Breaking a few eggs (blog 18)

The actors and I are straight into singing together as we listen to the radio loud on the way back from the airport to the apartment. Turns out George has a great voice and is the front man for his Band, TESSA JONES, and he and Emma are both active fanatics of musicals a-z. We get back to the apartments and show the actors where they are staying, introduce them to he crew, leave them and allow them to get settled in, as Alan and I drive to the set to get, Daithi and Kev who were still knee deep on their design undertaking for the interior of the house which has come on leaps and bounds, but still with a lot to do, and even as I write this, April 28th 5.56 a.m. Daithi is still working everyday and is under pressure. That ticking sound in the van was still flittering away until finally as we were actually heading up hill to the entrance for the house, the van completely died, as Alan exclaimed, “she’s gone!!, on my life.” And held out his hands as the lights on the dash board lit up to announce its demise, and we literally free wheeled up a hill for 30 yards and around the corner, and in the front gate. Both of us looked to one another and started laughing at such a close call, that could have been the actors first impression, all of us sitting pretty vacant on the road from the airport to Tralee. Not good. But that is the kind of luck we have had from day one, just making it as we leap frog across the pond over the heads of dozzy alligators.

Nonetheless the van was gunned back to life and we drove in to pick up the laughing cavaliers, and got back to Ballyheigue with Kev holding a fire extinguisher in the back seat in case the engine caught fire, it stalled about 10 times on the way home, free wheeling for about 100 yards, then kicked in again, but got us to home where a quick turn around was arranged, as Alan busted off in his Merc for his house and a super fast change of clothes, and Ivan Godley my cousin agreed over the phone at 20.25 to drive us back into Tralee for our inaugural dinner at Gio's THE ALLEGRO restaurant in Tralee, for 21.00, SORTED. Daniel, Daithi, Kev, Sam and I loitered anxiously outside our house and kicked some dirt. Eventually the green bus swung us in and we picked up Alan and the gorgeous Joanne all sparkling and ready for a night on the tiles. I jumped from the bus still moving near the apartments where the actors were waiting, as we were late, the other’s headed straight to the restaurant where I ferried in the actors to a great commotion and rattle bang boom through the night to Jess MacCarthy’s great pub where we had the entire back area to ourselves, Kevin Hannifan in his ever generous fashion insisting on buying the whooping big rounds, as pints of Guinness filled the air, and laughter rose to a persistent din.

After this and more yada yada yada and rocking good stories we were all coming to know one another pretty fast which is exactly what I had intended as I wanted to inject a BLOW IT OUT YOUR ASS energy from the get go. Emma Griffiths Malin and I had been on this level from day one over the phone as we would weave into conversations about mysticism and magic and so on and so forth, then just generally take the piss in a warm and utterly frank fashion. This was how I projected myself to all the actors over the phone, as a thunder and lighting sort of say it mean it Producer. But regardless of this turbo charge all of their personalities are equally high energy and emotionally honest and fun loving, we all immediately bonded and that has been a sustaining energy through rather a few difficult and touch and go moments on the journey so far.

The pub was buzzing as so was I as I had not had pints for a while and the jack was out of the box, plenty of interest and friendly enquiries from the regulars as to what all the fuss was, people coming over and chatting and wishing us luck. Another pillar of pints set down to litter the tables. Slug Slug, out for a fag, in and out and in and out. We then hit a late night hotel setting where cheese ball super suck music was whaling and we hitched to the bar, I grabbed Emma and took her for a jive much to the intrigue of the onlookers, and as she is such a force of course she wanted to lead, but I wasn't having it, so then in a nano-second she relented completely and was gone from my hands which had been hoisting against her lead role energy and now she was a cracked egg on the dance floor having hit it like a brick, this was fucking funny, and so I picked her up and mixed her back into the night. And in time the revelers started to disintegrate, Alan, Joanne, Daithi, Daniel, Samantha and I eventually grabbed a taxi about 4 O'Clock after a night of jaw slamming.

Crack of the Mick (Blog no.17)

It's Friday night and spirits are high, intermittent sleeps are stolen by various individuals as they are lulled to repose by the ocean sounds. Daniel and Vinit are discussing the script, making plans and I am hearing a little voice in he back of my head as I sit with them, and try to snub it out. The voice is saying 'story board' Daniel and I have had arguments about this, as he insists he does not believe in them, and that the top ten directors do not use them. This is ringing alarm bells for me, and I just hope as he keeps telling me he knows all the shots in his head, which is great, but can that be communicated with ease to the crew, we have yet to see. Ah well, we will manage somehow. I am a bit concerned that this is Daniel's first feature and so I feel that all the classic structures can do nothing but assist to make the best movie we possibly can, and that we should employ these techniques. But I am not going to rock the boat immediately. These are good times and they are coming to share together in a vision for the script. Anyway what the fuck do I know, I have never Produced a Movie before, and this one is not being done in the classic fashion, far from it in some respects.

My Mother cooked a thumping Bolognese, I was going to do it but got swamped under other matters. Bottles of wine were popping like blots off the straining Titanic. Guzzling, giggles and good food. kev, Daniel, Daithi and I are sat round a table keeping each other in stitches, this would make a great short sketch in itself, a scene of utter silly inventive whackery pouncing around out of our four fickle mouths. The others started to emerge, Sean and Pierre staggered and jet lagged but ready for more, glasses down, and filled. As the night cruises on into the wee hours Kev, Daithi and Sean end up over in Daithi's apartment playing music as these three are excellent musicians, Sean is a great singer and fountain of classics, song after song and incremental beer cans cracked. Samantha Sheehan arrived late as they had a hell of a journey from Dublin, Trevor was on board and using his large van to pick up the lights from Ardmore, and run Sam about Dublin for last minute make up requirements. Eventually arriving with a van filled to capacity, we all muck in and unload and then get back to getting loaded. I am sallying back and forth between the gang here and the minstrels over there, and I feel good that strong relations are already swinging from the branches and flexing there essential monkey selves, and this goes down deep into the night of the long smiles.


We had a knights of the round table meeting on Saturday here in my house, where were gathered, the crew, consisting of Vinit Borrison, Pamela Corrderio, Sean Hearn and Pierre Branconnier, a great guy to work with and a sweet person. All of the crew are way beyond my expectations, Sean Hearn who was hired as a boom swinger is a force of nature, and a fully kitted hardcore gaffer without who we would be in serious trouble, as he dissected the house like a scalpel slicing every electrical nerve down to its rudiments and set this production on a secure and assured power base. He is also a very sensitive and kindly spirit. Vinit and Brian had returned with the Van full of booty, and we had already unloaded it. Now I introduce, Priscilla, Brian Nolan, Kevin Hannifan, and Alan to the group through the frame work of this meeting set to establish roles and hammer out considerations, such as do we shoot 24 or 25P (24P makes it easier to burn back to film should we be confident that this will go for theatrical release, 25P more suited to DVD market) right now I have to leave.


OK, the meeting went well and lots of technical matters were tabled. Priscilla shot plenty of footage of this convention before we enter the battle field. All uniforms spic and span, no blood shed yet. Then after the meeting is down, everyone begins to shuttle off as I need to get the crew into their apartment we have booked in Tralee within walking distance of the main location, and then Alan and I will go and pick up the actors that are arriving into Kerry Airport. But there is a little hiccup, as while Brian and Vinit were returning from Shannon, the van started to generate an odd ticking sound, which grew progressively worse. Now as we drop the guys to their dwellings, it is at it again and kicking up a right stink. Off we go to the airport, and await the actors, I decided for theatrics to put on a pin stripped Gucci Suit and sun glasses for shits and giggles to appear the right wanker LA producer type on first impression to the cast. As we waited in the arrivals hall, people were wondering what the hell was up, and I restrained my laughter fronting a big ass attitude. Then almost the last people to come through, their they were and all wearing Spiderhole t-shirts that Rueben had designed and visibly excited and brim full of antics. I hollered out 'It's the actors!!!!!!!!!!!!!' and they returned a bevy of shouts and screams much to the entertainment of those onlookers. We all hugged and kissed and Alan stepped in as he had been discreetly filming this fun, and we headed straight for the bar to toast to the coming days. All in high spirits and READY TO ROCK.

The Eagles have landed (blog no.16)

Now everything is almost in place, we just nailed the catering today with a guy named Giovanni Gordini and despite the obvious Italian name, a heritage from his Father, he is very much an Irish man and a strong character, who likes a good wise crack. We have established on a quid pro quo basis, that he will be providing both lunch catered to be picked up everyday by us, and dinner at night to be had in the family restaurant 'The Allegro' in Tralee, and all this in return for a percentage investment. What a massive relief as I was about to get flattened under this comet heading straight for earth, until Gio as he is known, and who is a friend of Alan’s, stepped it to fend off calamity. This is yet another brilliant contribution from Alan’s endlessly generous spirit and energy, I was actually in the Bank re-signing papers again for the Visa card, while Alan was meeting Gio, and he called me to come in and pitch it to him, there I was once more sat across from an individual watching intently as I hopped back on my bike and began peddling like a fruit cake. Yada yada yada yada yada...

I am off to the airport with Daithi in the morning, 5 O’clock kick off, ALL FINGERS AND TOES CROSSED…let the chips fall where they may, I have done my best, now it is in the hands of faith. And there has been a certain feeling of faith about this entire expedition, lady luck has been on our side, which can cause a certain dizzy feeling, since being Irish our natural disposition is to probably expect any day now a funny fucking clown to leap from this box and blow a tasselled honker in our faces. No sign yet, and I don't think he is going to show as I tend to trust the energies that I have rallied together, Daithi, Alan, Joanne and myself, simply mentioning the Irish contribution are all of a stripe more orientated to leaps and bounds when it comes to getting things done, we certainly do not crawl, and so the fences have been speeding by like a heady trip to the Galway Races, and there is a lot at stake on this horse, named SPIDERHOLE. "Come on Spiderhole move your bloomin arse!!!!!."

Daithi and myself are in usual chipper form as we make our merry way to Shannon, and the crew are somewhere out there on the rim of the Atlantic. It is a grand morning once again, and I had a few funny lines with Daniel before I left wishing me luck, who is tucked up in bed with I suspect the entire script playing through his brain.

April 19th 2008 and all is quiet this morning. I am a little hung over. AS YES WE GOT THE CREW INTO THE COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!! But WITHOUT the equipment????? Daithi and myself were splitting our sides on the way up, as we pressed the limits of sanity over the course of the journey, two particularly disturbed minds pushing at the borders. In fact that morning as I walked the beach when the Geese all flew in formation I watched a dog bound along the water line after some sea gulls that just laughed back at him from their secure vantage point, and I thought about how beautiful he was, so powerful, swift and strong, and that I will need to have a heart like his if I am to pump out the energy needed for this shoot, and then immediately the wit side of my soul jumped to the fore and reassured me that I was half way there already, since I may not have the heart of a dog just yet, but I definitely have the MIND OF A DOG.

We arrived at Shannon and grabbed some coffee’s and waited, the flight was 15 minutes late. TICK TOCK TICK TOCK are they going to make it through? After some time passengers began to spill out of the arrivals gate, and Daithi got into position to document the hoped for moment of me delighting in embracing our most welcome guests. The doors swing open and a tall giddy looking character appears to have a snoop over the security line, he has a word with the security guy, and I sense that this is Sean, don’t ask me why, so I call to him, and right enough, it was. The other’s were through immigration and waiting for their bags as was he, but he was itching to get out and smoke. Alas I could relax that there were no complications, thank the LORD! Then after some time, a group appeared, initially I did not recognize Vinit, he seemed smaller than I had construed from that photograph of him we saw on www.creativecow.com where he just seemed to loom large next to his Red Camera, anyway I soon twigged it was him, and off I went to hug and welcome our new friends. Pamela was visibly tried but happy to hug, Vinti was fresh looking with bright generous eyes, and what appears a composed and competent personality. Pierre was strong and humble of aura.

The gang all piled into the crew cab and we headed for customs to get the SKID. Arriving to a few ladies still a wee bit sleepy, only to discover that it was still in transit from Dublin and would not be there until 2.30 that afternoon. SHIT!!! Now what?? we decided to push on for my house and possibly come back that afternoon or the following morning. Sean looks to be a large character, full of smiles and warm enthusiasm and so we all broke the mold and spirited a lively conversation which made the journey sail away. Vinit was also keen to chat and discuss some Irishry, as was Pierre, Pamela slept. And alas we pulled into the side of my home and the guys gasped at the sight of the expansive ocean and distant mountains that spread out to greet their tired souls.

They all unloaded their gear and came into the house to meet Daniel, and have a delicious breakfast prepared by my parents who are equally excited by this whole enterprise of ours. We all laughed and talked through an Irish fry up with lots of coffee and a magical view. Here they were, our golden crew on terra ferma, and delighted to be in Ireland, and music to our ears, wanting to go and see the location as soon as. Wooo!!! no flies, all business, let's rock. I called Brian Nolan and he offered to drive the van back in the morning to the airport to pick up the Red Camera and all it's bells and whistles. This was great as I saw it as a good opportunity for Vinit and Brain to get to know one another over the course of the drive, a four hour round trip. That afternoon we all went along to see the location and they were well impressed by Daithi and Kev's crazed masterpiece. Vinit and Sean scanning every detail and digesting the main course of what it was we are about to consume, and I can tell you we are taking one bit fucking bite of the APPLE.


After this I took the boys to Quinlins pub in Tralee for the best Guinness to be had and we all toasted to the coming days. The excitement and camaraderie was palpable on the air and it felt to me absolutely right that this quantum leap of trust should have transpired between Vinit and I as to my mind almost miraculously here he was smiling that handsome smile of his and raising a glass to the heavens. Next morning he and Brian pushed off early after I introduced them, and flew off on my cycle, with all fingers crossed that the equipment was going to clear customs without a hitch. A couple of hours later as we were once again at breakfast I get the call that THE EAGLE HAS LANDED. Praise the Lord.......

Agents and Air Freight (blog 15)

So yesterday!! More last minute requirements from PS, and these ones happened to be simply differences of interpretation, but none the less have me back on the phone to Paul Jackson and hounding around for clarification. I could not believe it, this equipment was now packed and ready to roll, and here comes another detail with the proviso that UNLESS such and such is in place, we cannot let this kit go!!! NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Then I eventually got it sorted, but that was happening pari passu with a new drama 'THE AGENCY AFFAIR'!!!!!

The actors contracts went out a couple of days before and now issues are being raised, initially simple ones, but nonetheless taxing, questions of inclusions and omissions, positioning credits, full card or sharing which means the actors name is shown either on a single card as in his or her name fills the screen floating there in the darkness, or else names share the card and so on. A lot of questions are being raised one after the other about the details of the contract and requests for clarification, cool, of course, and so I am back writing to and calling my Lawyer (Brian Gormley) and processing these concerns with him, and as we address matters, more begin to rise to the surface, but as he mentioned this could go on and on interminably and there is only a certain amount of help he can give as entering into negotiation with agents over contracts could well be a costly and time consuming affair. I can see another little black dot rising on the horizon to fly in and grow nasty over my little sunshine parade.

The details for the shipping were all finalized, the Carnet sorted and the following is how it all breaks down:

Cartage $75.00
Air Freight $1269.71
Customs and Handling $75.00
Carnet Fee $624.75
Bond $644.00 ($161,000.00)

That bond seems low to me, considering that we have insured for $315,000 worth of equipment. While most of these prices are once off, this is not a total per se, this is ONE WAY, shit!!! I was budgeting less for shipping, well I should say hoped it would be in that honey suckle ball park, now we are realistically looking at a shipping bill coming in as twice as expensive as I had forecast. With these corners pinned down, the budget has taken yet another body blow below my best wishes. And so we are back over budget again, and still the catering issue lingers like a large Italian Mother filled with a capable flowery fist to send me packing with a solid knock out blow.

Then comes the phone calls from Independent Talent Group and concerns regarding the contract and the rock fall of more intense mind training when it comes to dealing with legal speak and trying to keep everybody happy. Brian Gormley had informed me that for the fee that we had agreed upon and was all we could afford, that he could not enter into negotiations with agents, and this is exactly what happened yesterday, and so this is where I am going to be trawling all day today. Brian has already written me an e-mail as of 8.19 this morning informing me that he is busy until about 4.30 and after that he will phone me. By that time I should have enough subject matter issuing from all the agents to try as deftly and comprehensively as possible (and hopefully without incurring much more cost) send this potential gorgon packing back into its lair. Although now the precentage share in the talent pool is being questioned and I foresee a riot.

All the agents are being civil to say the least, and Greg Millard, Emma's agent, while utterly thorough with his break down of concerns and considerations, point by point, which at the time was a cloying weight due to the many other problems I was then dealing with, was also very kindly and supportive to my efforts. Yet these matters have to be addressed, and I am learning to swim and act as lifeguard at the same time. The contracts are involved and obviously legal mine fields, and so I am stepping light footed into the imagined arms of Fred Astaire, while unfortunately for him he has a big bearded Irish dancing partner rather than the fleeting delight of Ginger Rodgers. Better not loose my count now, got to remain poised with good carriage and equanimity, and finish this dance in a gentlemanly fashion.

There was no way I could drive Daithi and the boys to go and pick up this new Van that Des Adams has offered the use of. I was also planning on doing several wire transfers through the account, no go!!!! I had to stick by here in my new office/future editing room, and batten down the hatches until this particular blizzard blew over. Then to add injury to my already beleaguered condition my bank manager called to inform me that someone in the Bank of Ireland in Dublin had misplaced our forms requesting our vital Visa card, CAN YOU FUCKING BELIEVE THAT???? magnificent timing on their behalf, here I am having just managed to set up a company and get a business account literally two weeks before we begin shooting, and desperately awaiting a Visa which we had hoped to have on Monday, and today is Wednesday, and we are now informed that we will not have one until next Monday at the earliest. GREAT!!! More desperate phone calls to people apologizing about this and trying to persuade them that this is actually the case, can you imagine a client telling you this, YEAH SURE THE BANK LOST YOUR VISA INFO!!!! YEAH YEAH THAT’S OK!! SURE SURE!!! That’s fucking all I needed yesterday. Steven at Snail Trail in England has been great and was sympathetic to the story and will hold the VW until next Monday for us. I have been inspired to say the least by people while working on this production to date, I haven’t really met with one IDIOT. FINGERS CROSSED!!!!!

Some magical moments yesterday, picture a scene where Daniel is sat in question time with Gabriel Galway an exceptionally attractive eleven year old asking uncannily astute questions about the script, as Dan is blown away by his probing intellect. Then a visit to the main location where Daithi and Kev are well into the process of transforming the house, as we walked about and checked out the progress, while the two dogs gamboled about our feet. Then last night up at Alan’s house with Joanne binding the scripts with an old fashioned clunking mechanism designed for the days of laborious painstaking work, as we all sat about enjoying these unbuttoned moments, and our relaxed time together as a group of friends all coming to know one another under the light of this our most extensive creative adventure to date. And almost unbelievably the crew and Red Camera arrive tomorrow morning bright and early, fingers crossed, touch wood, and say a little prayer for all of the great characters that have showed courage and vision to come on board and make this an exciting, fun and to date inspiring journey.

The Earth Begins to Move (blog 14)

Eventually but it is not yet sorted we have reached a figure of $315,000 worth of equipment to be insured which includes the Red Camera, The Sound Equipment, and all the extras from PS (Production Services, based in Canada http://www.psps.com/locations.html). But the guy who calls the final tune has left the office and while Paul tried his best to reach him, his mobile was off. And now I have the adumbration of a deal, but it will not be until the morning that I can send an amended cover letter from our insurance company, in which an agreed figure between all parties can be cut in stone and PS limited be written into our contract as Loss Payees and on and on goes the merry go round of double Dutch and blind Dutch courage without the booze. No gym or sauna for me today. Hard drives and 40 mini DV tapes have been ordered. Kev arrived over and will stay here for the duration as he wants to muck in and get down and dirty. Great to see him, we both kicked straight back into idiot, fun, creative energetics on seeing each other again jumping about the place like blasted guinea fowl.

Alan O'Sullivan and his wife Joanne are the steel cables in the back round holding this structure together. Night after night we have meetings to observe and contain the budget. Alan's book keeping skills are impressive and impeccable. Joanne is always there clearing the way for me and making endless organizing phone calls, and codifying the accounts, their involvement grows day by day, and their excitement is contagious. I can't believe how lucky I was to find both of their energies, to support and move this entire epic forward.

I had a great pitch conversation with Jason at Cine Electric for a hopeful deal with the lights, he will get back to me. We got the offer of Vans and what ever vehicles we need from Des Adams which is superb and very generous of him to want to help. The VW camper is being held until I get our Visa number by Steve at Snail Trail. John Naughten, is sending the copies of the forms we need for the anti money laundering proof of legitimacy for Spiderhole Productions Limited. Brendan Barret a local enterprising individual is off to London tomorrow and will seek out a hotel deal for us in Ealing, which is great. The Tickets are booked for 8 crew, cast, make up and me to leave Kerry Airport early Sunday morning the 11th of May. And I dealt with Robin Williams and had the status of the Carnet clarified, but I cannot relax until I hug Vinit, and tell him some yarns about Irish history on our way to Ballyheigue all sitting in a Van full of the latest camera technology and all about to embark upon the creative twister of a feature film.

Daniel has arrived and is in bed as I write this, we had a series of fun interviews with Priscilla Faye who will shoot the documentary. I thought it went well as an ice breaker, and we had some laughs, as well as capturing our first hour of footage shot at 25P (25 frames per second using a Progressive Scan) I am now three days into my second diet, which is a Cabbage Soup diet administered to patients as a prep for immanent surgery. A supposedly healthy mainstream technique, and a method of safely burning off excess weight, and for me a seven day trial, you can look it up on line, it is good. I have lost 10.5 pounds in 8 days and I feel great, although I could sense my daemon rising with the excitement and male conviviality bubbling over between us all this evening as one can of beer was passed round between them, and some cigarettes smoked, part of me would like nothing more then to nail some pints and get goofy and yet another part of me is determined to follow through and delay gratification until the fat lady sits on my face and I get to munch on the big juicy reward of a fanatical and focused vision.

A new day, 6.30, and the weather is glorious, clear blue skies over a tranquil perfect bay where a fishing boat, Pa Kane I suspect is already out after lobster. A thin glittering frost coated our car as I tramped out for my cycle this morning. Daniel who is used to waking at every turn of his wee baby Gem immediately responds to any movement I make sleeping in a bed along side his, this proximity helps us to hammer out issues and details and have a laugh.

Daithi and Kev will be rising soon as they pull of for the location about 8.30, they have been doing superb work. Between the two of these men you have probably the potential for nuclear fission, they both possess volcanic imaginations, are superb musicians, designers, inventors, and as unorthodox a set of genetic strains as I have ever come across. Daithi's vision for the interiors is manifesting day by day in consultation with Daniel. Kev is as industrious and capable as a van full of monkeys, all gigs and reels, and certainly a one man show. And like the Titans they are this mountain of a task is taking shape fast.

I spoke with Alan about the catering again this morning, and this really is an un-nerving situation, as I just made up the budget and at a casual computation it seems like we have like shoe laces at this stage to play with, but then again shipping has not been finalized and neither has the deal with lights, so I suspect both of those will suck down another couple of shoes, and so we will simply have to tickle some toes for shits and giggles, leaving us with no contingencies and the possibility of a potential catering bill cracking smack back like a laughing boomerang at my forehead. We will possibly have 20 mouths to feed for 21 days, both here and London, better get back on the pitch trail and pan handle for some more gold.

Yesterday had some great moments as various members of the PS team expressed their enthusiasm and support for what we are trying to accomplish, Penny Watier has asked about having the details of the film sent so that they can use it in their PR for the company. I am holding back at the moment from attempting to get any local or national press as I want to keep it as tightly sealed as possible until we get it done. I don’t want any un-necessary disturbances and unforeseen intrusions onto the set which would cost us valuable time. When we have it shot I will bust a gut and chase after stories, from the Irish end of the film spectrum, the British, and then American, as well from the various magazine ladies I have got to know down the years, such as Jo Craven at Vogue and Lucy Yeoman’s at Harper’s and Queen, as well as of course going for the actual industry rags and so on and so forth. All that will be dealt with in its proper order. For now it is all about the big issues of getting everybody and everything thing into the country and comfortably in place so we can all in unison shout ACTION.

A sky full of Geese (blog 13)

Instead of a cycle this morning I decided to take a walk along the glorious beach of Ballyheigue, right outside my window. Felt a bit muscle bound yesterday after six days working out, although moderately (a word my Mother reckons does not exist in my dictionary) so off I went and strutted along surrounded by the wonderful sights of the sea shore, under a bright fresh sun scented blue morning. As I approached what is locally referred to as the Black Rock a magnificent scene unfolded as hundreds of Barnacle Geese flew low over the gently lapping waves, all in symmetry, conking away merrily in their world of industrious harmony. This acted as a trope instilling the impression of a peaceful balm over my spirit, which was much needed, BECAUSE! inside my head, despite Beethoven’s lyrical 7th Symphony actually playing to accompany and enrich my walk, mentally it was Wagner and the flight of the Valkyrie, and these sweet drifting Geese were more like Francis Ford Coppola’s choppers sweeping in for the kill. And like one of those acting Vietnamese fighters on the shore I could not duck for cover as the first BOMB OF THE MORNING whistled in, but had to run for my guns and HAVE A CRACK BACK AS THESE BASTARDS.

One simple e-mail this morning was my incoming missile, and as I opened it, it exploded. Vinit wrote ‘we should make sure PS gets their money for Monday please.' and that was enough to create a miasma of OH SHIT! inside my mind. Seems like someone has maybe got something crucially wrong. When I first pitched Vinit the film it was under the canopy of desiring to hire a Red Camera, then we stepped out from the shade and into the full light of actually discussing Vinit acting as DOP (Director of Photography) which utterly changed the ball park, there and then on the phone Vinit was telling me that he could offer an unbelievable deal should he decide to do that, and of course my little beak dropped open with excitement. Yesterday together we established and clarified upon a myriad of details, and I had possession of the complete equipment list coming into Shannon on the skid and boy is it impressive, all the bells and whistles, and that really means ALL OF THEM.

My offer was that I could pay Vinit and his crew, including the Red Camera, a fixed figure, which translates better when converted into the Canadian $ but is still a lot less than the regular price for that actual contingent of people with a basic kit for a similar period, never mind a super kit; after this there are innumerable expenses extra equipment and lenses, Primes Lenses, Zoom Lenses, and so on and so forth, I priced one classic Zoom for a three week rental here, and that was coming to 2,100 Euro!!!! GUUMMPPPPP!!!!!! One fucking lens!! Now to the core of this mornings Vietnamese cracker, the extra equipment Vinit was getting from PS was in my understanding all material he was able to gather together on his end and through his contacts to add to the over all production quality of the film, but not something we were expected to pay for, as we don’t have that kind of first class leg room, not by a long shot!!! And I had even sent Vinit a copy of the then Budget over three weeks ago, to illustrate where we were at. Maybe I am being a complete guff this morning and seeing problems where there are none, and all is in reality a soothing trope of perfect Geese sweeping down to land across the milky sunlight (as they did on my return journey) or else the world of nature is once again at odds with the inner world of man THIS MAN, whose mind is currently filled by the monstrous symphony of enfilading American choppers.

And the second squadron of attack comes in the shape my to-do list for Monday:

1. Wire Vinit money as he paid for all in bound thickets.

2. Establish dates for return journeys, and make bookings.

3. Insure the equipment and get a copy of certification to PS.

4. Book thickets from Shannon to Stanstead for Sunday May 11th.

5. Book the Ferry for Daithi and Kev to take the equipment to London.

6. Get our credit card details to Trew Audio and pay for the sound gear.

7. Make out a cheque for Shuttle Freight Logistics Inc (the skid).

8. Ascertain what status the Carnet is being made out under.

9. Meet with Gary Brosnan after picking Daniel form the airport.

10. Order Mini DV’s and three 2Terabyte Hard Drives from Komplett.

11. Pay for the VW camper Van and establish time for pick up.

12. Negotiate prices for the lights with Cine electric and organize pick up.

13. Deal with this uncertain catering dilemma.

14. Actors for the last three roles, 2nd Doctor, Daisy and Japanese man.

15. Sort out anti money laundering papers for Philip Lee Solicitors.

16. Get contracts to the agents in London.

17. Order Sam’s last make up requirements, and arrange transport.

18. Figure out a deal for Hotel’s in London.

19. Get Emma and George’s fit size for costumes.

20. Get Movie Magic to draft up the shooting script.

21. Sort out the child acting contract for Gabriel.

Monday April 14th 16.29 and I am in a war zone against the Titanic arms of the clock as this entire film package sways on a knife edge while I act the space filled ping-pong ball batted back and forth between PS and the pre-requisites of their insurance demands and my already in place insurance policy for the equipment which was settled on in the bank this morning as I talked through the process with the indefatigable Paul Jackson who has been a great support from the get go, this was done outside the door of the bank over the phone on my way in for a meeting with Tom Keane our account manager. We settled a premium which came to 632 euro for a liability of $217,000 Canadian and I got Tom to wire the money through there and then and send an e-mail to Paul confirming this transaction which for us would expedite the process of sending a cover letter to Toronto in order to enable that equipment stockpile that Vinit has garnered to be released and packed and the Carnet written up tomorrow for the Freight company to SEND ON OUT.

Not that simple!! PS need an insurance to the value of $250,000 for their equipment alone, and as I was communicating with various members of the company, Penny Watier who was in Los Vagas and Phil Reimer and Leslie Mercado in Toronto, filling in various forms on the run and bouncing phone calls, while knowing there was no way I could pick up Daniel at the airport and get him to a meeting with Ciara at Shindig, since it was now 17.09 and the bank is in fact closed, but I have a call in to Tom and am hoping he can wire money for me to pay for the ever adjusting premium, to assuage any worries they may have and exhibit to them that I am for real and in earnest when it comes to sorting all this out professionally. It is all last minute tilting tower of pizza, as the insurance has to be in place, the equipment has to be got to Shuttle Freight, the skid has to be packed, as it has to be sent to get here in time, and one delay could smash all the eggs. And I have to steward the process from my end with those bloody confusing play station 3 controllers while obscurely observing the play from 3000 miles away.

E-mails and incessant phone calls to Paul, he is away from his desk at a meeting, I have to get the policy changed and work out a new figure, on and on, we eventually get in contact with one another, his day is nearing an end, mine has no real end until who knows when. Umpteen e-mails are sent to try and clarify this $250,000 value, and I can visually see Vinit in my minds eye chucking more gear onto the golden heap, and the company trying to keep pace, and me trying to adapt on the fly to an illusive final figure. FUCKING BANANAS.

Trust and the last minute manoeuvres - blog 12

Vinit Borrison to the rescue. Vinit used his personal credit card to make the transaction happen, and there I was on a three way phone call admiring his courage and trust in me, while he read his card details to Tyler. This then allowed us to get the desired sound equipment and have it tested in advance, and then packed onto the Skid. Thank you Vinit. Now there is a little bit of context to this and something that has been needling my consciousness all this time, especially when I was giving over details of Alan’s card number to book the flights with his express permission of course, and at my instigation, to Magnet Films Flight Booker. Phone calls were being placed to the credit card company to be aware and observe an immanent transaction (this was an ordeal to set up and in fact never really happened, although we had a case should something go wrong as notice had been given). What happened to me was some incredibly, tacitly, deviously, dastardly, mutha fucker ripped me off over a Craigs List deal in New York.

I was chasing after a Canon 30D and found a superb deal, but the guy happened to be in Toronto, and so via the gigs and the reels and my enthusiasm and desire to make the deal happen, we arranged the whole thing, bank details exchanged and so on and so forth, and when push came to shove, he got the money and I got the custard pie…this guy was brilliant, a master confidence trickster, and one of the nicest sounding guys you can imagine, are you reading this YOU FUCK?? I’ve been your bitch in this life. Actually I forgive you, and hats off, as that was well done. YOU WANKER!!

So Vinit managed to broker that end of the deal, and we were rocking, then Daithi called over and he and I had to spend time looking over the receipts and the budget as it is tight, after which we went to the main location where the students were throwing a big party with some bands playing. This was great, a motley crew, although I didn’t really see anybody else for would be extras for the art studio scene. The bands were blowing up a storm and I was amazed to hear them playing Rory Gallagher, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, and everyone singing and bopping along to the lyrics. I was in a band when I was 19 called JUDE and we used to play similar material, which as of course even then back in 1990 was almost 20 years after the fact, and here I am 18 years later and the Buck has come round again to boogie. I got some video footage for the documentary. Then on my arrival back Vinit had CC-d me on an e-mail he was dealing with over there where insurance on the equipment is becoming a problem, and or some other details I cannot fathom just yet as I rang Vinit at about 12.45 and he said he would ring back but has not yet.

What exactly is happening I am not sure, but I know that while I have in place our employers liability, and public liability, to the tune of 19,500,000 euro, I held back from the equipment insurance as I still don’t have the exact list from Vinit of what will be on the SKID. I did go ahead with a wish list from him, as well as the sound equipment, and FAS equipment, which all came to a value of just over 160,000 euro and would have cost about 680 euro to insure. I had a chat with Paul Jackson our amazingly helpful and positive insurance agent, and he agreed that it would be a good idea to wait and get an exact amount and bring down the premium. Now this might just come back to bite the wrong end up, as I suspect Vinit will call me today looking for equipment insurance details, which I do not have, but could have by Monday afternoon local time here, and have to him by the crack of dawn there. Will this gambit work?? He is under pressure I think in obtaining all the gear he would like, and obviously has to answer to somebody else, SHIT!!! Another stressful waiting game now for me as I go out and find some more money.

Went into a local internet sales based excess digital company named digi-excess to see if I could get 6TB (terabytes) worth of new and reliable hard drives as we will need that if not more of storage space to capture these enormous 4K flies onto and store everything in duplicate…no joy so I will need to order these on line with MY FUCKING NEW VISA yippee on Monday, I hope there is enough latitude for the visa to handle all the transactions that are going to come gushing through all at once.

Blog 11 -Ever the diplomat-

Up at 6.30, i-pod in ears, bicycle out of the garage, random shuffle on, Serge Gainsbourg, ALRIGHT!! clear morning, and feeling good. Brian Gormley our lawyer came through yesterday, oh boy! but did he have me going for a second!! All is well, and being wrapped up as I write, ( I just looked at the clock it is 9.08 again, funny!!) he is as I have felt from the beginning a thoroughly hard core good guy, and now we have legal documents to beat the the band, template agreements between Spiderhole Productions Limited (SPL) and the investors, template agreements between the script writer and SPL, templates between the Director and SPL, between the Producer and SPL, template agreements for the crew, for the cast, for Gabriel the child actor (this is a special one, and for you young producer out there reading this, this agreement is just to add a little extra complication to your quiet life) and then the template for contributor’s release. That last one is for extra’s really, but also for anyone that talks on the documentary, and even for actors’s in the film that simply have a line or two to deliver. And after that all the actors contracts.

And now just for added drama, enter stage fucking head-on MONEY LAUNDERING, I hear you gasp ‘WHAT DA?? Well I know, I know!!! now that Ireland is air tight with regard to money laundering, I just got an e-mail ( since I have as of yesterday actually set to employing our lawyer formally) directing me to show absolute proof that SPL is a legitimate company by providing our ‘certificate of incorporation’ a copy of the ‘Memorandum and Articles of association’ a list of names and addresses of share holder’s holding 10% or more of the company, and a list of names and addresses of all the Directors of the company, so just go and get it done, whatever is required to set the base for your production firmly on a legal, lawful solid ground. GET IT DONE RIGHT.

The catering drama continues to linger as a probable 7/9000 euro expense for lunch and dinner, that money has not been factored for reasons already mentioned. I have spoken with the restaurants and some have simply dropped off as they could not compete with the best offer I had from Finnegan’s in Tralee. There is another guy right now, but interminably he loves negotiating and I don’t have the time, I just need to know how much per head, he wants to sit down and chat, we already did that. I don’t have the lunch time caterer in the bag either, so this fucker is sitting on my shoulders like a fat bastard, while I try to balance all the other plates on thin sticks and run about like a loony auditioning actors, assuaging Daniel's flotilla of worries about this that and the other and everything, phone calls in the hundreds, logistical acrobatics, making sure ends meet, while banging ahead and carrying the enthusiasm of other's tied on sensitive strings alert to the slightest flicker in my vision. I cannot flounder. And that is what you must learn if you want to produce a movie, YOU CANNOT LOOSE IT. And might be well advised to look up and read about the great diplomats from the past such as Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord, as you will be required under pressure to think and think again when smashed by wave after wave of crisis, and you will need to get answers fast, and not under any circumstances, lose your composure.

OK I have got to get cracking now, tonight the students are having a massive party in the house and so I am going to go along with Daithi briefly and scout for extras for the art school scene. I found a great looking guy last night named Ozzy Quadrof who is from Brazil and cool as you like. Just saw young Sam also who opened the door for us that first day into the house, he has a Mohican going on, Travis Bickle back on the beat. I have to go now and get my little sand bucket and shovel and start shifting a mountain of SHIT!!!! See yaa!!!!

A lovely bright Saturday morning over looking the sight of a turquoise ocean. Our mountains across the bay exhibit the slightest dusting of powered snow, and the dawn morning pink is slowly slipping from the clouds. All is tranquil and vital and clam. IS IT FUCK!!!!!!!! Yesterday was a mini D-day landing for this beach head, THE SKID, and all the equipment which is still in a state of flux as regarding what extra sweeties we will have to add to the production value of the moive, in my mind exists like Mike TV scattered to a billion twittering fragments crossing the ether in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (what the fuck was Tim Burton playing at??) oh boy this is a serious moment. And I know Vinit is doing his utmost to broker the best deal possible, as he and I exchanged numerous phone calls yesterday, the SKID is cool and a company in Toronto named Shuttle Freight Logistics are handling that. I have been speaking with Robin Williams who seems a good egg and appears to be on our side.

A new word for me ‘Carnet’ and we need an ATA Carnet, hoo!!! fancy that, here is the definition: ATA Carnets ease the temporary importation of commercial samples (CS), professional equipment (PE), and goods for exhibitions and fairs (EF). They facilitate international business by avoiding extensive customs procedures, eliminating payment of duties and value-added taxes (minimum 20% in Europe, 27% in China), and replacing the purchase of temporary import bonds. So there you go and it will cost us $575 but will allow the all important equipment and Holy Grail of the Red Camera to be moved as soon as we arrive at the airport instead of potentially being blocked up in customs for days and days as we all lay around the set in deep despondency like a scene from ‘Aguirre Wrath of God’
 (if you haven’t seen this, go get it, Werner Herzog) and that would not be FUN. NO NO.

So the biggest jig-saw of all is being built and fitted and wrapped and packed, I wonder what the image on the surface is going to look like by Tuesday when it should be lifting off the runway bound for KERRY. There are fences constantly busting the fetlocks of this galloping production, for instance Vinit and Alphonse both wanted to get the Sound Gear and run a check on it yesterday, but that required the equipment being paid for, so the hire company, Trew Audio, simply needed a credit card, WOOOOPS!!!!. I rang the bank this morning and our manager was not working so I had an exchange with his temporary replacement, only to establish that we will have a Visa number but not a physical card on Monday morning, yesterday was Friday, and meanwhile I got my balls tied in a knot knowing that this is a precipitous race to the deadline, yeah I can wire monies no worries as of last Monday, but I have not got a Visa number, hence with a certain sangfroid I am planning and drumming away and watching the dice roll toward an outcome that I have banked upon, but am yet to see in numbers, so those tumbling dice are an actual real energy upon which I am riding, but they could suddenly stop short and show up jokers.

Support from our friends blog.10

Had a good meeting with Gary Brosnan and his beautiful wife Ciara in relation to costumes. We had a lovely couple of hours together, initially tinkering with their wonderful kids as they were incrementally being packed off to bed and slipping back out again peek by peek to join in this intrigue. I pitched the entire deal to date as Ciara had not heard any of the real details so far, and we talked about various possibilities and they made numerous insightful suggestions to help make this a better movie. When Daniel arrives at the airport on Monday, our first mission will be to go and see Gary and Ciara at their boutique ‘Shindig’ and chose costumes, then Gary the following day is off to Barcelona where he can source the duplicates we will need. We are also trying to chase down mannequin limbs, Gary and I talked about this over the phone last night, and he is actually sourcing them for us and will buy them himself, as he can use them after the shoot. Monday last was catering and costumes in the evening after a full days banging on over the phone. And as it is now 9.08 in the morning and I have been on the move since 7 a.m. the banging on is about to begin again.

The 11th of April 2008 and I am feeling physically good after a cycle and now with a cup of hot water and honey, but that is where the snug bug little fuck head happiness ends!! Yesterday was a twister and as mentioned when rapidly approaching the start date under our present circumstances without all actual monies in place, one begins to reel from time to time as massive fundamentals start to raise their heads like grumpy Krackens and peer down at your wee little skeleton. In other words my beautiful baby of a budget threatens to morph into a little daemonic Damien. Alphonse A Lanza our sound guy had to make arrangements to change his thicket, as he has two gigs before arriving here, one in Amsterdam, one in Paris, so he is going to wrap with us in London and fly to Paris, then back to Toronto. I wrote to him suggesting he change his flight to return from Gatwick with the other’s. For his own reasons he went ahead and booked a change of flight yesterday which cost $595 Canadian, that’s cool, expect I could have a got a cheaper one with Zoom airlines, one way. No Biggy.

BUT!!! We have not booked the return flights yet for the crew as definite dates for their return have not been set in stone, they may want to spend a few days in London after the shoot, wouldn’t you? Meanwhile I am watching prices fluctuate on tickets like a stock broker whose heart rate races with the curve. A one way right now on say the 17th of May is 226 pounds sterling, I need to buy four of these suckers eventually, although another slight complication is that Pierre Branconnier the AC ( assistant camera ) wants to tour around for a while, which OK I can simply give him the money equivalent to do with what he wants at a later date. But this is basically ringing an alarm bell for the crews flights which I can deal with coming in at 3,000 euro, but the PLUS is staggering dangerously near my nice little bone china tea set and waving a stinking snack box about the place. Also I must book Daithi’s ferry from Rosslaire to Pembroke which is how the equipment is getting to London, and the generator, as well as making the call on whether we leave (the crew, Emma Griffiths Malin and I) via Kerry or Shannon as prices are not good from Kerry on Sunday the 11th of May, added to the above I don’t have our company Visa card yet!!!!!!!!

All the big hitters are weighing in now and come Monday I expect a massive rumble for our imaginary Visa card and real Bank account as money will projectile from its punched gut. The Skid (transporting container) is an unknown since Vinit is dealing with that, so shipping which I have factored may also take a wobble, all that gear has to get to Shannon, be ferried to England, ran round the city, zipped off to Gatwick and packed off for Toronto. WITH A FUCKING MASSIVE SIGH OF RELIEF.

Bringing in the big guns blog.9

The big issues are now in getting the equipment shipped from Toronto to Shannon. This will comprise of a skid with all the camera gear, sound gear and some lights. Vinit is dealing with this on his end and I am just keeping tabs and trying to make sure we can get as much as is possible on board that skid for the best possible price. I am imagining we should have that here by Wednesday or Thursday of next week. The lighting list that Vinit proposed is being dealt with as well, as in surgically, I am snipping off like a blind barber, and trying to reduce the costs as it is at the moment almost four times more expensive than what I have allowed for, got to keep it tight with the proviso that I can probably put more money that way when it comes down to it.


A big problem laughing in my face at the moment is catering. We had the possibility touted that one particular restaurant would handle it all and pretty much for free. IMAGINE THAT!!! But now that seems to have been a possible premature and highly unlikely prospect. I went around to several restaurants on Monday evening, and the best offer from a very good restaurant was 12 euro a head, for a choice of two starters and two mains, with tea and coffee, added to this they would mix it up every night. I mentioned that price to one of the others in the course of conversation and they were amazed, but that is still, let’s say we have 20 sitting down to dinner after shooting every night, that is five grand which I don’t have, and also we need lunch catered into the location everyday, another potential bill of at least 3,500 euro I would imagine. OH SHIT!!!! In a cavalier fashion we took for granted what might have possibly been a gingerly conversation between Alan and this guy, this might now come back to terrorize the budget.


It feels to me that the final aspects of the budget are the ones most fraught with anxiety, as everything depends upon such and such being in place, and I don’t have that delicious last 10,000 euro gold bar to wedge back the avalanche. Kevin Goodman did mention over the phone that he might invest, without any prompting from me, he was just excited by the possibility of it all, I wrote him an e-mail about exactly that and will wait to see his reply. Now the focus is on logistics, getting people in and comfortable, arranging transport at all times, thinking in advance about what requirements people might have, trying to keep it fun and constructive for all involved. I have to get moving on a party peg for this circus tent, got to get a space where we can swing.


We now own the domain www.spiderholethemoive.com and I have spoken with Robert Condon, a great friend of mine and a seriously talented musical mind, about designing a basic blog site to get us off the ground, he is cool with that, Robert will also do a sound track for the documentary, and design our website. Robert is to my mind an incredible composer in the making, a magnum of champagne just waiting to be popped. Paul Ashe yet another brilliant individual thankfully still living in Kerry, who is well cultured and versed has also offered to get involved and will host the site and keep it nice and juicy for those sophisticated Google requisites. Between Paul and his company www.zeitsolutions.com and Robert we will have two capable creative talents to handle this invaluable aspect of the possible PR surge. I just have to dream up the style, content and visuals.


Meanwhile back to the drawing board, and I am now nine pounds the lighter and feeling so much better. Did the three day fast, and also began a regime of cycling first thing in the morning, 7 a.m. at the moment, only for about three miles by the way as I have just quit smoking and have been a Slobadon for an age. Then at mid day I have been going everyday to the gym and using the sauna, added to the above a couple of fast paced walks along the magnificent Ballyheigue beach, for images of this, visit, www.bedandbreakfastkerry.com. Now I am going to supplement this with a protein diet, I had two fillet stakes yesterday, yum yum yum, pigs saucy bum!!!! The aim is to loose twenty pounds, and be capable of giving everybody support and energy over the course of the production without becoming depleted myself. Time will tell. Thank fuck my hitherto deleterious life style has presently been knocked on the head.

Blog 8: Band of Brother's

The balancing act now is in linking together those that can speak the same technical jargon and simply snip down the list so I can order whatever it is we have to possibly get here from CineElectic in Ardmore Studios, Bray, County Wicklow. Feeling this upper limit squeeze right now financially is not a great feeling, as it seems we are so close and yet? I have entered into the possible madness of a master cleanse right now to top it all off. Water, Grade B Maple Syrup, Lemon Juice, Cayenne Pepper, and that for as many days as I can, I might do 5 as I did that already during the summer. I feel way out of shape, like a slug, without any real or imagined exercise since at least last April, and smoking like a stink dog to boot. The excitement and anxiety of working on this the past two months gets me buzzing and I love to compliment that with contemplative cigarettes. But as of today that is getting kicked right the fuck out, as I am a SLOB and need to loose a stone and get mentally cleansed and physically capable of supporting, managing and entertaining a troop of about roughly 30 people. The state I am in right now is not good enough and I desperately need to get a handle on my inner health and well being.

This is going to be a serious test, no smoking, a minimum of 20 a day addiction, no drinking, and placing my body into the trials of a physical regime. Might go and make use of the gym a few miles up the road, and use their sauna everyday. Got to get militant and execute the fat clown within.

I have also had an issue with the Bank, as our company, SPIDERHOLE PRODUCTIONS LIMITED, is now set up with the CRO (company registrations office) this cost us 600 euro by the way, done by a very helpful individual named John Naughten, who has a corporate services company here in Tralee. But as I arrived into the Bank with our articles of memorandum for our bank manager to be, the company name was still not showing as signed over to Alan and I as directors, so the manager could not proceed, although we did get the tedious formal duties out from under our feet. As it happens by the next evening which was Thursday the 3rd of April, the CRO was showing that it had now changed the names of the company directors to our names, but alas yet another complication arose. The Bank does not buy its information directly from the CRO, so they cannot simply look into the site, which is a pay per view, they wait to see updates from their third party company, who buy their information every couple of days, and as Bank procedure is such, we still do not have a functioning back account. And what is more worrying is that we will not have a Visa card for possibly 5/6 days after the account opens, which I am hoping will be on Monday, and I want to lodge two cheques ASAP.

Today is Thursday the 10th of April, 10 days to go before we begin shooting. I have lost contact with my lawyer which is a little worrying as I need the contracts sorted, have been calling him and leaving messages the past two days, ZERO! I called all the agents yesterday to inform them that the contracts were being drawn up, which is true as Brian Gormley and I went over that, and said that I would e-mail them ASAP, they were all fine and seemingly in no rush anyway, COOL. I don’t think the potential investor Alan and I pitched to last week will come in somehow, I called him Tuesday and he said that he was sitting on the fence and needed to speak with his business partner, bad omen, he asked me to phone the following day, I did that, this time he was with a client, would call me back, worse omen. I will leave it now to Alan on his return from Holiday, as he knows the guy.


A great friend of mine is coming on board to help out over the course of the production and shoot, Kevin Goodman, my co-writer in the band DUCK that I formed in London back in April 2001 initially for a gig at the Kings Head organised by Charles Asprey and I, where we played covers from Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy and AC/DC, we then went on to write original songs and so on. He is a great character and was involved in one of the short video sketches entitled ‘The Clone Brother’s’ that Daithi and I shot back in Daithi’s apartment, we did a number of these and they are the little seeds that got the ball rolling on this project. You can see these on my my space page www.myspace.com/artfinger.


When we made our little sketches I would upload them to Youtube and send the links to friends, Daniel being one of them. He always raved about how much he enjoyed these idiotic episodes, and I think felt utterly frustrated at his position which has ground to a terrible halt from that previous hectic summer flying about scouting locations and being limoed left right and centre. I insisted he come over and join us for a few days and we all knuckle down and make one short each over a three day period, he was excited so I booked him a thicket and now here we are, nine weeks later very close to making his first feature film. Kevin Goodman will drive for us in London amongst other things, we are hiring a silver VW camper van as one of the major props, Kev will drive this at the crack of dawn and pick up the actors form their various addresses, and Daniel from his, and get them to the set. The plan is when and if we get a deal on a hotel, that the crew, including Diathi and I, will all be staying at the one hotel from whence we will be making our way to the locations.

Sound of the pretty pink pig

So now I have gone over budget, and am waiting to hear by how much in relation to what equipment the sound mixer, Aphonse A Lanza, requires. I am calling Brian Nolan to try and get a communication opened between the two of them as I cannot relay what would be available to us from FAS with any descriptive authority. They exchanged one e-mail I think, and Brian and I had a conflab on the phone, and yes Alphonse quiet rightly wants the best, so after a rummage idea here and there, I simply said ‘fuck it’ I will go and get some more money, which we will need anyway as we were there and then busting buttons in our pants and just about alive under a firm financial threshold. I went out on the pitch trail again, more conversations over the phone and e-mails. Jaw flapping detail yapping, b-ding-b-dang-b-ding!!!!! I had two phone calls that each lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes where a friend over the phone listened with intrigue at this by now accruing substance and pitch technique, pretty far from the first days with Alan, this bone had taken on muscle and hitched on boots and a skirt since then.

I then entered into the waiting game of at least 3 days before I would hear back, after which time it turned out that neither could reach out under their present predicaments even though they were very keen and completely aware of the potential of this, RISK FACTOR kicks in differently for everybody. I was not disappointed, just a little set back as I had thought at least one of these individuals would have had a little more of an adventurous spirit. But it was cool and I just had to rock on. Alan and I went to a friend of his, who owns a large car dealership, and pitched it again, and a good pitch it was, this was on Friday the forth of April. I will call him on Tuesday and hear what he has to say. But as of yesterday we have another individual, a local character, and he has come in for a percentage investment which is great, and I am delighted to see this kind of imagination put forward, this now was a confirmed example of how lucky I was to pitch to Alan O'Sullivan first day, he is steadily steping into the role of Executive Producer and completely supporting my efforts. Now finally I could tell Alphonse to go ahead and get the sound equipment he wanted which included 4 Micron TX700 Lavs.

Hence I am waiting on that Tuesday phone call, with fingers crossed, and hoping for at least another healthy euro investment. I had a meeting a couple of days ago with Priscilla Faye, an attractive young woman who has agreed to use her camera (JVC GY-HD 100) to document all the footage we will need to make THE MAKING OF SPIDERHOLE. She was very happy to have been asked, and seems delighted to be involved in the process, which is what I like to hear. We discussed some ideas about how the documentary should come across, and I will allow her as much input as she wants. Brian made the suggestion of using Priscilla, I had not really met with her before. I am thinking of maybe calling to see her today as I would like to see what a 25P (25 Frames per second shot using a Progressive scan) image looks like on that camera, and also the other frame rate settings, so as to set a look for the doc. We might also use an old 8mm Canon 514XL-S that Kevin Hannafin gave to me as a gift a few months ago. To date I have been capturing the preliminary happenings on my Panasonic NV-GS400, a great little DV camera.

I actually haven’t had a real exchange of any significance with Vinit Borrision for well over a week, I know that he is busy, but I am anxious to establish that we have all the equipment we require, and also want to fix the price for the shipping, knowing that there are a number of items I must hire in Ireland to bolster up the bag. It seems now that monies will be needed for catering which have not been factored in to date, as Alan was given the impression that we would be getting an exceptional deal form a restaurateur in Tralee, oooohhh...NO!! I am beginning to see a big bill here coming off the horizon like a sling shot aimed at my head many moons ago. SHIT!!! And here I am again with my nose like a pretty pink pig pressed to the glass.