Working Away Through The Talent

This time last year I was gearing up for my first production with BakerNunPixie. It was a fantastic balls to the floor achievement given I was working nights, had never produced anything before and had five weeks to write, shoot, edit and enter the short film into the competition. With a good team around us this proved to be a good experience and I think ForeverTogether stands up quite well in terms of quality productions. There are a lot worse and more shabbily mounted films out there.

So what do we have this year? we have a piece inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey,  Steven Moffat and The Shining. A prequel short to a feature film that combines Dog Soldiers, Jaws and Rab C Nesbitt. Perhaps a little bit more of Eliza (oh how I love that character) and her playthings from Roulette of Horror. We have a new crew under our wing. We have in house editing. We have our returning star actress, and possibly star actors. In a lot of ways we're approaching this year as something new, but with the experience of last year behind us. Which then leads onto more questions, specifically what do we want and where are we going? So in that vein here is a list of actors and actresses I would one day like to meet on set, reading my lines in one of my productions.

1 - Winona Ryder



I've always had a soft spot for Miss Ryder. In fact it was the thought of one day meeting her on set that switched on the flame of feature screenwriting inside of me.

2 - Nicole deBoer


Again, there are ulterior motives for this choice. One of my first major crushes, I've always harboured a desire to meet her in the flesh. But, beyond just physical attraction her performance in the first few episodes of Deep Space Nine Series 7 as Ezri Dax was amazing. More character development and emotional range than was shown in the previous 6 years. 

3 - Catherine Tate




Immediately, eyebrows get raised. However, anyone who saw her turn as Donna Noble in series 4 of Doctor Who will be less surprised. At first the loud mouthed bolshy persona would turn people away, but as it developed so did the character, reaching a peak in the episode  'Turn Left' with a tour de force performance of anger, sadness, confusion and fear.
 
4 - Vanessa Mayfield

Ok, technically this is a cheat because I have actually been on set and heard her reading my lines. But, as the Gov' Elinor Perry-Smith says. "She is our muse" so I look forward to working with her again and again and hopefully again. 

5 - Sylvester McCoy




Ok, I'll admit it. Sylvester McCoy was MY Doctor. Hero worship plays a big part in productions. quite a few films have been made just so they can cast their acting heroes in a part. The loveliest and strangest thing I've seen in the past few years is Sylvester in a multi-million dollar movie from an Academy Award winning director. And he's brilliant.

6 - Dylan Moran





Bernard Black is one of the great TV characters, permanently pissed or angry but most of the time both. Anyone who has seen Dylan Moran do stand up appreciates the subtle shifts in his act, quieter moments alongside his bombastic outbursts about the world. Sometimes shifts from stand up to acting doesn't always yield the results we desire, but sometimes it does and it does perfectly. 

7 - Matt Smith


Yes, he is the current leading man in Doctor Who and along with Sylvester McCoy my personal favourite. It's the madness and the sadness rolled into one. So based on that I'd love to work with him, on a project that requires melancholy from the soul. It would be amazing.

Black And Blue Orchids

So I'm going to start this post with a very strange account. For the first time in my life, on Tuesday February 5th at 16:04pm I had a blackout. Not just any blackout but the kind that includes people surrounding me telling me not to move, blood pouring from a head wound and shouts for a first aider.

Apparently from what I can piece together, a  coughing fit led to oxygen starvation and in turn led to me making the acquaintance of the concrete floor outside the managers office. Luckily, and I mean this sincerely, my glasses took the impact of the fall. I went head first onto concrete and don't have cracks, bruises or lumps. What I do have is a black eye and steristrips. Man do I look sexy!!!!! Yeah, actually I look like a chubby little guy who's walked into a lamp post.

The thing that interests me the most is the reactions and gossiping that takes place around me.

Half the building was very kind and took the opportunity to talk about what had happened to me and ask how I was feeling and even a couple of them took the opportunity to text or e-mail to ask how I was.

The other half didn't know or didn't care enough to ask.

It's quite a sobering thought to think that maybe you're so insignificant to people that when you collapse and bleed you're not worth a minute of people's time.

I recently decided to take a Twitter sabbatical because I found myself increasingly talking to myself more than interacting with followers. Nothing makes you feel more lonely than knowing 300 people want to hear what you have to say and not one of them are interested in replying to your questions. 

The best thing about this post is that some people will read it and go, that's sad. I feel a bit sorry for him. But from experience the majority will turn round and go, look at that selfish self centred attention seeker.

To be honest, it's true that i don't really give a fuck about what people say and think, I'm not a people person. I'm reclusive and withdrawn. I have interests and preferences that people don't connect with. But I have a small circle of friends and that's enough for me.