Twelve Steps of Enlightenment

Hello Crystal Tips.

Here are a dozen things that have become apparent this week:

1. I could work from anywhere in the world and no-one would know any different.
   
2. Going to the gym makes me happy, and keeps me focused for the rest of the day.
   
3. Narrow roads, trees, X5s and wing mirrors mix like oil and water.
   
4. I  just realised how organised, and how pretty good at organising I am.
   
5. 'No' is not an definitive answer.
   
6. I lost a very beautiful friend a month or so ago, and I really miss him & his dreadful sardonic wit more than I thought I would.
   
7. I'm not too bad a business person.
   
8. Edit suites suck life force out of you and then re-inject it, just when you didn't expect it.
   
9. Tapas and Rioja in Spain taste better than at home.
   
10. The Pet Shop Boys track, "Vulnerable" (from "Yes") sounds perfect with the word 'insomnia' replacing 'vulnerable', when you can't sleep at 3am. Again.
    
11. Airports are both expensive and tedious at the same time. I fear this is somewhat a raw deal.
    
12. There is never a dull moment if you walk around with a torch.

Now, I am sure you are all behaving out there, but play nice for the rest of the week, please. I am checking/polishing off the #twitstunt edits tomorrow - uh-huh, there are two versions - and then apparently there is yet another Bank Holiday on Monday. Sweet Jesus, how dull. How schedule-interfering. How bloody...Monday-ish.  

Oh, well, whatever you are planning - dancing around a maypole with bells on, that kind of thing - do enjoy and have an 'arf'.

Ever onwards, little ones, ever onwards.

Shooting from the Twit

Here are a few photos taken by the lovely Ben Ottewell at the #twitstunt section of "Project Mute" filming last week. 

There are loads more stills which will be here, there and everywhere soon, but here is a little selection that sums up the evening of the shoot for me. Hopefully these will give you feel of what was, in effect, a night of total and utter virtual insanity.

The Tenacious Training schedule is going very well, although I haven't had two secs to update the blog, it is making me leave my desk/phone/Mac for at least an hour and a half every day which really is a blessing in disguise. I totally need a little time to 'sort my brain/prioritize' and running/the gym etc does that for me. However, the blog update will need to wait as today's  - actually, this weeks' - to do list has become immensely long. 

And there goes my lunch break - one day I'll learn to eat instead of faff with photos or video clips. 

Today is 'madly prepping for edit day' as well as trying to fire out a load of proposals for new work coming in, so, on that note, I am going to love you and leave you, andwill be back before you know it.

Play safe.

Onwards, kiddies. Always onwards.

Shoots, Logs & Turning Cogs

It certainly has been a nutty week. Busy? Pah! I stare 'Busy' in the face, slap it and shout, "Boo! Betchya can't catch me!". Ahem, maybe not those exact words.

Right from Mega Meeting Monday through Wacky Weirded Wednesday to Forgoodnesssake Friday it's been marvellous, and I am very glad to report an extremely - nay - intensely successful week, all the same.

Wednesday, of course, saw the first day's shoot of many to come, on a small but beautifully formed part of "Project Mute". The day and night went swimmingly and I can quite honestly say I had a blast. The location and it's staff were brilliant, and all the peeps who took part in #twitstunt were fantastic. Realistically, an evening spent with Charles Batho, Dan Rebellato, Elinor, Stevyn Colgan, David Turner was never going to be very dull. Like me, I sincerely hope they enjoyed the whole [if slightly surreal] experience and I do apologise, on behalf of the tipsy or less dextrous Tweeters, to those of you who perhaps accidentally received the odd (actually, very odd) Tweet... ;)  

I am going to take this opportunity to say a huge big thank you to my amazing Cameramen, Neil Oseman and Andy Alderslade who gave me the gorgeous footage I asked for plus more; Cameron Price and Sophie Foster for their expert running skills - and also for Sophie's unfazed response when I decided to chuck her in the deep end by asking her to sit in on the experiment filming; Ben Ottewell for clicking away like a mad man, covering every angle possible for stills, and Glen Cobby for rigging, running, jumping, bowing and crawling at my every demand and then taking the responsibility for the all-important footage data! Every one of you guys really rocked my night. Anyone who followed the evening on Twitter will no doubt have had a few good giggles - as the beer flowed it was indeed interesting to see how loose people's fingers, if not tongues, became. T'was certainly a night I will never forget!  

So, all the beautiful looking HD footage is now logged, imported and awaits the edit which starts in ernest, along with the voiceover recording and graphics work, next week. I am really looking forward to seeing this baby come together now as it officially marks the beginning of a pretty long term commitment for me. Very exciting indeed.

And then, just to top off the Week That Was, yesterday morning, whilst discussing the virtues of organic cakes and some of the footage shot on Wednesday (yeah, honestly), I had one of those really odd 'meant to happen' conversations. This has now led to the very likely possibility of me Producing and Directing a live broadcast/interactive event within the next month or so, which is a totally excellent prospect.

Rock and roll, man. Effing rocking and rolling.

Onwards.

Sound of Two Cameras Twittering

*Grins Wide*

What a great night's shoot. 

More on it later - after a little sleepy time, methinks.

Footage looks a-m-a-z-i-n-g. 

HD, crew, cast: I loves you, I do.

Night.

:)

(Not drunk. Just very happy.)

Three...two...one...

***Update, 13:33***

If you want to follow the 'conversation' that will be filmed as part of "Project Mute", then you'll need to be signed up to  Twitter and click #twitstunt in some of my tweets - here I am @laragreenway - or, sign into Twitter as normal, and then click here. 

We will be running live from 20:30 BST - anything before that will merely be link testing from location.

Ithunkyoo.

Standby: in five...four...

Well, me hearties, tomorrow day/night is very much the Big Day/Night for yours truly as it is the very first day/night of filming for "Project Mute". As this project is a mixture of short, medium and long term objectives there will be quite a bit of nattering on about it, here, there and everywhere.  Well, actually mainly on this very blog. And this blog. And perhaps maybe somewhere else, who knows.

So, the location is locked and signed off, my lovely HD kit is all gleaming and ready to be whisked off tomorrow morning, my legal paperwork is (99.9999%) in place and will be 100% by 10:00hrs, my insurances are valid, my house has turned into a storage facility of crates of gaffer tape, cables, adaptors, multiways, chargers, memory cards, card readers, Macs, First Aid Kits, cheque books (ha!), toolkits, reams of paper (as my lists of lists of lists are becoming ridiculous) and most amusingly, my gorgeous Crew are all ready and *think* they are working with someone sane. More fool them.

I was considering live blogging with my spare hand during the filming tomorrow evening, but I'll need to see how things go in our set up and run through and I may need both hands when I am directing/holding my head in a vice-like grip/rocking, looking at the monitors etc etc etc. This footage is basically being shot as 'live' from 20:30 tomorrow evening, so no margin whatsoever to go back and re-shoot material. Yeah - that's a nice thought: LIVE. 

That makes it all sit a bit more casually in my guts.

On that note, I'm off to check a list. Please, don't take the p*ss - it's a healthy obsession of mine. Besides, there is always a list that needs checking somewhere...

Onwards, baby. Ever onwards.

News, Writers & Booze

Hello, you hungover polar bear, you.

As usual, it's all go here at Tenacious Towers. I had an extremely lovely, whizzy, busy day yesterday which resulted in a clear, pristine vision for the up and coming music video, tied up most of the loose ends for the shoot next week and had lots of helpful and poignant discussions in relation to various future projects.

I topped off my productive and constructive day with the carnage that always is The Meeting of The Writers, where I was most pleased to see the gorgeous Helen Smith who I haven't chatted to for an absolute age (although we managed only, "Hi!" "How are you?", "When are we going to go out next?" and then "Bye") and also finally meet fellow blogger and Twitterer, Kevin Lehane. Being totally committed to my work/training schedule, I was most amused to observe the whole evening from a very alcohol-less water angle, which was fun, but unfortunately my secret is now out. Everyone knows I am as mentally unhinged sober, as I am drunk. *sigh*  I always liked to blame the gin, red wine or the alcoholic beverage du jour for my hyperactive stupidity and now I can't. *nuts*

Talking of unhinged, many writerly bods were trying to glean some information about "Project Mute" - most of which they know I can't divulge at the present time.  I have to point out, I'm not being precious about it: I am genuinely unable to disclose much info as funding and deals are relying on discretion. I can say it's a multi-platform, multi- layered project with both short, medium and long term angles, and I start shooting some footage next week.  It will stretch my boundaries, abilities, and to some degree, mental attitude, in the most intangible manner - but it's going to be totally blinding fun for those who choose to take part in the mission.

So before I disappear back into my burrow of paperwork and research again - a quick shout out.

Virgin Media Shorts scheme is up and running again for this year. I will be entering a little something into it, as will my delightful colleague and buddy, Potdoll.

Check out the website of the wonderfully talented and delightful DoP, Stephen Murphy.  I had the pleasure of meeting up with this lovely man to discuss projects and I am thrilled at the prospect of working with such a like-minded, enthusiastic artist in the not-too-distant future. Check him out, watch his showreel, hire him (but don't clash with my dates, thanks).

The jolly decent chap of scribes, Sir Paul of Campbellness, has not just his ep of "Eastenders" being tx'd next Tuesday (21st April) but then straight afterwards, his ruddy ep of "Holby" is on too. Now, please, just take a breath and bow to the man's sheer ability to place the correct bungs in the correct scheduling pockets. He is truly a legend amongst men. ;)

Best of Oirish to Sir Stack for his shoot next week and also the best of Engerlish to the Splendid chaps who are up at full tilt next week also! May the sun shine on your shoots - unless you need no sun, of course.

And finally...well done to Tony Jordan who selected the following people to join him for a workshop soon.  He'll be a lucky man sharing the room with Dave Turner, Jason Arnopp, David Bishop, William Gallagher amongst others, I tells ya.

Right. Lunch time over. Back to storyboards and locations. Ta-ra.

Onwards.

Project Doctor Smeg

Hello there, my little stack of feather dusters.

I am having quite a mad, mental time of it and an awful lot has tickled my fancy since my last post here, and various posts over at Tenaciously Training.

As I mentioned in my last post here, the new TT blog was set up to make sure I stuck to my training schedule which in itself vaguely forms part of a very exciting Project. Now, when I set up the new blog I did not expect, for one second, that the Project I was referring to would sprout wings and turn into a massive reality - and virtually overnight.

I really need to find a name for this Project though, as for various reasons, I can't and won't say too much about it at the moment. I can say I have loads of meetings concerning "it" over the next fortnight, have launched into full scale pre-production for the first phase of shooting (week after next), and can honestly state I have never had so many lists surrounding me in my life. Blimey. Gosh. Golly. Whizzo dizzo. In addition to all this "Project" madness, I am slipping in a few little meet-ettes to finalise the details for the music video I am directing in a few weeks' time too.

In amongst all the chaotic nuttiness that prevails in my life,  I have managed to catch up on my accounts (b-o-r-i-n-g-o) as well as the far less mundane, *spoilers* Doctor Who: "Planet of the Dead" and the Red Dwarf three parter, "Back to Earth", both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. Okay, so strike me down dead for whatever reason you feel you should, but they both looked and felt like epic achievements: DW - shot on HD, locations in Dubai desert, strong casting, the menace of the possible return of The Master; RD - shot on Red camera, lots of amazing green screen/CG work, no laughter track, the wrath of the characters on their Creator(s).  

Yes, I know...the die-hards aren't happy and there were plot holes, wormholes and in DW's case, Michelle Ryan doing a Lara Croft/Tomb Raider manoeuvre down a bloody big hole, but you know what? I shall interject with a "Hurrah!" and then say "Hurrah!" again, for beautiful looking, beautiful sounding and beautifully crafted televisual entertainment. Now, surely there's enough room for some of that?

Okay. So now I'll shut up and let you boys and girls get on with discussing the intricacies of...well, whatever it is you get so excited about.

Ah, now there's a good name - "Project Mute". And what a fun dichotomy that is, too.

Have a luscious week, my lovelies. Until we natter again.

A Bit of This and That

Apparently there's no rest for the wicked - right? In that case, I am certainly no goddamn angel.

So far this week, I have been cracking the whip on the music video, a short film, a feature documentary and a feature adaptation - not much rest, like I say. Plus, there is a new addition to the Tenacious family - but more on that breathtaking news later.

Things have really started motoring on the music video with lots and lots of meetings set up for next week. I have been fine tuning my treatment and storyboards in order to have the strongest, most thorough vision possible, given the budget and time constraints. Bah humbug, Easter - you always arrive at a very busy time of year for me! Bugger you, your bank holidays and your creamy chocolatey-ness for causing a hiatus in my working life! Oh, but before moving on, I should say a big thanks to the very lovely director, Schuman Hoque, who answered my music vid sync plea in a most honorable and timely fashion - cheers mate!  And thanks once again, Lucy.

Next up, a location I have been after for a little while, kind of fell into my lap the other day, which was really rather lovely. It floated like a fluffy feather, ever so gentle, and bounced off my forehead with a tickle and dropped to my knee with a little kiss. Short film phase 1 issue now dealt with. Most fantastic news. Then there's the feature adaptation and the documentary...well, I am less inclined to chat about them as it's very early days at the moment for both, so more on these over the months to come, I'm sure.

And that leaves me with the other Tenacious blog family addition - Tenaciously Training - to be more specific. It's more of a ramble at great speed than a blog to be honest, but by merely having it up in cyber, it will ensure I stick to my training schedule - well, that's the thought process behind it anyway. This new blog will also eventually form an important part of a very exciting project I am working on. Again, very cloak and dagger, but if it comes off, you'll be the first to know. Honest. Well, after the Producers, anyway.

So, a quick shout out to a few other cyber peeps who are chipping away at the old block quite furiously at the moment - Sir Daniel of Stack is very nearly there on his very exciting short film "Origin".  Only a couple of weeks to go before he launches into production now - everything is crossed for you in this direction, mate!  

Also, a nod in the direction of those splendid chaps who have been working very hard pulling together the pilot for their new sketch show called...erm..."Splendid".  Apparently - or so I am led to believe - they have started infiltrating t'Interweb here, here, here and here with their silliness, but being a fan of Yoga, I couldn't possibly comment.  ;-)  Best of luck with the pilot, chaps! 

Phew. I'm off for a lie down after all that. Not.

*rushes back to top-up furiously intense typing and research habit*

Onwards.

A Question of Sync...

Hello there, my sunniest of sunny people.

A very quick question from Yours Truly...I have been asked to direct a music video, and very excited about it I am too.  :0)

Having never shot one with music sync (only live action with music track laid over), I was wondering if anyone out there knew the best and most dependable way to have live music playback for the actual shoot? That is, where the artist/band can sync to their vocals etc and then the complete studio track mix can be dropped in on the final edit? 

Errrr? Any takers on that one? If not, do you know anyone who may have a suggestion? I'm aware there are a multitude of ways to do it, but was wondering if any peeps out in the cyberscriboplace had a recommendation? All wealths of experience will be appreciated! 

Either leave a comment or send an email here.

Loving you already. Ta luvs. x