Longest Weekend Nominee

Mon, 10 Sep 2007

Friday was a false start to the weekend, where there was no work, not much that needed doing and just a lot of general creative activities including mask making (which was fun and involved working with paper mache, which I haven’t done in a long time).

Saturday I woke up at seven in the morning after very little sleep, even though I knew I should have and filmed on this yet to be titled wintec project all day until five-ish, six. Had about a half hour to prepare and shot straight out again for more filming, this time at the Great Race masquerade ball. This time with an even heavier camera and a lot more people to dodge.

Eventually finishing up at three in the morning, I got myself a bit more sleep for more filming at eight, which was interrupted a few hours into it by having to rush home and move in a piano. Rush back for more filming and I finish up about four to come home for some rest, catch up with Ross (back from a most envious time in Wellington) and then out to work again for the night, where I was nearly dead on my feet and screwing up an unbelievable amount of amusing times.

Still awake for some reason, I’ve now hit that plateau of so little sleep and exhaustion, I’m not really tired any more and nothing can touch me.

But yeah, the masquerade ball was a very pretty event as always. Being in with the organisers, its actually much more interesting on the behind the scenes of things, than it is as a patron. Mind you, in saying that, next year I’ll just go as a patron, rather than a worker. Its much easier that way.

Meanwhile, there’s now a piano in my room. And a big one at that, it’s actually slightly bigger than most pianos I’ve been around and a bit more than I was expecting. But yeah, it’s in my room. I’ve always been amused by some stories or jokes where someone comes out of something (most often a crazy night out) and some action has come back to haunt them. Out of boredom, exhaustion and being underwhelmed, I bought a piano. And it’s in my room.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the piano. But it’s like this thing I remember from somewhere in family guy (I’m guessing) and they’re saying “if you just ignore it, it’ll go away” and pull out and theres a cow (or something) right there in the room with them… yeah, for me its a big ass piano. I’m gonna have to try and convince the flatmates that it’s a good idea to move the bastard into the lounge instead. The out of placeness and monstrosity of this piano is freaking me out a bit.

Meanwhile Ross had a great time in Wellington being accepted as a shortlister for First Writer’s Initiative (remembered the name this time) and I finally got around to reading his accepted script and it’s got potential to be good. Really good. So all the best as he keeps using that alien brain of his to write stuff (which I’m starting to not do very well anymore).

Actually, the tiredness is coming back to me now. After this weekend and all previous shoots for that matter, I’m now formulating a general set of rules for myself on how I’m approaching anymore filmwork…

No free corporate/wedding/etc work.
Read the script before committing to anything.
Plan the hell out of everything.
Don’t say yes so quick, just because she’s hot.
Don’t compromise so much other regular activities to work on a project.
Don’t buy pianos on a whim.

Actually, it sounds like I’m complaining about working on this wintec shoot, but I’m not. I’m actually really enjoying myself. I’m just so exhausted from doing all the work on my own, which I always seem to get myself into doing and unfortunately prefer it that way. And yeah, people are right, I should take a break for a while, but… actually, there is no excuse, I just should. But I’m a film whore like that I guess. Got another short film coming up, possibly acting in another, possible music video to do too, wanna get onto writing and rewriting some stuff and oh yeah, lots of footage sitting around that needs editing. After those, I’ll take a break. Actually, I’ll probably be accepting more stuff again in no time soon just because I like the person offering. But one things is for sure, I will not to go out buying pianos at the drop of a hat next time.