I have to say I knew very little about Kilmartin. Noone seemed to know where it was or even recognise it’s name – Kill what? Did you say you killed Martin? Martin who? After 2 days off work with a touch of a bad cold, I wait for my taxi to arrive at home. It’s past half 10 and my laptop has just restarted itself randomly – while I was in the middle of FINALLY sending that email that Catriona has emailed me daily to remind me about. Think I spent a fresh half hour writing out in far much more detail than required, a Gaelic Academic Blog if you like, notes on all 10 of the attachments I was sending away as evidence of work.
We set off for Kilmartin and we arrive at the museum 2 hours later – roughly. Have lunch. The scenic Kilmartin after 2 days, 2 nights and a morning filming at the museum and out and around at Dunadd Fort, Standing Stones and the Stonehenge of the north – Templewood where I rip my jeans on a wall so bad that the leg is hanging off. Gaffer tape it up. Job Done! Accomodation we stay in is pretty scary. Middle of nowhere. A Norman Bates-like character who runs the place with his wife. Claims they are both Italian while we are at our breakfast and I almost spit half my food out and fail to hide laughing – this guy does not look Italian AT ALL. Like Bill Gates – geeky, glasses, pale skin, shorts, weird t-shirts, knee high white socks. Funny stuff. Seems to be a real struggle at night also where we order beers. 2 Pipers Gold and 2 Fraoch ta. 2 + 2 = 5 yeh?
Next up is Kelvingrove on Friday and Saturday. Was really looking forward to filming here. It’s great. Get a chance to go free with the camera and film whatever. Few Lock-Off’s, I get some shots of Glasgow Uni and the City from the roof. Literally on the edge. Only an 80 foot drop so sure it was safe……wrap party afterwards. Indian food is great. Lismore after where we bump into Ken MacQuarrie(head BBC Scotland), Donnie Dotaman and Carrie’s mum. The first 2 give us a smile and a nod. Speak to Carrie’s mum for a bit. Not seen her in years. Have a bit of drunken chat with bossman Les about travelling, Russian Mafia and the rest I fail to remember. Think I expressed interest in working with them when my course was done but it’s ok he doesn’t remember what we spoke about either.
Film The Lemings gig at BOX.with Cailean – 3 Camera’s, 2 HH (myself and Cailean at the front) – look forward to seeing it in the Edit. Should be great. Ronnie came out for the gig also so we go for a walk and catch up. End up going to Steak and Cherry for tea and pancakes and talk about this that and everything.
Dinner with Ewan at Chinaski’s. End up going to the QM after – not been for years. Play some pool and down the Kopparberg. End up playing double’s against some Freshers. They all look about 15 and I feel like their parents. We win almost every game. Good times. Even the guys fancy us we’re that good. They’d all been working at Retrofest – a girl I recognise as she works at the Art School – sad isn’t it. Guy Rob who asks us for a game is pretty smashed but clearly pretty good at pool./ clenches onto his empty bottle of magners for at least half an hour. Holding onto it like his life.
Meet ross after work and we go for a drink. Ronnie’s on the way into town but takes ages. Must have ben grooming that fantastic handlebar moustache. He eventually joins us in Failte and we debate where we’re going for dinner. 10 minutes of debate later and we decide to go to Ad Lib Bar and Grill. Great food. Good Service. Get a text from Joanne saying Derek Carol and herself are out at Driftwood. We decide to go join them….which by the time we reach Sauchiehall they are in Campus………yeh so few drinks in the magic of a place then we decide to head to the Ben Nevis……not exactly nearby so it’s last orders pretty much by the time we get there. Great being out with Ross and Ronnie never get to hang around with schoolfriends once your all grown up and gone your own way. Good being out with Cursa TV also….everyone seems far happier and less stressed being free from the course and major stressbowl that is SMO. Actually cannot be fucked with Graduation in October so if I cannot just graduate with Absentia ill just not bother fuckin going!
Slept in for work the next day as I was still drunk in the morning and half asleep I assumed the sound of my alarm was….something else. It’s Friday! I decide at around 12 while in work trying very hard to be busy doing fucking transcripts that I’m gonna go to Inverness for the weekend to see Kirsty. Yes. Lets do it. Fuck the transcripts. Fuck Glasgow – just for the weekend. City boy that I am I need a bit of time away to chill too just like everyone else. I leave work early. 4.45. Im already late in whats going to be a bit of a tight schedule. I put on some Sigur Ròs on the Jukebox (my personal Creative Jukebox that is) which really doesn’t help in terms of getting a move on to the train station. But I make it in time for the 4.55 train. Home by 5.15. I take fucking ages getting stuff packed. My bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Inverness leaves at 6.45. Quite the challenge to pack/shave/shower/changed/GET there. Once I get round to showering it’s already 6.20 once im out and dressed. FUCK. My dinner is ready. I have to put it in a container to eat in the car. Can of coke also to wake me up! – what are mums for eh? I arrive at the bus station at 6.44 and 54 seconds. Quite simply if the bus was ACTUALLY there I would have missed it. It eventually took a further half an hour before it arrived. Infact no 40 minutes. 7.25 it left. During the ridiculously long wait I go to the shop and see some right Chav’s running towards me. I clench my fists momentarily incase they decide to have a go….but they run right past. Guess what mad shit they’re getting down to tonight? Jumping the barrier to get into the Bus station toilets! Mental. Pure wide. It costs all of what….20p to get in? An aged im-mature-and-have-a-respectable-job-and-i-no-longer-do-coke guard see’s an opportunity to deck the wee fucks. Shouts ‘HAW YOU’ then jumps in after them. I enter the shop, grab myself a cheeky Bounty bar….some chewing gum and a bottle of Evian…how naïve. When I arrive back at stand 52 some crazy extremely foreign sounding Gouranga-dressed lady approaches. She smells so bad I can taste the salt. Mumbling a lot of nonsense…all I could make out was 53. I turned her away assuming at first she was offering her body. But no she was just asking if she was at right stand. I take a look at her ticket and realise she’s ready and waiting for her bus that’s leaving the stand in……5 hours. I tried my best to explain but naw naw she was staying. Sitting patiently. Aye whatever….left her to it. A bus pulls up at 7.15 and we’re all pissed off with the waiting (there’s a full bus load of people waiting impatiently along with me here). After the call for Inverness…the bus then pulls out and drives off – WHAT THE FUCK?! Will be back in 2 minutes the neddy sounding lady tries to say reassuringly….10 minutes later another bus pulls up. Finally we fucking board. Jesus. The joys of public transport. Some guy sniffing continuously from Glasgow to Perth. I turned round every now and then hoping he’d give ma a smile and that he was only taking the piss but no…..I almost ended up smothering the guy with my jacket…or perhaps kisses…that might shut him up.
You ever feel like the whole world is revolving around you? I do. Things like…..on the bus from Perth to Inverness the girl behind me listening to her Ipod music selection of: Coldplay – Scientist and Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars – I was listening to both these songs that day. Ok not exactly unique they are both fairly regularly played songs but im paranoid ok? The weekend with Kirsty was great. Quiet B&B in Inverness. Time away from the Big City. Don’t realise how intense it is until you’re a bit more out of the loop you know….We go out for drinks and meet with friend Andy who I met up in Stornoway. He comes out with friends David and Claire. David who’s studying media also so we get into chats that noone else can really understand. Geeks yes. He talks of a Lost Series Spoof that him and his mates in College made. I later find them on Youtube and have to say they are pretty good! Good chat and we all get drunk in Johnny Fox’s. According to Claire I look like hmm guess....James Van Der Beek, Dawson from Dawson’s Creek. Aye very good…first one to come up with that eh. But wait just to add to it, I have a Richard Gere mouth. What does that mean?!
The bus journey home is sheer comedy. The bus stops somewhere between Inverness and Perth and the driver announces AT some Chinese guy how his bin bags have blood pouring out of them and all over the Undercarriage – people beside me start freaking out and some quietly scream ‘oh my god, bet it’s a dead body’. Aye ok. Turns out it’s a bag of fish and it stinks like FUCK. My bag was on top of others so im happily fishgut free. Have a good laugh about it with a young student girl sitting beside me who same as me just wants to get to Glasgow. Driver gets back on the bus and shouts ‘Does anyone want to make a complaint?’ and I was just saying slightly aloud ‘em aye, complaint about you…we just want to go fucking home mate’. But then, wait, what can he actually do? Say he’s sorry? Or get a letter sent out saying that Citylink and Megabus are ‘sorry’ ? He can’t do shit and it’s not like City Link will refund. It’s not their problem. Plus they are the tightest bastards on the planet. That time there was a Mudslide and there was NO BUS to Glasgow for a week…they wouldn’t refund my ticket…even after sending a letter to London. Wankers. There is then a hold up ahead because of something going on in Gleneagles. The driver stops the bus again and tries acting the hero asking if anyone knows some alternative route. Probably a dirt track with low bridges to kill us all. ‘I don’t know the route but I’ll do it’ – what does this guy want. A Medal? We eventually make it home like an hour late. Thank you City Link.
On Monday at 12 I go to Virgin Megastore during my lunch break. Buy the Tarantino Screenplay of Death Proof, £7 which resulted in a sexy wrist band for the Tarantino signing this afternoon/evening 5-7pm before his Death Proof Premiere and Q&A at the GFT – wasn’t lucky enough to get tickets for that. After an hours wait outside Virgin in the cold with friends Davyd and Simon – who didn’t manage to get himself a wristband in time – we’re in the door and out comes the camera. We could see Tarantino from outside but hey it’s a little different seeing him close-up in the flesh. We have a bunch of right moron’s in front of us and I quote:
”Haw mate, mate *calls over one of the guards* it’s the score here. You tryin tae tell me that aw these people in here have wan ae these badboys? *points at wristband* Merr than an oor I’ve been waiting here. Kill fuckin Bill aye? I’ll fuckin Kill Him in a minute. “
Fuck. Ok so right when we’re at front of the queue Tarantino is gonna walk out because of these guys. His mate’s face looks like a bag of zips, clearly cut open or chibbed as they say in the G. Scary stuff.
Anyway im up at the desk and Q.T’s right in front of me.
Q.T: Hey man!
me: Hey *shakes hand*
Q.T: Hey, where you get that t-shirt? I love it. *points at my cartoony pulp fiction t-shirt* Noticed a few people have them. Whats your name?
me: Rory. I’m a media student just want to say your films have been a real inspiration. Being a media student they’ve really encouraged me to keep writing.
Q.T:Hey thanks that means a lot man. Really. So you go to film school?
me: Well no im just finishing a trainee course placement. Thinking about film school but im not sure.
Q.T: Hey man with enough passion and a belief in what you have to say, just keep writing. Hell, thats what I did! *signs screenplay* Davyd got some great photo’s of me with Tarantino and I of him. He even turned to pose with me for one. What a guy. So yeh advice from Tarantino what can I say eh?! I think I’ll do what the man says….and maybe at a push send him my T-Shirt too.
I wake up 6.25 to be ready steady go for Faye picking me up at 7 to go to Fort George for our next museum on our list - The Highlanders Museum. I get a call from Faye around 10 past and like anyone else who is not familiar with the streets in the west end, she can’t find my stret. I direct her on the phone – not easy to explain. She arrives around 20 past and we go off to pick up Derek and set off to Inverness
Fort George is well hidden. Unable to see anything, even close up as it’s covered by high walls. Still an active barracks for sending people off to Iraq. Film this that and whatever. Nazi memorabilia/lighter with bullet hole, world war one periscope for trenches. Eerie streets and lane’s remind me of Aushchwitz. I decide to skip dinner with the crew and set off to the Cottage Bar where Kirsty works. I have to wait 20 minutes until the next Service 25 bus at stance 5 going to Dingwall. But im getting off at Marybourgh. I take out my signed-by-Q.T Screenplay for Death Proof. Got about 20 pages in rather quickly it’s pretty damn good. Tarantino as always on top form ith his genius in natural dialogue. The bus arrives – Single to Marybourgh please. There’s only me and 2 others sitting downstairs on the bus. One of those being a young, id say 16 y.o max sitting across from me. What does she decide to do as I read? Turns on her phone like a fucking stereo and starts blaring out DJ Sammy, fucking Tiesto I dunno its ALL shite. I give her my infamous ‘what the fuck?’ facial expression. She recognises it instantly and thinks im flirting with her. I try to block it out but it’s just so fucking irritating. Clearly I need someone to explain to me the reason – any reason at all – to why I should tolerate this bullshit. Why the fuck am I being tortured by this girls TERRIBLE, but rather predictable taste in music for a Non Educated Delinquent. First song has now finished. Here comes the next number – FUCK off it’s a remix of who else but U2. That shitey With or Without you thing with that woman that looks like a man or more politely put, a burst baw. There’s my stop. I give the retarded jungle music girl a fake ckeeky smile and she smiles back thinking she’s scored big time. Made me laugh. Aff the bus.
As I enter the rather picturesque cottage house the bar is full of old men dressed in tartan – it’s the Scotland France game…which regarding the latter we won 2 nill. Eilidh came to meet us 0 eventually after I had a rather excellent Chicken dinner. We speak of SMO, the banter, the bitching, the grading. Eilidh – “What does Glaiked mean? Simple Eilidh. It means SIMPLE
End up going back to Kirsty’s rather than many miles and costly taxi back to the Redcliffe Hotel where along with the crew I have a very small bed/room. So tired from a long long day that im not awake for very long at all. End up having a great sleep. Breakfast in the morning made by Kirsty. I have a far-too-early-in-the-morning-but-nice conversation with Kirsty’s dad and then parents later into the conversation about my work/my life/De-a-Nis and all things Gaelic. Im sad to see my taxi, having arrived early, waiting outside. I don’t want to leave but im needed for another day at Fort George’s Highland Museum. For all of that journey, ignoring the small talk from the taxi driver, I was tempted to ask him to turn back. Fuck it! Take a day off. Tell Caledonia I have to go see about a girl. But im an idiot. I arrived at the hotel while they were all still busy at breakfast.
Today in Fort George to start with im on photography for the crew. Caledonia-at-work shots. Few interesting ones in there. Arty perhaps. Ill post them up later. Then throughout the next half of the day we are in the Indian Mutiny room. Then to the WII and WWI room. One of the big highlights being the Hitler Youth Knife. Getting to hold it. Scary stuff. Engraved on the blade is ‘Blut und Ehre’ meaning 'Blood and Honour’ in German. Filmed some of my own stuff with the DV Camera again. Some footage from outside. Alternative camera angles and Lock-Off’s. We finish at 5.15 as the Museum closes and then headed for Pitlochry.
At the rather large Scotland Hotel, crawling with Old mainly American Couple’s, I accessed my emails from the Wifi Lounge. Nothing interesting really. Some Bebo activity, yet another email from Catriona – I’ve to call Eilidh Grant about Graduation. I don’t of course. I’m working and Catriona of all people should know that. The next morning we head for Anstruthers Fisheries Museum. It is indeed ‘biger than you think’. The usual Camera Assistant/PA/2nd Camera involvement throughout the day. We film a scene using the Wally Dolly – A device invented by an Australian Cameraman. Basically it’s your poor man’s Dolly. You lay aluminium pipes like tracks and stick your Tripod and Cam on top of a T-Joing with wheels and can track smoothly across. Ended up being a great shot. We had dinner in the award winning Anstruther’s Fish Bar. Have to say I have had better though. Wasn’t worth the 40 minute wait in the queue certainly. The next day I shot some footage of the crew going out to sea on The Reaper – a 100 foot, 100 year old ship. Filmed it going out of the Marina, out to sea, putting up it’s sail. Lot of great shots. Good shots of the boat returning into the Marina also. With lighthouse in the background and slow zooms A La Jaws minus the Great White. We then film in the Boatyard which is attached to the side of the Museum. Full size ships and boats in there. Rather impressive…..but not so much after being stuck in a room with them filming GV’s for the rest of the Afternoon. I enjoyed the last 4 days of filming. The last location filming of my placement which in 4 days will have come to an end. I’m not going to lie, I am indeed very nervous of where I go next. What to do, who to work for, who to apply for, who to accept. Who not to accept? One thing I know for certain is that I’ll not rush into anything without thinking carefully about my choices. It is, after all, my future and noone elses. Id like to think also that I deserve a bit of a break! 2 months travelling, 1 week home, 6 months SMO Skye, 2 weeks Christmas, 3.5 months Stornway then an amazing 2.5 months back home. Holiday time though. The very many 2nd weekend return home wasn’t quite the same until I was ACTUALLY home just over 2 months ago and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. The friends, the family and of course the social life that a city boy like myself deserves. I will graduate with absentia. Fuck going back to SMO. No accomodation and just a lot of hastle getting there getting back. Is it worth it? No. Reunion coming up on the 28th of this month should be good. Kirsty’s birthday at her new flat in St Andrews the day after should also be good. Can’t say I’ve ever been to St Andrews aside’s from just passing through. Or may I was there in High School but I like to think im good with my memory and that I’d remember.
First day back working in Glasgow and I batter into those good old Transcripts again – yay……..I meet Ewan for lunch at the usual Chin Spankies or Tune Arse Keys (Chinaski’s) for a gourmet Chicken Burger and a pint – classy eh. Back to work a bit more relaxed then I decide to have a bit of a film marathon. Two films out I want to see – 3:10 to Yuma and Superbad. So I decide on both, text Davyd/Simon/Ewan and D bails out saying he’s out of town but Si and EOH are on the ball and up for it. Ewan doesn’t finish until half 8 though so he arranges to meet us after 3:10 for the 8.45 showing of Superbad. 3:10 is great – gritty western remake starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale and a special surprise, Ben Foster who was fantastic. Loved his character in Six Feet under and a number of films that I fail to remember the title of. Crowe and Bale of course being in the top 5 A list of actors so putting the two together was just genius. James Mangold directing also. Director of Walk the Line and Girl Interupted. The Academy love to throw Oscars at the guys films seemingly and of course why not give Crowe yet another nod just for laughs? Maybe Bale too but word on the street is Bale is tipped for his lead role in Rescue Dawn. Still to be released in the UK.
Anyway, after 3:10 Si and I go get a bite to eat in Walkabout. Good old Awesome burger gets us going. Tennents Tops too just to add a buzz to the mix. We head back for Superbad and buy Ewan’s ticket as he’s running late. We make it in just in time though and sit up the back where there are complete morons laughing like Snow White on speed to we go down to the front left aisle. Not my ideal front centre spot but it’s good enough. Fucking funniest film I’ve seen in years I kid you not. Up there easily with Napoleon Dynamite and other favourites. We laughed all the way through it. Drinks after and we end up in the Brunswick Cellars for a few and then to Box where the music is so loud I can’t hear myself think. I spot a stray umbrella though and take it with us upon exiting the premises. Pose for a picture and look like a fag. Call the Canny Taxi and we’re aff hame. Work the next day is pish ‘cause Faye is not in and Les is stressing about the transcripts needing done. Chill man….i’ve done like 15 today already and there’s still millions to go. I find it very hard not to be annoyed at this chat we’re having given the only reason I’m typing up all these transcripts is because Les, bossman and Peter ,Editor, don’t speak Gaelic. Meh. Anyway I get as much done as I can and you know what? Just to please his ass take the rest of the unfinished stuff home to get it done after hours. Cause you know what? Tomorrow is my last day not just of the placement but the course air fad so id like to do a little dance, make a little love ta. Maybe offer me a job too eh? Cheers darlin’…
My last day is surprisingly good…even though noone in work seems to know that it’s my last day until Faye sends Les a text about it! I finish off transcripts then watch through all my Kelvingrove footage. Then Fort George and Anstruthers – Les is impressed and claims my footage might make the Intro to the Anstruthers Fisheries Museum Episode in the Series which is great to hear. They buy me a book on Roman Polanski which is nice and we go down to the Butterfly and the Pig for a beer – somewhere I go quite regularly so it’s a bit odd going here with the bossman! So I don’t get offered a job straight out but I don’t expect to be either. Truth is it’s very hard for any of many of these companies to employee new Gaelic Media Trainee’s especially in the BBC because of doubt of the infamous Gaelic Channel. Although I do express my interest at least in maybe working again with them soon on the final 3 episodes of their Museum Series. Also keen to be involved in their next project which is a film on Cunningham Graham, for which filming would take place in Argentina, Mexico, Taxas and a few other South American hot spots. Truth is though…I don’t even know if they like me? Or want me to work for them? Or enjoyed any of my time with them? I don’t seem to know very much do I…..so that’s the placement over. Finishd. No more SMO. Done. Not quite sinking in yet….a fancy dress party where I reach the glorious stage of drinking wine out of the bottle….then, according to Marianne, refilling it with water to drink out that out of it too. CLASSY eh? Death Proof the next day with Simon and Ryan – it’s fantastic fuck what all the critics slate about it. Whats the bet that majority of them haven’t even seen Vanishing Point hence unable to understand the relevance or….ok ill shut up now. Dinner with Simon in Chinaski’s (where else?) with Simon where we bump into Marianne and her friend Andy….Box after for some live music…..then fail, again, to get into Derek’s work. Too casual. Wanks. Bier Halle instead. Southern Comfort and Lemonade’s. Stop on Buchanan Street to listen to a ridiculously good guitar player. But I think he was just playing a CD…but 3 days of partying later and it’s a hungover Sunday into the September weekend. Im supposed to go to a party tonight but I think ill give it a miss and watch a film. Oh got the green light for Directing the HisGirlFriday Music Video. Kevin Boyle, mate from schools band. Filming sometime over the next few weeks. Along with some time off of course! I decide im going to finish writing up this rather novelesque blog of mine. If you have reached this point? Lets get married baby.
Here’s looking at you, kid :)
R x
No comments:
Post a Comment