Spent most of the day in excruciating pain. My toothache which started out small and mildly annoying yesterday became so painful I had to go lie down. I thought I was going to die or at the very least pass out. I called the emergency dentist, who it turns out is my dentist now that mine has retired, and he said he reckoned that I didn't have an abcess or anything nasty like that. I just had something jammed in the gum which was causing it to swell up, thereby jamming it in there real good. I did have a pronounced swelling inside my mouth near the gum line, so I figured he was right.

I was really afraid I was going to lose the tooth. I had an abcess in the tooth right next door about 6 years ago and had to have it extracted. So I thought we were going down that road. It was just the swelling putting pressure on the base of my teeth that was causing the pain, and once I'd routed out the area with what they call a T.P., the little brushes my daughter uses for cleaning behind her braces, and swilled it with salt water and Corsodyl(tm) it started to throb really nicely.

Went to bed watching "Batman Begins" for about the fourth time, but Mia hasn't seen it, so I don't mind watching it again. It's shaping up to be my all time favourite Batman movie, even coming close to the top spot, which is of course the Tim Burton movie.

Sank into a restful sleep.

Last day of term.

Oh my god. What a term, what a YEAR! One of the worst years of my life for all kinds of reasons. I have never been more broke, more frustrated, more angry that I have been at various times this year. But the year is ending well, so bodes well for the year 2006. Let's hope so. I and all my brood have really earned it.

The end of term at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is always a nice time to be around the building. We watch stuff we've been producing, like the short film "Inside You" which is now finished, well mostly... we also watch the end of term song and dance presentation by the first year actors. This year it was a joyful thing, and everyone clapped and cheered uproariously after every piece. They are so brave and so talented these people, after only 11 weeks training they dance, they sing, they act... they are all fantastic actors already, so another 1-2 years and they will be superb professionals.

Of course some are not as radiant in the song and dance presentation as others. Not all actors can dance or sing, that's true enough. But they DO dance and sing, and that's the thing. Carry it off with enough gusto and profesionalism and you can carry and audience with you.

I myself was watching the thing and smiling like a fool the whole time. Also part of the time I was making little casting decisions in my head. A number of the people today really impressed me, and I'm keen to cast them in the film if they are free to do it. Very suprised by a few people actually, and actually reassured about some of the people I was curious about and now sure they would be great in the film.

Thinking about this film is keeping me sane at the moment. Really. If I didn't have that to think about I'd probably go stark staring mad. Thinking about story ideas occupies my drive in and out in the morning and evenings. Writing the synopsis whiles away odd bits of evening and lunchtimes. Chatting with members of staff gives me support and ideas for set pieces and technical stuff. I've already got a number of members of staff on my side, and I hope to get a few more to follow. Making this film is partly for my own benefit, but mostly for the benefit of the students. I want to give them the experience of working in a green screen environment. Plus I want to get my film in the can so badly I can taste it in the back of my mouth.

Looking forward to getting into the actual script now. I've plotted the whole thing. Now it's all about structure. I reackon it might be about 100 minutes long, so 25 pages for act 1, 50 pages for act 2, and 25 pages for act 3. Yeah you can write totally freeform screenplays and suit yourself as to whether story points should be in any one place. But I am very much of the opinion that a well structured screenplay fulfills at least one of the audiences expectations.

Anyway, more later.

Once again got in to the theatre on time this time, about 8.25am, but again Tim had set it all up. I like having people like Tim on my team. Everything is taken care of before you ask for it. I'd like to take some credit for him being so efficient, as I trained him, but actually he came to us that good and I can take no credit for it whatsoever. Of course if anyone asks I'll say, yeah sure, I made him that way, but it's not true. I'm going to hell.

I'm thinking about people I want to crew my shoot next spring, and I really hope Tim is into it enough to say yes. I am batting on a bit of a sticky wicket though, because most people will be looking forward to Spring Break for a rest after a busy Spring Term. So I'll have to be very persuasive if I want to go into the shoot with my dream team.

Went over at 1.15pm to pick up the kit and obviously it was all packed neatly away in the control box and all I had to do was hump it into the car. Drove it up to Christchurch and packed it away, and was back to the school by 2pm.

I left a little early to go and fix up the school chaplain's computer, which has been spywared to buggery and back and won't even start. I had to back up his documents and emails on CD before activating the HP restore program which restores it to it's factory fresh condition. It took a really long time so I had to leave it overnight. I'll come back to it tomorrow after the song and dance project.

At the end of every term the actors from the first and second years present a short 30minute show to the school, a routine they've been rehearsing all term, and it's usually a hoot. Plus you get to see some of the actors who haven't been in any shows so far, and you get to see what they got going for them. Plus it's a warm fuzzy communal moment for all of us as we remember what it is we're all doing there, turning out fine working actors and technicians to fuel showbusiness. It really is like no business I know.

One more day to go and then it's holiday time. I can hardly wait.

Got stuck in traffic on the way into the theatre this morning so didn't arrive till about 8.45am. As I predicted Tim was on the case and had everything set up before I got there, so alls I had to do was stand about approvingly. I can do that.

One more to go.

Arrived at the theatre at 8.30am to open up and Tim Williams, our resident one man army, had set all the gear up mostly. We connected it all up but it was buzzing for some reason. Luckily Nigel Thomas, sound guy at the school, was on hand to fix it up, and we got started a little late but we got started. I charged Tim with breaking the kit down afterwards so the theatre would be ready for the matinee performance of Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, and got the hell out of Dodge.

Only two more to go. I can't wait till the end of term. Flexible working hours, a complete lack of pressure and a long slow wind down to Christmas.

Ahhhhh.

Back to work.

Got to get the kit ready for the last round of interactive video, this time at the Redgrave Theatre in Clifton. Went over to Christchurch Studios to pick up the big TV because the video projector is being used on the show.

Put the stuff all in the control box and arranged for a couple or three techies to help me out setting it up tomorrow at 8.30am. Gawd that means I'll have to leave at about 6.30am in order to get there in time.

Rats.

I was woken up this morning at 7.30am by a phone call from my good friend John Molloy, who is also from Hemel Hempstead, saying "Buncefield Oil Depot has just exploded". I'm from Hemel originally, although these days I live in the west country, and for years my friends and I were always speculating if and when the oil depot would ever go up in smoke. Obviously all the speculation was about 10-15 years too early. I wonder if I had money on it?

Anyway we always wondered about if it DID go up if it would take the whole town out, or if it would just blow in a few hundred windows, make a really loud bang and cause around 50 casualties. I guess we now know exactly which prediction would be right. I think Hemel got off really light considering there are houses in all directions really quite close to the depot, plus offices and factories even closer still. First of all it happened on a Sunday, so no workers around, and second only half the depot went up as far as I can see, so it's a win win.

If it was going to go it couldn't have chosen a better time.

Had a quiet time today because the kids were out all day at their Grandma's house. She's going away for Christmas so they were doing their Christmas dinner with her this weekend. They had a good time and saw some of their cousins, so they cam back in a good mood.

While the kids were out Mia and I busied ourselves with making Christmas stuff and writing book proposals. (Yeah I finally got around to it.) It was nice having a bit of time to ourselves. It's a common thing for parents to enjoy time without their kids, but the trick is to do it without guilt. That's a tough one.

After the kidswent to bed Mia and I played a few rounds of Midnight Club 3 Dub edition two player tag mode, then PS2 Trivial Pursuit, Flash Game. We went to bed and fell asleep to the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" TV show, one of our favourite late night TV shows. Broadcast TV is dead, long live divx.

Back to work tomorrow, but not really looking forward to it. Still feeling grotty and if I had a choice I'd stay home, but I got too many things to do so I got to bite the bullet.