Month: January 2009

Production planning – one step at the time

thegirlinthecafe 7 Comments

Red and White

I am very busy planning the 4 days film shoot in Wales in February. I have never really done serious production planning before, and this is a great opportunity for me to get experience. Planning this shoot is not very different from planning a four day film shoot for my own short film, should I ever want to do the production planning for that myself.

But what I got was a script and what I was told was: go do it. And I thought – oh shit – where do I start. The way to do it I learned is to take a small step at the time.

Read on if you are interested in the film making proces »

I love shortbread, actually

thegirlinthecafe 6 Comments

I heart shortbread

Passing the baker on my way to work (yes on Saturday!), my eye fell on this heart shaped one. I am glad I live in an area where we still have a real baker. Even though they are not open on Sundays like they were in Denmark, real bakers are the best.

But clearly I had to get one of those, erhm ….
“I want one of those heartshaped ones.Is it a Jammie Dodger?”
Of course it wasn’t. This was just a normal heart shaped shortbread the baker told me.
He did have really big Jammie Dodgers though, he said. And they looked scrummy too, maybe next time.
I told him that the whole British cookie – biscuit – shortbread-Jammie Dodger-cake-scone tradition still is beyond me. It feels like you need a university degree to become a baker, just to learn about all those different type. He thought that was funny.

What would we call a cookie/biscuit like this in the Netherlands I wonder?

And I really need to plan a proper afternoon tea in London one day. Just to indulge in all this sweetness.

Mr. Groovy on Leicester Square

thegirlinthecafe 8 Comments

Bill on Leicester Square, Valkyrie premiere - floppy hair is cool

I really wasn’t going to go. I don’t like big crowds like that, and I have been so busy all week I just wanted to go home and relax with a cup of Yorkshire tea, right. Right? And that other part of me thought, yeah, and tomorrow you will think – why didn’t I go? Even a glimpse of a tiny bit of his lanky left leg really would have been worth going, right. Right. Yep. So I went. And I was very late, and there was this huge crowd. And I saw Tom Cruise (who again was very nice to his fans). And I did indeed saw Bill’s back very very far ahead of me. And he wasn’t coming our direction.

Right then, that was that, going home now. Come on, we’re going. Maybe we could just try to get a tiny little bit closer? No we don’t. But my other half walked to the complete opposite side of the square, walked through a pub whose other exit happened to be located exactly behind the cameras filming interviews with the actors of Valkyrie (how lucky was that). And who was standing there, about 12.42 meters in front of me giving an interview? Indeed.
Groovylicious »

Blue Monday

thegirlinthecafe 4 Comments

As if there would be a chance that I would leave a Bill behind ...

  • You know you are not a Brit when you totally did not know that yesterday was supposed to be the most depressing day of the year: Blue Monday. Willy-nilly.
  • In stead of being depressed I was busy figuring out what you need to do in order to get permission to have some children as extras in a film. Trust me, the Brits are truly a one of a kind when it comes to making unclear rules for things like that. I still don’t know what paperwork we need to fill in and who to contact but I hope to figure it out soon. I now understand why people always warn you not to write children and animals into your script. The hassle of it. But hey this like being at film school, the difference being that I actually get paid to learn this.
  • And hassle or not, nearly two years ago I was boring myself to death behind a screen coding silly computer programs, now I am actually preparing for a film shoot. In Wales. In February. Quite a change. Nothing to be depressed about.
  • Oh, and I had that meeting with that other filmmaker on Saturday. And we already have an idea for a short so that’s another short film in the making. It’s something completely different than I have done before (no dialogue), it is going to be quite arty and symbolic, but I think it is going to be a very nice and warm little film. (Length: about 3 minutes, which is 200% longer than anything else I have ever made – and we will just plant it on YouTube, so you can have the premiere on a computer screen near you not too long from now).

    If I survive the coming three months of madness successfully I will have made another 4 short films and I will finally feel it to be justified to call myself a short-film maker. That would be a result I think I will be a little bit proud of.

  • I also saw the interview with Meryl Streep in the BAFTA building on Saturday. She must be one of the most normal and down to earth Hollywood actors around. She is really funny too. And humble. And very entertaining to listen too. And she looks great for someone who is 59. They showed clips of the highlights of her work, and wow, has she made a lot of good stuff. Sophie’s Choice (which I only saw once, because it is so harsh to watch), Out of Africa, Bridges of Madison Country (love that film) and of course The Devil Wears Prada in which she has genius comic timing are just some picks from her long career. Soon Doubt is on its way (with Philip Seymour Hoffman who is also a great actor), for which she is already BAFTA nominated. Meryl Steep is cool and a great example of being 59 while still being very young.
  • Still Blue? This will brighten your day. I wish I was there when they made it.

BBC Writersroom and the Twelfth Night and short films

thegirlinthecafe 12 Comments

(Re)Writing

BBC Writersroom

  • I did attend the open BBC Writersroom event. And realised that it is very intimidating to see the competition. Loads and loads of people where there, all writers, all wanting to make it. Not good for self confidence.
  • I had to leave a bit earlier, so I don’t know what I missed at the end of the session, but in the part I did attend the BBC people explained what they were looking for in a script. It wasn’t a lot of new information – they are looking for things every producer looks for – well written, originality, interesting and likable characters, etc. It’s basically the stuff every screen writing book tells you.
  • I did not hand in my script. Wait, wait, I will post it to them today. Seeing as I had to sneak out before it ended I had no chance to hand it to them. But no worries, they did promise all of us that they read the first 10 pages of every single script they receive. They receive, are you ready for it, 10.000 scripts a year.
  • They also explained that they are just checking the quality of the writing of the script you send them and are looking for writers more than scripts. Very very seldom do they buy a script and make it into a film. If people have extraordinary talent, they might be contacted and educated. And a lot of those lucky people get to write on Eastenders, Holby City, Doctors. I don’t want to sound snobbish or anything, but I am not sure I could write for those series, as they don’t interest me at all.
  • I don’t count on anything, if they should happen to read passed the first 10 pages, that would be great, and I would have a script review by an experienced reader for free (it might take up to four months to hear if they read it or not). If they don’t read it – then so be it. If I want to improve my writing, I must pick up my pen and get on with it. Simple.

There is more: Derek Jacobi and Short films »

Winter warmth

thegirlinthecafe 3 Comments

Winter warmth

Send to a friend

I was drawing this yesterday night, and this morning I read the news article that seems to fit perfectly with it. A little warmth in the dark and cold times of winter and economic crises.

Two German children – aged five and six – have been stopped by police from eloping to Africa to tie the knot in the sun, reports say.

The budding lovebirds, identified as Mika and Anna-Lena, packed bathing costumes, sunglasses and a lilo and headed for the airport.

They even had the presence of mind to invite along an official witness – Anna-Lena’s seven-year-old sister.

The three got as far as Hanover railway station before police intervened.

The young couple were “very much in love” and had decided to get married in Africa “where it is warm”, police spokesman Holger Jureczko told the AFP news agency.

How cute is that!

(Read the complete article on the BBC)

(Quote from I’m Gonna Be Warm This Winter Lyrics by Connie Francis)