Sweet Dink Balls....

I made it!

I made it to the end of my first week of shooting! This job is a real adventure - one that is teaching me more than any school, and one that I am enjoying to the fullest!

I'm meeting lots of wonderful people. The ones I've connected with most, so far, are the lovely gentlemen from Transport who pick me up and drop me off everyday. Patrick is a fireman in his "real life". Yes - a FIREMAN - one of the last few REAL HEROS we have in this world. He's doing this gig because he cracked his ribs in the last fire he fought.(WOW!) Patrick doesn't think of himself as a hero so much as an adrenalin junkie. Simon is from Poland and did his thesis at the University in Moscow in early Egyptian Theatre. (WOW!) He has plans to move to Cuba to compose and record music with Che Guevera's son. He told me that he often drives out to Langley a little early so that he can pull over the van and take a morning walk in the woods. He brings his camera and takes pictures while he has his coffee. Curtis is a Cree Indian. He was once a social worker on a reserve - now he drives transport when he's not acting in film and TV. He taught me a WONDERFUL Cree word - here's the phonetic: ka-na-na-skoo-ti-min....which roughly translates to: "Thank you for your friendliness and for being open with your spirit." Isn't that beautiful?! WHY - don't we have words like that in English?

The daily grind of making a TV show is just that - a grind. LOTS of waiting around followed by a flury of activity. Things are even more stressful on this shoot because our two child actors are on very strict time constraints. We have to be done shooting their scenes no later than 6:30pm every day. The closer we get to 6:30, the more tense everyone gets.

I've been spending my down time between scenes in "video village". This is a little black-out tent where they keep the camera monitors. I sit in there with the script supervisor (she keeps track of every little detail in terms of lines, movements, prop placements, etc...for the sake of continuity), the Director of Photography (he lights everything and is responsible for the over-all LOOK of the show. In our case, Camal also speaks FIVE languages and is one of the best D.O.P's in Canada.), and the director (who works with the DOP, the actors, the camera man...and has final say on most of the shots). We're often joined by various producers, writers, stunt guys, make-up and hair people, etc. There are easily 40 - 50 people on set everyday running around doing a million things that have to get done so that it all comes together. People get tense - but it all comes down to "the work", and so great effort it made not to take anything personally. Davide is our camera man - and he is South American. He's got a great accent and an even better attitude....He keeps the environment light and fun at all times.

The acting is such a SMALL part of it - and it all happens so quickly! There is a quick blocking rehearsal for camera, they decide on the best way to shoot it...then we MAYBE do a scene 4-5 times max. That's it. I have NO IDEA how any of it is coming across, or what the final product will look like. Folks seems pleased, and there has been laughter coming from the tent - but who knows?!

Coming up this week - I will shoot a scene in my underwear. I'm not looking forward to it - but hey - it's all in the name of comedy, right? In preparation for this event I went and had my first ever bikini wax this afternoon. I have little to say about the experience other than: FUCK!

Enid-Rae ( an old friend from Shakespeare in the Park) is working on this show as the Assistant Production Manager. She's a real calming presence for me. We went for fantastic Indian food this week - an amazing buffet! And after dinner she introduced my to the BEST dessert I think I've ever tasted. I don't know what these things are called.....they're like little round dough balls, or donut hole type things...and are DRENCHED in warm honey! WOW! For lack of the proper name - we dubbed them "Sweet Dink Balls" - and I have no doubt that there are many more Sweet Dink Balls in my future!

My neck is still an issue so I will be looking for a physio therapist this week too. Hmmmm - I just realised that of the two adventures that I have blogged about here ( my trip to Spain, and now my TV show) I have been in serious PAIN in both of them. I will have to try and figure out WHY this happens to me....Perhaps I'm meant to lead a quiet life in the safety of my own home....Or, maybe I just need to RELAX and not put stress into my body!

Ah well.....

I hope that all of you are well - and I wish each of you a "Sweet Dink Ball" experience of your own!

R