Turn Keys. How the turntables.

That is a particularly niche headline for a blog. It will be less so by the end of this blog. Buckle up.

This is a blog dedicated to seizing the day, following signs, being proud of yourself, and finding it fucking hard to get an agent, even when you feel like there’s literally nothing more you can be doing. It’ll be a little less of the latter, but I do want it registered that that’s how I’m feeling right now. It’s my blog, I’m allowed.

I’ve been working in service industry nothing jobs for years now, and often find they make me wake up in a few months having lost myself in it and not progressed in my career. Now, whenever I sign on to one of these jobs, my aim is to find an excuse to leave as soon as humanly possible - this often kicks my arse into gear and I work harder at my career. Psychology, innit. I started working at the current job about a month ago, if that. On my second shift, I saw some lads enjoying a coffee, and one had his phone on the table with a picture of a fat camera lens on it. I threw out a casual “nice gear, man” and he said “yeah, you like that?” and I said “yeah that’s cool - what do you do?”. He said that they were both filmmakers and producers, and I asked if they wanted to make a movie. They said yes, and we exchanged numbers - I then graciously fucked off and let them finish their lattes. Three weeks later, and we have been chatting non-stop, they’ve signed on to help make my next short film, we’re location scouting on Tuesday, and I’m one step closer to leaving this job.

I was always struck by Alejandro Joderowsky, who signed Pink Floyd to write the soundtrack for “Dune” by seeing them eating burgers outside a studio and running up to them and saying “why are you sitting out here when we could be in there, making the best soundtrack ever” (actual dialogue and events may differ, but that’s the basic idea). I once went up to someone I overheard as in the industry and chatted to her and apologised for coming in hot and she was so insistent that I shouldn’t apologise - “we’ve all been there”, she said - never apologise. Whilst I’m not advocating just annoying people and interrupting them; there is certainly a time and a place to just jump in and make an introduction. The most likely thing that happens is that you give them a card and they never contact you. But eh, who cares. The lovely woman I met at the restaurant was right - we’ve all been there, and people that are too high and mighty to even engage in a chat are lame. I might have added that bit. The point is - seize every moment, be respectful, talk to people, and go make a film!

There you go - an update, and a motivational speech.

My next film is adapted from an amazing play my friend Luke Pearson wrote - two soldiers ordered to fire the nuclear warheads have an existential crisis. Oh, and it’s called “Turn Keys”; aaand BOOM! Callback to the title! Wanna collaborate?

Now, about these agents….