Nearly there

I've been slaving away at Tim's profile all day now, and I think it's nearly ready to become someone else's property. I wonder what they'll do to it - how much, or how little will change. I've sent a copy for Tim to check over for mistakes, but I don't think he checks his emails, so I won't hold my breath.

The editor at The Stage said to include Tim's top tips for aspiring actors in a box out, and I've been trying to get hold of him to ask some more questions. But I know that he's in the thick of Iago's consciousness and probably isn't thinking about anything else right now. So, I've chopped and changed the piece so that I've got Tim's top tips for playing Iago instead - just in case he doesn't call me back tomorrow.

I also hammered out my business feature this afternoon, and it seems to look OK. The transcript took me a few hours, but I high-lighted all the bits of relevance and wrote a good plan first, and that made it easier to write. It has a good narrative thread, mainly because it's another profile, so it's kind of in a chronological order.

Luckily enough, this profile was easy to set up, as I knew Tom Raffield, (co-founder of sixixis) from my undergraduate days and we quickly settled an interview on Friday. It was lovely to catch up with him and talk about his booming new business (bespoke wooden furniture design). He's just won a the Laurent-Perrier design award and that included a grands worth of prize money and a trip to Champagne. It's amazing that someone the same age as me is enjoying such success, and receiving an enormous amount of press coverage...Vogue, all the national papers, international magazines...but, he says he's still not rich.

It seemed strange that I was on the industry side of the conversation, it was so obvious that Tom had been asked all these questions a hundred times before - he was on auto-pilot. Weird, but it was fun to have a good gossip about the media industry and how it all seems to be run by affluent middle-aged women and people only interested in the next big thing. I hope I can get his profile published, but it's going to be difficult to find a publication that he hasn't featured in...

First Offer

It's all starting to make sense now.

I've been given an offer for my Tim McInnerny profile - by The Stage Magazine. At last I've broken through the icy exterior of the media industry. And it wasn't too difficult. On Wednesday night I wrote a couple of pitch letters and sent them off very late (Stranger, Cornish World, Times Culture and The Stage), in the vague hope that I might get one reply. Then went to bed feeling anxious and unsure if I was really going to get anything out of the pitches.

But when I opened my emails yesterday morning, I was ecstatic to find an email from Chris at Cornish World, saying they were interested in one of my pieces. The other email was from the editor of The Stage, Brian Attwood - saying he wanted me to make amendments to the McInnerny profile, but was definitely interested in publishing it. How unusual is that - to get such a rapid response direct from the editor, the day after a pitch, when I said I'd call him on Monday! My confidence has been re-instated, and I feel like I'm getting a good handle on the industry.

I probably won't get much money for the feature, but I don't care - I want to see my words in print. The big bucks will come later...I've got another feature I can submit to The Stage soon after this one, probably another profile. Two days after I interviewed Tim, I interviewed his partner Annie Gosney in Somerset. (She's friends with my parents and agreed to an interview at her sister's house in North Curry.) Annie is a prestigious theatre producer and set designer. She also organizes fancy parties and writes books. She was a brilliant interviewee, very forthcoming and exciting to listen to.

So, I'm thinking that I will pitch it with emphasis on her inventive skills for props and stage mud (you'll have to read the feature to find out...). Its fantastic that I've got the material for two features, just from a chance encounter at a party, but I guess it has to start somewhere.

And, I found out from Annie the day after my interview with Tim that he missed twenty minutes of a Man United match because our interview over-ran! Apparently he has season tickets and they scored three monumental goals in the first half hour...oops! Oh well, I guess it shows he's a true gentleman.

The Accidental Actor

Proceeding a few days of anticipation and subtle cajoling, I persuaded Tim to give my assistant photographer (and beloved sister) Lilli and I the opportunity to meet him at Shakespeare’s Globe for a bit of a photo session. But of course, it didn’t quite go to plan. The Othello rehearsal ran over by forty-five minutes and then the Globe stage was booked, so we had to take photos in the rehearsal room instead.

Which really wasn’t as bad as it sounds; because the room was spacious and there were a few props we could use to make it look more like a theatrical space. He’d obviously had a hard day (they’re only two weeks into rehearsals), and I got the feeling we needed to move things along swiftly. After Lilli had done her stuff with the camera, I suggested we buy Tim a drink – he really looked like he needed it! So we vacated to a pub near by.

The Thames looked beautiful as the sun set and throng of foreign kids idled beside us – we looked for an outside table to soak up the atmosphere, but hundreds of others had the same idea. Tim insisted on buying us both a G&T and we settled at a less-than-ideal table by a frosted glass window. The first ten or fifteen minutes of the interview were a bit strained, Tim seemed a little on edge, but he soon relaxed and settled into his answers.

I started with questions about the production of Othello and how rehearsals were going. He was very forthcoming and gave an in-depth analysis of the play and his character, Iago. Who incidentally – has the most lines (other than Hamlet) in any of Shakespeare’s plays. Iago is one of Tim’s biggest challenges yet, but one he says he’s determined to crack. It was interesting to hear Tim say that if there wasn’t a certain amount of fear involved in a role, it wasn’t worth pursuing – he wants to be constantly pushed by his character.

And for a man who never intended to be an actor – this speaks volumes. It was fascinating to discover that Tim only discovered his talent when his geography teacher secured him a place at the National Youth Theatre – without him even knowing! But it was obviously a push in the right direction, because he hasn’t looked back from the day that he reluctantly accepted a role in his first school play. Before he got the acting bug, Tim wanted to be a poet/novelist/tennis player, shying away from anything collaborative. To reach such a level of professionalism in the fickle entertainment trade is some feat, and the relative obscurity he came from only adds to the endearment of his rise to fame.

We also talked about his role in Severance and how he’d love to work with director Chris Smith again, and his love for working on radio and animation voice-overs. The only question he wouldn’t answer was about future projects. Understandably he doesn’t want to jinx himself by saying, “yes, I’m playing the lead in the latest Tarentino and then back to the theatre for Macbeth.” But it left me really wanting to know what he’s been offered. It must be big, if he’s worried about getting his own hopes up.

Tim had to rush off just after an hour into the interview – I had many more questions, but had plenty enough material to go home with. I think it went well, it was just a shame that the location wasn’t ideal and that Tim had had a heavy day of draining rehearsals. But it wasn’t just him who was drained. I got up after a measly three hours sleep (I always worry myself out of sleep the night before a big day), to catch the 7.01 from Penmere.

Why did I wear THOSE SHOES? Bearing in mind I’ve only ever worn my T-bars under a layer of alcohol cushioning, I didn’t realise that even before I’d left the train – I was going to be in agony all day. And to add insult to injury, I had to stand up in the train from Taunton to London because (of course) everyone and their cousin were travelling home after an Easter weekend away. I can’t even be bothered to moan about public transport, I did enough of that in the radio workshop last week…

Lilli was in the same league of pain as me, except she had socks on and so avoided the sweaty, squeltchiness entailed with bare feet and early summer heat. We hobbled around like a pair of cripples, trying our hardest to look sophisticated. We had a little light relief at lunch in the park, but by the time we’d walked to Trafalgar Square – we were gagging to find a Boots for some kind of blister/ball-of-foot assistance. We bought two pairs of insoles and found a quiet spot to load them up.

Only they didn’t make the slightest bit of difference.

I started to feel guilty that we hadn’t done anything with our day, so we got on the tube to Tate Modern. But when we got there all we could do was sit and watch as we regained consciousness in our lower extremities. If we’d have been in trainers our day would have looked remarkable different. We probably could have taken in at least two exhibitions, done some shopping and avoided most of the tube stops. I just had to go and ruin both my feet and my capacity to travel as normal.

I was so worried about this discrepancy that I started to think it would affect the interview and my performance as interviewer. Needless to say, it didn’t actually make any difference to the interview, but bloody hell – we still had to get back to Paddington and then to bed… in…those…heels. Those wretched but oh-so-beautiful heels…I officially no longer wish to suffer in the name of fashion or professionalism!

The Green Light

It's all settled. I'm meeting Tim McInnerny for an interview in London on the 10th of April.

After a couple of days trying to get hold of Tim (why are actors so illusive?), I have finally arranged my first star interview! I'm taking my sister alone to take photos (she's an ace photograph and cheap too), and I'm hoping to get some shots at the Globe, where he is rehearsing for the part of Iago in Othello (ready for production in May.) But I won't hold my breath, after a day of playing a villain with the most lines of any Shakespearean play, I'm sure Tim will be pretty desperate to get away from the place...

I must now concentrate on my research and drumming up some business for the finished feature. I'm going to pitch it to one of the weekend supplements, probably the Times or the Observer. It going to be tricky, but with such a big name and such a topical subject, I'm feeling quietly confident about it. I may ask Christina to help me decide the best way to go about selling it, because I don't want to make any mistakes.

I'm now back in Falmouth after a fabulous two weeks work experience in Bristol. I went to a production company situated by the docks (next door to Aardman and the ss Great Britain). Calling The Shots are a micro indie, which means they have a small team of dedicated staff, with a real passion for reaching the voice of the local community. Obviously they aim for the big commissions, but the terrestrial broadcasters don't seem to want to spend much money on the indies. Which is a shame, because the quality of their work, and the issues they specialise in are more interesting than most of the crap you see on TV today.

In my first week I read a pile of scripts and wrote reports for each of them. I enjoyed this immensely, and it was great to see what makes a good script and to look at a script with the production values and budget allowances in mind. I had to consider if the writer was worth working with, if they had the right 'talent' for CTS, and if I thought the script was worth pursuing. At the end of the week I was researching funding and commissioning opportunities in the UK and Europe, which benefited CTS and opened my eyes to the current trends in commissioning.

I also went to the Watershed to help film an interview with Sue Lion, who is the managing Director of the Encounters Short Film Festival. I got her business card and I will be taking part in the festival in November as a volunteer. I won't get paid and accommodation won't be included, but it'll be a grand way of meeting a bunch of actors/producers/commissioners/directors.

In the second week I helped edit a live script, which was being put into production as we were working on it. We made a few alterations and then I was asked to do some archive research and sourcing contacts for the project. In the middle of the week I went to Gloucester with Marina to film part of a documentary with an animator whose been commissioned by Channel 4. As the week drew to a close, I felt a bit sad - I was really enjoying my time there, really felt like I was beginning to fit in.

Steve took me to a Media Networking event in a really posh bar on Park Street - I felt so very out of place. I really don't like this side to the industry - hob-knobbing for the sake of finding a connection. But, Steve introduced me to some lovely people, including a script editor for Channel 4, Abigail Davies. She was very enthusiastic and impressed with the cheap business card I gave her, complaining that she still wouldn't know what to put on her business card! I got her email, and I want to try and get an interview with her at some point for bloc-online.

On my last day, Jeremy and Marina took me out for lunch, and we discussed the placement. They have offered me some copy writing work, and have told me to get in contact with them when I move to Bristol. Lovely people, really honest and down-to-earth. I hope to work with them again some day soon.

First Brush With Celebrity

So it was Nancy’s sixtieth birthday last night, and my first one to one encounter with a celebrity. Mum wasn’t sure if Tim McInnerny and his partner Annie were going to be there, because it was the first dress rehearsal of Annie’s new play in London. But, lucky for me, they arrived somewhat fashionably late. I didn’t feel as anxious as I first thought, but I wasn’t sure how to approach him and when to go for the kill and ask him if he’d give me an interview.

Mum was hastening me to introduce myself and get on with it, but I wanted to wait till he’d settled into the swing of the party. So I had a glass of sparking pink and felt less than comfortable in my borrowed red silk dress and mum’s original croc stilettos. They were too big for me, but suited the dress so well I had to forget the pain. I’d stuffed so much cotton wool in the toes that my poor feet felt thoroughly trapped. I sat and ate a Mexican feast at a table with dad, Tim, Nancy’s son Henry and his girlfriend. At this point I begin to feel at ease, but still didn’t feel it was the right time to approach the subject of the interview.

Paul and Nancy hired a projector for the night and we watched the classically cheesy cult movie Flash Gordon. (Something everyone could relate to in one-way or another.) We had a proper interval at half time, with ice cream and wafers. It’s hilarious to be aware of the ‘in jokes’ after so many years of viewing Flash purely as a fantastic rollick through space. Just as spectacular as I remember from my childhood, but now added with a thick layer of sexual innuendo and tongue in cheek humour. The special effects barely look dated, and the wardrobe department must have had all their Christmases in one go sourcing the whacky costumes (and painting Ming’s eyebrows.)

After the showing I felt the time dissolving, and quickly gravitated to mum and dad, who were chatting to Tim. I waited for my time to open a conversation, and asked him what it was like working on Severance. He was only too happy to divulge a fair few anecdotes about the experience, his relationship with the production team and the trials of filming in Hungary. At last I had engaged him, and although I was dying on my feet in those ridiculous heels, I was making headway. I couldn’t decide when to ask him about the interview, but when he told me about his casting in a new production of Othello at the Globe, I thought that would be a good angle for an interview; Tim goes back to the theatre.

So I said, “Would you be interested in giving me an interview sometime?” and then, “Is it ok to take your details?” To my immense relief, he said, “yes” to both. I wonder if the red dress had made an impression, or was it just my natural charm? So anyway, I got him to write down his number and email and he said something like, “lets do lunch sometime…” So I think as soon as I’ve got my work experience out of the way, I’ll give him a call and arrange a day trip to London. I was nicely surprised at how approachable Tim was, and how interested he was in what I was doing. He even said he’d be interested in reading my script! (Note that I never use exclamation marks, but I thought it was highly appropriate here.)

I know I was pretty lucky for it to work out like that, but it wasn’t quite as hard as I thought it was going to be. I hope he will follow up his promise. But if he’s too busy, I could always interview Annie, as I’m sure she’s got her fair share of stories to tell. Either way, it’s another name to add to my contacts book (yuck, that sounds so shallow.) I don’t know if I could make a full time living out of this, but it is kind of fun and involves a lot of careful planning (which I’m getting better at) and working out the best time to strike in the hope of turning a few tiny cogs in the media machine.

Meeting McInnerny

How ironic is this - I've been invited to a party (with my parents), by their friend, whose sister just so happens to be married to no other than... Tim McInnerny. And if I remember correctly, I was only writing about him here on this blog last week. What a fabulous chance to get drunk with him and persuade to give me an interview. I'd be very stupid not to jump on the opportunity.

I want to ask him about being the bit-part player, how it feels to have been in many a big movie, but never quite reaching lead man status (apart from Severance I guess). I've done some research, and I found out that McInnerny left Black Adder because he was worried about being type cast - but pretty much every role he's played since then, he's been a slightly different reincarnation of Percy. A bumbling, classically eccentric English man. Not that there is anything wrong with that, he suites that character to a tee. But I can't help wondering if he craves a bigger role, or if he just waiting to take himself and us by surprise? Maybe he's secretly craving to play a serial killer or Doctor Who, I can't wait to ask him what he's got up his sleeve. There must be something there, waiting to rustle some Hollywood feathers.

I'm back in Somerset for three weeks, two of which will be spent in Bristol, reading scripts for Calling The Shots. I'm also supposed to be reviewing a gig at the Bridgwater Palace (band called Babyhead), and working on my MA proposal. There's also bloc (www.bloc-online.com) artwork to create, business cards to make and two features to culminate. It ain't gunna be easy, it certainly ain't gunna be much of a 'break', but I'm quite used to working like Paul Daniels on speed now - so I won't complain.

My parents friend John is a bit of a geezer, he knows people who know people and he's a bit of a media bitch. I asked him last night, if he'd give me Julien Temple's (Big Film Director) number, but he declined - saying he thought he'd have enough press by now! That's fair enough, but should I persist with it? I know another of mum and dad's friend's who'd quite happily divulge that information. I want to get as many interviews as possible whilst I'm in the hood, and there are certainly enough eccentric characters to go around there.

I've met Julien before, when I was very young - but now as my interest in film seems to be becoming more than an obsession, it would be amazing to talk to him about what he does best. He's got a new film out soon, about Joe Strummer from the Clash (who he was good friends with), so it would be a highly topical interview. But maybe John's right, maybe he's too busy to talk to a (semi) professional writer, who happens to be the daughter of a friend of a friend. I'll going to give it a go, but I've got a feeling it may have to wait till I've found my feet in the world.

But, you know - Tim McInnerny will certainly do for now, and maybe he's got a host of famous friends he's dying to introduce to me....

(Excited face) My website www.hollywicks.co.uk is now live on the internet, so go have a look - now.

Severance

Watched a cracking good British film last night - Severance. I don't remember hearing anything about it when it was released, the promotion team can't have had much to work with, and what a shame. But now on DVD, I hope the word gets round - we need more British ballsy movies like this. Set in Eastern Europe, the plot centres around a group of employees sent on a 'team building' weekend that goes horribly wrong when they end up in the wrong place in the wrong part of the country.

Oh course, the mixed bag of characters play off each other perfectly - an array of oddballs straying just far enough from their stereotypes to be highly entertaining and empathetic. Tim McInnerny leads the team as the hapless, bumbling fool, blissfully ignored by Danny Dyer's perfectly portrayed 'geezer' - the rebel with an alternative motive to turn the trip into a drug fuelled orgy. But, unfortunately - something gets in the way. And that something involves lots of killing, blood, arguing and general unpleasantness.

What starts as a comedy 'fish-out-of-water' flick darkly moves into a serious horror. But the laughs still roll in thick and fast, with light relief generally provided by Danny Dyer. The third act may go on a little too long, but the action and clever plot devices make this a romper-stomper. Only two of the characters make it out alive, as the narrative gravitates full circle - and the irony of their situation is revealed.

Witty, potent and suitably gory, Severance's strongest hook remains, (for me) with the sterling cast of predominantly British actors and their lovable characters. And when the McInnerny character stumbles across a mine his company made, he's faced with a lose-lose situation. His demise bids the others some much-needed get away time, but you can't help wishing he had a few more minutes of screen time, along with the others that perished long before him.

U-TURN

I've just changed my MA project significantly and I'm so glad I had the guts to do it. My old idea was stuck in a rut, I couldn't see where it was going. In our scriptwriting session last week I realised that I need a story that is smaller in scope but big on attitude. A plot involving at least ten characters and nuclear war, as well as several location changes, just isn't going to work for a new writer. The research alone probably would have taken me up to September.

I was so hooked on my satirical look at the world, I didn't think about the practicalities. My new idea is a complete U-turn, a small story, character driven, and it has a feasible research time-span. It is important to make an impression, but also stick to realistic production values. There is more chance of my new idea getting produced, it can't all be island hopping and special effects. In fact, if I'd have run with my first idea, I'd probably have been laughed out of space for being a pretentious armature.

Ohh, the trials and tribulations of being a writer...

I've always been a fan of independent, obscurely original films. So I will now be watching a whole lot of these indie films for inspiration.

Class Act

I'm so glad I chose to take the Scriptwriting unit this semester. Colin is a wonderful mentor, he couldn't be less like a teacher if he tried. That's not to say he's a push over, or he's not competent. Colin has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in TV and film, he doesn't boast about his connections in Hollywood or Bollywood, but he has got more than a stadium full of stories to tell.

We all agree that Colin is going to be the perfect guide for us, as he understands our warped sense of humour and I can see our group producing some outstanding work together. I'm excited about collaborating with our small but perfectly formed set. Just from today's session, we've got a good idea of what we all want from the unit and there are some great ideas emerging already.

On a slightly different tip, feature writing is also turning out to be very rewarding. Although it is extremely time consuming, once I've settled into a routine and worked out time slots for each of the units, things should pan out nicely. I've just finished the first draft of a feature on freecycling, pitched at Country Living magazine. I've had a brief look at their website and I think there is a gap there for my piece. I'm going to buy a copy of the mag tomorrow, just to make sure I get the tone of voice right and to check they haven't already covered freecycling.

I need to think about what I'm going to write about next week, to save any panic this weekend. Thinking ahead is what it's all about with features. I'd love to think of something really original to write about - but I think everything has been done before. All you can do is regurgitate an old story, but with a fresh angle. Sounds ominous, but it is actually quite liberating. I'm finding out all sorts of facts and figures, on subjects that kind of interest me to begin with - but have ended up being quite fascinating afterwards.

Is Cornwall The New California?

I've just finished the first draft of my feature. After a few days of avid research, emails and phone calls - I was bursting with the need to write up the burning pile of notes in front of my computer. The word limit of 500 quickly ran to 700. I could have written double that, and found it difficult to hold my focus.

I found some interesting sources, including a man who moved to Helston to run a B&B after living the high life as a manager at Disney in California. That lifestyle change could have been used as a feature in itself, but there was so much more I wanted to explore. The final section centres on the Cornish Film industry, and how Hollywood has been using Cornish locations recently, bringing a lot of money into the county. Again, I'd like to write a feature taking a closer look at the effects of major film production in Cornwall.

Everyone I spoke to was extremely helpful - I found quite quickly that it's better to say you're a freelance journalist than a student, they tend to take you more seriously. We'll be churning out a feature every week, which sounded daunting last week, but having got my first draft done today, I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to keep up with the work load. It's the research that takes time, the writing part is liberating and free-flowing.

Screenwriting starts next week - I've got to watch Legally Blonde tonight, (I'm guessing it's on the list becuase it has a good structure?) I'm just over half way through one of the Resnick books, and I'm going to try and do some of the exercises in my 'Writing TV Scripts' work book. I've got a list of six possible script ideas - one of which I'll be using for my dissertation. The radio plan may have to change, I don't think it's going to be possible to record it at Tremough - so, I'll have to make a backup plan.

I had an idea for a story earlier - it's a sit-com set up, charting the trials and tribulations of a group of 'extra sensed' sufferers. By 'extra sensed', I mean they have one extra sense, they hear and see things beyond the scope of normal people. One man hears every one of his bodily functions, another sees the blood and other fluids that flow behind his eyes. I think it would be fun because the camera could get inside their bodies, adding an extra dimension to the comedy.

Little Miss Sunshine

What pleasure can be gained from such a small, seemingly insignificant dysfunctional family?
A lot. I know that Little Miss Sunshine has radiated a rapturous entrance into our lives, but I have only just had the opportunity to be exposed to the eternal rays of Little Miss S. I enjoyed it so much, I had to re-watch it three times this weekend.

Waiting to know what Olive will perform in the contest is justly satisfied from the very first beats of 'Super Freak'. A kid - the least conventionally good-looking kid of the beauty pageant line-up, stripping! It's wrong, but so right at the same time. You can see the spirit of grandpa sparkling in Olive's spectacles - she's one happy little gal. But when you watch for the second time, you think - why didn't I think of that before, of course he'd have taught her something saucy. He's a womanizer, from the start, he's telling his grandson to go get some, why not teach your granddaughter a few soft porn moves to carry on the tradition?

And when the whole family get up on stage and start flailing their limbs around, I could feel my cheeks tightening to the point of no return. Tiny, hot tears of joy sat plump at the corners of my eyes and as the family got back on the road home, I preyed that the blackened screen would open up again for another instalment.

I love the desperate dynamics of the family, how they manage to upset each other - just by looking a certain way, or saying one word out of place. But the premise of the pageant brings them colliding together, apples, pears, and queers. The yellow bus - a symbol of hope, but also (ironically) a burden and menace throughout. It beeps uncontrollably at the most inappropriate times, the clutch won't shift - but these things help entwine the family, in a way nothing else could have.

Each character is wrestling with a personal demon, and little by little, each demon is exhumed. I read somewhere in Creative Screenwriting magazine that the producer and writer of LMS were worried that the story was too small for Hollywood. I think the cast and strong characterisation make for a mammoth story, laden with trials and self-enlightenment. Sure, the scale is small, the budget is small, but small is not a compromise here.

Long live Olive, long live dysfunctional families and long live small tales big on sunshine.

Press Release

It's the second day of my work experience at the Stranger Collective, and I've got to grips with my press release assignment. It's for a very reputable bespoke shoe company, and I had to promote their new range of women's shoes. I found it easy to emulate the tone of voice of the company, but finding a story in the material I was given from the website was more time consuming. However, with some feedback from Claire, I soon realised where I was going wrong and cut out some pointless repetition and re-drafted the whole thing.

I've waiting for my next assignment, which has something to do with the Exeter University prospectus. I'm enjoying the variety of work, I think that you can find a way to get the company's voice across, without losing your own voice. Learning to write in different styles is important to me because I think the more versatile I can be, the more recognition I will achieve. I don't want to get tied down to one style, it's better to be open and embrace everything that is assigned to me.

In my previous entry I was panicking about work experience options, but I need fret no more. I got two responses in one day yesterday. One from a copywriting company called Ink, and a TV production company called Calling The Shots, both based in Bristol. I don't think I'll take the Ink offer up, because I'm already doing copywriting with Stranger. But I called one of the managers of Calling The Shots earlier to discuss the placement and they sounded enthusiastic.

I would be reading drama scripts for them and making suggestions/alterations. I wanted to OK it with Christina first, and she has encouraged me to accept the offer, as it is often difficult to get a foot in the door with independent production companies. I hope they get back to me soon, the only problem being, the set time frame for the placement. They wanted me to stay there for a month or two, but I had to explain that that wasn't possible, even though I wanted to. But, Jeremy said there may well be a few projects under way by March, so that is encouraging news.

I also emailed an influential woman at the BBC drama department today, with the recommendation of Paul Dodgson (ex BBC 4 radio producer). It's a bit of a shot in the dark, but even if I helped out as a runner for a couple of days, it would look great on my CV. I hope I hear something back from her, even if it's a rejection letter.

So I've got another three days at Stranger, then a week to prepare myself for the second semester. Which means deciding which publications I want to aim my features at and coming up with at least five ideas to be getting on with. Then, I've got to do the same with TV/Radio ideas. As well as starting some research for my dissertation. Phew... That's a lot of work - But I love it.

I still haven't paid the rest of my fees, I'm going to wait until they get heavy on me. I figure that I should get my free Cornish money as soon as I finish at Stranger and Claire has signed the papers. If that is correct, I will only have to pay about eight-hundred pounds to the college. Which will cut some slack on my credit card, and lessen my monthly repayments. Then hopefully I won't need to get out another card to pay for the repayments. Yah.

Hand In Hullabaloo

hullabaloo - oooo!

So many contradicting ideas; first it's 1.5 spacing, then it's double, then it's 1.5 again.
Do we hand in two copies of everything? I hope not, I'm seriously running out of ink and money to pay for ink. Do we have to hand in all drafts of everything? OTT alert, OTT alert.

I hate feeling like don't know what's going on, especially when this semester counts for some of the over all MA marks. But then none of us really know what's going on and when we talk about it, we upset each other by contradicting other peoples industrious flow. I'm steaming away to get everything finished tonight, my brain aches to do something other than self assess. I know it's important to know what 'needs to be improved', and 'what the best features are', but I really resent having to devote 3000 words towards it and weeks worth of my valuable time. Time that should be being spent on much more important things like MA proposals and work experience letters.

Aside from that I'm very lucky to be sitting alone at home, with very few distractions for a change. The tension here is anything but serene at times. Might still have another hour before the troops arrive, and I'll have to pack up shop and move upstairs where I can concentrate. Kellie split up with Rob on New Years Day, and ever since then, there has been a strange dichotomy emerging in their relationship.

Rob is a lazy sloth. He works from 7.30 til 4.30 as a gardener every day and then comes home, sits in his chair, moans, and then goes to bed. Kellie is the complete opposite, she's charismatic, untamed, passionate and uninhibited. She deserves so much better, and after seven years of on-off bouts with Rob, she's decided enough is enough.

But Rob won't move. He's stuck to his chair, stuck to his memories of Kellie and he just cannot see that she's not coming back to him. Ever. So here's me in the middle, kind of siding with Kellie, but feeling sorry for Rob and his uselessness. I hear their ravenous arguments day in, day out and secretly wish Rob would just give up hope and leave.

The most outrageous fight happened the other night, whilst I was cooking. Kellie had put on a CD of classical music, Bach, or something. It was very loud, just like Kel, she was singing and whistling along intermittently, (I've never heard a women produce such a beautiful array of sound), then Rob came home. The voices rose with the crescendos of the music, I could hear their din well above the strings and piano. It was almost comedy; apart from the obscene language and the threats.

Since the initial break up, what, two weeks ago - I've witnessed Robs attempts to rejuvenate himself, to prove to Kel that he's worth keeping. Piles of Multi-Vits, aftershave, new clothes and he quit smoking for all of three days! What a man. He's even concocting a TV production business plan with his (last thalidomide baby) friend Tim.

Kellie is obviously pleased for him, but he mistakes her cheerfulness as a come-on and tries to kiss her, or huddle her. Why are some men so dense? I can see from her body language, and by the fact that she sleeps in her son's room instead of his that she ain't happy - why can't he see? She's moving on, moving up. She's back in the gym every other day, also taking vitamins and buying new clothes. She's quit smoking: for real. Two weeks and two days - she's determined.

Kel's waiting. She's had enough, he's eating up her space with his smelly grass stains and dribbled conversation. Leave, leave - please Rob. We'd be a great unit without him. Me, Kel and Oscar. There'd be no arguments, just fun-fun-fun! At the moment Kel can cope with Rob's presence because he's bringing in a third of the rent, but I know there's going to be a show-down soon and it's going to be big and messy.

I know that he's hit her before, so there's no reason why that won't happen again. But I know Kel can give as good as he can give, I think she's so much stronger than him in every way.

What a couple, what a situation, what a story!

I need to base a story on this!

Dissertation Drama

So it was back to school yesterday, all bright-eyed and bushy tailed. What? Ok, that was a lie. It was great to catch up with all my chums, but there’s so much to do over the next week or so that it was hard to give my full attention to anything socially related. I got all the Xmas homework in on time, but the daunting task of finding a work placement somewhere I really want to go is proving to be a niggle that won’t stop wiggling around in my brain.

I had my first MA proposal tutorial today, and I'm relieved to have had some feedback. There is a lot of research I need to do to decide whether or not producing my radio play is viable. I’ve got to look at hiring actors, securing a technician, finding out if the Media centre is open during the summer and looking into sound effects and if the scale of the play is too big. Considering it crosses continents and engages quite a few characters, I think quite a few alterations will need to be made.

I should be securing Paul Dodgson (freelance radio producer) as my supervisor; so hopefully, I will have an expert director and producer to work with. I am determined to see this project through, even if I only record the first act. I want to have a script that stands alone, and a play that reflects my goals. I don’t think I’m going to have enough money to hire actors, but I know a few willing and able thespians that might oblige (for free, or a for a few pints).

I’m looking forward to Bill’s session tomorrow, I always feel most creative and inspired on a Thursday. For the Xmas homework I adapted The Tempest into a modern gangster thriller. I got so involved in it; I had to write the entire story, which amounted to over three thousand words. It goes a little something like this:

Prospero is banished on an island by the mafia because his best friend (Alonzo) thinks he’s muscling in on his territory. Miranda and Prospero meet Ariel, a gibbering fool, with no memory. (Didn’t know his name, so named himself after detergent box washed up on the island.) Ten years pass, Miranda blossoms into a beautiful young teenager. Caliban arrives on the island, undetected. (Sent by Alonzo to keep track on their activities.) Caliban is a hideous thug, deliriously enthralled by Miranda. He attempts to rape her, Ariel intervenes and saves Miranda.

Caliban warns him that Alonzo and his mob are coming to kill Prospero, and they prepare their attack. Alonzo, Ferdinand, Antonio and Stephano come ashore and Caliban alerts Alonzo of Prospero’s where abouts. Alonzo wants to ask forgiveness from his wronged friend. But unaware of this change of heart, Prospero is still intensely angry for Alonzo’s deception, and he kills him.

Miranda falls in love with Ferdinand and he hides her in the boat to take her back to New York. Caliban kills both of them in a frenzied fit of jealous rage. Then persuades Stephano and Antonio to kill Prospero, so they can take over Alonzo’s gang title. In the meantime, Ariel finds the dead bodies and swears revenge.

The show down:
Prospero is killed; Ariel finds his supply of gunpowder, boards the boat with Caliban hot on his heels. As Ariel blows himself and the boat out of the water, the traitors remain stranded on the island.

Who said The Tempest had to remain a romantic comedy? Come on, be honest - it was gagging for a splash of blood and some treachery!

NY Resolutions?

I think I jinxed myself in my last entry. I said I’d be quite happy to sit in with my snivelling boyfriend and watch videos. Well I did stay in, but it was a little more traumatic then I’d expected. I was blissfully unaware of Luke’s deteriorating condition as I made champagne toasts with my neighbours and parents, early in the evening of NYE. I left at seven-thirty, thinking that Luke would probably tell me off for being late.

But when I arrived at his house, I got a bit of a shock: there was Luke, huddled on the sofa in a big duvet, shivering all over and sweating like a marathon runner. He could barely talk, blood was coming out of his nose where he’d been blowing it so much and the veins on his temples pumped wildly whenever I touched his head. I was seriously worried, I’d never seen Luke ill before. It was obvious he had a fever, but I didn’t know what to do – I’d make a terrible nurse.

So I phoned the NHS emergency hotline, and spoke to a nurse who asked what his symptoms were. She was very calm and efficient, talking me through all the things I could do to lower his temperature. Luke wasn’t being cooperative; I kept saying ‘but the nurse said…’ which seemed to work eventually. I put frozen peas on his head, wrapped wet cloths around his hands, made him eat ice cream and replaced his duvet with a thin sheet. It was amazing how quickly his temperature dropped – I felt quite proud of myself, until Luke puked up the ice cream.

Aside from that the nurse arranged an appointment for Luke at the local hospital. This was at ten-thirty, and although his condition seemed to have stabilised, we still thought we’d better get him checked over. So we spent about an hour waiting to see the doctor for an appointment that lasted no more than five minutes. I got the impression that the doctor had seen more than enough flu sufferers for one day, but he suggested a few good tips to alleviate Luke’s condition.

We were both exhausted by the time we got back, and Luke was ready to sleep off his ailment. So, as he drifted off into a troubled, turbulent slumber, I watched the NY fireworks from the living room window, and then went to sleep. At least I didn’t see the New Year in with a fatal headache! I felt fresh and ready to face a NY’s day with extended family – I was even able to partake in in-depth conversations about my course and drink bubbly at lunch (simultaneously.)

And now, four days in, I’m ready to disclose my resolutions:

1) Get hold of some money to have fun without worrying about the holes in my pockets and to pay for the rest of my course.
2) Make some money from my writing, even if it’s just a few tiny-weenie words. Or, preferably, enough to pay my course fees.
3) Go on holiday. There are still another two months worth of winter left – I need some sunshine. Now.
4) Stop eating chocolate. I weighed myself at the gym today – I’ve put on a few pounds (OK, maybe five) in just three weeks. How is that possible? I went walking nearly every day at home!
5) Promote myself – it’s time I employed a ruthless advertising strategy to create some serious self –branding. I’ve already begun constructing my business cards, which include a black & white photo of moi on the back! Well, they say that people remember images more than words, so I might as well test this notion.
6) Get up earlier. I have to admit that I slipped into my old ways over Xmas, lying in till ten or eleven most days. Eekk! If it’s any consolation, I did feel very guilty for doing so. I am slowly getting back into my routine though. Ten-to-nine yesterday, half-past-eight today. I’ll be ready for seven-thirty by Monday!
7) Look after my body. By this I mean, the usual health treats and tortures needed to ensure good posture and complexion. Working out, eating like a Chinese woman and nourishing my skin.

I’m sure there are many more, but these are the most important. Life’s too short to write lists longer than seven items any way.