All Day Set Monkey

Never mind an afternoon, I spent the whole day with the scripty team this Friday. I sat on set and absorbed so much information like a mighty sponge. It basically boils down to experience is king, and right now because I have almost zero I feel severely out of my depth with a lot of things - but that's ok! I remembered once upon a time I never thought I could learn to drive, let alone divide my mental capacity far enough to listen to music while driving... And now look at me! It'll take time and exposure to get good at just about anything and the baby steps are always the hardest.

Scripty on Set

Spent the afternoon down on set with the lovely Script Supervisors who have really taken me under their wing. I'm picking up the steps at a decent rate, making notes and hoping they'll be useful at some point. I had to dash around and help with a speedy get out at the tail end of the day, but it made me feel a part of the unit. I'll keep pushing for more days like this as they're the ones that keep me going the most now.

Running Mistake

 Later start today so I had a bit of a morning to spare so I went on a brisk run. Perhaps a little too brisk as I completed my goal in accidental record time and winded myself for the rest of the day. Working til midnight really can run you down as it turns out but luckily it was a nice lil' day as things turn out. Late one again tomorrow so I gotta get the sleep in while I can.

Only Tuesday?!

I looked at my calendar and wept. I thought it was Thursday, yet it was only Tuesday. For some reason this week has found me yawning, sluggish and low energy - we're moving onto night shoots for the rest of the week so my metabolism needs to shift into being a night owl. Plenty of kip tonight should do it, plus I've packed snacks to get everyone through the day a little easier.

Workstation Wonder

Back at it on Monday and it felt like barely any time had passed. I'm still brewing coffees, running favours and calling strangers. I managed to really get ahead of my workflow and even found the time to declutter a lot of the detritus that orbits around my chaotic workstation. Now I'm doubly ready to dash out for errands, or more importantly, spend time training up with the folks on set.

Asteroid City

I tried to cast my mind to a time before I didn't see a new Wes Anderson film at the cinema. Not since Moonrise Kingdom have I missed one of his flicks hitting the big screen and I continued that tradition with Asteroid City this afternoon at Bristol's Watershed.

 All the familiar elements are present, the 90 degree framing, dizzying star-studded cast and quirk galore. Though I found this one to be a little more esoteric by design. It plays out like an ode to forgotten playwrights of the 1950's, the creatives burning to produce the next biggest piece of theatre that'll capture the hearts and minds if thousands. But they get blindsided by their own perceived brilliance and create something unwieldy, ramblesome and without audience (minus the talented thespians who seek validation and purpose). To me, this was the driving factor of the film, but the problem about telling a story about an impregnable narrative is that you end up with a film with a story that's hard to get emotionally invested in. Wes is at his peak when he combines his playfulness with heartfelt character moments - Asteroid City has this occasionally but there's a lot of other stuff to wade through to find the heart of it. Though I enjoyed it less than some of his previous works I still recommend it. Fans will continue to adore the production design and cinematography, but I know Wes can be both stlye and substance.

Weekend Detox

Just what the doctor ordered... A 'me' day! With Rebecca out of town I had free reign over the house to play Zelda and sleep in until the cat headbutted me awake. I did want to be helpful though so I ran out to do some chores like buying a big watering can and some food for dinner, I hoovered the house from top to bottom, then I just melted onto the sofa. I feel revitalized as a result, a weekend detox that I've been sorely needing. Rebecca's back home now too so I didn't get a chance to turn the house into a full-on man cave... But she was jealous when she heard that me and the cat were chilling out together watching Ingmar Bergman flicks. Nothing beats a foreign film with a feline companion.

Backlog Buster

For the first time this week I was able to properly sit down and do some work. I'd amassed a backlog that begin eroding at my calm levels and today was my chance to quash all the niggly jobs I let fall by the wayside. I'm happy to say I totally smashed my list and feel much better about everything now. I also realized I have no real plans for tomorrow, Rebecca is out in London so I'm going to try and finally catch up on some sleep. My batteries need charging...

Pudding Patience

Late end yesterday translates into a late start today. I turned up a little before midday and was immediately put to work. Our drinking water supply was waning and our producers birthday was today... Recently I've become known as the card and cake guy down on set because it feels like that's all I ever do now. I was on standby for the longest time, waiting for the golden opportunity to present the goodies but a phonecall that stretched over two hours meant I was hanging around for a long old while. It all worked out in the end though, Rachel baked this particular cake and it went down incredibly well. All that time in set means I'm a little behind on my work, and one of my documents got corrupted so it'll be a Friday scramble tomorrow.

2nd Unit Take 5

All my second unit stresses once again turn out to be unfounded. The day went really rather well and the catering chaps we got did a good job too... Sure there were some curve balls like cars that kept breaking down and some rushes that almost went rouge, but for the most part everyone was in good spirits and the day went smooth. Still it was a long old day for me. I was up early doors buying 50 Gregg's sandwiches, I got a free coffee out of the deal thankfully and that set me up til 1am which is when I got back. Late start for me tomorrow as a result, I can't wait to have a well-earnes snooze.

Once More into the 2nd Unit

Continued the mad scramble to get everything ready for our 2nd unit day tomorrow, for some reason I feel stressed, then calm, then stressed again when I think about it. I was piling things into vans, pleading with accounts to get catering invoices paid and buying out Pret's veggie lunchtime goodies. Luckily I had my very own minion to help me out today, a chap effectively doing work experience so I was able to delegate a lot of the busy work. In 24 hours time I'll relax and have a beer, until then though I'll be a professional looking bag of nerves.

Cake-a-holic

 Scarcely sat at my desk for longer than 10 minutes apiece. We're double banking which is always a big ask so I was running around almost twice as much. A large chunk of my day was taken up by making birthday arrangements for one of our cast members, including coordinating a cake drop off for them which received a fancy embellishment from my Mum. It took up a lot of my day but the cast and crew were clearly delighted with all the effort we put in for it.

Gardener's Tan

Deployed my green thumb once again with the help of my Mum who travelled down to Bristol to help the cause. Her boot was full of plants ready to go into our overgrown flower bed, first course of action: hack away the weeds. Once we filled a garden waste sack with nasty detritus we began the landscaping vision. We settled on stepping stones toward our raised bed, either side of a path would be a cornucopia of flowers. We were all at it for hours but we couldn't be happier with the results. So far our garden has had a fair few makeovers but I reckon this one will stick - looking forward for it to be a place that instills pride and happiness instead of dread.

White Noise Organ

 Awoke feeling fresher than I had expected but was immediately put on the back-foot by a cat napping right next to me on the bed. She woke up periodically to attack my feet whenever I shifted in my slumbers which was horrifying. I got as much sleep as I could but we have houseguests and a 'gig' to attend to. Jamie popped to Bristol to see a piece of his music being played on a church organ up in Clifton. The music was decidedly modern, a lot of sustained notes made for holy sounding white noise which put my brain into a different gear entirely. We chatted with the organist afterwards and we were all invited to a nearby pub for a quick lunchtime drink and chat which was lovely. We took our guests round Bristol in the afternoon until the heat got unbearable, once that happened we headed home to compare Animal Crossing villages. I need to catch up on some sleep tonight but I'm glad I didn't get bloto drunk last night, I wouldn't have got the opportunity to enjoy today otherwise.

Farewell Block 1

 Felt like an odd day initially as I struggled to hold my head above the water. Then in classic fashion it plateaued actually became a little dull. On set though we were ahead of the game so we wrapped almost an hour early which gave way to our end of block wrap party which started off civil but ended up, as predicted, in a nightclub. I got to dance with my colleagues and celebrate a halfway point in this gig. It feels like an eon and the blink of an eye at the same time.

Pet Sounds

Production are hosting a little event soon so I was called upon to help test out a bunch of the tech. A chal brought in a bunch of speakers and an amp for us which we was very proud of. So much so that he wanted to demonstrate how loud they could get at the exact moment my ear was pressed against the grill to check for level. 

A little frazzled I returned to my desk to learn I was about to do a bit of dog sitting for one of our cast members. Luckily the heat made the pupper catatonic (a bit like my cat at the moment too). I learned I probably wouldn't make for a good dog owner as I have no control of one while holding a lead. My personality aligns itself my closer to cat caring thankfully - Rebecca is no doubt pleased about that.

Proofing the Schedule

Blinked and the day past me by. One second I was eating porridge, the next I was in my car driving home. In between that I got a rather good little job of proof-reading the lastest schedule and cross referencing it with the script.  Between me and the Base Runner we spotted a few blemishes which we flagged up the line to a very grateful first AD. Nice to be in the loop like that and roll with the big dogs and it's all towards a common goal. Reminds me of when I did prop breakdowns for Prank Me way back in the day.

Tuesday is the New Monday

Just outside our studio is a chap in a little coffee cart. He just opened for business a few months ago and is slowly rolling out a plethora of new options to his menu, the one that grabbed the crew's attention was his newfound ability to make ices coffees. Seeing as being outside for more than 15 seconds today was a bad idea, an iced Americano sounded stellar. I may have over indulged however as I had a hot one then immediately chased it with a chilled coffee. Overstimulated and ratty, that's exactly how I didn't want to feel when I was asked to source a brand new catering team to help us out on an upcoming second unit day. I made cold calls to a dozen places, leaving messages every time and only one of them had the decency to get back to me. I think I found an alternative but it sounds like we're getting another curve ball that may unpick all my searching. I tell ya, Tuesday is the new Monday..

Hiatus Over

 No filming today but that doesn't mean the mighty machine stops ticking over. It was a nice, gradual slide into returning to work. Everyone was cheery and refreshed, no stresses, just happy folks all doing their thing. I did the lunch run and met a few new faces of some of the big dogs who'll be at the helm a little later. As much as I didn't want to go back to work, you couldn't ask for a nicer day back.

Wet Play

 I almost couldn't believe my eyes when it started raining. Getting ready to go outside prompted the warm, stinky aroma of Summer rain to saunter into my nostrils. We had made some indecisive plans to go for a walk today but the weather prompted a wet play day instead. Fitting too because today marks the end of my hiatus from work, we're all back on it now until the end of our contracts. It's been a good old break though, I feel thoroughly rested and luckily tomorrow is only a prep day so we can all ease ourselves back into the swing of things. Only time will tell how many Pret lunches I'll be nipping out to get - only one day though so I can wear a smile.

Farewell Isle of Wight

Gathered up the last of my things and ate a swift breakfast before hopping into the car, then a ferry to bud farewell to The Isle of Wight. The way back was going to be a rough drive though, it was a longer trip all in for us and being in a hot car with no air conditioning for over two hours was a tall order. So we broke up the journey with a cheeky trip to McDonald's for lunch and a coffee - a final indulgence before the holiday did it's curtain call. 

Back at home now and I find myself doing a lot of similar activities during my down time on holiday. But it feels oddly hollow without my family around, I'll get used to it no doubt but it'll feel odd until I'm back to work on Monday.

Osborne House

 We banked the #1 rated tourist attraction in the Isle of Wight for our final day: Osborne House. The holiday villa/home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert which was pretty idyllic. With a lot of stately home it often feels like your repeatedly asked to marvel at antique furniture in rooms behind velvet ropes, whole that was some of that here, a lot of the house was opened up. But it was the grounds that impressed the most, including a short walk down to a secluded beach. We ate lunch there, all the while on the other of the sea sat Southampton and Portsmouth, a reminder that reality back on the mainland loomed. 

We packed our bags when we got back and enjoyed one last night in our accomodation. Rebecca misses our cat, but we'll both lament the end of our time off this time next week.

Shanklin

With Rebecca suffering quite bad with the old hay fever, I've almost become the main driver for our travel party. Driving along the winding roads of the Isle of Wight is actually quite enjoyable, especially when coastal scenery is barely a glance away. Shanklin was our tourist destination of choice today, a bustling seaside resort full with sandy beaches, arcades and 3 themed crazy golf courses. While nice to stroll around, I think we are slowly exhausting the sights to see on the island. Though we have saved the best til last for tomorrow (it also came with a cheaper price tag on Fridays) so looking forward to going out with a bang.

Freshwater Bay

A lazy start to the day turned into a medium sized walk to the nearby bay. Dad read about a very picturesque one nearby but once we approached it was pretty clear there was no footpath down to it - just sheers cliff drops. No matter through as the next bay over works as a pebble beach. So I hopped into the sea for the first time this year, as I found out early June means that the water is on the wrong side of near-freezing but I still managed to float on my back and enjoy bobbing around. Felt like I didn't have a care in the world.

Quarr Abbey

Operation Crab Eater wasn't successful. We instead bought back virtually all the plaice in the fishmongers which went down very well for dinner. In between all this we found a free attraction on the other side of the island: Quarr Abbey. A modern looking monastery with tea rooms and roaming pigs (and piglets) - I think they were the highlight of the day. 

The fact I'm on holiday has only really started to take hold today. I feel my brain dropping a gear properly now as I start to uncoil. Feels nice and well deserved, I just want to make the very most of my time off now to try and do all the things I couldn't do normally.

Alum Bay

 Rode the cable car down into Alum Bay to see the multicolored sands and the famous Needles. We sat on a pebbley beach, ate a picnic lunch and mused about going into the water (Rebecca dipped a toe in and decided against going whole hog). The whole family is beginning to crave eating crab, but alas, the fishmongers are closed until tomorrow... Our only goal is to dine on crustacean and in 24 hours time I really hope that becomes a reality.

Across the Island

Took a hike up the southernmost point of the island to a historical point of interest. I think we basically hit the highest point of elevation on the whole landmass too because we could literally see the spread of the entire island, even spying Southampton and Portsmouth across the Channel over the Northern part. 

 

Tuckered out from a long old walk we headed to the seafront for fish, chips and ice cream. Google Reviews steered us towards a decent spot where we could tear into battered cod with wooden forks while watching the sea lap over the golden sands of the beach.

Isle of Wight

We piled into Rebecca's clown car and queued up for a spot on the ferry to The Isle of Wight, AKA, our holiday destination for the next week. I haven't had a break since Christmas so I'm really eager for an opportunity to switch off. The idea of some time off hasn't fully sunk in yet but no doubt I'll be losey goosey this time next week.

We saw the local sights and walked into Yarmouth, accidentally taking the scenic route on the way there and back again. We've already watched the sun set from the rooftop of our accomodation, a great omen for a good holiday yet to come.

Cake-Gate

On top of my usual duties I somehow got sucked into the black hole that is last minute birthday arrangements. I've done enough of these to know the drill, but it was exasperated today as the urgency of everything wasn't communicated until the worst possible time. This resulted in me running up and down the affluent part of Bristol for bespoke cheese and bread venues, plus a delicately decorated cake. In spite of everything,y arrival time with the goods worked out well and everything went off without a hitch, it was just a pain it being such a last-minute.com request. I got back to my day job and relished with the crew when they called wrap - everyone is due a weeks holiday now so several of us rushes right off to catch planes etc. For me though, it meant driving to Newbury in a well packed car with Louis, Rachel and Rebecca to do the first leg of our holiday traveling.

Once Apon A Production Meeting

Operation set up the big meeting was underway once again. It's been a hot minute since I've had to set up Zoom calls and conference spaces so I was a little our of practice. Luckily my smiley but on the hoof demeanor of the day put people at ease and the whole thing ran smoothly with a few chuckles along the way. It sapped all my energy though, once the day was over I felt like I was in dire need of a recharge. One more day until the holidays, no doubt that optimism will be seeping through the seams tomorrow.