stress city…..

about ten minutes before I put foot in the door of my lovely home in Highgate, my wife slipped a disc and I found myself cooking, cleaning, washing and delivering children here there and everywhere on four hours sleep a night after 16 hours of fitful travel from Redondo Beach the day before….or was it the day after? I no longer cared. Luckily, friends and family have rallied ’round wonderfully and I was able to fit in a recce (transl: location scout) for the toilet paper ad. in South London and Ealing for James Howarth at Another Film co., one of the few London production companies I am told that makes every effort to keep production in the UK wherever it possibly can. Truth is….I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before…..it’s just too expensive to shoot here these days. Whereas I used to spend a few weeks a year at least in the London studios, for instance, I cannot honestly remember the last time I was in one! Hence the move to Hollywood.Now that’s causing a bit of a headache what with the recession taking hold and the looming possibility of a SAG strike. We could up sticks and do the move…….all set, by the way: August 15th!!……..and find ourselves potless and without the means to get back to Blighty! MAROONED! There are a few things floating around in LA, job-wise, but who the hell knows what’s going to happen over the coming weeks. I think, after much prevarication, protracted mathematics and slapping of table-tops, we have decided to do the do and risk everything for the future of the Tanner clan. Otherwise..we move to the country and I take up needlework or something.Last week I was busy looking at houses in M. Beach and visiting our favourite school and meeting the principal when suddenly it all fell apart and I have to start again in a couple of weeks time. These are, without doubt, the most stressful times I have ever encountered. If I survive this intact, I feel I can do just about anything! I remember meeting a ‘Hollywood producer’ - my first - in Johannesburg in 1983 and being quite in awe of this flash looking guy in the sharp suit. Left alone for a couple of minutes, I asked him what it was like and how did one succeed in Hollywood….” You’ve got to be prepared to sweat blood” he said. My naive eyes goggled at him with ever increasing respect. From that moment on I decided there was no fucking way I was going to seep bodily fluids on my expensive suit for no-one, no way…..     I’d just become a designer instead.Now I think I know exactly what he was talking about!