Week stress

Last night I got a deep tissue massage. I did, at some points, feel like I was meant to confess something, but overall it was worth it. It's been a stressful week!

I had two shoot days this week, both of which went well but there was plenty of tension and nerves leading up to them. Mostly because the client on this film, a mental health charity, kept changing what they wanted us to do at the last minute. We have had to explain to them (in a necessarily patronising email) that filming actually involves a lot of planning and preparation, we can't just wing it. Especially when shooting in prisons - I'm sure you can figure out for yourselves how much time it takes to get security clearance etc to film in a prison. Plus, we need to know who (in terms of inmates) will be filmed, because there are rules about "victim issues" - anyone who has an identifiable victim outside prison cannot have their image distributed in any media. This video might end up on a website, so we have to be careful.

Anyway, both shoots did in the end go well, but there's one more shoot day on Wed (it was supposed to be Fri, as in yesterday, then Monday... you get the picture!) I won't bitch anymore about it or go into too much detail.

I've also been working at iceandfire of course this week. We're launching a new script submission service, Everyone Has the Right, in conjunction with Amnesty International next week. I'll put the link up once the website goes live. Basically, anyone from around the world can enter a play script to iceandfire and receive written feedback. The plays we like will also receive a public rehearsed reading at Amnesty's headquarters in London, and the plays we REALLY like will get further development and dramaturge work, with a view to maybe producing them.

I met up with comedian Chris Mayo on Tues night, who I might talk to in more depth about possible TV comedy ideas, all part of my plan to get out there and meet more people in the comedy scene here.

But the really nerve-wracking event coming up this week, the day before the shoot (I am going to be one big ball of tension!) is a pitching competition at Channel 4. I mentioned it in my last post I think. I'm working on my pitch over the weekend, but I need really good vibes from you all at 7pm on Tues (for those of you in Melbourne that's 6am on Wed! Oh well...!)

Look forward to seeing you all in 3 1/2 weeks. Be sure to email me and let me know your movements over the Xmas period so we can have a drink/meal/coffee/walk together!

x

Danke Schoen

Berlin is such an awesome city. Shopping, art galleries, museums, markets, and lots and lots of bars with cheap beer. Hard to fault it really. Especially because there is also such incredible history - both very recent and very distant. Some photos on the right.

We did all of the above. A walking tour on the Friday (all day, much of it in the rain!) then we went for dinner in a small Italian restaurant and did some bar hopping in the uber trendy Mitte district. Saturday we went shopping after breakfast, first around Mitte and then we went to an area a few people had recommended. Sadly, they had not been specific about the street we should go to so we walked around and around for ages! Thankfully the weather wasn't too bad. That night we had a drink with a friend of Felicity's, Adina, who was very nice, and her boyfriend Paris. They took us to Billy Wilder's - and they were somewhat taken aback by how excited I was by the theme of the bar! Sunday, Fliss and I went to a market near our hostel (we stayed in the excellent East Seven Hostel - which I would recommend to anyone. Clean, good location, nice staff) then went to the Pergamon museum (which Fliss found a bit boring, but I liked the Ishtar Gate!) and the Helmut Newton gallery. Lots and lots of naked ladies. We'd never seen so many breasts and vaginas.

This week has been busy and next week will be even more so. iceandfire had a performance on Monday of a new show (Listen to Me, in collaboration with Save the Children and EveryChild), then I had more iceandfire work plus recces for filming next week. Driving to the prison in Surrey was soooo stressful on Thurs - no GPS or proper road map, just GoogleMaps directions and a couple of map print outs. So if I took a wrong turn (which I did a few times!) I had no way of knowing how to get back. GoogleMaps said it would take me 50 mins to get there, I allowed 1 1/2 hours... it took 2 1/4 hours! I was so tense. Turned out OK in the end. And the prisons that I saw were really interesting.

I'm on the shortlist to pitch a new web series idea I have at Channel 4, through the Stallar Network. It's very scary! I'm not that good at pitching so will have to do a lot of work. Exciting though.

Social butterfly

Fliss and I are off to Berlin tomorrow - hoorah! Any suggestions or tips welcome - be sure to email them through. I went to Berlin about 4 years ago and loved it but would love to see more this time.

Had a very social week this week - 2 dinner parties chez nous. Sara from iceandfire came around last night with her lovely boyfriend Tom. They're both very tall so Fliss was suitably impressed. And on Sun eve Pete & Thea came over with their friends Hugh & Tash. Pete had asked me if I knew Hugh and I wasn't sure, but of course I did. I think we met first year politics at Melb Uni! He's someone who I've run into every now and then over the course of the last 8 years!

Sat night was bonfire night - Guy Fawkes day was officially on Thurs but they have the fireworks etc on Sat. Victoria Park had a full carnival set up and the fireworks were great. I went with my former housemates, Aurelie and Cinzia. Foolishly I wore my new ankle boots and got them covered in mud - the crowds of people had churned the wet ground up pretty good!

Prison film is in full swing now. Had a 2 1/2 hour meeting about it yesterday. Will probably start shooting the week after next, but having trouble getting the mental health organisation to commit to shoot dates.

C'est tout, en ce moment. I'll take photos in Berlin and put them up soon. Also have some photos of the fireworks, if I remember (don't have the cable with me right now!)

Bisous.

Comedic capers

Yesterday Fliss and I went to the football (Arsenal v. Tottenham - mortal enemies. It was a charged match but we won 3-0! Ha!) Then I went to meet my friend Sara (with whom I work at iceandfire) to see more comedy in Forest Hill. Really liked the MC, a guy called Chris Mayo, and absolutely LOVED this guy, Tom Allen. If he comes to the Melbourne Comedy fest next year you should definitely check him out. Charming, confident and with the ability that really good comics have of being able to look behind an incident, which on the surface might be rather nasty, to bring out the absurdity - not only making it funny but also thereby undermining the nastiness. He was great.

Today I have cleaned my room, which is enough achievement for one day. Later, dinner at Christine's. A busy week this week - on Tues I have 5 meetings, thankfully I've managed to make them all in Central/East London! One is a meeting with a signer/songwriter, Aisling Stephenson, who I might make a music video for. I really like the track, it's called You Took the Sun Away.

Laters.