DEBLOG FROM LONDON: THE RETURN

Ahhhhh, back to the big smoke to complete the final episode (actually episode 2 - but who's counting?) and this time I'm staying off Portobello Road, not an area I've ever visited before. So with scenes from Notting Hill flashing before my eyes and wondering if I'll bump into Hugh Grant, I travel south with trepidation. (Partly because I'm wondering if Hugh will be carrying orange juice and partly because the world got slightly madder in London last Friday).

With Alex & Bella filming all day - including the high tec green screen scene (?), Manny and I set out to explore the market stalls of Portobello Road. No sooner had we shut and locked our hotel room than the heavens opened (must be because it's Wimbledon) and we got soaked. And I mean soaked, to the skin, drenched, drowned rat - WET - so instead of enjoying a little antiquity hunt we spent the afternoon playing brolly roulette. I swear, when I become famous and go on Room 101 - umbrellas will be my first choice, umbrellas and people who selfishly carry them in a bustling street with no regard for anyone else's eyeballs. Standing at 5'9", I am reasonably tall - so why don't (mainly) women carrying brollies lift their deadly weapons up and over the heads of unsuspecting innocents on the street during a downpour? It's ridiculously lethal; I was nearly decapitated several times. As well as walking in fear of my eyes, I also tripped over some nutters' leg mid brolly dodge and was only saved from total embarrassment by Manny's strong arm. Take my advice, oh people of Portobello Road, sod The Bluewater Shopping Centre Bureaucrats - buy a hood!

Ok, rant over and now back to my job.

A very straightforward scene this week - short and grape based. Yes, you've guessed it - another bar for Avril. This one though, less swanky and more "Rock & Roll", hence the rocky outfit I'm wearing that was a happy accident (look, I have no clothes left that haven't featured in this film). We were met at the location by The Barman Formally Known As Prince, who didn't know, didn't care and reluctantly had to make calls to allow us entry.



Having had no previous contact with this week's crew I just breezed in and did what I do. It was fun, I enjoyed it but I did miss the sense of team I've felt before in the project.
For me, this weekend, filming was over before I'd even learnt anyone's name. However, this was quickly rectified at the Cobra Curry that night, as I was sat with Naomi, Erik and Eleni and had a brilliant time. Having got to know them I
wished I'd had more to do in this episode.





Bella - having a cop's breakfast before grape shooting.






So that's it, filming over for me, many cries of "it's a wrap - let's eat" later, I'm off to Milan whilst I wait for Louis to green light my next project: Avril Travel's The World On Emma's Cash With Jamie....


....strange Louis hasn't answered my location request yet....






Deblog From.... by Deborah Bouchard
Location Photos by Manny Elias.

DEBLOG FROM EDINBURGH

"Find your mark, look the other fellow in the eye and tell the truth."
- James Cagney








Firstly, let me just tell you that The Tiger Lilly Hotel in Edinburgh is a truly GREAT hotel. Fab rooms, fab decor and a staff that are second to none. What a treat to stay there, in fact it's so good I'm even putting a link to them on my site! That said I now I really should get back to the reason for being in Edinburgh other than being spoilt at Tiger Lilly's!



The great thing about this project is working with all the different teams, all with totally independant ideas. This weeks team had a very exacting vision of what they wanted to see on film and yet another contrasting style which was an enjoyable challenge. My scene this week was the first time we see Avril in the film, quite a short exchange in a bar with the added help of around 20 extras, Cobra beer, plenty of Red Bull for the crew and I spotted a couple of bottles of champagne - it was a classy joint!

My scene finally in the can, I must admit I was disappointed that I couldn't get further North to go salmon fishing with Jill's Dad - an experience I'm trying to hook up (see what I did there?) for later on in the year. So I settled for the Castle and The Royal Mile - boy can it rain in Scotland it's June, flooded, cold and feels like November. It was a happy accident when we stumbled upon The Halfway House on a street called Fleshmarket Close in the old slaughterhouse district for Haggis, Neeps & Tatties, Stovies and Cullen Skink - could I be more of a tourist?

Photos by Manny Elias

Deblog From.... by Deborah Bouchard

DEBLOG FROM LONDON

And so to London, Bella, Alex "2 pants" Falkowski and me. We were filming this weekend in a nice eigth floor flat that the team had to turn into a crack den. Jon also had to deal with being stopped by the police and questioned as a terrorist suspect when he was moving the equipment, fortunately he was wearing his Make Your Mark In Film T-shirt and all was explained away, phew! Friday saw Alex doing his live and naked gig, with lots of running and through the legs angles. I believe the shot list for the day was entitled "Thunder Cheeks Are Go!"


Bella & I stayed safely out of the way in the more than comfortable upstairs bedroom whilst we waited for the light to be right by the canal for our shot. Four flyers later (the canal ate most of them as we battled the Wuthering Heights style wind that appeared out of nowhere) and I finally managed to pick it up on film. Jon did offer me a hand double should I feel the wind was too much to deal with but, ever the professional, I declined.

Saturday was a tough day as we filmed the stairs scene - starting at the bottom and, several hours later, reaching the top. Bella & I had lots of running to do whilst she pulled a suitcase and I carried a backpack. Originally, I did try for the suitcase for Avril mainly because I knew the backpack would get heavier the more takes we did! By the final stairs shot, late Saturday, I felt as though I was ready to take on the SAS and win!

We then moved to the scene where Emma & Avril go into the flat (Avril with perfume drawn). Poor Avril, she's so excited to go to Barbados - she's dressed for it, packed for it and then gets locked in a crack den! It was in this scene that I think I did my best work as I impersonated Charlie's Angels (a lifelong ambition fullfilled). Jumping around a door to inspect behind it whilst using a perfume bottle as a gun. This classic moment could be on your screens soon - subject to edit!

On a final note, if you're ever in Wardour Street, I have to recommend that you stop in at Imli's for Indian tapas especially washed down with a couple of chilled Cobras. A fitting end to a great weekend's work - lovely!

Photos by Manny Elias

Deblog From... by Deborah Bouchard.

DEBLOG FROM NORWICH

Firstly let me give you a little piece of advice: never, no matter how good an idea it seems to save time in a morning before filming, put croissants in the industrial hotel toaster. Not that is, unless, you fancy the idea of an early visit from the fire brigade or really want to see the staff loose their minds! Enough said the better I think, suffice to say if I ever want to stay at the Premier Travel Inn Norwich again I might have to make a reservation in Manny's name.

That aside, Norwich was a brilliant experience, hard work and lots of laughs. East Point Films had a tough schedule to get through this weekend but managed it beautifully by being highly organised and extremely professional. Each aspect of the shot (make-up, costume, location etc), had been meticulously planned and executed and it made my job really relaxing and easy.

Day one we filmed the last shot of Emma & Avril in Bedford’s (yet another bar - that Avril sure does drink a lot)! By the end of filming I was about to go and buy sun cream and bikinis as I was actually starting to believe that I was going to Barbados. The second day saw my scene with Trianna. After filming with Felicity in Cardiff, I couldn't quite imagine how her assistant would be. East Point had perfectly cast Sue (lovely lady in real life) as the abrasive Trianna and it was great fun working out the status of this shot - how Emma could deal with these two I'll never know. Manny also made a small cameo appearing as "a man in restaurant" (full interview about Fansom Winmoe, the football agent, on the documentary for your viewing pleasure).

Following the great Cobra Curry the night before (has anyone seen Alex since?), day three saw us live on the medieval streets of Norwich filming our final scene before the 5.5 hour drive back to Cheshire. Once Tom had quietened the talking book blaring out of ye oldie window the scene got underway on the cobbles. However I did note that in the previous scene I put Trianna's cheque in my pocket and Avril hasn't handed it over to Emma yet. I feel a sub-plot coming on! Avril does a runner to Barbados, forges Emma’s signature, opens an account, banks the money and lives happily ever after in the sunshine with a man called Clyde, a case of Mount Gay and Stay, the dog.

Photos taken by Manny Elias.


Deblog From.... by Deborah Bouchard.
Location photos by Manny Elias

DEBLOG FROM SOUTHAMPTON

We arrive at the Macdonald Botley Park Hotel in glorious sunshine to find ourselves plunged headlong into golf world, with more leisure facilities than surely can be healthy for you. This seemed to have an adverse effect on Alex as, just for this weekend, he asked us all to call him Andre Falkowski and proceeded to hang around the tennis courts looking for a playing partner whilst hopping from foot to foot and shouting "you cannot be serious" in a strange accent! I do think that the hotel took the health kick a little too far when, on the Saturday night after our meal, we went to the hotel bar for our traditional "end of shoot" nightcap. With cash in our pockets and our room keys in our hot little hands, we found out it was extraordinarily difficult to buy a drink from the open hotel bar - so we decided to break with tradition and went to bed instead.



Two very small scenes in the gym for me this weekend which finally began shooting after long delays. This team had a real vibe for them by the introduction of Ollie to distract Avril from the TV screen showing Jamie. And a very welcome addition he was too as he stretched and posed in the gym, flirting with Avril (who naturally was not in the least bit impressed) resulting in a really fun scene. Bryn also did well having been roped in at the last moment to play Becky - especially, as she told me, English was not her first language (and my Norwegian sucks - although I am working on the cheeky little phrase she taught me!) However, with a little gentle coaching over a coffee in my hotel room Bryn was ready to rock. This second shot was changed to a different location due to the lesuire manager having gone home to bed with the keys to the ladies changing room. Sometimes working around these problems can produce better results, a challenge raises your game and I think Chris demonstrated this by using mirrors when setting up this shot in the newly acquired toilet location. I think it was better than the original idea.

Shoot photos by Manny Elias

Deblog From.... by Deborah Bouchard.

DEBLOG FROM BELFAST

And so to Belfast on a big shiny Easyjet bird! We arrive at The Europa Hotel (Winner - Most bombed hotel, also known as The Hardboard Hotel) to pleasantly discover possibly the biggest beds in the western universe, a 40inch flat panel TV and a completely mental shower. Very pleased with our situation we meet Mike and the team bright and early on Friday AM for an informal chat - complete with shoot schedule. I'm called later that same afternoon and look forward to getting stuck in.(Shoot photos by Manny Elias)



After a ride in Mike's Yaris (get your tyre pressures checked Mike!) and a treat for the ears on the stereo we arrive at a very cosy and pretty cafe outside Belfast which is swarming with the local press - well done team Belfast - in anticipation of the arrival of Gerard Mcsorely. Gerard turned out to be a lovely bloke with a wealth of experience and a pleasure to talk to, although I know he found his role both challenging and a stretch!





It was a much more straight forward plan this weekend, compared to last and with the shot (s) in the can, Gerard off to his trailer for a relax, Alex and I decided to introduce the residents of Ballyclare to a little ipod dancing, which, I'm sure they appreciated.









Of course, no trip to Belfast would be complete without a short stay for a pint of the black stuff at The Crown Liquor Store (handily located across the street from our hotel - sorry Cobra). With all of us actors working on our northern Irish accent to the wonderful tag line "Rupert's shooting movies on the moon" we sat and whiled away the time whilst waiting for our plane!

Deblog From.... by Deborah Bouchard.

DEBLOG FROM LIVERPOOL

It was a very warm welcome to Liverpool, both by all the Team and the natives, so kind of them to dress in their best, with hats and everything to welcome Make Your Mark In Film to Liverpool- I'm sure it was that and nothing to do with the National? Without giving too much away, as I understand each concept to be top secret, it was a very ambitious idea and I was interested to see how it would fit together when Sam & Tom first explained it. However, explain they did and took their time to rehearse in a really "actor friendly" manner for all of Friday. I swerved the opportunity to watch Eraserhead at the cinema Fri evening (sorry Sam - just needed to relax after an intensive day!) However, relax was not on the minds of the race goers - we all enjoyed a rather special rendition of Downtown (acapella in the hotel bar) and I'm sure Alex won't forget the sweet version of "Hey Baby, ooh, Ahh" outside his room at 4am. (Photos from the shoot by Manny Elias)

Saturday dawned and, after we met the rest of the team, we began to shoot with a break to watch the race (when in Rome? - my jockey jumped of his horse and Alex's came second). It was a very technical shoot and took a long time to set up but as it was a beautiful day there was tea on the terrace! (There were lots of other funny incidents to share with you all but I'll let Sam tell it how it was!)

The shoot in the can, we met for Liverpool's Cobra night out (other teams - you're in for such a treat) - thanks Cobra. We ate, had a couple of beers and swapped stories. It was a great celebration of an idea, a shoot and the beginning of a remarkable project.

Deblog From.... by Deborah Bouchard.