Keep it simple, stupid!

This week is all about the music video. Cluedo themed - think creepy 1920's mansion and jazz-style music (care of Delgirl, a local three-woman team). It all started on Friday, with the frantic set set-up and organisation of get-up. This involved begging and borrowing from a number of sources. Thanks to nhnz, Paul, Mum and Dad, Aunt Terry, Queen's Drama Department, Uni, Lu, my brother's flatmates...and my own fantastically patient flatmates who allowed me to completely take over the lounge for two nights. Much to a certain flatmate's disgust I had the indecency to cover up a new widescreen plasma with a 3x3m paper bookshelf! (Sorry, Bryn, forgive me!)

Saturday morning saw me a crazy bundle of nerves. I had six actors arriving one after the other, a suddenly flimsy-looking shotlist, and eight hours of filming ahead of me. My wise lecturer's words kept echoing hollowly in my head ('Keep it simple, stupid'), and I wished desperately I'd paid Lloyd a little more heed!


As soon as I got into it, though, I was fine. Looking down that camera is like looking into another world, I guess - does anyone else find that? - and I suddenly felt under control. Thankfully I was also blessed with a set of talented actors and actresses, who repeated things until I had them on film more or less as they were in my head. In no time at all it was all over and I had a reel of video, a ridiculously sleepy head, and a lounge that looked like it had hosted a riotous 1920's party. It took me three hours to clean up. Thankfully the widescreen plasma emerged unscathed.

Last night I collared Pip (thanks to you too, bub!) and found out how to capture my images. I can't explain how relieved I was to see my Professor Plum popping up on the screen in front of me. It worked! Triumph! Victory! Now there's just a week of sleepless nights ahead of me as I wrestle with synching dialogue...!