Personal Organiser

This isn't a random bit of pitching, no, it's part of the lovely Lucy's pitch-off! Read more here.

TITLE : PERSONAL ORGANISER

10 min short

GENRE : Black comedy

PITCH : Anyone can set themselves up as a guru these days, but what if the one you choose has a devilish agenda all their own?

SYNOPSIS : Bee is definitely a pleaser.

She likes to help people, likes to facilitate change. She sees it as her calling, athough sometimes she pushes things a little too far. Like when she pokes her practically perfect nose into Loanely and Alec’s suffocating marriage, and takes it upon herself to grant a secret desire, a very personal wish.

The only problem with that is, Bee doesn't always know best, as Loanely finds out when she realises just how devastatingly bad the ultimate ‘personal organiser’ can be.

Over the last few days :

1) Received extensive handouts from Adrian Mead seminar - brilliant and useful;

2) Got my mark back for the 10min Short module - woohoo another module passed;

3) Entered the Kaos BSSC competition;

4) Started writing my goals, and then breaking them down into achievable steps;

5) Went into Uni for a workshop morning with the hardy part-timers;

6) Took my niece to ballet : I used to think late-night public transport had lots of weird, loud people, noises and smells on it but that's nothing compared to a class full of utterly random under-5s dressed as fantasy fairies being told to pretend to be seeds. Some, it has to be said, a wee bit reluctantly but I'm glad to say I didn't witness any outlandish showbiz mothers. I wasn't sure my niece was totally into it, but she did say afterwards that she liked the 'jumping' and it was 'a nice ballet', so pretty positive.

Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2007

Just got an email regarding the first roster of sessions at the 2007 Edinburgh Interactive Festival (12-14 August). Looks interesting AND intriguing, but of course I'm not going to actually SAY that I'm going - in case I jinx another event.... but I MIGHT go.... just MIGHT, mind....

It aims to 'expand the creative culture of games' and keynote sessions include Yves Guillemot - President, Ubisoft; Simon Nelsen - Controller of Multiplatform and Portfolio, BBC; and Sony Computer Entertainment - Little Big Planet.

Sessions include The Art of Performance Capture with Actor Stephen Berkhoff and agent Seamus Blackley, and Developing for Second life with Linden Labs' Jim Purbec.

Of particular interest to me so far are the Second Life talks, the Berkhoff discussion about digital acting and, "Games Actually' : Exploring the role of women in games – both as players and as key movers and shakers in today’s industry. Female players make up an increasingly powerful demographic in the gaming market – and the session will investigate, amongst other things, ways that games publishers are pulling out all the stops to attract them. The panel will include Sevkel Gozolan."

Students can register for a cheaper rate, and if you're at all interested in the Interactive world, it looks a bit of a must-see.

Come see the hermit, she dances for a dollar

I'm listening world! I'm heading back to my cave and I'm not coming out until July!

Today I headed into Edinburgh for a talk at the Traverse by Rhona Munro on 'Surviving Film & Television'. Due to finish at 5:30pm, the smarty-pants among you will realise that I'm writing this just before 5pm which does not bode well.

I say, I 'headed' into Edinburgh but Edinburgh didn't want me so it spat me out and sent me home early. After missing Adrian Mead's seminar a week ago I was really looking forward to this talk, so I headed off early, A to Z (just in case) - check, notebook - check, parking money - check. But, alas, due to some giant marathon race or something, all 4 entrances to the city that I tried were closed, and no diversions were in place - in fact no information was available for drivers at all. This led to a number of us attempting 13-point turns in busy traffic - it was either that or career into barriers, taking out swans (at one scenic location) with us. So then I found a quiet spot to consult the trusty A to Z to find an alternative route, but oh no, it was fully 'road-worked' with a tailback the size of the Great Wall of China. Next, I thought hmm think crafty, go back out to Kinnaird Park, dump the car and get a bus! Yes! Park and ride! No. I got out to the main junction to discover that there was a nearby accident, with traffic at a standstill so that the emergency vehicles could weave their way through traffic - have you ever been left stationary in the exact middle of a busy junction crossroads where you're trying to give way to police cars, which the drivers behind you can't see so are therefore sounding their frustration? Fun, I can tell you.

And then, when finally as the big hand crept towards 3pm making me really officially totally unscrewably LATE, the juggernaut lorry that was 2 cars in front me began looking strange. Once I'd twigged that the strangeness was due to some erratic wobbling of one of the passenger-side wheels, it was too late. Few yards down the road and said giant wheel detached itself entirely, bounced up the inside verge, gathering some useful momentum, and rolled at speed back into the traffic (ie - ME) across the road, missing us (thankfully) by about 3 inches. It settled down blocking the road. Lorry-man parked, jumped out and set to rolling his wheel back over to his lorry, without a word.

Once I got over the hyperventilating, I drove home.

Sorry Rhona, I bet it was amazing. Maybe next year but can you try for a different month. J**e is now officially banned.

Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize

On another note, DID YOU KNOW THAT IN SECOND LIFE YOU CAN PURCHASE WORKING GENTIALIA? I cannot believe that in all the material I read about this place that I never once read anything about this. Of course, in realistic terms, it's not really 'working real' genitalia - if it was, you'd be able to pee or have periods, ooh or catch an STD or other real life basic functions, no, of course in Second Life, it's all about sex - and mainly sex from a male point of view (not exclusively but certainly the majority as far as I can tell). Has anyone ever given birth in SL, caught their realistic genitalia in a zip a la 'Something About Mary' or had to go to their animated pharmacy for some anti-constipation pills? I doubt it - but then I bet someone, somewhere is secretly and obsessively making those an animated reality for a select few.

Yoo-nee-ver-sit-ee

Got my marks back today for the Interactive Module which included that nerve-wracking presentation from last month. Scored a Distinction so am well chuffed as wasn't sure if I had got the aim of the module totally wrong.

This joy was tempered somewhat by the fact that I'm STILL waiting for my marks from the Short Script module - we didn't get marks for our premise/outline for this submitted wayyyy back in March, and certainly haven't had any for the actual script - wonder if we'll have them by the time we get back to year 2? I'm not so much bothered by the actual marks I get, but it's a good way of figuring out how well or badly I'm doing, so it galls when (in the short script module) we complete the entire 15 weeks without much indication of how we're doing. Anyway I bitched about this at length previously so I'm not going to do it again (well not yet anyway).

I lack confidence in my work, and also my progress through this course, so delayed marking just gives me the heeby-jeebies. Even if it turns out to be not a great mark, I'd much rather know that sooner than later.

I'm mostly listening to Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black' and it is gorgeous. Maybe it's just me, but on a couple tracks she sounds like Randy Crawford. Who knew that a girl with a beehive and sailor tattoos could sound so soulful.

Pear-shaped and proud of it

Ok, so yesterday went a bit pear-shaped which meant I didn't get along to the Adrian Mead seminar BAHHHHH. I'm gutted actually, but a personal crisis got in the way (which I won't go into but it wasn't nearly as interesting as it sounds). It's been looming for a short while so at least that's it hopefully out the way. I'm hoping some of my lovely Uni part-timers will let me crib off their notes so I can get some value out of the 55 quid ticket - not that I'm a skinflint... ok so yes, where educational tickety things are concerned, I AM actually a skinflint.

Most sorry to miss out on the social aspect too, as I was looking forward to expanding my network circle, but there will be other opportunities for that so I'll stop grumbling.

Just back from the local market where I got some newly-dug spuds and local strawberries - also, bizarrely, found a woman selling vintage clothes - now you might not think that that is unusual in itself but in the context of my local market where usually the most vintage-ish item of clothing available is a 1980's 'Frankie says Relax' tshirt, it was pretty extraordinary. Got a fantastic baby blue 1950s prom dress with pink flocked (yes flocked!!) roses, starched petticoats and bow trim; a black chiffon maxi dress; and a smocked white silk 1930s nightgown - woohoo!

I didn't dare look in her box of vintage shoes and handbags because I ran out of cash after the nightgown. Hope she starts appearing regularly, though my cheque-book may not appreciate it.

Second Life

Whilst researching the Interactive module at Uni, I was told about 'Second Life' - a cult every-expanding online world that you can enter for free. You sign up, download the software, create a character and then you're free to wander it's amazing shores. And you can fly... you can FLY. I signed up the other day and though I can't see myself playing every day, it is sort of intriguing. There are communities, houses, business, beaches and all manner of things to buy . There are ways to earn Lindens (Second Life money), and all lots of surreal things to do - I sat on a chair for 10 minutes and won a light sabre and then a winged Pegasus horse - you don't get that every day.

You can look human or animal or any weird combination of parts that you choose. You can be naked or clothed, tattooed or alien. You can walk underwater and teleport between lands. It's bizarre, odd and rather fascinating. If you want to seek them out, the basest of human desires are there (and then some, so I'd be wary of anyone too young signing up) along with groups to join, cars to drive and events to attend.

Odd.

Adrian Mead ra ra ra

Adrian Mead tomorrow! Adrian Mead tomorrow! My first Mead seminar so I'm dead excited - I'll probably be a little less so after I've attempted some driving in the centre of Edinburgh but I'll get there, you see if I don't... even if I have to park illegally oh yes!

Hair today

Political debate... national issues..... they all pale in comparison to that massive issue, largely favoured by women but not solely (see David Beckham) the HAIRCUT DILEMMA. I have long curly hair, heat and humidity turn it into frizz hair so the dilemma looms - to cut or not to cut. I'm veering towards getting it largely chopped off again but oh the pain of having to grow it all back again if I hate it - it largely takes a year, from being very short. Maybe it's time to do a Britney, or ooh remember that cool woman from Blakes Seven!

Anyway got an appointment tomorrow so there's no going back. Don't fear the crimper... don't fear the crimper.