T minus seven days and counting

OK, no posts for a while as it's all been MENTAL. So here is where things stand.

We have 75% of our cast. Still waiting on one to confirm, which is fine as we're less than a week from shooting, so no real worries there. The three we have are all excellent and I couldn't be happier with them. The one we're waiting on is also excellent, and we think he wants to do it, it's just a question of agents and timings and things like that. I was torn between him and another actor, who we originally offered the part to due to his profile. As soon as we'd done it I began to regret not offering it to the one we're offering it to (let's call him A), bhut everyone else said the other one (or B) was a good bet. B is a good actor, but possibly an obvious option in casting. A is equally a great actor, but not what you would expect for the role, and therefore, in my eyes, what we should be going for. But it was too late, until B's agent started dicking us around asking for this and that, knowing full well time was against us, before finally pulling out. I suspect they had a better offer for something else and were using us as leverage, but we'll never know. Anyway, what people thought at first was a DISASTER I saw as brilliant as it meant we could offer the role to A, as I'd been secretly hoping for ages. Now let's just hope he says yes, the fucker.

We appear to have employed a crew of 35 people, which makes my mind boggle a bit. I've even had emails from people I didn't know I'd employed. Everyone's doing it hella cheap, which I hate. Fingers crossed we never have to do this sort of deal again. It's a tricky situation, I've spent years arguing that if you're paying stupid low money then it's a cheat and you should cut your cloth (or your crew) accordingly, but now we're here it's not so easy. I say do we really need a third AD and everyone working on the film says YES, even though by not getting one we'd have more money for them. Either they want to make sure all the work is covered no matter what or they're very bad at maths.

Songs for the band have been recorded by some old men, but one of them sounds brilliant so think I'll focus mainly on that one. Funniest bit is going to be friday when I have to record the vocals for the track. The horror

Most locations now in place. Which reminds me, God bless ETV, my previous employer, who have been amazing. They gave us a whole floor of their office for free to use as our production office, and are letting us film there free of charge. I'm amazed by how generous they've been, way above what they owe me for the three and a half years I worked for them. Think we best give them a very big thank you on the credits.

Coming up next is rehearsals with the actors, god only knows what that will be like. Normally a wonderful time to experiment and try things out, I somewhat hampered by the inability to get over the fact that it's my script they're reading out. It all feels frankly ridiculous, as if any minute now they're going to throw it in the bin and read something proper.

A week today and we'll have done our first days filming. Hopefully that will have forced me to take it all more seriously, but somehow I doubt it. I mean, it's just stuff I wrote, you weren't supposed to even read it all, let alone assume that we have to film everything I said.

I think I'm going to write on my hand "just don't fuck it up" in case I forget.