After 4 hours in the Electric House I got send off with some home work and now I have the rest of the weekend off. Nice. The home work consists of compiling a list of festivals I am going to submit the film to. At this moment Cannes and the UK Raindance festival are the two major ones we have in mind but I will have to do some research. Yes M is taking all this very seriously, I better start to do that too.

Oh festivals by the way, here is how it works: you send your film, you pay them a fee (Cannes f.ex. was 75 Euros last year), they will look at your film, you cross your fingers and hope they decide it is good enough to be shown. So it has to be pretty good.
Read the rest of this entry »

If you can’t stand reading about my short film you are going to have a tough time, it will probably be the most written about subject here, mostly because I want to document for my self how this all came about. If I don’t write it down now, I will forget how things went. So bear with me if you want to read about other things, November might be a good time to come back.

But: Things are really starting to happen now.

Apart from my next meeting with M on Saturday morning, I now also have a script readthrough appointment on Tuesday.

M has invited two professional actors over who are going to read the script out loud. There are two reasons why we need to do this:

• we need to time the script. We need to have a fair idea of how long the film is going to be.
• it will tell me as a writer if the dialogue I have written works, if it sounds right, if the sentences are natural to speak for an actor, all that kind of stuff. I will probably be cringing hearing my own script read back to me, but it will be a major learning experience. I will make notes of the actors’ comments and improve the script after that so it is in tip top shape for the shoot.

So that is all very exiting.

Just as exciting is that I have my first cast member confirmed! It’s for one of the minor roles but he is very experienced, he has done a lot of film and tv work and he is very, erhm, handsome! So all good news!

The film production meeting went extremely well. And I think I dare say that it is going to happen now. It has been a long time coming but that is a good thing, I am ready for it now. And waiting for the right people to work on this project is so much more important than finishing it in a rush. And I have been incredibly lucky getting this producer on board because she is nice, funny, generous and really really good.

The members only bar in Notting Hill was quite poshy by the way. I was prepared for that, and was properly dressed this time : jacket, nice shirt, jeans and okay a pair of Converse sneakers. But hey, even Dr. Who wears them, so what can be wrong with those?

Read the rest of this entry »

or How not to attend a film premiere (More at Empire).

Now it wasn’t Leicester Square okay and thank goodness for that. As Leicester Square is normally packed with hundreds of people and the red carpet is really long. No this was Chelsea which posh level suited a Brideshead premiere better.

I was there in good time and found the man who was going to hand me the ticket. He was standing opposite the cinema and handed me a golden envelope. There were some policemen in front of the cinema and there were a lot of press mosquitos. I opened the enveloper, checked my ticket (front row seats - wow) and read the letter that accompanied it. Welcome to the premiere yada yada - Dress code: lounge suits.

Read the rest of this entry »

After five and a half week I got the results of my operation today, it’s good news I am fine. And relieved. And after having it nagging about in the back of my head for that long it might take a while before I get used to not worrying about it anymore.

And to celebrate it I just got an email that I won two tickets to the Brideshead Revisited premiere, which takes place tonight at 6.30pm at the Chelsea Cinema, Kings Road. The film stars Emma Thompson, Matthew Goode and Ben Whishaw, all of whom will be attending the premiere.

I have never seen the TV version which I think is a part of becoming a true Brit. I hope watching the film will give me some points towards that too though. I look forward to this film.

I have one spare ticket, any takers? You have to be able to be in Chelsea tonight around 6.15pm.

One of the other things we did was a Seafari trip in the bay of Kenmare. Recommended if you ever get to that area as it was fun and we got to see seals very close by. Apart from that - they served an orange lollipop and tea the milky way with biscuits on board - so what more do you want.

More seals, and some sheep, actually »

Yes OK, so he wanted to come along to Ireland, and seeing as both me and my friend are quite fond of Davy (and the man behind the tentacles) we took him out on several trips to show him some bits of Ireland.

(Click the image for a larger version)

Read the rest of this entry »

I do love dogs, which was good as I spent a lot of time with two of them during my holiday. I shared a house with M&M for ten days and this nose was the first thing I saw when I woke up. This one, and the nose of her sister, sniffing and wagging their tales trying to persuade me to get up.

Get up! Get up! We want to go to the beach - now! Get up!

More dog pictures »

I am back in London after a wonderful long week in Ireland.

While Ireland is famous for its rainy weather, and I did in fact arrive in rainy weather, it all changed on Sunday and I had a week with marvelous weather, lots of sea, beautiful scenery, tea in bed and full english every morning, two lovely dogs to walk, light houses, yellow shells, sheep, black berries, seals, beautiful flowers, Davy Jones and the good company of my best friend.

It was incredibly peaceful and quiet and on our daily morning walk to the beach it was absolutely silent, no sounds at all. The step to a crowded London tube was nearly too big.

Ireland is to be recommended and some more photos are on their way. Now it’s back to working on my short film.

My bag is packed and I am half in bed typing this. I will leave for Ireland tomorrow, flying from Heathrow to Cork where I will be picked up. From there we will drive to Coornagillagh (Kerry).

It is a very quiet area on the south west coast, 4 houses and a pub, that kind of quiet. There is no internet connection and there won’t be any computers near either (so no response to emails for a while). But there will be good company, two dogs, books, notebooks and pens and loads of rom-com DVD’s. Oh, and ScraBill.

I think it is going to be good. I will be back in London on Monday the 22nd of September.

Be good while I am gone.

Dear readers!

I just want to give you an update on the plate as I am even starting to get emails from very friendly people around the globe about this.
People I don’t even know! The wonder of the internet.

The thing is that I have been thinking. Yes I was very attached to this plate.
Because I bought it in London.
Because I came to London with two bags of clothes and nothing else and this was one of the first things I bought starting a new life here.
Because I’ve always had a weak spot for Peanuts and Snoopy.

And then it slipped through my fingers while doing the dishes and it shattered.

I have been thinking if buying the exact same plate on eBay (overpriced and shipped from the US) would somehow work as a replacement.
And I think the answer to that question is no.
No because it just would not be the same.
The plate I dropped can not be replaced, as it was much more than just a plate. It was my plate.

So thank you for all you concern and tips on how to get the same Snoopy plate back but I will leave it.
In stead I will look for a replacement plate in London.
In one of the many charity shops.
Who knows, they might have another Snoopy one.
Or a red plate.
Or a white one with red hearts on it!

A new plate is out there somewhere waiting for me and I am sure I’ll find it.

Contemplate
verb (contemplated, contemplating) 1 to think about; to go over something mentally; to meditate. 2 to look thoughtfully at something. 3 to consider something as a possibility

(PS1 I am still on a write break but felt this needed clearing up! I will return after my holiday, where I hopefully also finally know the results of my operation. The waiting is exhausting me. No bonus points for speed for the NHS in this case.)

(PS2: Did I simply forget the most important thing? The new QOS trailer is online. As in yummy.)

I really really loved that plate. It was one of the first things I bought after I moved to London. In the charity shop in Croydon. I was really very attached to it. Am sure it is impossible to get the same one as it is rather old.

Bugger.

In other news: I am going to take a short break from writing here. I hope to return latest after my holiday which will be around the 23rd of September. I might twitter a bit though now and then.

Be good.

Yes, sorry Daniel. It has been quiet here for a while. This is mostly to blame on my writer’s block which I think is caused by me waiting for the results of my bearaBill operation. I haven’t heard anything yet, which is a good thing. But the waiting kind of drains my energy and creativity and I am mentally exhausted. I have never slept this many hours before.

Today however, something sparked me into action: I have finally found a production manager for SweetArts. YAY! Not only is she very experienced, she is also the nicest person and she is really cool too! She is slightly older than I am and I feel so very lucky to have her on board.

I had spoken to her in the beginning in August, but my schedule seemed to clash with hers which is why it ended there. She suddenly called me last week to ask me how things went, we talked again, and she said that she loved the script and the project so much that she is going to squeeze it into her calendar. A shoot in October is now more than likely to happen.

I have spoken to a lot of experienced producers/production managers the last couple of weeks. It amazes me how interested (feature film) experienced people are in short films. I was about to settle for paying one to do the work and they don’t come cheap, but I just wanted to move on. And I also really want to pay the woman who I recruited now, but she doesn’t want any money - much better to put the money in making the film better - is what she said. See - she is such a great and generous person!

I need to start pick up things like casting, and finding the last 2 locations again soon. I will try to see what I can do before my holiday, but if all goes well I will have a good rest in Ireland and will come back ready to go and make it really happen.

If there is something I learn in this process - it is to be patient. I am so not patient by nature, but I am glad I waited for the right production manager to come along.

Oh, what is Daniel Craig doing up there you wonder? Nothing in particular. It’s just something nice to look at, and if you want to see more new stills from the upcoming Quantum of Solace, then here you go.

Danish music magazine Gaffa.dk has an interview with my other hero:

What things that you know today would you have liked to know then (1984) ?

Jeg ville gerne have vidst, at det går over. Alting går over. Det er utrolig vigtigt at vide. Desværre har det gode det også med at gå over. Men den glade nyhed er, at det jo kun går over, for at der skal komme noget nyt. At det forholder sig sådan, ville jeg egentlig godt have vidst. Det ville have sparet mig mange søvnløse nætter.

Seeing as most of you don’t understand Danish, I did a pathetic attempt to translate it:

I would have liked to know that it passes. Everything passes. That is really important to know. Unfortunately the good things don’t last forever either. But the good news is that things only pass because something new is waiting to take over. That things work like this, that’s something I would really have liked to know. It would have saved me from many sleepless nights.

I kind of cling on to his words at the moment, as he is right, everything passes and new things will arrive at the horizon.

He is a very funny, inspirational and intelligent man (and yes he is tall and has lanky legs too), and I look very much forward to see them play in Shepherds Bush Empire in London in November.

Anything you would have liked to know in 1984 that you know today?

• I saw My Zinc Bed on BBC2. It was originally a play by David Hare, who now adapted it for television.

  The problem with theatre plays being adapted for telly is that there is so much talk in them. My Zinc Bed was no exception. And despite an interesting cast (Paddy Considine, Jonathan Pryce and Uma Thurman) it did not manage to pull me in. I made it to the end, but didn’t feel touched. I think they should have left it as a play. And I also felt that Paddy Considine was completely wrongly casted.

  Clearly my interest for David Hare plays have been awakened by both The Vertical Hour (Nighy) and Amy’s View (Felicity Kendall), which I both saw and loved.

• I saw Get Smart with the lovely Steve Carell. He is a master of dead pan comedy and great to watch, but the rest of the film was a bit, ehrm, predictable. Let’s have Steve do a rom-com again, as he does that so well.
  Rating:
• I still have problems sitting. The stitches will be removed on Monday, so hopefully things will improve after that. And I also might get rid of my new nickname then: Frankenstein
• The Portobello Filmfestival starts tonight. A big part of it is held in Westbourne Studios, which is where I work. I am not planning to see much, but will for sure try to get a ticket to Hammer&Tongs, an evening about the work of the geniuses behind both the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy film and Son of Rambow. Wicked.
• Only 16 nights until my holiday. You so don’t care about hearing that, but it’s what keeps me going.

And yes I am still working on my film.

It’s really not bad to spend your 42nd birthday with your best friend in a cafe in Widecombe-In-The-Moor having a cream tea that looked as good as this and tasted as good too.

We also visited Princetown which is known for the prison. And if you have seen Lucky Break (which of course you have, as Bill is in it) then you might recognize the prison. Lucky Break has partly been shot in Dartmoor Prison.

In Princetown I had my first Knickerbocker Glory ever (good experience) in a cafe built in their old police station.

And we also visited Exmouth which is a lovely town on the coast. And Budleigh which is an even lovelier small town on the coast with a pebbled beach and red cliffs in stead of the white chalky ones. Most importantly here though is that they sell the best ice cream I have tasted in Britain so far.

My birthday was perfect, and my weekend was too.

Last year I was hoping that the year ahead would have me make my short film. I did not quite manage to pull that off but I am still quite confident that SweetArts will be shot in October this year.

In between everything, I have actually written 5 pages of brand new (feature length) script. There is no chance that I will finish this script anytime soon, but the beginning is there.

My mind is thinking about the story a lot, there are a couple of options and I am trying to figure out the best one. I think it will be more rom and less com this time, even though there will certainly be things to laugh about. I actually look forward to return to my writing in a cafe life style. Billy Mac(book) hasn’t been out for a while so he is eager to get back out there too.

Next week I hope to have a break through on the search for Producer/Production manager mission for SweetArts. I don’t dare to count on anything for certain because I have seen too many people come and quickly go again, but something tells me that this might be the real deal. Maybe I am just ignorant, or maybe with a little luck, it falls into place.

If that is the case, I need to get back to focusing on casting. I watched the audition tapes again, and there are certainly a couple of women I can see as June. But I am not too sure I have spotted Dan amongst the men yet.

And look at the above snap shots: it is very likely that this is going to be the location for the art school. The pictures are not very clear, but there are easels (they are leaning against the wall folded together on this photo), brushes, paint and all kind of other art school stuff around in this place. And seeing as it is in fact a place where they teach art, it seems perfect to me. It is also pretty spacious so enough room for a camera crew. So I think that location nut is cracked. That leaves a bookshop and a park to sort out still.

This weekend I have been invited over to wonderful Devon by my good friend. I look forward to some fresh air, the sea, excellent company and to meet her two lovely dogs.

Enjoy the weekend wherever you are.

Yesterday was the day where they removed three moles from different places of my body. I am not a big fan of hospitals (who is - but I have a neurotic fear for them) and did my very best not to have a nervous breakdown about it.

With a tube strike threatening on the horizon I left in good time just to not be late. I was there about an hour too early and decided that in stead of waiting in the hospital itself, it would probably be better to have a tea the milky way in the Starbucks next door. So I sat there and tried to concentrate on reading The Times for a while.

I entered 15 minutes before scheduled time, and of course, as dire chance and fateful cockup would have it, I had too wait there for over an hour because everything was delayed. In that hour my stomach had turned into some strange chemical factory.

When it was finally my turn I had to wear a silly hospital coat and lay down on the table. I find operations where you are still conscious scary. I don’t want to see what they are doing, because even if you won’t feel anything (due to anesthetic) I have a lively imagination. Add to that the overdose of CSI drama I have seen on the telly, and you get an idea of what it looks like in my head.

So when I lay there staring at the lights, trying hard not to look at what they were doing, I got an idea.
“Would it be OK if I listened to my iPod while you are working on me?” I asked “It might calm me down and will give me something to concentrate on”.
They thought it was a great idea.
The nurse gave me my iPod.
There was only one thing I wanted to listen to - the voicilicious man.
I picked one of my favourite radioplays with him. It’s a one hour long one (called: All Fingers And Thumbs), it always makes me laugh and I knew that I would be off the table around the end of it.

It worked perfectly. And they were faster: 45 minutes to remove 3 bits of suspicious ehrm bits. There are stitches, and it’s hard to sit, because one of the spots was right on the sitting area - but that will heal. Now there is the one month waiting time to get the hopefully “all clear”. I think I need to listen to a lot of radio plays with Bill the coming period, as the waiting drives me nuts.

(I will spare you the rest)

• A man prays a really really long prayer before he throws himself on the now even less lukewarm hamburger.
• A young couple looking very Dutch and very much in luv - eats a McFlurry. To them I would like to say, despite the Notting Hill MacD’s attempt to have it look like a showroom for Danish design furniture - get a grip - eating in MacD is not romantic!
• An old homeless man having a coffee and a sit down, wearing a large badge on his jacket saying “Don’t Panic”. Maybe that was a sign, and maybe he was a hitchhiker.
• A wannabe writer/director trying to hold on to the phrase of that man’s badge. Don’t Panic. Producer/Production manager type of person - where are you? Somewhere over the rainbow?

About the picture - it’s taken from my doorstep. There is really nothing wrong with rain.