Hello again

I'm back. Yes, things have been too exciting to bother writing my blog. Rude, I know. Ben is here now! We're into the domestic routine, I am currently waiting for my sister to Skype me while Ben cleans the house - he he! And this week I FINALLY finished the prison film. Phew! Merely 9 months working on 2 short films. My mood lifted noticeably when the last online edit day was over. Now I can move onto something else! Thank Christ.

The Children's Society film should be finished soon. Although the notes I received from them are that they want to add lots of text... WHY?? Organisations always seem to think people are interested in reading blocks of text with information about their campaign... THEY AREN'T! Anyway, I'll see how that conversation goes tomorrow. Essentially, as usual, they're paying for it so can do whatever they want.

Finally got to speak to my Irish producers too, so we're moving on World of Chickens again. Hopefully I'll actually sign something with them soon.

So things are pretty good. Although ultimately I'm not yet doing what I want to do - directing drama. I know it's a slow process and there are good movements on some projects, but it would be nice to get a bit closer to the dream this year. It's already April! How did that happen??

Next weekend is a surprise trip for Ben. I won't say where (because it's a surprise!) but I'm very excited about it. And no, we won't be affected by the volcanic ash!

Oh, and I'm a published photographer! He he, in the Guardian blog (scroll down to 7:14pm). I took a photo at Bethnal Green tube on Friday, it's on the right. Very topical!

Attack of the four-legged fiend

ONE WEEK ONE WEEK ONE WEEK... (til Ben comes, for those who hadn't figured it out).

Working from home today but not feeling all that productive or into it. Been feeling a bit flat ever since I woke up this morning. Think maybe it's because I had a dream I was being attacked by an evil horse. Don't laugh.

Did this workshop over the weekend although to be honest I was a little bit disappointed - it just wasn't what I was expecting. I thought there would be 10-12 people and we could discuss our own projects with the group, instead it was 40 people (!) and some of the discussion was quite academic - as in it reminded me a lot of Cinema Studies at uni. I already have a degree in Cinema Studies and don't feel the need to brush up on those skills! I think I did get something out of the course, but not what I was really expecting/hoping for. There were some interesting people there. We'll see. Sometimes you don't know what you're going to get out of something until later.

iceandfire's a bit weird at the moment - there are some very deep divides and differences between our 2 artistic directors about how to approach the development of new work at the future direction of the company. Not sure what's going to happen but I was stuck in the middle of both of them during a meeting yesterday and it was quite awkward! Especially because I can genuinely see both sides of the argument. They just each have different approaches to life. Lucky they have such a diplomat on staff to keep things calm and civil! He he.

That's it really. My housemate went on holiday today, his stuff is still here but he's only going to stay one night when he gets back and then he's moving on. He's been fine but I'm looking forward to having the place to myself for a week and then... Hoorah! You know the rest.

I'm in the news!

Well. Sort of.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/26/olympic-park-burst-water-pipe

Photos uploaded

I've put a couple of stills up (on the right) from our shoot a few weeks ago with the Children's Society, for their OutCry campaign to get children out of immigration detention in the UK. Unfortunately I won't be able to show you the finished product for another month or so, the first cut is done but need to get feedback and sign off from the OutCry people. Will be sure to link to it when it's up, so far it's looking really good.

PS: We have no water today. Apparently all of East London is out, due to a burst water main at the Olympic site!

Spring has sprung

Spring seems to make a much bigger impact here than in Aus. I think it's the combination of the longer, harder winters, but also the bulbs that spring up seem to bloom and come to life really suddenly. As soon as the weather gets warmer the flowers suddenly come up, as does everyone's mood!

Will finally be able to start editing the children in detention film tomorrow. It's been a bit of a pain - I explained about the software issue in my previous blog. Ben sent over Final Cut Pro. It was supposed to be here on Monday but customs whacked a £126 charge on it!! So they wouldn't deliver it until that was paid. It finally arrived today and, despite a couple of close calls/scary hitches, it seems to be fine. I've imported and logged all the files so can begin tomorrow in earnest. The prison film isn't finished either! The last offline edit day is next week, the online days in mid-April. I am getting paid a bit extra to make up for the fact that the film just WILL NOT END! So that's good. It's like any job though, when you start getting frustrated by it, you start to wonder if the money is really worth the pain!

Otherwise, not doing much. Busy during the day but have had very quiet evenings all this week. Just waiting for Ben to get here - 12 1/2 days! Hoorah! The countdown has well and truly begun.

Doing a screenwriting course this weekend. I've got a particular script I need help with so hopefully it's useful. I'll make you all read it when I'm happier with it...! He he.

x

The dust settles

It seems that this prison film will never end. It was supposed to be finished by now. So many delays and postponements - I just want it over with! Grrr.

This week is less busy than last week as a result though. Was supposed to be editing today but now it's cancelled. iceandfire is also calmer, after our new script launch last Friday. Can't edit the children in detention film yet either, am waiting on some new software because my version of final cut (I've got the cheap Express version) won't read the files from the camera - so haven't even seen the rushes!

Some of you might be interested in the music video I made a little while back, I finally got around to sending it to the singer, Aisling Stephenson, and she's put it on youtube...

C'est tout mes amis.

A bientot.

PS: This is my 100th blog post! Yee ha! *Insert blowing party whistles, fireworks, etc...*

New showreel

As some of you know, I freaked out this week about my showreel and have updated it! Many of you, my friends and family, feature in the new "highlights" edit that I did:

I can never think of good titles

My parents are copying me. This is typical behaviour, when I said I wanted to move to Melbourne they followed. Now Mum is launching her Alzheimers show 2 weeks after iceandfire's Getting On, and Dad is making a film in a prison hospital! I thought I had that market cornered, now apprently it's a franchise.

Dad is also producing a documentary and photo exhibition of these amazing photos our friend Angelo took in Sudan. If you can make it out west to Werribee (March 25 - April 3), I strongly recommend you go and see them. Angelo has also signed some limited edition prints for sale, money raised goes to building a new classroom in his home village (I think?). You can watch this video for more information and to see some of the images.

Had auditions all day Fri and half Thurs for the shoot this week for the Children's Society OutCry campaign. There were some good auditions, although not many of the girls looked 14, so there is one clear winner for me. I'm quite excited about calling her agent on Mon and giving her the job. I think the shoot is going to be fun actually. Small crew, plenty of time to get it done. I've booked a studio for a full day even though I don't think it will take all day. We're using a projector to show slides over the girl's face and onto the back wall, they have to match her story, so it's going to take some practice. And things often go wrong with technology like that!

Then prison film shoot next week. I'm really looking forward to that project being finished! It's been going on and on for ages! Since September! It'll be a good feeling to hand it in.

C'est tout. Hope you're all well. Look forward to hearing about what's going on with you! x

More blog practice

Even though I'm a tad shite at writing this blog, I'm a blogger in demand! So you can read other articles I've written for iceandfire, and for Inside Job Productions.

The prison film got delayed, which of course threatens the other 2 projects I had lined up straight after it! For the first time in my life I have 3 jobs secured in a row and the first one gets pushed back. Grrr. So I've rushed the Children's Society campaign forward, shooting next week. Got auditions this week, for actors who can play a 14-year-old African girl. I didn't know any, so cast my net wide, and now I have 20 girls auditioning! So i feel confident we'll find someone great from that group.

And Ben is coming here on 6th April! He arrives at 5:40 am (!!) so I won't be able to meet him at the airport (not because I'm a rubbish girlfriend, but because the tubes won't even be working!) I will instead be waiting for him in our cosy East London flat. Perhaps I'll bake some bread and put on a pot of coffee. Real homely like...

Probably not. Hopefully the daffodils I just planted will be out by then though!

iceandfire launch a new script in a few weeks, about older people and human rights, Getting On. Perhaps we should do a double bill with Mum's Melbourne Comedy Festival show, Alzheimers The Musical: A night to remember! Two rather different takes on issues of ageing!!

Charity chick

It's official. I am now the charity video girl of London. I'm booked up until mid-April doing freelance jobs for charities. Sweet.

Have also had some good meetings recently, especially with this awesome woman at LaPlante Productions, Sara Johnson. We got along really well - we just clicked. She was funny, smart and personable and was really encouraging and helpful. I left the meeting feeling buoyant - she gave me a lot of confidence and I felt like her offers to help in the future were genuine. Through her I've also managed to secure a meeting at Clerkenwell Films, who last year made a terrific teen comedy/drama series on Channel 4 called Misfits, about a group of young offenders who get caught in an electrical storm and all get superpowers. If you can track it down, I highly recommend watching it, it's very funny and really well made - not only a fantastic cast but the series has a great look, really desaturated with occasional highlights, such as the "offender" orange jumpsuits.

So all good things.

AND... the BIG news... BEN GOT HIS VISA! Hooray! I had to send my original British passport to Canberra a few weeks ago, which was nerve-wracking, because I hadn't had my copy certified correctly. But it obviously got there, and they've returned it to Ben, along with his visa in his passport. So he'll be booking his ticket in the next few days and then coming to live with me hurrah!

So that's it. I realise I'm being a bit crap on my blog - perhaps I should give up and join facebook? Please post any pros/cons you think of here and I'll decide based on that...!

Con #1: I said at the start of this blog that I refuse to join facebook...

January japes

What were you doing last Saturday night? I was shivering in a church in Leeds, filming a concert by the West Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra! It was pretty random. A girl I used to work with at the Barbican asked me back when I worked there - I think in September! - whether I would come and film her conducting. She paid for me to catch a train up, bought me dinner and gave me a bed for the night, all for me to use her tiny handicam for 50 minutes. There were no focus, lighting or sound controls on the camera, so I'm sure it looks a bit rubbish, but I did my bit and spent 7 hours on a train! It felt even more bizarre because I was still somewhat jetlagged.

The rest of my week hasn't been quite so strange. Work at iceandfire. Now I'm sitting at home waiting for my new flatmate to arrive - he's a friend of Jake Corbett, who shot the first prison film I directed. He works in post production and seems like a nice guy. He'll help out with the rent for a couple of months, until Ben gets here! Hopefully in mid-March...

I seem to be becoming the charity video girl! Been asked to quote on two charity videos this week, plus I had a meeting with three organisations that want to do a campaign about decriminalising debt problems - you can go to prison in the UK for not paying council tax or TV licence fees. Not surprisingly, many of these people are in debt - usually single mothers. So that's an interesting project.

I'll let you know how the charity industry goes. It's keeping me in the manner to which I hope to become accustomed...!