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.