The other day I was asked by my boss to step in and cover some maternity leave for six months. The last thing I want to do is tie myself down to the place but the extra money will be useful in the meantime.

I was going to get my road tax tomorrow but I've just found my MOT's up. Arrrrrgggghhh! I hope it will pass but I may have to take it off the road if it doesn't and maybe look at getting something newer.

I hope it passes.

I'm still finding great videos on YouTube like Mark Leung's "College Saga". This has got to be one of my favourite short movies ever. 
Check it out .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwLrgxtALWs

I should really put something of mine on here. Maybe later.

See ya.

Tags: work
Current Location: In The Study
Current Mood: mellow
Current Music: Barenaked Ladies - One Week

I've been so rubbish at updating this journal lately.

It's probably because I've not had much to put in it recently. All of my new years resolutions have been floundering in no-mans land and I have'nt done much about my long term goals in filmmaking. I think I just need to stop worrying about writing or stories and just grab my camera and shoot something, anything. My biggest problem seems to be actually starting a project and its something I need to cure.

I was in Birmingham recently for a course on some new reporting software. Boring! It was time away from work so I can't really complain but I lumbered myself with it because they could'nt find anyone else to do it. What was I thinking? I guess I'm doing even more for the same crappy salary. Arrrggghhh!

Anyway,

I'm still supposed to go rallying again next month so I'll post some pictures if I take any. It might be better if the evidence doesn't exist in case I crash.

My brothers radioplay is still going strong and I'm still playing the Narrator, you can check it out at the link below. I still owe him lines for the next episode but it should be out soon.

http://voiceactingalliance.com/board/showthread.php?t=17629

I came across lots of MAD Tv sketches on You Tube and have been watching them to the extent that my incoming film stock is piling up unseen. It is hilarious though, particularly my favourite, the edited sopranos sketch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFYN8loUboA


Other than that not much is going on. I'm so boring.

See ya.

Tags: work
Current Location: In The Study
Current Mood: optimistic
Current Music: Andy Mckee - Drifting

I've had my office move and I'm not sure how to feel about it. I'm right in a corner at the back of the room facing the window looking out at the old office, it dosen't really feel sociable but hey, sometimes that's a good thing.

My new boss still hasn't appeared and I have no idea what she'll have planned for us but until then I'll just crack on as normal. There's a real sense of optimism and apprehension that seems to be simmering away at the moment and we'll all wondering which one we'll get a taste of.

I just finished watching Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and it was absolutely fantastic as always, my favourite show EVER!!!!

I got a great Christmas Card from Jessi which I've put with the ones from work where I've been labeled a miser for my views on the whole event. Just because I think the whole thing is a big marketing scam plus the fact that I'm not religious in the least doesn't mean that I'm against anyone having fun.

Some People take it too seriously.

I felt awful on Thursday morning but still managed to drag myself into work at FW's disgust at my lack of self-preservation. I still felt off today but I'm getting over it. Stupid Bugs going around!

I've got to do my Christmas Shopping today and I don't know what to get anyone because no one has told me what they want or it'll be red "Santa Screwed me!" T-shirts all round.

Anyway, not much else going on right now.

See ya.

Tags: work
Current Location: In The Study
Current Mood: relaxed
Current Music: Eagle Eyed Cherry - Save Tonight

Just had a pretty stressful week putting together a major piece of work on homecare for the government and feeling mentally knackered as a result. After completing in four days what normally takes 4 weeks, our management decided to go on a conference the day of submission. Arseholes.

This left my boss and the rest of us to get on with doing their dirty work after their fiddling of the figures. They're so concerned with looking good they don't want to tell it like it really is. If you couldn't tell before, I'm angry about the situation and it's just another reason to leave work sooner rather than later.

Aaahhh, so depressing. Never mind, just breathe.

I'm still working on this script idea, It's taking me ages to get motivated. I get so lazy without someone to bounce ideas of and kick me up the arse to do something about it. At the moment it's in fragments of a story rather than a complete picture but hey that's how I work.

Guy Fawke's night ended up pretty uneventful and the fireworks displays were mostly drab compared to last years, Maybe there's a gunpowder shortage after that last Wachowski Brothers movie, you know, to burn all the remaining copies.

I've been making some enquiries to go rally driving again, I miss doing sixty miles an hour through a forest only occasionally hitting the odd tree when on your roof. There's a place quite nearby that I didn't know about so I'll try there too.

Other than that I'm trying to think of a good business idea that I can run from home and keep me in funds while making films but most of the ones I've come up with aren't really that viable. I'm sure that there's something I can think of that'll work though.

Anyway, Later.

Tags: work
Current Location: In The Study
Current Mood: blah
Current Music: Face to Face - Disconnected

I thought I'd be able to ease myself back into work after a month off but It's been one of those weeks. 

Monday and Tuesday were spent running around trying to put a series of pieces of work together for CB, all with totally unrealistic deadlines. Why does she tell everyone that it's possible when she's not the one doing them?! Arrrrghhhh!

Wednesday I was'nt feeling that great so I took the day off. I ended up missing the meeting I was supposed to have with the boss but I'm sure I'll get over it. I spent the rest of the day trying to keep warm while I psyched myself up for the following day in order to attack it with a renewed vigour.

I should have spent more time doing something useful.

Today, I was annoyed. It seems that it the meeting I was to have with the boss, she was to tell me where I would fit in a restructure of the department with me being integrated into another team. My team effectivley disbanded. 

This made me angry, I mean, What the fuck?! What was wrong with it the way it is?!

It seems that I'm going to be working for another manager who sees my team and I as an antagonist to hers. Great! Well, if I wasn't sure before about getting another job before, I am now!

Aside from that, Zofnat got in touch and told me that she's coming back to London next month. I'll have to see if I can get down there. I'm also writing a short film that I'm thinking of shooting in my back garden, it could be fun.

Right now I feel pretty sombre about work and my situation but fairly optimistic about everything else. I guess that's a start.

See ya.

Tags: work
Current Location: In the Study
Current Mood: apathetic
Current Music: Lacuna Coil - Heaven's a Lie

Well, this week has been enlightening. I knew my work was boring but after four weeks making movies I can't express just how boring. TEDIOUS!!!!!!

I've already started looking for other jobs while I try to get into the film industry. I think that I'll start shooting my own movies here while I'm working. There are plenty of actors around and hopefully they're cheap.

CB at work has been hounding me for all sorts of things with a completely unrealistic deadline and very little in the way of please's and thank you's. I gotta get a new gig. Anyway the whole situation sucks as usual.

Tomorrow I'm off back to London to do the Avid Express weekend course. I managed to get a last minute place through Abi and I've got some accomodation in Shepherd's Bush. I'll have to leave work a little early but sod it.

I can't wait to get back and start doing something creative and while I'm there meet up with Jessi and Mehdi to see what's up.

As I write this I'm freezin' my butt off in the study as the heating's off so I'm going to pack my stuff and get a hot drink down me.

See ya.

Tags: film school, london, work
Current Location: In The Study
Current Mood: cold
Current Music: Yoko Kanno - Gotta Knock a Little Harder

Regular postings from now on!

Off to London for Film School on Sunday. The first proper break from work in three years.

I'm really excited about it all and I reckon I'll have a great time.

It's not a minute too soon as work is getting me really down at the moment. The idiots in charge want to go through the some of the work we officially submitted and redo some of it for a freedom of Information request. This means tons of needless graft for me and a potential problem with descrepancies in numbers. Tossers!

But I'm going to leave them all to it after tomorrow. Sod 'em.

I've recently bought a 35mm film Stills camera and a 6M digital stills camera (missing an a/v cable, arrgh). Expect some shots in the future.

I'm really sorry about leaving JEH on her own on Fridays for the next month but I'm sure she'll cope.

As for me, I'm going to try to stay sane at work tomorrow and I'll let you know how I get on when I'm down there.

Later.

Tags: film school, work
Current Location: In The Study
Current Mood: angry
Current Music: Linkin Park - Faint