Oh hello

Hello

I've been absent from blog for a while now - last year threw quite a few unpleasant experiences my way that I won't go into here but suffice to say I didn't feel public utterances would have been interesting or helpful, at best wandering into the territory of self-pity and self-indulgence.

But the start of the new year seems a good time to take stock of good things. Worked with the excellent Dean Fisher and the splendid Dan Turner on horror film "Stormhouse" last summer which is due for completion in the near future. They are an unstoppable force as a producer/director duo and put together an absolutely superb crew and cast who were all a delight to work with. Tho they all seemed excessively taken with my dog Bronwen to the extent that she will get a credit on the film and she now struts around very proudly. Well, in my mind she does but it's probably just the normal greyhound elegance.

Dean and Dan are working together again on Dans script "The Man Inside" which I've been lucky enough to read and I think it's phenomonal, the best thing he's written. Apparently there are some exciting developments on that front so can't wait for that to swing into production.

On the Doctor Who Mission we are now into the sSecond Doctor which excites me greatly as Patrick Troughton is still my very favourite Doctor of all and I'm fairly hurtling through his first season. If you want to read the thoughts and prejudices of our merry band just google Doctor Who Mission and you'll see what nonsense geeks can talk.

Anyway hope to keep in touch more this year

Have a good one

Hello, how are you all. Splendid I hope.

Just a few lines to keep you up to date on the latest GIRL NUMBER 9 news. The website holding page www.canyousaveher.com is now online and rather lovely it looks. Very dark and moody reflecting the feel of the piece perfectly. Well done to everyone involved on the web page, lovely job by all of you.

You can also follow some of the characters on TWITTER  in the run up to the broadcasts. Their tweets will allow you to get a feel for the characters and there will also be little clues to what is to come when it airs. They have been twittering away merrily for a week and I heartily recommend you go check it out. It's very exciting that this whole project has been designed for the web, everything from the promotion to the episode lengths. Tremendous.

More news soon...

Tara

Hello.

I have been quiet recently. My apologies. But things have been rather busy. 

First there has been the process of assisting the lovely creators of the sketch show in getting "Splendid" ship shape and ready to send out into the big wide world. I feel like a very proud uncle. I'll leave the parentage claims to the writers and performers obviously. But I have to say I am absolutely delighted to be part of the family. So now the silliness is out there and I hope making lots of very clever people laugh out loud at the inspired ridiculousness of it all and make them want to see more. 

The other thing that has been keeping me busy is a very exciting project called "Girl Number 9".

A very dark thriller for the web in 6 short 5 minute episodes written by James Moran and directed by himself and Dan Turner it was shot last week at Elstree Film Studios and today the official press release was issued. For more information please check out www.canyousaveher.com and it will keep you right up to date. On here, let me just say that the cast and crew were all an absolute delight and made my job so easy and the shoot was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. There was a marvelous moment this week when I walked in to find Dan, James and producer Pete Coogan all grinning like schoolboys, their delight and excitement etched on their faces. It really was wonderful to witness. 

The footage is now being edited ready to premiere on 30th October and what I have seen features wonderful performances and looks absolutely amazing.  I can say no more on here for fear of giving too much away in my childish excitement but I thoroughly recommend you visit canyousaveher and I'm sure your fancy will be thoroughly tickled.

But, for now, tata 

 

Hello.

A few words to thank all those who attended the screening of 'Splendid', our sketch show pilot, on Friday.  I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

It was quite an experience watching these sketches that we have lived with for many months set loose on an audience, half with no connection to the production, and waiting for the first laugh on the edge of my seat at the back of the screening room. When it quickly came I must admit I distinctly felt my whole body relax and I slipped far more comfortably back into my chair and could truly enjoy the show. Laughs flowed through the show, big and small, some lines getting wonderfully large reactions that I hadn't expected at that point, other lines that I love getting smaller laughs. But as I walked out at the end I know I had a silly beam on my face and I'm sure I saw the same on the faces of others. 

As we made the rounds afterwards to take in the reactions of the non-crew it was great to hear how people appreciated the hard work of our writers, performers and crew and it looks like we have something individual and special on our hands.

 

So thanks again everyone. 

Hello again,

Well, we did it!!! The pilot for 'SPLENDID' is in the can (surely a misnomer in this digital age but you get the meaning) and awaits the editing process. And I have to say it looks absolutely fantastic thanks to the direction, lighting and set design. Add the great performances and I think we have something special that we can all be proud of. So this blog is to thank everyone who gave their time, energy and talent to the pilot.

Dan Turner - writer and director

Jason Arnopp, Piers Beckley, Sarah Morgan - writers

Richard Glover - performer and writer

Hayley Jayne Standing, Rea Donovan, Stephen Evans and Eric Lampaert - performers

Richard Swingle - dop

Mark Sneddon - Focus Puller

Dill Truelove - Camera Assist

Jamie Bishop - production design

Sophie Shelton - sound

Suzie Irlam, Louise Harris - production assistants

Philip Higgs - Runner

Siobhan Furlong, Michelle Court and Michelle Webb - make-up

You were all astonishing and the footage I have seen is a tribute to every one of you. The shoot was hard work with the odd 12 hour day and often having our small bunch of people spread in three locations, packing down one set, shooting another and preparing the next. But it was perhaps the most enjoyable shoot I have been involved with and definitely the most surreal and detached from reality. I know that on all shoots you lose track of the real world but this took us to so many odd places that it took me a couple of days to adjust to not thinking about chickens, herding sheep, or the conversations on 737 flight decks. 

I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did and will be as excited about the results when the sketches are cut. All I can say is thank you to each and every member of team 'Splendid' and refer you to Dans' blogs for a more detailed production diary and to the behind the scenes pix on facebook which convey the splendour of 'Splendid' and it's phenomenal team.

Fantastic!!!!!!!!

Good morning. Today is the last day of even relative sanity I will experience for a while. For tomorrow the 'SPLENDID' eight day production block begins. 

The amazing thing is that we appear to be in good shape going in. Our search for a chicken was hugely successful, we are propped up and the actors costumery and wiggishness have arrived and are located around the office. The dolly works, the DOP, assist and production designer are on their lovely way to us from welsh Wales, and all seem happy that we have got what they need. I think we are prepared as we can be.

This week Celina and Dan have worked outrageously hard to get to this level and it has had some interesting knock-ons. Such as the moment when Celina asked myself and Dan a simple question about a petrol can nozzle and all we could do was look at each other, bereft of the mental capacity to even say a simple yes or no as it was the one piece of information that took both our brains beyond full capacity and synchronised cerebellum explosions took place. But it's okay, we got better. Honestly!

One other person I must thank this week is our production assistant Suzie. She has thrown herself into every task with abandon, refusing to be phased by any challenge - it was she who found the chicken - and done much of the running about physically getting things for the team. If you read this Suzie, fantastic work this week, we are so grateful, and there is no way we would be ready to go shooting without your efforts. 

So tomorrow it begins. Words cannot express my admiration for what Dan has achieved on previous productions now I have been so involved in the pre production on this. Previously I have been one of those creative types that turn up when most of the prep is done and until you see what's involved I don't think you can really appreciate it. It has certainly opened my eyes to how much Clare did for us on the feature film 'EXPERIMENT'. 

Anyway, tomorrow, as they say, is the day. Great sketches, great crew, great cast and that mixture of fear, anticipation and excitement that comes before a shoot. So please raise a glass and wish us well with your sunday roast. 

Tata