London is flexing its muscles, trying to get teeth into me, pulling on my attention. But I’m glad I’m here with Lou. It worked out very well.
24 hour turnaround on a commercial tape, and not an uninvolved one either. Three scenarios that I had to absorb with mood and product info. I only had the clothes I had, but with a tripod in the car and Lou taking driving lessons it was perfect. My flat is busy these days and there is often the TV and always random cats. It has never been an easy selftape zone, with sirens and traffic, helicopters and clutter. The process of clearing a wall can be time consuming.
This morning I rolled aside a glass table, stacked up some books and moved some lights. Then I read a load of mood boards and, took a test shot and realised I looked too spivvy. Went to Boots and got razors and hairspray. I have long hair at the mo, and there’s a tape out with long hair so I can’t cut it or “WE LIKE THE GUY WITH THE LONG HAIR!” I won’t cut it until all extant tapes are timed out or I book a job.
I spent a good hour amusing myself with various improvised scenarios around a particular brand. Kept myself pretty happy making things up. Just me and a tripod and the contents of my own head and the mood boards. I was picking takes and editing when Lou finished her day’s driving and we struck out to find some waterfalls in the evening light.
The more I get days like these the more I like the freedom of self tapes, the fact I can be here, go see those waterfalls but not miss a last minute commercial casting. I’ve had to run from them in the past in Soho, when they are an hour behind and I’m supposed to be across town. It’s shit for all the studios in Soho I have no doubt, and all the sardonic actors who worked as receptionists and kinda hated you for getting the meeting – where are they working now? Loads of those old places must be gone, turned into Airbnb or Pret. But hey ho and the Brecon Beacons are amazing.
Lou and I walked up some hills, heading to waterfalls in the evening light, but it was all a bit too far to get there and back before dark so we made do with a yomp up halfway and a yomp back down. It’s quiet here and the air is good, the promise of rest and a hot bath outweighs the endorphins from a beautiful waterfall despite them having a purported “wow factor” of 3 out of 5, which sounds like pretty decent “wow” – depending on where they start and where they’re going. Middling-wow falls are better than low-wow falls. We made do with evening light, the golden hour, a bit of hillside. The wow will wait.
Then we went back to the cottage and had a curry. Gotta love curries. 💕
I feel like good things were achieved, set in motion, continued. An old friendly casting director contact, haven’t heard from them for a few years. Happy to set things moving via them. Happy to be able to take the time at short notice. Sometimes it works out.
AlBarclay 