Shocking Pilots

Today was a shocking change.

I got a call to work on a new pilot filming in a few days time, I donned my blacks and travelled to work, I would be the production runner for them. I got there a little early and helped make the queue cards. It always helps to turn up a little early just to make a good impression and it always ends up being useful.

if Carlsberg made crews this would be the crew they made.

The team were like nothing I have ever experienced in TV, everyone was so nice and I mean EVERYONE. If carlsberg made crews this would be the one they made!

Even though I didn't stop all day, managed to eat some dinner whilst walking down a corridor with the presenter I really enjoyed it. And we finished early!!! I know a miracle.

In TV, especially pilots you rarely run to time and never finish early. But today we were finished 2 hours early, one of the other runners went into the studio to check if anyone wanted drinks, to find it empty and the lights switched off. For a second they had to do a double take and check they had gone into the right studio.

It goes to show that if everyone is nice and everyone mucks in the job gets done a lot quicker and everyone enjoys it.

you've joined the TV family

Once you have earnt your runner stripes, and people in the industry get to know you you can start to build your CV.

If you make your self invaluable then people soon hear about you, and pass your details on to other people looking for runners. Its not what you know in this business its who you know. Just like in my previous blog TV a family affair once people know you and know that your good and committed then your in, you've joined the TV family.

This was true in my case, we had a new coordinator on the show and she seemed to like me and could see I was good at my job, when she moved to a new show she took me with her. This show was a afternoon chat show and involved me carrying furniture onto set, ironing tea towels and arranging cream cakes. On the show I meet lots of celebrities mostly Z list but still celebs none the less, and I soon realised that its the ones you least expect to be diva's that are, and the ones you expect too be that aren't.

Gordon's Alive

None of them were on a pare with the stories I have heard about Maria Carey and a dressing room filled with puppies but there were some that I was shocked at.

I did meet Brian Blessed tho who had us all in stitches backstage with his constant reciting of "Gordons Alive". Those of you to young to understand this, I suggest you watch Flash Gordon, you'll know what I mean then.

Nancy Lam

We also had Nancy Lam on the show a few times.
This women is mad! I cried with laughter at her cooking segment. During rehearsals we had some stand in's to represent the guests and audience. This is where I met Stop. He was a stand in for the show but was quite good and seemed to have lots of energy, I later put him forward for a runner job on the daytime talk show I work on and he's been there ever since. Now Stop is a slightly buck toothed camp little character who can be hard to keep quiet, and during rehearsals would wear his trousers slung low so the crouch is somewhere near the knees and we all got to see tomorrows washing. Nancy had took a liking to Stop particularly as they looked similar. "I like you" she had said to him one day with her oriental broken English accent. "I like you cus you have bucked teeth like me."

Stops Face was a picture

We had been practicing the cooking segment for a few minutes when all of a sudden Nancy rounded the desk she was cooking on, making a beeline for Stop who was stood with his back to her, she cupped her hand reached between his legs and yanked at his trousers, telling him to pull his trousers up all the time while cupping him. The look on his face was a picture. Needless to say these days he wears his trousers correctly!

So when you work in TV and don't want to be groped by the 'talent' always ensure you are dressed correctly!

After about 10 hours the delirium sets in.

So I must have made the right impression as I got asked back and offered a paid position. I managed not to get shot like some poor work ex at Chelsea by Ashley Cole and hadn't just made cups of tea. I had grafted though my feet and legs told me that. Standing for 14 hours two days on the trot is not good for you!

Long white corridor

I start my first paid job fresh faced and wide eyed and soon learn that this industry isn't glamorous at all. I stand for 14 hours a day making nice with some very odd people occasionally leaving the long white walled corridor to supervise fag breaks and make tea.

After about 10 hours the delirium sets in and you begin to find things annoying or funny. Things that you wouldn't normally find funny or annoying but you just cant help it. Especially if your in the part of the corridor affectionately named the isolation ward. This is due to the fact you are behind a glass fire door and blocked off from the normal conversations and banter. Sometimes its nice to rest there though. The peace and quiet can be calming and there's a chair!

The chair is heaven but can be a fatal mistake if you sit down to early in the day you can regret it. So you have to time your chair habit quiet well. Will you have to stand up much after sitting? How many hours till you can sit down again after this? And do you really need to sit? You have to ask yourself all these questions and if your satisfied with the answers then and only then do you dare to sit. If you sit before this when you do have to work you find your legs are unable to move the blood is slowly moving back to your body and now you want to stand again! Are you mad! Your legs start to hate you and throb, you find yourself shifting the weight from one leg to the other and leaning on the wall for support.

If you can survive three weeks of this then you can survive anything in TV. Its like an endurance test. Or evolution survival of the fittest! In the last six years I have seen plenty fall by the wayside unable to cope.

Standing on this corridor has lead to some of the funniest memories I think I will ever have in TV, I have seen things and heard some odd things in my time on that corridor. Stories to come about colostomy bags, wheel chairs and dogs.