Thoughts for the day

That I was bound to!

Firstly two things that need to be mentioned, first that I’m always shocked when people die young, far too young I noticed on the BBC today that Britney Murphy died Yesterday at the tender age of 32, sometimes life is so much more fragile then we really think.  My thoughts go out to her family and friends.  The second thing is tat I’m reasonably chuffed that Rage Against the Machine got the Christmas Number One, its jsut a shame it was all orchestrated on FaceBook, which takes the punch out of things a little.

Ah, the Rant!

Indeed, as anybody that knows me, knows that I have issues With FaceBook, and how so many people blindly join the site even though there are many, many political and ethical reason for not doing so.  It is however a choice of conscience or lack of.  It’s all about freedom of choice and you can if you wish, give up a good chunk of your human rights and let huge companies and governments monitor  you with far greater ease.  I think it’s foolish and naive, what people are willing to give up for easy communication.  It just shows how lazy people are getting and I do believe that the masses are going to suffer in the long term for their lack of foresight, or just ignorance.

But What Really Bugs Me

Is that I’m loosing touch with friends who only communicate through FaceBook, it’s true.  One argument is that I should forget my principles and ‘Just get on it’ because it is easier for people who blatantly don’t give a fuck about their ethics let alone mine.  I miss out on finding out my friends are getting married, that they have had new born’s; all sorts of things! It’s just so disappointing.  Look, I get that you don’t care [generic], I do, I can even understand the draw of social networking, it allows you to see what everyone is doing, every last move.  It means that you can watch people, it’s like big brother, it’s wrong but I understand it.  Privacy its no longer an issue, I don’t think people want it anymore, people want to be exhibitionists; you want everybody to know what your doing.  You are a STAR, you have you own page a window for everyone to look at [not too difference to my Blog as it happens.  But WHY does everyone want me to give up on my ethics just because they have?  I am not and NEVER will be on FACEBOOK, and I’m really sad that this means that I loose touch with friends as it is now their ONLY way of communicating.  I’m easily contactable, I like to drink coffee and have a chat, Take phone calls… I like to write.

The thing is

I don’t think it’s a fad, I cant see the evil regime disappearing.  I’d just like to go a day in my life when people don’t mention the word, when I was on set there was basically no conversation that happened without somebody mentioning FB.  My picture appears against my will, friends have put my number on the site. NO, NO, NO, go ahead you can be on it, but get it-in your heads - NOT ME.  Yes I’d love to see the photo’s of your kids, email them to me, or show ‘em to me.  Everyone can see them if I put them up; that means you don’t care who, send them to me and I know you have at least made the effort.  And the more people ostracise me for my choice the more resolute I will be.

I got a card

From an actress that I auditioned once, I think she is really rather good, and we stay in touch, when i find the right part for her she will get a very good shout at it.  She sent me a Christmas card this year.  I’ll tell you what, she will be remembered much better for that then a nudge or a poke or whatever you call it.  Making an effort is just, so very important.

This is not an attack on you

Just realise that we can stay in touch  and be the strong friends we always were,just by making the effort we always have.  It actually means sooo much more.  I cant however promise not to tell you “I told you so”, when FB is exposed for what it really is.

Laters,
Chalskter

It’s odd

I’d not really noticed that we are nearing a new decade, and I’m once more thrown into a reflective mood.  Such a lot has happened over the last ten years.  Most notably is that I’ve my own house, a dog and the career that I’ve been longing for is just stuttering into gear.  I’ve some old friends kicking around, but mostly spend time with some tat are perhaps a bit newer, more because of the direction my life has gone in, what I now do is all encompassing, and that tends to bring in people with similar interests and desires.  The nineties was all about music, the noughties slowly became about film.   I’ve reached a pretty high stage of my career in sales, only to feel that it was totally the wrong thing to be doing, leaving me feeling empty and unaccomplished.

 Relationships

I’ve grown to be very good friends with my brother over the last ten years, we were brothers before, now we are best friends, who without I would never be able to be doing this whole film thing. I’ve had some flings, lived with a young lady, split up and been left with the sweetest dog in the world, something that would never have happened on my own, and whilst I write this she is curled up on my lap, helping me feel in a good place.I’ve gone through one of the most stressful job ever, only to give it all up and heap another chunk of stress on myself, all be it self imposed this time.  But most of all I think I’ve grown up, really grown up over the last ten years!

Whats ahead?

Well lots of stress, I’m either going to have a great decade or loose my house.  All the signs look good, we have serious interest in our first feature, I have selected and met a very promising Director of Photography and all being well she will chose to work with us.  There have been almost countless approaches from Producers, and we are looking to start shooting on the first of June in Oxford.  I’ve immense pressure from above to have a script yesterday.  We start location scouting early Jan, and hopefully breaking down the budget…. It’s really bloody exciting.  And trust me if we get this right, it could be huge!

So I’m guessing that this will be the last from me till 2010

So for those of you that read this blog [its ten years old next year!], I guess it a thank you and I hope that you and yours have a brilliant Christmas and that twenty ten [Tenties?] brings you everything that you could wish for and a few nice surprises.  Keep our eyes open for spoilers on ‘No Balls, Scrum Like it Hot‘.

Laters,

ChalkStar

Strangely Exciting

Well, we wrapped up filming The Last Seven yesterday morning at seven in the morning which I suppose fits in nicely.   Bazza found me listed on IMDB the other night too, which has made me really quite chuffed.  I’m just waiting for my other details and credits to update.  I’m also trying to get Chop listed for the people that have worked on it.

SLEEP

I slepped for a good nine hours last night and my back can feel it though I feel the most human that I’ve felt in a very long time; we tend to live of very little sleep wheen we are filming.  It’s been a great experiance and I’m convinced that I and the others that have beleived in me, are on to a real career in film making.  How quickly it all happens? No?

Idiots

I’m always amazed by people that have no idea, over the course of The Last Seven I was plagued by the stupidity of the ‘chinless wonder’.  A mate of one of the producers who was employed to drive.  Now the general rule of low budget film making is that we all chip in outside out remits.   Not him, though he is moving to London to become a film maker.  Actually to him that means extreme inappropriate behavior and facebook usage.  Oh and butting into every important conversation and gumming up the works of anything that he could possible get involved in, like ruining the food preparations/orders.  This came to an utter climax when after five or six pints he drove the rig van across London to drop an aspiring actress off.  One that he would never sleep with.  This left the van miles away from where we left it. Making everybody’s job more difficult the next day.  I for one would question his involment in anything ever again.  Possibly including breathing.

No Notice, No Rent

So Dave did his best to burn bridges when he left, he gave me no notice, no rent and even left rotting food in the fridge.  It all suggest that he is not a very nice person at all, I have to question everything and anything he has ever said or done.  The thought was that we were friends, how deeply mistaken I was.  It’s something I will not forget in a hurry.  Why cross people unnecessarily? The sock cocker!

Getting on with it!

Films GO!

laters,

Chalkster