First day's actual shooting after yesterday's prep work. Got in about 8.30am and let the Skeleton Crew into the studio, where they set about setting up the green screens which had dried overnight. I asked them to put a grid of dark green camera tape blobs on the screen to help with matchmoving.

Then I raced over to the school to pick up Haldis, our costume/make up supervisor, who brought the costumes with her. For a costume budget of £40 she's tailor made one wonderful sleazy vampire nurse, a brilliant all white vampire doctor, and a detective sargent.

Dr Bone, our vampire doctor, is beautifully and creepily played by Joe Pitcher, and he turned on a truly chilling performance. We have a small cheap track, and some of the shots which track into Joe when he'sin costume send shivers down my spine.

I spent between 9am and about 12 noon rehearsing with the actors, then we set up for the first shots. We broke for lunch around 1.45pm a little behind schedule, but finished around 5.15pm so ended up only 15mins late.

The day went very well. Our stand-in detective, Nick Whitley, who only got a script yesterday, wasn't off-book yet, but he worked really hard to get it down all day, and I gotta love him for that. We'll work on his performance again tomorrow, and I'll try and direct him better. I was at a bit of a loss what to say to him at times, and I think his performance suffered. My fault. I must try to BE BETTER.

After work got home dog tired to see that the first direct debit bill for ages has been bounced by the bank, which means Oh Joy I'm running out of money again. Sigh. Hopefully it's not going to be too long before the house gets sold. Might have to get out another small loan to tide me over.

But all that can't touch me today. For the last two days things have been going so well with the film I've been walking on air. Watching the monitor and seeing Joe and Nick running the scene, saying my words with lights on them in front of a green screen... it was surreal. I never really believed it would happen, even up to this Monday. But it's happening, all because of some good friends who have expressed their love for me in one of the most tangible senses. They made my dream happen. It don't get any better than that.