I had a full Sunday in Paris, and I had made a plan of what I wanted to see.
Tag: Love Actually
My new address
OK not really, but this must be the coolest address in London. (It’s in the City of London)
I found a new flatmate for the place I currently live, she will move in by the end of March. I put my search for another place on lower priority. After having seen a couple of rooms in different places I realise that I live in a pretty nice room. I’ll keep an eye open for a great place but there is no rush.
I love shortbread, actually
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.
Happy New Year!
Despite having an annoying ear infection for most of my time in Holland, I did enjoy my holidays and the lovely winter weather. A few days of frost and the Dutch massively come out with their skates. This is a picture of the ice rink in my hometown IJsselstein. It doesn’t get any more Dutch than this, there is even a windmill in the picture!
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SweetArts, Crowdspring and Chewinggum actually
Yes it has been a bit quiet and I also sometimes wonder myself if this film ever gets made but things have started rolling again now. I had a production meeting yesterday and while we still haven’t found a Dan yet we are now also working on confirming locations. We also know that the shoot will take 4 days, which will probably be a part of the weekend and some working days. Finding Dan is probably going to be a nightmare (there is only one Bill Nighy in this world and he is way out of our league and also the busiest man on earth) but let’s see.
There are so many loose ends to this film at the moment that I just try to take it one day at the time and trust that my producer knows what she is doing. She does because she is good. I relax while thinking about how I want to shoot things and drink tea, lots of tea. While nibbling on a Jammie Dodger.
I’ll keep you posted.
Apart from the film, I am trying out Crowdspring because I want a decent logo for a business card and other purposes. Crowdspring works as follows: you pay them the money you want to spent, you set a time limit (next Monday is the expiry date for mine) and designers around the world can submit their design. I pick the one I like best, designer gets paid – simple. I like the idea of it, the fact that people around the world can submit their work.
Choosing one I like is more difficult than I thought though. Actually there aren’t many that I really like just yet (I am quite picky) so I hope some more suggestions will come in. If you want to give your opinion (please do, I could do with some second opinions) have a look at what has been submitted so far.
And the Chewinggum actually, well what can I say. Love is all around.
Oh, and Stephen Fry on Twitter will brighten your day if you like the man. He is currently in Africa filming Douglas Adams’ book Last Chance to See as a documentary. If you are on Twitter too, let me know, I would love to follow my readers. You can follow me here.
Love my sneakers, actually
It’s true. Girls buy new shoes when they have an off day. I am no exception. And how appropiate are these, actually?
If that photo looks like I am skydiving, I am. It’s very good for inspiration. And yes that are my shoes and jeans.
Have a good weekend. If you are looking for me – I will be in the Caffe Nero on Fulham Road hoping that Dan and June will join me. I might watch a film in the nearby cinema too.
All clear and Brideshead revisited premiere tonight
After five and a half week I got the results of my operation today, it’s good news I am fine. And relieved. And after having it nagging about in the back of my head for that long it might take a while before I get used to not worrying about it anymore.
And to celebrate it I just got an email that I won two tickets to the Brideshead Revisited premiere, which takes place tonight at 6.30pm at the Chelsea Cinema, Kings Road. The film stars Emma Thompson, Matthew Goode and Ben Whishaw, all of whom will be attending the premiere.
I have never seen the TV version which I think is a part of becoming a true Brit. I hope watching the film will give me some points towards that too though. I look forward to this film.
I have one spare ticket, any takers? You have to be able to be in Chelsea tonight around 6.15pm.
Wonderful Weymouth and beautiful Bill
I think it is fair to conclude that the English south coast is beautiful no matter where you go. The same goes for the light houses!
I love pancakes
I love pancakes
I really do. Those ones have been indulged in Big Daddy’s in New York, a fantastic 60’s style cafe close to Union scare. And no I couldn’t help myself with the maple syrup indeed. This was my breakfast.
Yesterday night we have cut a first rough (very rough!) edit of our 60 seconds action feature film. And I have to say: it looks great. Or rather: it looks exactly like we imagined those scenes and as a whole the story works. For us that is, let’s hope it will work for you out there too – a lot is happening in those 60 seconds! I went home at 1.10am, sat in an empty bus on my way home and am still tired. We have hired a composer who is doing his best to deliver a cracking soundtrack, and we have still hope to find a special effects/animator too.
We shot some green screen sequences which is going to look amazing and generally, we are quite pleased with how it looks at the moment. Mind you, we haven’t even done any serious editing yet.
The good thing for us, but not for you, is that the deadline for the competition has moved from the 18th of January to the 11th of February. This means that we actually can have our life back for a short while, but it also means that you have to be a bit more patient.
So tonight we take the night off, I can chill on my sofa doing nothing and I will actually have time to work on my feature script this weekend. This is all good. And on Friday Dan in real Life will have it’s premiere, so guess what I will be doing on Saturday and Sunday too.
I will try to scan in the rest of the Love Actually cards tonight!
PS I love all the new gravatars popping up here!
PS2: Sorry for the enormous amount of posts about film making and this short lately. But there is not much else going on at the moment! (which is great for me, but maybe a bit boring for you)
Love – It is what it is
Room is declutterized and looks about twice the size now. I should do this more often.
This morning the postman delivered 2 more cards in my mailbox. I had some time to photograph them and to add them to the gallery.
May I present you:
Imagine Love, Actually
Love and Bill, Actually
Love Actually, in a stitch
Love lifts us up
Love Davy Actually
I simply can’t tell you how big the smile on my face is, when I look at how creative you all have been. It is simply amazing and I love them all equally much, actually.
I am sitting here and wonder how on earth I have been able to convince you out there to send me fantastic cards like these, it is billiant (which is spelled correctly).
I am about to dive into the next short film meeting, but before I go, I want to cite a poem that was on one of the cards I received (and thank you so much for sending it!). I had never read it before but I absolutely love it, and it is one of those poems you wish you had written yourself. It is also a very true poem. It is by Erich Fried.
What it is
It is nonsense
says Reason
It is what it is
says LoveIt is unhappiness
says Caution
it is nothing but pain
says Fear
It is hopeless
says Insight
It is what it is
says LoveIt is ridiculous
says Pride
It is careless
says Caution
It is impossible
says Experience
It is what it is
says LoveErich Fried
All you need is
I posted another song from the Love Actually soundtrack in this post. I love this version and was shocked to read that Lynden David Hall, who also performed the song in the film, died in 2006 of cancer at the age of 31.
[audio:0006.mp3]Today’s card (I am not cheating, they do come one per day!) is called “Love and Jazz Actually“. It’s again a completely different card and I really like it.
I was happy to hear that the first girl has arrived safely at her destination. Royal Mail did a great job, despite the Christmas business – it arrived in one day (in the UK that is).
And there is good news on the “Make a short in December” project.
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It’s Enchanting
Times Square, New York – drawing with light
I have had a lot of silly ideas throughout the years but having people send me cards on the “Love Actually” theme is definitely one of the best ones ever. When I came home yesterday I found two more cards and they both brought a big smile to my face.
I present you:
Love Actually
and
Love Christmas Actually
I love them! They are so cool! And Enchanting! They both have Bill on them!
It’s great to see how creative people have been. And just to let you know how powerful those cards are, one of them did not even have a stamp on it (I won’t mention any names … :-) but Royal Mail did not care, they probably Love Love Actually Actually so they delivered it anyway.
Today I will start writing on the cards that I will send in return and I will post them as soon as possible. I hope they won’t be too delayed.
Enchanted was rather fun. Patrick Demsey is lovely and Amy Adams who plays the princess is perfect in her role. Great to see New York as the location for this film, and the mix of animation and real life acting was original, even though I think they could have joked around with that a bit more. It’s a feel good family Christmassy movie.
I just read that Patrick Demsey was in About a Boy too. I have seen that film several times (it’s the only film in which Hugh Grant proves he can act), but I never recognized him in it.
I have to get back to rewriting my feature script too, I received my tutor’s notes on it yesterday. The story line is fine but I need to make the two main characters talk less and do more. Having them not kiss before the very end is a tough challenge too!
Have a great one
I want to be just as silly as him when I am 58.
Handsome. Funny. Intelligent. What a man.
Happy Birthday to Bill.
And happy birthday to Jill, who also has her birthday today, and who chose to celebrate it in London. We drank tea (the milky way) yesterday and it was a pleasure to meet her. It is funny to meet bloggers in real life, you read each others blogs, you already know quite some things about each other and conversation is easy. We walked from Notting Hill to Leicester Square, talked a lot, we waved at Big Bill and it was good. Happy Birthday to Jill.
I am at home today, waiting for my new laptop to arrive. Somehow Dell is a bit annoying as they didn’t really want to deliver it on another delivery address. It doesn’t matter, I have some things I need to take care of here, so while listening to the soundtrack of Love Actually (which is a joy) I take care of some things on my todo list.
Tomorrow I have a first meeting with 2-3 people who like to make a short film in December. I am exited and I really hope we get to make something.
While listening to the soundtrack of Love Actually, this song came by:
Sound no longer available.
I have seen the film a million times and know this song is popping up somewhere in the film (it’s a beautiful song), but I can’t picture the scene.
Can you? (without having a look at the film!)
New York, I heart you
When I read Cockie‘s post this morning (she left something nice (chocolate frogs and mice) for the builders who are working on her house) I suddenly remembered that I had to post this picture.
Baby, be prepared to be surprised
This is London
Here is one of the lovely songs from the soundtrack of the great Dan in real life. The whole soundtrack has been created especially for this film by Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Leche. And I think he has done a marvelous job, the songs integrate perfectly with the film.
Too late …
OK. In the mean time I try to drag myself back to my script. I am on page 68 and moving towards the last 20 minutes of the film where the 2 main characters are going to have some final obstacles before they, at last (!), are prepared to be surprised. I think I have the title too. In order to write I need to be in some kind of mood and to get there I often listen to music. At this moment it’s a soundtrack, and more particular this song, of the film I have mentioned too many times now.
Have a good weekend. More Un-New-Yorky New York pictures coming up.
And be prepared to be surprised.
Baby
Be prepared to be surprised
When I wrap my arms around you
Every mistake we made crumbles
Love actually on his back
On learning new words and expressions, finding love on a stranger, and a random act of kindness.
Love+Rock: Change the world
(Her legs seem to be growing, she is unconsciously turning into a lanky girl. Nothing wrong with lanky people though, on the contrary)
Blame Bill for reading Eric. And Eric for singing this song.
I saw And when did you last see your father with Colin Firth and Jim Broadbent this weekend. This is one of those movies where not that much happens but it gets to you anyway. Jim Broadbent is playing Colin’s dad, he gets terminally ill and the film is about the last period of his life. About looking back and talking about things that have been left unspoken for a lifetime.
It’s beautiful, but it ain’t cheap
On Portobello Road it costs £199.99.
Love Actually, in a box
I was wandering around the market on Portobello Road again. Mainly because it was lunch time and the weather is so nice at the moment, but also because I was trying to get some pictures of the market for Kate, as she asked for it a while ago (and I am happy to answer to everybody’s photo requests). Did you know that last week both Posh Spice (Ms. Beckham – and who cares) and Justin Timberlake (am not a major fan, but wouldn’t mind spilling my cup of orange juice on his shirt while I come around the corner with it …) have been spotted walking on the loose on Portobello Road?
The pictures I took are not great (taken with my mobile phone), Hugh Grant is not on them, but it gives some sort impression of what it looks like: Notting Hill, Portobello Market on a Friday afternoon in the summer: Portobello Market 1 and number 2.
I am not that big a fan of Flickr, but it is very handy to post to with my mobile while I am on the move. And what I do like is that you can plot your pictures on a map. Here is mine.
While I was taking those pictures, I stumbled over Love, Actually again. This time I found Love in a carton box, for only £1,50.
Sure sounds cheap to me …
I am currently in this mode again, because I have one, and maybe even 2 interesting things to tell you, but I am waiting for a confirmation. So you have to wait with me.
In the mean time: I hope you’re not completely tired of my Love Actually obession just yet. Because I am afraid there is more to come. At least this time I won’t ask you if you ever bought love, for 1.50.