Director's Weekly Post Production Blog WEEK 83 Friday June 05th...

I am now on a plane on the way to Holland. Amongst other things, I have a meeting regarding The Power in Amsterdam today.

Last weekend, at last, I managed to unpack from Cannes and Cornwall, get through my e-mails and open all the post that had accumulated over the previous 3 weeks. That has allowed me this week to plough ahead with many things outstanding, do a load of accounts and try to close the finance on The Power. That latter especially has eaten up a lot of time this week.

Monday was quite a humorous day as I found out about someone raising finance for DEP by going around medieval fairs in Germany doing something called Mouse Roulette. Instead of a ball spinning around a metallic plate, a stunt mouse(!) wanders around a circular wooden village and whichever house it chooses pays out. Instead of numbers and colours each area represents part of a medieval town - the most popular with customers apparently is the brothel!

To me the mouse roulette is an absolute revelation. I honestly can’t think of a stranger and more original way of raising money for a film. There’s a film that was made funded partly from an armed robbery but this is something incredible. I am deeply indebted to the woman who has done this for us on her own initiative – I have never met her nor know her at all!

That day as well as Tuesday I tried to get through to Andrew Dearnley but to no avail. I presumed that he was avoiding me so as not to give me any more bad news. I tried again on Wednesday but to no avail so decided to pop in to Molinare that afternoon. To my surprise he appeared in a friendly manner. I asked “So what’s the news?”
“We’ve been busy de-spotting ‘Pelican Blood’ as the film comes out in the cinema in a couple of weeks. It was very dirty. We should be ready to restart on Elephants next week - hopefully Tuesday. It should take four days so hopefully we could be finished by next Friday. That should do it.”

He seemed positive. I couldn’t fault him on that. We will see. I will call him next Tuesday to check that the process actually has been restarted.

On Thursday I met Dave Simpson, a northern writer that I tried to make a film “Raving Beauties” with for many years and that currently is waiting to be reinvigorated. I’d met him for lunch in Cannes and there he promised to invest £100 in DEP. He signed the cheque and contract saying “If it had been a better year I would have given you a £1000!” I replied “Hopefully it will be a better year next year”

After I said it, though, I thought – the film must be finished before then. Mustn’t it?

The trip to Amsterdam and beyond was nice, like going to a provincial village on a day break. Closing finance for The Power is still on going but I have now caught up with the outstanding things that cropped up over the previous few weeks and am firmly ensconced back trying to complete the film. Now DEP is firmly the longest post production experience I have ever experienced. Over a year and a half!

Monday it was nice to see my article about the film in “It’s A Wrap” come out. Although I did start writing it in Cannes it was not actually finished until the train down to Cornwall last week. The editor said she’s cut two paragraphs for length.

On Tuesday I planned to call Andrew Dearnley but before I could, he e-mailed me first thing saying that the actual spotting would be under way that day. He still estimated 4 days to complete.

The money that trickled in last week allowed us to pay some service to the most outstanding creditors this week. Richard Juneman says we are now apparently less than 4 weeks away from receiving the DCMS money which will end many of our woes. It can’t come soon enough.

Mid week I received a text from Pete Stevenson asking me to call him. I called back hoping that he was calling to say he would be able to set a date for me and Jonnie seeing the rough cut of the documentary. His phone didn’t answer.

I called back on Thursday also to no answer.

On Friday I couldn’t get hold of either Pete nor Andrew Dearnly so I don’t know if the documentary is ready to view or if the actual de-spotting has been completed or not. The latter I expect to be finished on Monday so I will call then as well.

Yesterday also I got a shock. Creditor X has reared his head again. Apparently he’s been e-mailing Jonnie and as well as threatening us with legal action and other things has now contacted the server of this website accusing myself of writing defamatory material about him. I was astounded. All I have done is write the truth. Of course truth is always subjective but what can I do apart from write it exactly as I see it?

It seems thus, that I might be censored for writing last year the accusation that "Creditor X" was being belligerent - which so clearly he has been. The net result of that censorship may even actually be removing this blog altogether!

Thus I am now not sure if anyone will ever read these words that I write - effectively I might be writing them just for myself. But in any event I will continue to write the truth and we will see what happens. If you read these words then sense and justice has prevailed. If not then so be it.

As I write this, yet again I am not sure if it will see the light of day or be the victim of censorship thanks to "Creditor X". I don’t have the heart to check if it is or isn’t. Apparently "Creditor X" has been complaining recently that I am working on another film. He obviously doesn’t realise that making another film is likely to net me a fee which would help pay the outstanding debts on DEP!

Now, I’m just back from a trip to Spain with Marc. I’ve been doing the final polish on The Power incorporating things that have come up in discussions with Roger, Seanne and Daniel amongst others.

At the beginning of the week, I tried to call Pete Stevenson again but to no avail. How strange!

On Monday also I saw an old friend of mine from Stevenage called Steve Weston. Steve is an actor and played “John the Pyromaniac” in Boston Kickout. He wanted to see me about a script he has written, for advice. While talking to him it came to light that his father was in Lister hospital, Stevenage at the same time as my father was for the first time. They had been nearly opposite each other on the same ward with similar problems. We must have nearly bumped into each other as we visited them on many occasions.

His father died but my father recovered.

I called my father the next day from the airport just before I got on the plane. I wanted to hear his voice. He seemed quite up beat which was nice.

Marc was the sanest he’s ever been on the trip and spent the time while I was writing reading and such like. We played some poker in the evenings. At one point I experienced the most stress I’ve ever experienced at a poker table – having gone out in the tournament just before the money, I was forced to watch Marc (whom I had 50% of as we had done that mutual exchange beforehand) play poker knowing what he had. I couldn’t believe how he played some hands! No maths whatsoever, pure intuition and ‘feel’. Anyway, he won so that was good.

Today whilst catching up and going through e-mails I found one from Andrew Dearnley at Molinare from Thursday. It transpires that Katie did work most of last week and she has done over half the reels. Andrew thinks we will soon be able to do that final review. That’s good news.

Just now though, I have received a phone call from his neighbour saying my father has just been taken to hospital. The third time.