And so you're back...from outer space...

Hello Stranger.

No – really – you honestly seem a lot more strange than the last time we met.

Still – better get on.

As usual, I can’t say who we’re working for, or reveal the identity of the people in this little report. Suffice to say it’s a shiny new customer, and a very impressive brand with which we are very proud and excited to be working.

So – again, like buses, here we are with a flurry of blog posts to catch y’all up with my adventures on shoots.

Just another Madrid Monday…

Driving around Spain’s engine room, I got the feeling that for once I was seeing the real identity of a country often painted with brash colours and the tacky invasions of other cultures. Here was a very grown up city with a lot to engage us.

Our subject was incredibly relaxed considering she was about to be stalked relentlessly by a two man film crew over the next 36 hours, and her hospitality and good humour were to be the making of the footage we captured.

In stark contrast to the vast majority of our work, this series of short films will be delicate, intimate and powerful. The interview looked gorgeous (our DoP John Morrison has made a standard boardroom look like the set of Gattaca for us, with it’s uber cool lighting and edgy framing). Our lovely executive responded with a sincere, revealing and confident story – just the kind we love to work with.

And thanks for allowing us to see you start your day with your beautiful little boy, the epitome of boundless energy and creativity, ringing powerfully with the films core values. Change management doesn’t get any more intimate than this.

So – that’s how this fantastic three continent tour started, in true Eurostyle.

Thank you M – you were brilliant.

Toilet Humour

What does a Urinal, a kiss and a slap have in common. Answer: They are all in our series of comedy awareness programmes we’re making for US Phone Protection company Asurion. Bloody lovely people to work for. A refreshing change given recent antics.

Like a ball bearing in a pinball machine I bounced across the flashing lights and “chinging” electromagnets of my working life to land (just for a few days) in a slot called Dallas (surprise surprise) where we had set up three consecutive night shoots (like the jetlag wasn’t enough).

Considering the limited pre-pro time we had (thank you for laying the train tracks, Micaiah - deeply impressed) the level of talent we managed to bring to bear on this cool buddy web-series was incredible. Our leads Cody Hinson and Daniel Escudero owned this thing completely, and there were stellar performances (especially from Stalker Ben Mayer and “Kissing Girl” Melissa Odum).

Weird thing this trip were the night shoots. It meant I never got to overlap with my Dallas "family". Strangely lonely as a result. During the day in pore-production and con calls and then an afternoon nap after which the call time rang out at around 6.30pm. The saddest part of an otherwise hilarious trip was my cameraman John and myself trying to get a “wrap” drink in at 2am on Wednesday night in Dallas.

Not a chance. This town is way too "Christian" sometimes I think…

Dude - where’s my HDSLR?

Yep - still playing catch-up. But I think I deserve a break - this quarter has been the busiest for five years - easily. So

- where were we…

Last week we (as we love to do) crashed two worlds together to make a point for one of our long standing clients. Business and…surf culture? Yes. Funny and incomprehensible at the same time, I was impressed by our mostly American cast and (again) the gorgeous pictures we were getting from the two Canon 60D’s covering the shoot. Yes - it was a complete geekfest with my good friend and ace DoP Steve Trinder. And some nice slo-mo sequences too.

I should also mention also the bloody blinding job turned around in a couple of days by our local Leicester composer Steve Baker. The moment I watched what he’d laid next to the rough edit (rapidly and expertly woven by rock solid editor Richard Leverton) I got one of those lovely magical moments in my job where the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I remember what I’m doing here.

Client seems V. happy (all good news for the future) and reputation in tact we stagger into the next international epic for a shiny new customer based in Nashville, Tennesee. More about that next time…

Days 3 & 4

If you want something done, give it to a busy person.

What crap.

OK so I blew it - a blog every day I said. A record of the shoot week I said. Well I lied. The pace of work AND that certain ginger bearded musical genius friend who supplied the cocktails on the wrap “Dinner” night conspired to lay waste my indefatigable energy and joie de vivre so I was not in any fit state to blog. Suffice to say…

The guys (awesome pic left) went into improv overdrive and as well as shooting what was actually scripted (I have to say this or I might have to apply for refuge status because Ross our editor will kill me for shooting “awesomely-funny-but-totally-uneditable-and-not-what-the-client-signed-off” takes) we had some solid gold moments of comedic genius. And yes - we are going to have to find another hotel to stay in downtown Dallas as they struggle to remove the marks on the flooring…

We were moved on from shooting outside one building because our actor crouched literally 6 inches onto a step outside “their property”. Deserted though it may have been. Of course “Chuck” would have loved to help us out but, like his daddy always took great pains to remind him, rules are rules. Good luck at the gun club Chuck.

Despite Chuck - we found an even better space which belonged to no-one (no-one with security anyhoo) and the new scene was borne. Damn funny. That’s how funny. Diaper filling funny.

The Café shoot - Day 1

Today was a great start to our 3 episode shoot. It started with a very cool “imagination” sequence depicting the scene going on is our leading nerd’s head. The scene involving his infatuation with a certain lovely barista named Jen. Fab fun. And sexy as hell…

Great chance to try out the new Canon 60D we took delivery of last week. Very pleased. The capability of shooting 60p is very useful and now I have FCP (inc cinema tools) I was able to confirm the footage on site to check the effect. The guys also created movie magic too - brilliant work under very difficult circumstances thanks to the fact that our location was right next to the local tram system. Good Lord - how many trains???

Special thanks to our crew who kept the quality up even though it got late and tiring and tricky. Tomorrow should be easier (but in this game you never know of course…). Onwards and upwards…

Funny Men

So - in time honoured fashion, we are not allowed to tell you who our client is because it's a security issue. And the films, again, are on the subject of information security so it's not possible to explain who this is for...so there.

Suffice to say, here we are again with bloody funny talent, and this time in my second home, Dallas Texas. Only on this occasion I have brought with me our delightful new Asst. Producer Micaiah, and my buddy DP Steve Trinder, cameraman supremo. So now we have the best team ever. And the funniest scripts since Uberman. And a client to die for. Nuff said.

I'll try to keep the photos and blogs coming this week but it's a massive week for T&S. For now there's a piccy of our rehearsal / last minute spicing up session. These are our leading duo, Steve Walters and Joey Oglesby from L.A. Very funny and great fun. See you in a few...

Not a good look

Every super hero needs a sidekick, and our Uberman is no exception. Riz arrived on day 4 to play Carl (or "Ubercarl) and stepped seamlessly into the cast. This character is the unwilling best friend of our hero, and usually ends up catching the painful end of his office antics. The 'T' shirt is a present from the intergalactic lummox. Fetching....

Again - a great day spent laughing for a living. I should mention our esteemed client, who have been wonderfully supportive, quick to react and a genuine part of the creative process. A very special thank you goes out to Katherine, Pam, Alex, Rob and all of the others who have allowed us to disrupt their day. You are stars now and should start developing a rider list for each and every day at the office (you know, blue M&M's, champagne, M&S prawn sandwiches...). I'm sure your managers will understand - if not - refer them to your agent, of course!

Big day tomorrow with illusions and magic on our effects day.

So close now...can't wait to see all of this great stuff back at the editing suite.