby farm shop, my PM came out for a drive and relished the chance to step away from the computer. There's a lot of moving parts he and I are trying to iron out next week as there's a lot going on. 

The highlight of my day was seeing a script note I mentioned get tweaked on my account. I fact checked a historical details off my own back, flagged it and witnessed it getting changed. When I see that line in the finished product I'll be smiling to myself quietly.

Trailer Coffee Club

The coffee club at work is going strong. Our 2nd AD stepped on and proudly put down a bag of beans onto my desk that looked impeccable. Before we could try them though I was whisked away into town to run a few errands... And to do a posh coffee run. I was then shacked to my desk to do script printing and a few logistical plotting. Plenty of moving parts coming up and it feels nice to be sat within earshot of the grown ups table to help sort a bunch of that.

Queuing Crew

Ah splits. Getting to have a lie in and rock up to work in the afternoon is fun at first but the realization of working til very late always sinks in too late.

The planets aligned and I actually left bang on wrap tonight which came with the added bonus of getting to drive in convoy with the rest of the crew back home. It would have been fun and charming if there wasn't a road closures that backed up 30 cars on a winding country road at quarter to midnight. There was standstill traffic until one of the Sparks managed to blag the workman to open the barrier for us. Some grade A trauma bonding right there.

Garfield Mindset

 I wasn't quite mentally prepared for Monday. The first hour I hit all the beats and smashed all my goals, then my energy levels flatlined as I came to terms with the fact we have a whole week of work to go. I guess this why Garfield says he hates Mondays. It wasn't all bad though, I trundled down to a very unique set to see the action which was a lot of fun. On my plate is whispers of the biggest second unit yet... Guess I got that to look forward to preparing this week.

April Ice Cream

It was just about warm enough today for Rebecca and me to want to eat some ice cream. The Sunday market at the Tobacco Factory once again obliged our whims, a chap there was selling micro batch ice creams and when tiramisu is a flavour it's so, so hard for me to say no. We were mostly in that neck of the woods to do some birthday shopping for some chums of ours, any excuse to go down North Street basically. In between cups of coffee we begun watching Derry Girls and quickly binged half a season. Add to the mix a sheppard's pie for dinner and you got yourself a winner of a weekend. Only a partially broken PC slowed the fun bus down, but a sweaty 20 minutes was a small price to pay.

Puss In Boots The Last Wish

 A round of chores and housework is often first up on a Saturday morning. It feels good to get all the nitty gritty out of the way early so the rest of the weekend is all about enjoying ourselves. In this case we had Louis and Rachel swing by for a big board gaming session of Root. We dived in as woodland critters and fought for control of the woodlands, all while completely misinterpreted the rules on how Rachel's faction works. We wondered the whole while how she was taking a clear lead ahead of us, I only have myself to blame as the game's teacher (I still won overall though).

From the forest to felines, we grouped up in the living room to watch Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. In hindsight, it's pretty funny having seen Stalker so close to this one as both film are about a motley crew wandering through a shapshifting landscape in pursuit of a wish granting device... Puss in Boots was predictably the funnier of the two, in fact there were some riotous moments which had Louis in stitches. It had a really fantastic energy, a precursor for a new wave of animated films but tempered with classical storytelling that kept things lean and pacey. Really solid romp - the polar opposite of Stalker!

Lasminute.com

Had myself a great little breakfast before my to do list suddenly exploded. The studio floor was recently painted I had to help give out blue shoes to everyone. Then some vintage camera equipment arrived without an appropriate card reader so that had to be resolved quickly... Just a lot of dashing around for a lot of last-minute.com but and bobs but at least it got my blood pumping. I rounded off the Friday with a trip to an off license for a drink for Rebecca and myself as we geared up to watch the final episode of The West Wing. We started watching the show in October of 2020, it saw us through lockdowns, holidays and most of my Bristol jobs. It has been our rock, our go to show of choice, the ideal evening activity. Now it feels like I've lost a limb.

Thick Rolls

 Daresay I overslept a little bit as I woke up with a nasty headache. Guess that's what happens when you forceably jet lag yourself to work splits. My day begun a little before midday and ended at bang on midnight. My most important job today was going out to buy my team some snacks from a bespoke bakery. I secured the thickest sausage rolls we'd all laid eyes on, seriously, they were like miniature beef wellingtons. Everyone thinks I've missed my calling as a crafty, in reality dealing with food is one of the last things I want to be dealing with. We whittled away the dark hours in a very laid back manner, which is great because I'm shattered now.

On Standby for a Shift

 All before my breakfast I saw every form of weather. Sun, rain and sleet all pounded down on us but we kept on smiling. I found myself with surprisingly little to do overall today, I can feel it about to quickly ramp up though as we move locations and all that good stuff. I'm just glad we're doing some night shoots tomorrow because it means I can enjoy a nice line lie in tomorrow morning - it'll almost feel like a weekend for me and Rebecca!

The Tao of Production

The ying and yang of the day: the sun and the rain. The lazy spell and the busy rush. I saw it both today and within this equilibrium I found a well paced day. The morning was so quiet I actually played a quick round of a video game with a colleague at work (was a managers idea to do so, I'm not that much of a slacker). Soon as I finished eating lunch all the requests suddenly came out of the woodwork. I dealt with all of them quickly, neatly and with a smile. I'm hoping for a few more well staggered days like this, especially as we move back towards later working hours.

Booked Baker

 Returned to work on a bank holiday and found myself with a very light workload. I went back over a lot of my old work to make sure all the boxes were ticked. Afterwards I patiently awaited for the ideal opportunity to present the birthday colleague with their cake. We timed it just right as our producer turned up as we started singing so they were invited to have a slice of cake. They took a bite and now I've been pencilled in for making another sweet treat for their Birthday in June!

Happy Easter 2023

Cake is the new chocolate this year. I've eaten a coffee & walnut, Simnal and a Tres Leches cake all over the course of today. In fact, after the gigantic portion of lunch I had I only needed a slither of cake to eat for dinner later to tide me over. Easter is of course a day of indulgence, tomorrow the detox diet will come into fruition. I'll be at work tomorrow so I'll find it much easier to eat normally there.

Once I got back from Newbury I flicked in the oven to bake another (you guessed it...) Cake. I got commissioned by a colleague to make a Birthday treat for someone, I'm getting my ingredients reimbursed and I can name a price for my fee. I shan't be too money greedy but it's nice to finally get recognized for my auxiliary talents.

Velcro Plants

A well-deserved lie in was just what the doctor ordered. I was fresh as a daisy for my day full of nothing! Rebecca joined us in Newbury for a walking trip to a nearby Roman amphitheater in the oddly hot April sun. Was great to be out in patches of Berkshire nature, all the flora and fauna I associate with my childhood was coming into itself, reminding me of a hundered and one walks I did while growing up. I also remembered which plant grows those sticky hooks - the pinnacle of comedy while doing a hike was to throw one onto someone's back and see how long it took them to notice it was there. Mum never even knew she I planted a bunch on her cardigan and for almost the whole walk she was sporting some cheeky greens.

Meow Town

If it wasn't for the sound of a pining cat I think I could have slept in for a few more hours this morning. Still, she got me up a little earlier on my day off so I could enjoy some free time before the day truly begun. A swift shopping trip and cake baking session was the focus of the morning, then I was packing to get ready to head to Newbury. Easter weekend is family time after all and by tea time I was sat with my family merrily chatting away until my eyelids felt heavy. I think there's some sleep I need to catch up on...

Crafty Bots

The final day of the filming week drew upon us and morale was high as everyone discussed their Easter plans. For today though, we all just tucked into the craft van. Bottomless coffees, bespoke snacks and toasted hot cross buns galore! I daresay I spent most of the day just queuing up on behalf of other people. That's fine by me though as my workload has finally fallen by the wayside, I can just crack on with stuff at a nice leisurely pace... Like pointing out script anomalies to our writing department. I felt a little bad because they have a lot on their plate, I just want to try and make the show bulletproof. 

I can't wait to sleep in a bit, this week has been exhausting!

Base Runner

Arrived at my second unit base before sunrise. Got the hot water urn going, laid out a spread of snacks and greeted the familiar 2nd Unit Faces. I was a lot more hands off, hanging back at our small unit base to put cast through the works. Basically a Base Runner but the stakes were wonderfully low. Think we got it all done today, I was too far from the action to really get a read on the situation... Either way that's my last 2nd Unit stuff for a good while now, I can instead focus on my normal job!

Tee'ing Up another Unit

 Physically and mentally prepared myself for the next second unit day tomorrow. I've started to really get the hang of these now, my PM is relinquishing a lot of power over to me which makes a nice change of pace - fingers crossed it all goes smoothly. When I first started tee'ing these all up I made a lot of anxious phone calls to people to get information. Now I have short, chatty calls and we all work extremely well as a team. The only thing that could ruin our plans tomorrow is weather, we're due a little drizzle but let's hope it keeps away.

I quickly wanted to wish my Dad a happy 60th Birthday for today too. Though he had to work the day, it sounded like his colleagues all tucked into a cake and that generosity was reciprocated in the form of presents and other goodies. I could only really give him a phonecall today so I'm looking forward to wishing him well in person this weekend. Happy Birthday Dad!

Ducking Below Zero

I hadn't mentally prepared myself to see my own breath while getting my car ready. Nor was I ready for it to get colder as I drove out towards location. Though the sun was up, the temperature was just below zero, and I was woefully underdressed. Thank God my truck has heating that's all I can say, before my hands got too chilly I bashed through all my jobs in record time. That left me open to hand out tiramisu pots to my ever hungry team. I checked the consistency and it was still a bit too runny for my liking (cream like, not watery luckily) but reviews were glowing. Few left over for tomorrow - perhaps some cast can tuck in if they fancy.

Chasing Roots

For a Sunday, we sure did a lot of housework! I kitted up for a day in the garden tackling the weeds that have hijacked our flower box. Never in my life have I seen such deep-seated roots. My technique was to dig and rip but chasing roots further and further down dirt holes was a maddening experience. I'm pretty confident I nuked them all to kingdom come now, can't wait for them all to pop back up again next weekend.

I batch made tiramisu for work this afternoon as well. I thought I had the technique down but for some inexplicable reason the cream part came out a little thin today. So much so that the lady fingers started floating up to the surface of the pudding. A heavy dusting of coco saved the treat from looking like hot dogs floating in custard, and thankfully it TASTES good... I just hope the texture improves overnight.

The Booth

Smashed through wave one of weekend jobs pretty early on. Shopping, missed parcel collections and a rucksack return to Argos (I wasn't feeling the one I bought.) There was plenty of time to play video games this afternoon but I'd need to save my strength for the evening. For you see, Rachel had just about finished building her custom voice recording booth. But it needs the strength of 4 people to lift and maneuver it into place without snapping the legs off of it. It sounded doable until I tried to lift it, I quickly discovered it was about 4 times heavier than I had expected so in my mind it was sounding increasingly impossible. With a lot of gusto though, we got the job done. Louis cracked open the beers for us afterwards and we drank them like free men, sitting atop a jailhouse roof.