Catch Up

The title says it all... I have been playing catch-up with my sleep from the second I arrived, catch-up with the crew who have been here longer and are more prepared, catch-up with hundreds of new faces and names... and it's not going to stop. So... in this post I am going to condense three days into one because they all center around one thing - catching up...

Friday morning we had a bit of down time while we waited for the lighting gear to be driven in from Marakesh (a place I plan to visit before I leave). During said period I started to work on a prototype handheld platform that we are going to use for the chariot scene. It took me most of the morning. After we finished lunch, we unloaded the truck and started to light a hair, makeup, wardrobe test (see the - if I squint photo on Flickr - it is from the test)... now generally these sort of tests begin in the morning, but the production was waiting on the gear so we were forced to start work in the afternoon... everyone thought that we'd be done by 7:PM... all I could was shake my head and smile - the test started at 2:PM, there was no way we were getting out before 9:PM... none, zero, zilch. The test wraps up around 11:PM (and I started at 8:AM)... and this is only pre-production. The good lord Jesus just keeps on weeping. I do manage to spend a few minutes Skyping with my baby, but unfortunatly it's in the lobby, surrounded by everyone else, which means I'm not getting any... "Oh Billy" action... dammit all to hell. I vow to sort out this 3G connection the next day and, exhausted I pass out around midnight, comfortable in the knowledge that at least my call is 9:AM and I won't have to move until 8:AM...

Cut to -

6:30AM - my next door neighbour makes a hell of a racket leaving her room (later I find out it's Hana the hair-department assistant... photo to follow). It's not her fault, all the doors have a thick rubber lining that scrapes across the ground when being opened or closed. The reason why? Snakes and scorpions. Who knows what creepy crawlies would find their way in if said barrier wasn't in place. And they're fucking loud - the doors that is. So after being jarred awake I can't get back to sleep. Down for an early breakfast I go, where I spend a couple of crazy hours trying to get online... not having high-speed internet is fucking killing me... anyhow, Randy and I head back to the studio to clean up the mess from the night before so that we can pack up and go to our first location, where we are to unload and pre-light the set. Needless to say the day all-but burns everyone out. We pack it up around 6:PM, horrified by the knowledge that we didn't finish and therefore will have to come back on our day off for a seventh day of work. And then beyond that is our first day of shooting, which means from me stepping on the plane to, hopefully a bit of R&R, there will be 14 days straight work... this is definitely shaping up to be a ball-buster... but it's Ben Hur right? How many years was he locked away on that galley? I'm just here for 8 weeks... I can do this:)) One of the highlights of this day is the end. For the first time I get back to the hotel with a bit of light still in the sky and I'm in my swimsuit before you can say boo... and I'm diving into the pool a moment later. The water washes away all my exhaustion. I am reminded of my time in Rio on THE INCREDIBLE HULK. The locals there had a bit of a ritual, called God's Moment. It was when they stripped down and fell into the ocean after the end of a long day in the sun. It was meant to reconnect them to their spirituality... I know I'm taking a dip in chlorine, but I can't help but relax and unwind. Then as I'm getting out, the sound recordist Michelle wanders by... he's on his laptop having a wireless conversation with a loved one... and is streaming some serious real-time images because he went to the store that sells the 3G transmitors... I almost forgot! He offers to call and reserve one for me because appearantly they are going fast. We get the store manage on the phone, only to find ou that there's one left and it's already on hold. Fuck it I say and trot away with a grateful thank-you... 5 minutes later I'm in front of the owner negoitiating a higher price to buy his last bit of gear. It should have cost 700 Dirams total... I pay 1000 (which is a hundred Euros). This doesn't bother me one bit because I haven't spent a dime of my per diem yet. When I arrived I was given 350 Euros for the week so I am definitely still ahead of the game. I head back to the hotel and actually am able to have a conversation online with Alissa that doesn't cut out every minute... thank God my tech cravings have been solved. My junk is in and it is awesome:)) From there I wander down to the hotel pool again (around 9:PM) for a little party on production. A standard bon voyage sort of deal where everyone is all smiles, all upbeat, and all raring to go... again all I can do is smile to myself for only on Monday (our first day of actual shooting) will all be revealed, including true character - for all concerned:)) I head back to my room around 1:AM, after allowing myself 4 glasses of white wine and a ton of water... my head hits the pillow. The final thought through my brain is - no worries tomorrow I can sleep in until 9:AM because we start at 10:AM...

Guess what I forgot?

6:30AM - my neighbours door grinds open. And I'm up. Looking at the damn earplugs I pulled out and forgot to insert because of the wine... I feel as if I've been gently fucked with a chainsaw... I take an extra-long shower and slowly make my way down to the dining room where I eat and surf and drink way too many coffees. then it's off to light while ninety percent of the crew has a day off... it's pretty much hazy from there on in. Fortunately we are done by 4:PM. The highlight of the day was lunch. The local guys took us to a BBQ joint where we feasted like kings. There were about a dozen of us. The total bill? Including tip? 300 Dirams... you do the math... the boys beat me to the bill, which kind of pissed me off (thanks to the Ukrainian blood) but I am too spent to argue. After we wrap for the day I again hit the pool, take a shower, order some room service for dinner and sit down to watch last weeks episode of LOST online. And you know what? There wasn't a single glitch! AWESOME:)) After that I decide to work on this blog before it completely gets away from me. I immediately start having problems trying to upload photos... WTF is up with that? Anyhow I am done rambling... and more importantly have caught up to the immediate present. It's now 9:PM my time and I have to be on set at 5:AM tomorrow, which means my wake-up call is 4:AM... yes you read it right - me thinks that chainsaw is starting to hurt... I'm going to spend a few more minutes trying to upload photos and then it's lights out.

Tom out.

PS - Am uploading this now but again - I will edit it tomorrow:))

PPS - Got some images up so check'em out...