I c a i o

nostalgia ain't what it used to be

2011-08-18T22:06:00.001Z

The Money Train

2011-07-07T07:44:00.004Z

I want to make some sort of a short film with this music track to it. It's dark though, I'm imagining it would be set at night, or something sinister during the day... It's haunting and I can't stop listening to it.

The scene it comes from in the film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is the train robbery, and Roger Deakins shot it like art. The covered faces of the robbers light up through the trees by the moving head lamp of the train like ghosts flashing in the dark, and even the trees' shadows wipe across the screen are haunting. Add this to the music and it's a magnificent piece of cinema. The link to the scene is at the bottom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWvvnn68iB8

Italia settembre duemiledieci

2010-10-06T22:22:00.002Z

Running to Stand Still

2010-10-05T21:36:00.002Z

Running to stand still is a song I discovered in my twenties. I always loved it, and pretended to understand it. Now I am in my thirties. My lifestyle has changed. My priorities have changed. My perspective, my immortality isn't what it used to be. Today I drove for hours, on my own, and I realised it has been a long-time since I have enjoyed my own company so much. To be leisurely loosing myself in my own thoughts, to accept my limitations, and to appreciate my ambitions. I took the train home and watched the world pass by the way I used to watch it many years ago. Detached, absorbed, reflectively. It has been a long time since I have been at peace with myself. I haven't returned to it, but at least I can begin to recognise that I need to run to stand still.

by John Lunn

2010-02-26T22:18:00.002Z

It's free, but it's priceless.
You can't own it, but you can use it.
You can't keep it, but you can spend it.
Once you've lost it, you can never have it back.
Time.

A Fairy Tale within a fairy tale

2010-02-20T22:28:00.004Z

There was once upon a time a fine King, and he had everything he could wish for, and a great deal more. He had gold and silver, diamonds and rubies, riches of every kind.

This King had a daughter, who was the wisest and most beautiful Princess that ever was seen. When she was a child she understood all her lessons before her masters taught them to her; and when she was grown up, she was the wonder of the world. Near the Palace where this Princess lived, there was a cottage in which there was a poor little tiny woman, who lived all alone by herself. Not an old woman. Quite a young one.

One day the princess stopped at the cottage and said to the woman, let me see what you keep there. The tiny woman opened a very secret place and showed the princess... a shadow. It was the shadow of someone that had gone by many years before.

"and you keep watch over this? Every single day?" said the princess.
"Yes." said the tiny woman, "because no one so good, or kind, had passed by that way ever since."

The princess realised that of all of her gold and silver, and diamonds, and rubies, she had nothing so precious to her as that shadow was to that tiny woman.

Secrets

2010-02-20T20:26:00.003Z

I am filming a series at the moment at a military company, and the story has had to conform to its nature; one enormous den of corporate secrets. We are filming in several locations, one of them mainly full of engineers in a large factory, another at a military base with engineers from various backgrounds, both industrial and military. I'm being deliberately vague in case I can be found in breach of my current contract. I haven't signed an official secrets act, but I have been briefed in certain laws. We were waiting to film the transport of a large helicopter a distance of 100 yards within the grand warehouse where it is being upgraded. We had waited 2 hours until we asked a head engineer when it was being moved. He said the crane operator had finished his shift, and it wouldn't be until tomorrow that he would come back. So it was staying where it was. We were only filming that day, and as is the way in TV, we asked if there were any alternatives to achieve what we wanted to see. One lower ranking engineer said six men could move this enormous vehicle, since it was on wheels all you needed was momentum. Then the 'ship captain' who was ex RAF said in a low voice "Two men could move that vehicle in minutes." We looked at him bewildered until someone said "Of course he'd say that, he's ex military. When you are in theatre if something needs to be done then you get it done immediately. You don't wait."

It is fascinating watching how many protocols exist that are there purely to protect the corporate paranoia. We visited a sister company in the states, and their heads of department were so aware of the implications of corporate secrets being recorded on tape that they contracted a lawyer to accompany us throughout our entire visit. Before we entered the assembly line of the factory he would make us wait outside and cover entire office walls in cardboard so we would never see behind them. Then during our tour he would be furtive and twitchy the whole time. A local PR woman occassionally questioned his motives, and even thought they made an effort to discuss our filming behind closed doors we could see the tension. We did our best to get on well with everybody concerned, it's in our interest to. But on the final day when I almost filmed a close up of an item, he stopped me. I was fine with that. I think I heard a lady ask him why cxactly couldn' I film it. Then a moment later I heard him screaming at the PR lady "Have I made myself CLEAR?!" and everybody turned around to stare - then promptly pretended they didn't notice anything. I've never seen anybody loose their cool like that in my professional history. The implications of us broadcasting confidential equipment, worldwide, and the law suits afterwards must certainly have made him nervous. After all, a lawyer's advice is if in doubt; don't do it.

I am Muninn

2010-02-13T20:45:00.003Z

Circling with a broken wing.

Harry Patch (in memory of) Radiohead

2009-08-15T22:12:00.003Z

One of my favourite bands has written a song in honour of Harry Patch, the last surviving world war one veteran who died at the age of 111. Thom Yorke, who wrote the lyrics to the song, simply sang what Harry said. He quoted him word for word, inspired by him.

I've always displayed a slightly higher level of curiosity for the second world war more than any other. I'm not really sure why. My grandad had to stay at home; Ivor Blake-Lobb was an electrician and the local council deemed him too valuable to be sent away to fight. My great uncle Frank on my mother's side died while he was driving a tank somewhere in France. But these things don't inspire me to pay more attention. I'm not quite sure what it is. Maybe it's a subconscious awareness of debt, repaid by remembrance of so many men who knew life not as I will ever know it, living brief lives against a recongized evil alongside other nations under horrendous conditions. To coin a terribly over-used phrase, "heroes" that died way too young. I owe my freedom to men I'll never meet. And they never sat in parliament. Or planned wars. Or sought money, or power.

Here are the lyrics;

"i am the only one that got through
the others died where ever they fell
it was an ambush
they came up from all sides
give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves
i've seen devils coming up from the ground
i've seen hell upon this earth
the next will be chemical but they will never learn"

The Dolomite trek

2009-08-12T21:45:00.005Z

Last week I worked for a new client and was very enthusiastic about it. In all my time as a freelancer with my three languages I've never had the opportunity to use my Italian, until I was asked to film the Dolomites with a geologist. I was given two warnings; it was going to be an early start to the morning, and we were going to have to trek for an hour with all of the equipment to get there. They didn't sound like warnings to me, they painted the picture of a mini adventure!

And so it turned out to be. We drove through the valleys on the Austrian Italian border where the locals' accents are Germanic. We wondered how we could possibly be in Italy, it looked more like we were on the set of the Sound of Music. I was sorry Rosario wasn't with me to see it. We rolled through the valleys in awe at the views, and picked up Florian, our mountain guide. We drove off road onto rough tracks until we got to a fallen tree, uprooted by nature not man.

The walk was seperated in three parts. The first continued uphill until reaching a grassy point. Then steeply zigzagged downhill sharply to reach the foot of what appeared to be a rocky, dried up river. This was the longest part of the walk. We slowly made our way over the rocks to the foot of the dolomites, which were an amazing site. We filmed the geologist interview between periods of rain, which we'd expected, who indicated a layer which revealed the near extinction of every species on earth well before the dinosaurs existed.

Then came a third period of rain. We were motivated before knowing that it would stop, along with the young confidence of our guide. But the third hit didn't look like it wanted to pass over us soon. My director told me to quickly film the rock face. We werent due to come back again, so I had to suddenly race against the weather to get the shots we needed. Then as I was filming one part, I saw with one eye through my viewfinder a great grey mist come in so fast I tried to pan away from it, however the movement of my tripod's pan was not quick enough. I looked up in fear to see this great mist not only occupied the framing in my lens view but the entire valley's end we were stood in. I heard something from below. It was Florian with three members of our group.
"We've got to get out of here NOW! Look at you all, you're all wet through!" I looked round and sure enough we were. My shorts didn't have a dry spot on them. "Leave all of the equipment, we must travel light!"

My first instinct was to follow his advice. Wet-through and demoralised at not completing what we needed to do, I sighed at the kit and gathered my strength to pack it away in some sort of water proof pile. I turned around to see the 'dry' river bed flowing with three different muddy streams pushing fast over the big stones. How were we going to get out of here? "Hurry up we've got to go, now!" I packed the camera, closed the lens case, and carelessly shoved the director's monitor in my small back pack. Then I thought about it; I can't leave thousands of pounds worth of equipment on this hill. I felt my adrenaline kick in and I distributed small bags to the two remaining people with me - Kate the director and Paul the geologist. I left the two heaviest items; the tripod and a minijib, both weighing at least 15kg each. I swung the camera on my back, holding it with one arm. "Ok let's go!" I shouted.

We clambered down the hill to the verge of the stoney rock bed, on the edge of these frightening brown rivers turning the rocks over. And followed the exact path Florian decided to take. I remember considering every step I took, because a loose rock could turn you over into the water, or worse into another rock risking injury. We all carefully followed Florian.

As we carried on, I spoke to the assistant we had with us, and was impressed by her spirits. She was only young, but was actually quite enjoying it. Through the rain she told us of difficult hikes she had done with her parents in Borneo when she was just a child, and made this look quite relaxed in comparison. I believe that helped not only myself, but the whole group's morale lift. If I had let the rain get to me, felt annoyed, uncomfortable and depressed by the rain sticking the clothes to my skin I think it would have taken a lot longer to climb through. We would all have been at greater risk of accident due to fatigue. So as I calculated my step from rock to rock, avoided the gushing water, holding the camera awkwardly to my back so I could balance better between steps, I realized I was actually enjoying the challenge.

That evening the director asked us to stay another day not just to get the remaining kit on the mountain but to film what we had left out, so we returned under much sunnier skies. What an adventure!

7.7

2009-07-05T20:58:00.004Z

On the 7th July 2005 at around 9am I was driving with my colleague to Suffolk to film at somebody's house. We were listening to the radio in the van and at 9.30am there was breaking news that four bombs had exploded around London. I immediately thought of my family who didn't know where I was, and let them all know I was ok. My colleague's sister was working near a London tube station that suffered a bombing, and was soon on the phone with her to see if she was fine.

Today I filmed an interview with one woman who was in a carriage near to one which was blown up by a terrorist bomber on the northern line. She said her life is clearly defined as a before and after July 7 08.50. It was fascinating. Firstly because of her account of what happened. Secondly, how she coped with the trauma.

She was on her way to work reading the newspaper. She said she remembered a big expolsion, and she felt as if someone had pushed her really hard on the shoulder. The air became incredibly thick. Glass shattered everywhere and all the shards glimmered for a split second as they flew through the air. She covered her face with the newspaper. Then a panel in the floor disappeared and she could see the moving parts of the engine below. The train was still moving but the engine had stopped working. There was a moment of silence, then everyone started screaming. She tried to wipe the heavy grime off her face with her jacket, but her jacket was covered in it too so she used her hands. Everyone saw two men trying to kick the end door down to get out, and when it came off everyone hurried out the door. She remembers when she got out she saw a man lying on the floor outside the opposite carriage and wanting to help him; he had no legs and was screaming in pain. One of his legs was above the carriage suspended on a cable. She stood still and wanted to help him, but wasn't sure if she'd be in the way. She remembered a clear moment of absolute indecision. As she stood there staring someone else ran to his aid, and another lady told her to keep moving. They walked by the carriage that the bomb went off in and saw some people looking through the door and then quickly moving on, crying. She knew she shouldn't have, but she couldn't help looking in. There were bits of bodies and blood everywhere. She could see no survivors.

Days afterwards she had trouble dealing with mundane things in real life. She knew she should put her seatbelt on in the car, but she had forgotten how. She knew she needed to make a phone call, but she forgot how to use the phone. She went back to work after a couple of weeks and when a colleague asked her to do a quality control report she couldn't understand its relevance at all. Why was it important? At first she thought that no-one understood her. She was suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. She subsequently received different types of therapy to recognize the symptoms, and often met up with fellow survivors that were on the same carriage. At first she would have frequent lapses of sadness, but the more time goes by the less it occurs.

I think what moved me most was how she now looks at life. To start with, she didn't want this man that detonated the bomb on his chest in the carriage to influence her life. Why should I stop working, stop seeing my friends because of this man? But she didn't say 'this man', she said his name. That shocked me. She said Sidique Kahn and to me it almost sounded as if she was swearing. What inner courage she must have to name the man casually mid sentence that caused her and people around her such incredible harm.

Her proirities changed. She said she values her family and friends even more now. She felt guilty that she had put them through the trauma of her possible death. She avoids people she considers nasty without hesitation. In life we experience moments of happiness, with our children, birdsong, sunsets. Before 7th July she had never appreciated these things as much. Now she cherishes them. As if all happy moments have more meaning. That's what I found most inspiring. She had a Buddha-like inner calm which I found bewitching. As if she knew how to appreciate life a little more than you or I. So on the train on the way home I found a text my cousin in Spain had sent me days before my first born arrived, over four years ago now, and smiled at how sweet it was. And I called my cousin there and then just to hear her voice.

TV gold

2009-04-17T13:26:00.001Z

You've got to see this, it's quite remarkable. I think I was even drawn to tears at one point....

Tom Pinch

2009-04-12T23:03:00.004Z

If it were ever possible to digest a particular piece of literature and be changed by it, I wish I could have done so many years ago, then I may have gone forward much sooner than I had without all the melodrama that I often relished in applying to my situation. Had I read those last words of Tom Pinch, and related to them, I am curious to know if it would have bettered my typical teenage circumstance, where I was living proof of the quote "only unfulfilled love can be romantic".

Had I read Tom Pinch's conclusions at the end of the underrated novel by Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, 'I cannot not grieve the impossible' then I would have perhaps attempted to put that understanding in practice... Hindsight is the least merciful of wisdoms, the most unforgiving. Perhaps I should not be so critical of my younger self. After all, if I could live my life all over again I'm sure I would make the same mistakes, only sooner.

Tunis bar

2009-02-02T21:49:00.003Z

I filmed in the Tunisian capital Tunis a few weeks back. It was for an arabic football show, the end of the 'federation cup'. We didn't go out often because the hotel was good, an unadventurous conclusion, I know. So after two days we decided (only me and one other colleague were working there) to go round the back streets looking for typical bars that tourists wouldn't go to. This one was funny. It reminded me of the Spanish bars in a way, dirty but lively, everyone happy. Although the odd thing was that there were no women there. In fact we barely saw women in any bar at night. In the corner of this one bar, two guys had amassed a shocking amount of beer bottles, a proud display of their acheivements that evening. My colleague Alex informed me (it wasn't his first time there) the beer was quite low in alcohol, but still. What was funnier was that they often just sat there not talking, staring into their bottles.

The evening didn't get any better. We got approached several times for being white Europeans, and they'd say they just wanted to be friends. I've never heard the same expression so many times in one evening; "a friend in need is a friend indeed". When did we look like we were in need?! Sat in one nice wine bar (I spotted two women out of fifty men) Alex and I were fenjoying a full flowing conversation and this guy just started talking to us. He never got the hint so Alex started getting mildly irritated, the guy sensed this and got agressive. We left soon after.

Another guy at a doorway chatting to a bouncer spotted us entering and said "hey! Let's go out together, I've just finished my shift!" He was dressed casually and as pissed as a fart.
"No thanks, we're going back to our hotel" we replied laughing.
"..but a friend in need is a friend indeed, my friend!"

Zambia 08

2008-12-28T16:54:00.004Z

In early December '08 I went away on a job to Zambia for two weeks. It was the best job of the year. We were filming the process of a social entrepreneur training initiative of 150 women from around the country. These women were divided into ten groups and each group in a classroom with two trainers. They were taught how to start a business, how to estimate cash flow and profit, how to conduct market research. We followed them to different villages and witnessed how asking local businessmen how they conducted their businesses, what the market was like. The aim of the charity's plan was to start women in young business and therefore directly improve their local market place, stimulating business; local economy; and ultimately female empowerment. In a society where the women is seldom as educated as the man due to looking after the family, and far too often their farms as well, the charity's overall aim is to empower young women and equalize their standing in African society; a CAMpaign for Female EDucation.

After all the groups had done their market research there was a meeting in the big hall where they all had awards given out for different reasons, some on best business ideas, some most realistic cashflow predictions, etc. Every time a group won a prize all ten girls would come to the front and dance around in circles, it was amazing to see.

But the most amazing thing was at the end of the course, when all were awarded for different reasons. Not only did each girl come to the front of the hall to dance, but when the ceremony had ended and all went to their classes, they continued to dance on campus.

All around us was the sound of triumph and promise by women who were full of joy and hope. By women who over half are orphans because of AIDS and largely ignorance. Women who knew that not only had they been trained how to be self-sufficient in business, but influence their surroundings by helping others around them. It was a dance that meant so much, it was quite overwhelming.

By myself but not alone

2008-10-24T22:03:00.002Z

Rosario's gone for a short break whilst I'm at home looking after the girls. It's strange for me to be with them for so long without a break. Not to mention exhausting. They're so full of life, running after each other through every room laughing mischievously, or they're competing with each other for my attention and keep saying "my turn my turn!!", or "upa upa upa". After meal time I find myself wandering how soon it will be before I can send them off to bed, but when they're finally in bed and I have the house to myself I miss them.

Australia

2008-10-10T12:03:00.004Z

Tourism Australia is releasing an advert directed by Baz Luhrmann, the director of Romeo & Juliet, Moulin Rouge and Strictly Ballroom to name a few. He's made a film called Australia and is using the advert to promote both tourism for his native homeland and his new film. It's about an over-worked woman in New York who is being harangued on the phone by her boyfriend, "we need to get away, I don't know you anymore!" and in a dream she is approached by a young aboriginy boy.

I think the advert is great, the quality is obviously of feature film standards alone. I like the link between the boy releasing red dust from his hand and the dive into the Australian lake - a good cut point between 'real life' and vacation land!

East of Eden

2008-08-18T22:04:00.002Z

If I get murdered in the city go read the letter in my desk,
don't bother with all my belongings, but pay attention to the list.
Make sure my sister knows I loved her, make sure my mother knows the same,
always remember that there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.

not so dummy

2008-06-27T20:24:00.002Z

Scene - We had all just been shopping in Hammersmith and had returned to the van, placing Juanita and Catalina in their respective babyseats in the back of the van. Then Ro notices an unfamiliar item in Catalina's mouth....

Ro: Cata!? Where did you get that dummy from?
Juanita: teeheeteehee
Ro: Juanis, where, did Catalina get her dummy from?
Icaio: Maybe she took it from somewhere... Juanis did you pick it up from the floor?
Juanita: Nooooo.
Ro: Juanis, did you take it from a baby?
Juanita: Yes, Juanis take tete from baby

Skater at the library

2008-06-19T20:55:00.005Z

I was walking back home from the station via the short cut that passes round the back of Dorking library and there was a teenager practicing his skateboarding moves infront of it. I took a couple of pictures of him with my new camera. After a few wide shots I just wasn't getting what I wanted, so I stuck the camera on the ground facing upwards of where I knew the skater would pass above me during the middle of his trick. This was the result. Unfortunately it's a little blurred but I don't think it matters - he's moving!

Mounted Branch finally ready to watch

2008-06-09T15:53:00.003Z

This is the title sequence to the horse series I filmed last year - Animal Planet, airs Tues 10th July 8pm. In the popular tabloid newspaper The Sun (the best selling newspaper in Britain!) there is an article online with another video link teaser of the program. The shot of the two aggressive lads is at a Man United vs Man City match, I remember hearing the horse approach behind me and being shocked at how quickly the policeman arrived! Click here for the link.

Valenciennes

2008-05-19T21:33:00.007Z

IMG Media called me to work in France for a weekend to film the last match of the French season at Valenciennes' home ground against Nice. We interviewed Abdeslam Ouaddou, the team captain. It was for The Arab Football Show, a series which concentrated on players with Arabic routes, although he was more French than his native Moroccan name suggested. The producer Alex and I filmed the town, interviewed the coach and watched the fans line up outside the stadium gates. It was to be the first ever football match I had ever attended, and I was nervous.

During the entire game my adrenaline was flowing. It was not an easy task to follow the ball with my camera, especially since I had to zoom in very close and therefore move the camera a lot to follow the ball. This was not as difficult as actually anticipating (the essence of all good camerawork) where the ball was going to go, so I quickly realised I needed to use both eyes. My left eye is usually closed when I look through the viewfinder with my right so I can concentrate on the image I'm recording. But for football I needed to use my left eye to see which players expected to receive the ball and where they were running to. I found I had periods of intense concentration where I was totally successful in my anticipation, and highly satisfied, and other times I was tired and would miss the game entirely, my filming being nothing more than a blurred green swishing left and right with no decent image at all.

Whilst Alex was watching the game with me he would direct me sometimes with where the ball was going. Before half-time he said 'Nice are attacking' - I quickly framed wider and panned to the goal to see their first goal go in. Brilliant, I captured it! Both sides fought more aggressively after that, and Nice were a much stronger team. It was almost like predictable clockwork filming Nice's attacking style, they always played the same tactics and I knew where each three strikers were going to go, as if I had seen Nice play football a thousand times. Valenciennes on the other hand were angry and weak, they defended most of the time. Then Nice scored their second goal and I had been filming the coach sitting on the bench so I missed it. I felt terrible.

After half time the red team were trying harder, but I could see Uaddou getting more irritated in defence. Then suddenly their striker charged up the right wing and the whole stadium went crazy. I could barely hold the camera on the tripod for all the excitement. He didn't score but was fouled and the popular striker Savidan took a penalty and scored. I knew where he was shooting so it wasn't hard for me, and after catching two goals out of three I didn't feel so bad. And that was the first match I had ever been to.

Marius

2008-05-18T19:44:00.011Z

I had the pleasure of working in Rio de Janeiro at the beginning of May, where I think I can safely say I had one the best restaurant experiences ever. Upon arrival we were seated at a round table and admired all the paraphernalia on the walls (like old china plates, a pirate's treasure chest, giant sea shells). One of my colleagues came back from the bathroom and told us all we MUST have a look. I later went myself and was amazed to see the floor covered in stones, and tubs of ice to urinate in.

Two beers and three oysters later there was a tremendous crash on the floor and everybody cheered - a waiter had obviously dropped a plate by mistake and couldn't hide the fact. Then another plate dropped, and the customers reacted again, but not so loud. Then a third and fourth time, and the customers had stopped cheering for fear that the chef was perhaps arguing with the owner infront of everyone. But the plates kept crashing, so much that shards of china would spread to our table! After a while I asked a waiter why this was happening, and he told me it was a form of celebration, similar to the Greeks, when they do good business. A few minutes passed and the same waiter approached me again, this time asking me to follow him. Naturally curious I got up from my seat and he took me round the corner to where all the waiters passed through. There before me were loads of broken wine bottles littered all over the floor. He took a bottle from the floor that only had a chip at the top and said, 'Here, break it!' So I did. Then I picked up another, and another. It was a fantastic stress reliever!

I enthusiastically returned to our table and called everybody to come have a look and everyone had a go. Then my friend Dave said 'Hey Ric, look at these!' and to our right were around twenty old military helmets displayed on shelves. So I promptly picked up a knight's lancing helmet whilst two others did, and we returned to the table together.

When we got back to the hotel we met a guy who we were working with on the same event and told him all about it. He asked us what the restaurant was called, and when we said Marius he said 'But we went there this evening and saw nothing like this! Where were you guys!?' That was the funniest thing of all. Who said curiousity killed the cat?

Dorking at Dusk

2008-04-24T12:59:00.005Z

Yesterday we went for a walk a couple of hours before the sun set. We hadn't ventured east of where our house is where Glory Woods are, an apparently large woods where my brother-in-law often goes walking with his neighbours. On the way back from our walk I saw a cherry blossom creeping over the fence of our next-door neighbour's garden and had to take a photo of it. I like the silhouette of the roof top in the background and the sun low in the sky. I can't believe I took it with my camera phone!

MB pic

2008-04-22T22:00:00.004Z

Early in 2007 whilst I was filming the documentary series on the mounted police branch in Manchester we went out to witness two police officers on horseback leading the Gay Pride March across the city centre. It was a really enjoyable experience, everybody was in high spirits and even the police officers would encourage the crowd to cheer since they were the first people all the waiting crowds would see. Well, they were the second people half the time; I would be running up on ahead so that I could get shots of the horses approaching camera (the position I am in above) so I'd be charging up an empty road full of people waiting for half naked men to be dancing on moving trucks, like a mini 'Carnaval' of Rio de Janiero, and instead they'd see me! And they cheered!

Danielito

2008-04-16T12:13:00.004Z

I took this photo of Juanita's friend while I was following him through a toddler's indoor playground, and I've been carrying it on my mobile with pride ever since I took it months ago! I realise he's slightly blurred, but I love the black figure against the explosion of colour.

How we met

2008-04-12T21:11:00.004Z

When I met Rosario in the school we worked in together I thought she was gorgeous. Unfortunately it wasn't good timing for me because I'd just come out of a long-term relationship. When we started meeting each other randomly in the school corridors I would feel nervous and excited that such a good looking girl would make the same eyes at me, but because I was still mixed up inside about my previous relationship, being such a purist, I thought I'd just take things nice and slowly and see what happens. But I just appeared to her like I was being hard-to-get, and my apparent disinterest only interested her more.

I couldn't believe she was giving me all the positive signs, being as attractive as she was. We'd go out for coffee regularly, we'd connect on different levels and our relationship developed quite quickly. I was thinking about changing careers and she encouraged me whole-heartedly, giving me an intelligent energy and positivity I wasn't finding anywhere else. Then one day I received loads of texts in one go and was taken back at how confident she was - over the months she was playing all the cards in the flirting game!! One night we somehow ended up in Bar Madrid where after a few drinks and a few more dances she surprisingly decided to leave early. I told her I would accompany her to the main entrance which she was surprised at (or did she just feign surprise?) and then I took her in my arms and kissed her goodnight. I remember the scene quite clearly. There were two bouncers at the nightclub door looking at us, it was a warm summer's night in the middle of London, cars whizzing passed and none of it shaking our stare; mouth open, her eyes staring up at me almost in disbelief. That night determined all others that followed.

But being the indecisive Libran that I am I wanted to play things my way, and was often taken aback by how 'open' she was. I wanted to feel like I was in control of how our 'flirting' was progressing, but she was making all the moves! It was understandable since I was taking so long to make up my mind. However, upset at not feeling in control, I told her I just wanted to be friends and predicted she'd back off a little but be just as keen. Well, she did more than that; she disappeared. No more cheeky texts, no more calls, no more coffees after work. Gone.

That's when I realized I wanted her. After a month of hearing not even a whisper, I called her. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Paso este meme a Uchi, Marie y Entretanto.

Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll

2008-04-07T18:04:00.002Z

...is Juanita's favourite song at the moment!! By Ian Dury and The Blockheads. She doesn't quite say the first few words of the title correctly, but I'm certainly not going to correct her!

Second coat

2008-03-24T21:19:00.008Z

We've finally moved in to our new house after months of waiting. I quite enjoyed the stress of the whole thing to be fair - driving the hire van, seeing the new house empty with all our plans for it ahead of us, watching the girls run free from room to room, and enjoying the fact that Rosario and I could ask each other "which room are they in?". But the thought of painting really didn't attract me. It's so laborious, messy and smelly! But it had to be done. Rosario and I chose colours immediately to lift the terribly boring wood panel formica of all the cupboards, so we chose sky blue to cover them, and a strong red for a couple of shelves. But I had to put a 'primer' on first otherwise the blue wouldn't stay on them for very long. That was long and boring work, proving to me just how loathing I was of the task, my reluctance to do the job made me less inclined to do it properly. Then I gave them to Rosario and she put the first coat of blue on.

My brother-in-law Clive came round and gave me a quick lesson in painting. "Are you going to give it a second coat?" he asked. I told him I didn't really feel like it, it's fine how it is isn't it? "Oh no you *must* give them all a second coat, they won't last a month after getting hit and scratched all the time!" That evening I left all the protective newspaper on the floor so I could continue the next day. After dinner I heard Rosario go into the kitchen for something, and then her scream "oh no Juanita!!!!" I rushed in to find a solitary confident red brush stroke on six different cupboard doors. Juanita had sneaked into the kitchen, and found the brush Rosario had been using just to help mummy and daddy. We went mad. Whilst Rosario yanked Juanita out of the kitchen kicking and shouting I took to cleaning the red off frantically. It just about came off, but the decision to paint a second coat was confirmed.

So came the moment when I had fine-sanded down the cupboards painstakenly, and was carefully stroking the brush up and down listening to BBC radio2 on a Saturday afternoon, warm inside our spacious new flat whilst it gently snowed outside the kitchen window, and Rosario and the girls laughing together in the living room. I felt oddly content.

So what the f*** happened to my irresponsible youth?!!?

The devil makes work...

2008-03-01T23:20:00.003Z

I like to think of this week ending in the solitary 29th February certainly as fortuitous if not anything else. The previous week I had filmed for a large production company that specializes in football reports across Europe as a test to my skill, alongside ten other seasoned cameramen, with the hope of repeat work in the future. At the end of the evening I was frustrated and angry. I barely caught the one goal of the match, I couldn't fully anticipate the ball's arrival when passed from player to player, and other cameramen had experience shooting hockey, cricket and golf. Competition was high. Aside from that our house move was continually delayed, and more things were demanded from us for banal legal reasons which delayed everything further and further. And finally, I agreed to help someone out by filming a pilot for a cooking series involving African food with a suspiciously naive approach to organising the filming day. I had a lot on my mind.

On Thurdsay plans were finally put into place and we exchanged contracts, so now we're definitely moving to Dorking and the family awaits us eagerly. On Friday I recieved an email from the producer who organised the football filming and said my footage was among the best he'd watched that evening! I couldn't believe it. He valued my fluent Spanish as an asset and said he'd be calling me soon for work! As for the pilot, I was a little nervous because we were filming in a tiny kitchen with no room to put lights up. After trying and failing with several options, I placed a pole between two walls and hung a light from it and solved the problem. As the day carried on I realised that I was directing everybody and they were all following my instructions without question. It's not as if I want to be a Director, but when nobody else quite knows what to do I have to start telling people. At the end of the day after the equipment was packed away it dawned on me I am actually quite good at what I do, and it had been hard to remember such things after an empty winter and too much time to think about it. Just as the devil makes work for idle hands, being busy keeps me sane.

Eight things

2008-02-20T16:02:00.005Z

The 'Oso' passed on a 'meme' to me so after a bit of thinking I came up with eight things I want to have done before I die;

1. Celebrate Catalina's and Juanita's 40th birthday
2. Witness the Aurora Borealis
3. Walk the hike up to Machu Picchu
4. Handglide
5. Thank Scorcese at the Bafta's for his inspiration
6. Sit at the head of a long table and watch my children's children reminiscing after a meal
7. Buy another Beetle
8. The same as Ro but not in the love boat please, I never watched the damn soap. Actually, to spend it here would be great!

I'll pass it on to Lo, Uch
and Mati

Juanis

2008-01-30T00:54:00.000Z

This actually happened

2008-01-28T09:38:00.000Z

The following took place on a BA flight between Johannesburg and London . This is a true story.

A White woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a Black man. Obviously disturbed by this, she called the air Hostess. "Madam, what is the matter," the Hostess asked. "You obviously do not see it then?" she responded. "You placed me next to a Black man. I do not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group. Give me an alternative seat." "Be calm please, the Hostess replied. "Almost all the seats on this flight are taken. I will go to see if another seat is available."

The Hostess went away and came back a few minutes later. "Madam, just as I thought, there are no other available seats in Economy class. I spoke to the Captain and he informed me that there are also no seats in the Business class. All the same, we still have one seat in First class." Before the woman could reply, the Hostess continued: "It is unusual for our company to permit someone from Economy class to sit in First class. However, given the circumstances, the Captain feels that it would be scandalous to make someone sit next to someone so disgusting." She turned to the Black man and said, "Therefore, Sir, if you would like to, please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits you in First class."

At that moment, the other passengers who were shocked by what they had just witnessed stood up and applauded.

Can police steal cars?

2008-01-28T00:21:00.000Z

You know in the movies when a police stops a car in the middle of the road, shows his badge and says "NYPD! Give me your car!"? Can they really do that?! And what happens if they ruin the car, or even damage it? Do they supply the owner a hire car whilst their car is being used to chase Wesley Snipes across Manhattan roof tops?

"I love you"

2008-01-22T19:46:00.000Z

Whilst I was on the computer Juana and Catalina were playing near me in the living room. Juanita brought me a plastic plate with a quarter of a plastic cake and a plastic knife and said
'for you'.
'Thank you!' I said. Shortly after Catalina stumbled into my chair and passed me a plastic knife and plastic plate and said 'neh!'.
'Oh thank you!' I replied. I returned to whatever I was doing on the PC and then I hear 'I love you'. I thought, did Juanita just say what I think she said? I turned to look at her and there she was hugging Catalina in the middle of the room. Their first moment of verbal fraternal affection! How sweet!

Tukaeje

2008-01-10T09:07:00.000Z

We filmed this in a small market village in the region of Iringa, Tanzania. I particularly enjoyed shooting this mainly because of the valley we were in, and the mountains surrounding us on either side. It was breath taking.

First Choice

2008-01-07T09:42:00.000Z

This advert is showing on TV at the moment, every time it comes on I stop what I'm doing and watch it. The confidence of the creators of the ad put all their money on the actor. There are three shots in total, but over half is solely seeing a close head shot of this guy's change of emotions. When you watch it for the first time you've got no idea what the man is looking at. First he is serious, has he recieved bad news? Then he smiles broadly but it turns into an almost worried look. You're kept waiting in anticipation, and then realise why he smiles even more.

Perhaps I indentify with it more since I'm a family man too now. Chopin's Tristesse adds to its emotive nature, and I guess it makes me think how valuable these days are whilst the girls are still so young, they smile at anything, trust in us without question, laugh at simple things. Maybe I like the ad because when I'm in the park, and Juanita comes running up to me smiling I too feel like I'm turning to meet her in slow motion whilst Chopin plays softly in my mind.

more horses

2007-12-28T21:59:00.000Z

Me and Paddy have become good friends, I feel like he knows me!

Found this placed within the Tak room where all the officers collect their horses' tak before loading up.

Christmas

2007-12-27T10:45:00.000Z

Christmas with the Richardsons. Catalina gets involed...

Rosario joins in with the hymn singing...

and Mike jumps around in the park.

quote of the week

2007-12-07T01:06:00.000Z

Whilst Rosario was watching TV, the adverts started, and a popular song by a well known English singer began playing, promoting his best hits for xmas gifts.

"Oh what a shame. I didn't know what Cliff Richard looked like"!

repetition

2007-12-03T11:48:00.000Z

Can you say 'hipopotamo'?
"popomótamo"
Can you say 'mariposa'?
"masiposa"
Can you say 'helicoptero'?
"oquito"
Can you say 'peligroso'?
"peioso"
Muy bien!
"muyén"

Two Friends

2007-11-26T17:02:00.000Z

Here is one of the short films I shot over in Africa. This one's in Tanzania.

Quien te picó aqui?

2007-11-09T21:23:00.000Z

"...mosmicos."

Tanzania

2007-11-03T13:19:00.000Z

Tanzania was a different experience. In Zambia we had stayed in the same village for nearly two weeks and had intergrated to quite an extent with some amazing people. In Tanania we never stopped travelling, moving from town to town to visit different school girls, teachers and organisers all involved within the charity to some extent or another. We were interviewing selected people as case studies to promote the charity's work, so as to encourage more funding.

Since we never settled anywhere the chance to intergrate wasn't so easy. But the landscapes we saw on our bumpy car journeys were astounding. The earth is red rock, and the vegetation rich green, so the colours contrast sharply. It's a mountainous land (home of Kilimanjaro) and we saw many amazing valleys. There is a high amount of road fatalities because of lorry drivers. They overload often, and prefer to drive at night since there's less traffic. They often drive drunk. There are no street lamps or cats eyes or painted bollards. Anywhere. In Tanzania. I can't recall how many overturned lorries we saw on the road, but there were a lot.

Whilst driving we spotted a lady farming her land, she looked about 60yrs old. She was clearing her huge area of land of dead sugar cane leaves by herself in the heat. We stopped to ask her if we could film her, and she said only if we took a photo of her with her family. Here in the background you can see her husband and three sons who all died in the war against Uganda. That's why she's farming the land on her own.

Occasionally we spotted some Masai warriors. They are a nomadic tribe that still wear their traditional garb. In the capital of Dar es Salaam I saw loads more of them at night. Many just stood next to a car watching everything go by. I was told that it's fashionable to have a Masai bodyguard to look after you or your car whilst you go to a restaurant or a club. How cool would I look if I had one in Camden!?

Mulishani?

2007-10-24T10:12:00.000Z

Mwelwa was our translator who worked for Camfed. Even though most people in Zambia speak English those from the poorer villages without education only speak thier tribal language, which in this case was Bemba. There is also Tongo, Losi, Nianja and even one called Lala - I wandered what the Teletubbies would make of that.

From the Samfya Women Film makers the women came from different parts of the village. Some were teenagers with young babies like Christine above, others were from the fishing village, others were older mothers with several children.

Doreen (above) was from the fishing village, and we had to film her at her hut by the lake. Word got around quickly that two white people were in the village with a camera, and a crowd rapidly gathered around us, following and watching us wherever we went. I didn't realise at one point there were more than forty people, mostly men and children, crowding around me. I only found out about the boy leisurely lying down behind me when I saw this photo.

I think I got an authentic taste of what it's like to be famous. Everywhere we went in the town we would get stared at. By everyone at the same time. So I would just get used to it. If someone stared at me straight in the eye, I'd say hello. Or as they say, 'mulishani' which means 'how are you?'. I think I said mulishani about a hundred times a day. When I rarely saw other white people I'd get jealous and think 'but I am the unique white man here, go away!'.

My name is Muamba Phiri

2007-10-24T01:21:00.000Z

I find it quite hard to process everything I have experienced in the last ten days to write down here in short. I have realised my strength in integration, and felt like I bonded with people of a totally different culture rather successfully. I learnt a lot of their language in a short amount of time, and they even gave me a Bemba name!

Zambia is a country of 72 languages, due to so many tribes. I was staying in a region called Samfya where they speak Ichi Bemba. I was making a series of short films for a charity called Camfed. Founded in 1993, it is the only charity of its kind to raise funding to educate girls in most need of an education when the ratio is 1 girl for every 10 boys that manage to go to school. Camfed was designed to help those girls who were most in need. A year ago a group of girls from a rural village were randomly selected to be trained to make documentaries about their community within their community, and I was there to monitor their progress. Their reconstruction of the life of Penelop was filmed and edited a year ago and they have been showing it to villages in the region, where most people are far too poor to even have televisions. It fundamentally raises AIDS awareness and the many social problems that stem from it. One advert read 'If you are not infected with AIDS, you are effected. Do not live in ignorance.'

I met some incredible women, and girls, who on first meeting were a kind and happy people. But what I found so hard to digest was the unbelievable amount of suffering most had gone through, and survived due to amazing strength of character. And to know that their experiences were commonly found not just around Samfya, or soley Zambia, but many African countries.

In the picture above I am with Penelop (middle) and Cindy. Cindy is 13yrs old. She is an attractive, intelligent and gregarious young lady. Her parents died when she was 3. Her uncle as is tradition took care of her and her brother, but did not care for them like he did his own children. He did not buy them school books, nor supply them with decent school uniforms. He would often beat them. When they arrived home they would have to eat the left overs his children had left on the table. By the time she reached the age of 11 she decided to leave with her brother and walk 15 miles to the nearest town where her aunty lived. Her uncle found her there and asked why she had left. She was not afraid of him, and said she would never return to his house again. Camfed found out about her and has been funding her secondary school education since. The producer I filmed with has already edited a short story of Cindy's experience that you can find if you click here. If you listen you'll notice she doesn't mention her uncle, she goes straight to her aunty and skips the first 8 years of her life. I didn't film it, but it's very similar to the stuff I did out there.

Listen

2007-10-07T23:13:00.000Z

One Two Three Four
Tell me that you love me more
Sleepless long nights
That is what my youth was for

Old teenage hopes are alive at your door
Left you with nothing but they want some more

Oh, you're changing your heart
Oh, You know who you are

Sweetheart bitterheart now I can tell you apart
Cosy and cold, put the horse before the cart

Those teenage hopes who have tears in their eyes
Too scared to own up to one little lie

One, two, three, four, five, six, nine, or ten
Money can't buy you back the love that you had then
One, two, three, four, five, six, nine, or ten
Money can't buy you back the love that you had then

FEIST

Mounted Branch

2007-10-06T15:46:00.000Z

I'm filming a series at the moment called Mounted Branch which is more about the horses than the police who ride them. I got on so well with the team that they promoted me to the rank of Sergeant. As you can see I've already started getting the uniform. But the horse comes last, no one will trust me with one of those for some reason.

At the dinner table

2007-09-29T21:39:00.000Z

I had to stop Rosario in mid conversation and ask "Why is Catalina dressed like Miami Vice?"

Say 'Yes Dad'

2007-09-27T19:33:00.000Z

'No Dad'

No fear

2007-09-26T17:09:00.000Z

I was about to write a terribly boring entry about how happy I was with the new bath panels I'd put up in our bathroom then I saw the other pic of Juanita I'd taken yesterday at the park. She had climbed up onto the highest ropes to get to the other side of the toddlers' assualt course and all the other mothers watched in astonishment at how high that little blond girl could reach without fear. Yes, I thought, that's my girl.

Drills in my mouth

2007-09-13T20:20:00.000Z

I had to see the dentist today because the right side of my face has swelled up the size of a balloon. If you cover the left side of my face I look like Don Corleone's long lost nephew. I'm going to have my bottom right wisdom tooth taken out, the first one to leave. But not until the swelling has stopped. So the dentist put me on antibiotics and sent me to the hygenist.

I'm sat there lying down on the blue padded reclining chair, she shines a light in my "north and south" and gets out her metal tools. After she scraped away at my gums she got out a tiny drill and started using it on my upper teeth. She stopped at one tooth and drilled so much the pitch of the whirling needle went up and up, and the pain got worse and worse with this woman's gloved hands grabbing my jaw to fix it in place, then I suddenly just started laughing! I couldn't believe the ridiculous position I was in, at the mercy of this woman I'd never met before.

Tracking

2007-09-06T16:13:00.000Z

I enjoyed this shoot. It was about a scientist creating a new type of gel for women to use as a preventative to catching HIV through sexual intercourse. The gel has been in development for years but it's soon to come on the market. Here we filmed the presenter

asking the scientist about how it was made in the laboratory, whilst I slowly tracked across the science lab's bottles and potions that passed slowly through foreground. I love the way you can tell the two people are lit.

Dame

2007-09-03T20:18:00.000Z

Two coffees and a medialuna and make it snappy

I did this

2007-09-02T22:03:00.000Z

If the theory of parallel universes existed and I looked through a magic window at each one to see how my life turned differently, I think I'd find myself in Italy, Spain or maybe even still stuck in Watford. In Watford I'd be a manager at Sainsbury's, monolingual and quite probably disillusioned. In Italy I might be married living in Milan teaching English, still. In Spain I'd be a school director in Madrid and know every bar in my suburb. That's my honest instinct. So I think I can say with confidence that I have chosen the right universe to live in, and I can see living proof in the black and white above.

meme de mi apellido

2007-09-01T18:11:00.000Z

Better late than never as started by Matias I looked up my surname in Google. It's like a following of other ideas created by other bloggers that write about something then pass on the same subject to their blogger pals. He wrote about finding his namesake on Google, and passed the 'meme' on to Rosario who passed it onto me. The surname Sanchez is as common as Smith or Jones in the UK if not more so. Finding a famous Sanchez is probably too easy, like Marta Sanchez, Roger Sanchez also known as DJ Sanchez, Roselyn Sanchez and I could go on. So I put my first name in aswell and found Ricardo Sanchez, or rather Lieutenant General Ricardo Sánchez.

LtG Ricardo Sanchez was a US Army General who commanded the coalition forces in Iraq from June 2003 to June 2004. I did actually know of him as I remember seeing him on the news quite often at the time. What I didn't know was that his retirement was tainted by the tortures that occured during the end of his term. According to an official memo signed by himself, he personally authorized the use of coercive interrogation techniques outlawed by the Geneva Convention. In other words, he condoned the use of torture in interrogation. He retired soon after. In conclusion, not such a pleasant comparison to my own name!

Now what I couldn't find anything on was my full name. Ricardo Sanchez Blake-Lobb. There was only one Elvira Sanchez Blake who is a writer on Latin literature based in the USA but that was without the Lobb, so it doesn't count! So what I'm supposed to do now is pass it on to other bloggers, but this chain is an old one so I'll just remind those that Rosario intended to pass it on to, which was el Oso and Uch.

Ivan

2007-08-31T20:21:00.000Z

I'm in the middle of filming three seperate reports for a London based regional news program for the BBC. The second of the three has proved really interesting, not least because of the presenter. The item was about homosexual discrimination within big city work places, particularly the high earners in the prestigious financial sector of London called Canary Wharf. The director warned me the presenter was a little eccentric, he lives in Barcelona but was coming to London especially for the program. His name was Ivan Massow, and what I slowly discovered was how monumental his actions were during the break out of AIDS in the late 80s and the consequent victimisation of all homosexual men.

Because of the ignorance of the disease a lot of people assumed it was mostly spread by gay men. All over Britain people believed if you were gay you were most vulnerable to AIDS and therefore suffer death soon after. Suddenly life insurance was impossible to acquire if you were openly gay. With no life insurance, there's no mortgage, and you can't buy a house. All underwriters in the UK charged extortionate premiums for all homosexual men without any legal action made against them. One gay investment banker called Ivan Massow decided to quit his high-paid job and set up a small business that everyone in city circles laughed at so much he became a public joke and was ridiculed in all the tabloids at the time. He found a loophole in the system where he practically smuggled gay men in through certain underwriters enabling them to get mortgages at normal rates. As the papers laughed he made millions and millions of pounds.

That was where he got his fame, but I later found out he founded numerous charities that supported victims of various forms of discrimination. He was briefly the chairman of the Institute of Contemporary Arts until he publicly declared how fake the industry was. He influenced politicians because he was so outspoken.

It was quite odd to eat lunch with him during filming and talk about when he had lunch with Prince Charles. He was very down to earth, and not at all arrogant about his success and wealth. I think I read he never even wanted to be really successful. Jonathan Swift said "The wise man has money in his head but not in his heart." I'm more like Jackie Mason who said "I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy something."

visit

2007-08-27T08:04:00.000Z

Went to see Mum in Dorking yesterday. She got some colouring books out for Juanita.

I got my camera back!

2007-08-24T12:42:00.001Z

She was watching two older girls play clap hands together.

Tabloid find

2007-08-23T21:36:00.000Z

Mum told me she'd read in the gossip columns of a tabloid newspaper about a man my age who was head boy at my school. She asked me if I knew him and yes, I remember Nicholas Saunders. He was quite tall, blond and a little reserved... at least I barely spoke to him. I had heard a couple of things about him, that he tried professional golf for a while, that he even became a feature film producer for Warner Brothers in LA. Now *that* I couldn't believe! This was the short article I found.

The handsome man spotted embracing actress Keira Knightley in a cheese shop in London has been unmasked. He is, I can reveal, film producer Nick Saunders, 30, a former assistant to Keira's Pirates Of The Caribbean co-star Orlando Bloom. According to old friends, Saunders was head boy of St Columba's School in St Albans before he won a golf scholarship to study at Harvard. "He was always very popular at school," says a pal. "He's quite a man-about-town and is friends with Lady Gabriella Windsor. He's known Keira for years, but they're just friends."

Well, I wouldn't quite say that he was always very popular at school, he was a bit distant and aloof quite a lot of the time. It feels odd to think that we came from the same school, almost as if to say all one hundred of us that attended that year were at the beginning of a race, or a journey. There will always be people better and worse off than I. I am a little envious though. Is that bad? It's one of those seven deadly sins! I'd never swap places, but it certainly does provoke thought. Above all my thoughts, there is one question that I need to ask. Who the hell is Lady Gabriella Windsor anyway?

Looking right into the horse's mouth

2007-08-20T19:32:00.000Z

I had to film a horse dentist paying his annual visit to a group of around twenty horses. The Dentist was called Mark, and from the very beginning it seemed he had too much information in his head. He had to share it. We would naturally ask him questions about the process so that I could film it efficiently, and he went into detail about how the best schools in Britain still don't properly prepare students for equine dentistry since the studies are too theoretical. He was sorry to admit the best schools are in the USA where all the courses are concentrated on vocational training.

Anyway, as we went along from stable to stable, a large assistant would hold the horse's ear and lean into it's shoulder to secure it's position, pinning the giant animal against the wall. Mark would pull out a pair of metal braces and secure them around the horse's mouth so that it couldn't bite down. Then he'd roll his sleeve and feel his way in with his arm, almost reaching up to his shoulder! He told us that the animal's back teeth were too sharp and then got out a long thin metal file and place it all the way in the mouth. Then he's start filing away at all the back line of teeth, it was incredible! After filming for half an hour, and a very detailed lesson in what teeth to look out for, he said to the director "Would you like to try?". So she rolled up her sleeve and I watched her entire arm dissappear up the horses mouth. When she took it out her arm was full of saliva! Yuck! Then he asked me and I thought, well, if I don't do it I'll regret missing the opportunity. So I did. When my hand was all the way up there I was scared I'd choke him, but Mark told us that you can't choke a horse! What was even scarier was that this horse was particularly moody, and quite aggressive at the best of times, so to have an entire film crew shove their arms up his gob can't have been very pleasant! When we left him on his own he turned his back on us all and lifted his front hooves up in a slow sulky way.

In the evening I phoned Rosario all proud at having experienced something new. To which she couldn't stop laughing! When I said I didn't want to pass up on the opportunity she said if she was offered 'the opportunity' she would have told him to get lost! So we laughed, then I stopped to try and tell her what else I'd been up to, but she was still laughing. I said if you carry on laughing I'll hang up. The last I heard of her was her rising gaffaw as she couldn't even hold the phone to her ear.

She Wanted

2007-08-14T21:15:00.000Z

to climb up there with me.

luck

2007-08-10T20:55:00.000Z

Rosario and I are enjoying Cornwall. We came down quite impulsively to visit my brother in Penzance where he lives with his partner and 14 month old daughter Leala. The sun is shining, and the beach we go to overlooks a castle that sits on a small island half a mile away from the shore. Last night Ro was sitting outside looking at the stars and called me suddenly; she saw a shooting star! We took that as a wonderful sign of good luck.

Earlier today we were touring the lovely seaside town and with our buggy found a windowcleaner up a ladder right in the middle of our pavement. Because of the buggy we had to go under. We laughed it off, the Ro reminded me that at my brother's house where we are staying there is a black cat. Also, Juanita was playing with her hand mirror whilst we were travelling in the van which she dropped and broke. Today after we'd been to the beach we were hungry amd found a fast food chain (which I shall not name on principal) and we bought a couple of burgers and two drinks. It cost £6.66. I told the guy that charged me we'd seen a shooting star the night before, and we weren't afraid! He laughed, and upon leaving I wished him good luck.

So, these little coincidences I laugh at during their moment then forget they happened. This afternoon Jeremy is telling me a telephone number for a cab company he' recommending, the last five numbers are 66 666. Ok, what's going on?

But I look upon all of this as a good omen. I see them all as good luck. Primarily because when Ro and I first went to Argentina we also saw a few of these signs as we were about to embark on the greatest adventure of our lives - marriage. What confirmed the 'good' luck charms that surrounded us was the number of our honeymoon room in a beautiful little hotel in Patagonia, Villa la Angostura. Number 13!

Anyone out there mildly suspicious? Looks like Leala is...

Our House

2007-08-04T21:12:00.000Z

Rosario and I have noticed a very run down and abandoned house on our road. It's not just one flat in the building such as the one we live in now, it's the entire building. The decoration on the lower exterior part has nearly come off altogether. The windows and front door have metal plates covering them so no-one can break in, obviously because it had squatters at some point. The garden is completely overgrown. And I've walked round the back to see the rear where I've spotted what could be structural damage; there are cracks in the bricks above each window on every floor. That looks like the costliest of all the neglect that embraces the house. And guess what; we want it. It would be amazing to buy a tip of a house and make it ours from scratch. Not because of the profit we could make, but because we could stay there for several years. And moreover, we would really make the place our own.

London is so costly now that it is presently unaffordable for key workers such as police officers, nurses, teachers. Generally staff who play a crucial role in the social services sector are classed as key workers and are given financial assistance when buying a house, unfortunately it doesn't help much for those that live and work in London.

A lot of people are more aware now more than ever of the investment value of a property that needs work done to it, so neglected houses don't sell as cheaply as they used to. Buying this place that appears to have been left for dead would be amazing, provided that 1) we can afford the purchase price and 2) the building is salvageable, also at a price we can afford. The ambitious nature of it all tempts me all the more.

Madrid

2007-07-30T20:58:00.000Z

Just came back from a nice job in Madrid filming the last of a world competition in freestyle motorcross. It's sponsored by Red Bull, so there was plenty of money around to treat us well! Their representative took us to Real Madrid football stadium for dinner which, even though I'm not a football fan in any way was absolutely awesome!

Filming in the Plaza de Toros was a great experience, and the buzz before the big event makes everyone excited. These riders, or 'pilotos' as they romantically say in Spanish, perform the most amazing of tricks as they fly 20ft above the air at 40 miles per hour. All the Spanish wanted Dani Torres, the 20yr old from Seville, to win, but Travis Pastrana got the crown. At 24 years old, a multimillionaire because of being the only rider ever to perform a double back flip, rode for the last time in Madrid. He is retiring from the sport. At 24. He walks like the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. All of these guys sustain so many injuries none of them can walk straight. In one interview we asked a rider to list his injuries, his broken bones and twisted ligaments, and as he ran through more than fifteen seperate incidents he said at the end, "Fingers and ribs don't count do they."

But Travis was above the rest in most respects. He was very media friendly, and appreciated the other side of the sport which was more demanding than what even footballers are used to. There were so many TV crews trying to film the riders, many immediately before the event where they risk their lives above a mound of sand. I'm making it sound romantic but if the rider miscalculates his jump he could land on his back from ten foot in the air. Then his bike could follow down on top of him. Nate Adams landed one jump at speed and appeared to slightly bump into the panel on the other side of the ring. When we wondered why he had to stop his run prematurely it turned out he'd broken his hand. A producer asked Travis what the best question he'd ever been asked was. He thought about it and said "Can you sign this please?"

more black and white

2007-07-22T21:43:00.000Z

There's something about black and white photos that simplify the image and so make it purer. I love that. This one below of Juanis is a little over exposed but I just love her expression - feigned anger. Her speech is improving, she often recites 'Twinke twinkle little star' almost word for word but not quite knowing what the words mean, it's so sweet! And today she said Papá Daddy, that was brilliant! I felt so happy hearing daddy, a lot more than papá. I never realized how hearing that word from her mouth in my own language would be so much more significant to me. I should speak to her more in English, Spanish is the main language at home. And with this daft Argentinian accent, lord knows why.

Monsoon Britain

2007-07-21T07:02:00.000Z

Yesterday the heavens opened and it absolutely poured down for about 30 minutes. Reports said some parts of Britain had an entire month's rain in just a few hours. The amount of people that have had to stay in emergency accomodation over the last week in Britain is astounding. Reports this morning speak of people having slept in their cars on the M5 (a major motorway in the west of England) because they were inbetween closed junctions due to flooding. Up to ten thousand cars were stationary for over ten hours last night. One man left work at 15:30 yesterday hoping to get home for 16:15 as he normally does. He arrived home at 06:45 this morning.

I think the next house we move into will have to be well above sea level.

chuffed

2007-07-20T21:45:00.001Z

Wow I'm really chuffed. Remember my inspiration for the Caravaggio entry? The director called me this afternoon to let me know some feedback from her bosses. There was a private viewing to see the edited result for her tudor girl episode and the series producer said "Who is that cameraman? He is good!" So it may look like I get more work for that series if word gets around! In one interview I shot of the girl I placed her infront of an open door, lit acutely from the side by the sun as she was sat in near darkness (a little like the old man illustrated kindly by Caravaggio below). I was concerned at the time you could hardly see all of her features or any background and I was being far too 'arty'. His comment was "it looks like some special French documentary!" Oh my goodness what a compliment!!

Anyway thanks for the flattery, just give me some work!

black and white

2007-07-18T23:21:00.000Z

DJ Catalina annoyed at the clubbers as she tries to mix some tunes. Rosario's picture is underexposed but it's all about that little bottom left hand corner...

Look at Juanita's little finger poking out on her left hand. Her expression on her face is one of patience because I kept telling her to stand still for the photo!

Spitting Image

2007-07-16T21:39:00.000Z

Between my spouse and I a competition has slowly become apparent since both of us have blogs; who gets the better pic. The thing is, I normally lose since Rosario is always writing some sort of entry whereas I only add to this blog occasionally. This time though, I fought for this pic. The bath tub would take ages to fill, and we were on our way out so I just figured I'd dissinfect the kitchen sink and bathe her in there. And look how happy she is!

This photo is disturbing; It reminds me of me when I was around her age. Disturbing in the sense that it IS me wearing a girl's dress and neckless. Now I haven't done that since I was a student, but I won't go into that...

impeccable timing

2007-07-16T11:42:00.000Z

I really feel like someone upstairs is looking after me. As a freelancer fresh on the market I've kinda coasted the last few months with a reassuring calendar that is booked with dates for work. But I'm coming to the end of those little ticked dates in my diary and I've been starting to worry again about where I'm gonna get more. So I'd set out today especially to sit at my computer and do the most horrific of things, the one and only thing I detest about my job; to sell myself.

So I've been sat at my computer for an hour looking for who best to email, and suddenly get a call from a director I did a favour for in February, to shoot a short series for BBC4. Oh well! What's going on!? Is this a flattering version of the Truman Show? The Sanchez Marti Show!? Honestly, the timing is frightening. And if I don't see ya, good afternoon good evening and goodnight.

The Queen Mother's Appreciation Society

2007-07-14T22:36:00.000Z

At the Queen Mother's official fan club I asked the gentleman how well he knew Her Royal Highness, and he said well enough to tell him how she didn't quite appreciate his taste in shirts. Meanwhile Catalina wished he would shove up the sofa a little more and get his elbow out of her face.

the new camera

2007-07-12T22:02:00.000Z

ok so now it's my turn to attempt to beat my wife at an entry that shows off our new camera. Today was a family day, and like other family days we photographed our little girls endlessly. Here's one of Catalina doing an impression of her grandfather Raul Ernesto Martí. Notice the left hand raised on the lap, the raised right eyebrow... just like Luli.

Here she's a star - notice the rays coming out around her. You can actually only see them when she's in the sand funnily enough, so today was my lucky day to get it on camera - it never lies, they say. PS notice the small cigarette replacement in right hand. A throwback memory to when Luli used to smoke. Even now I think Cata whispers to me when I'm not quite listening,

"pa' que vivís?"

And here Juanis is her usual self, although this time she wore a tutu.

Cruxifiction of Peter

2007-07-09T08:29:00.000Z

When I studied art and design at University one of my favourite artisits was Caravaggio. Not only were his figures extremely life-like and emotional, but he used the lighting in an incredible way. When I film often the best situations are already lit by nature, by the position of the sun and it's soft light; the biggest soft light that could ever exist. Look at the detail of the black cloth on the bottom right of the painting, obeying the fall of light and shadow coming from what one imagines to be a giant window just outside of the image on the left. The detail in the muscles in the calf of the crouching man underneath the cross, or St Peter's feet. Amazing.

Tudor terror part 2

2007-07-08T20:09:00.000Z

NOTE: you must read part 1 first or you won't get it!

After we loaded the van, we went to find a restaurant to eat. And the mother grabbed her sleeping bag and coat to return to the village. This was about 9pm, when the sun was fast setting and the hills and trees were already dark shadows together.
We had dinner, and took director and assistant to vehicle number two. Me and the other girl went to our hotel and then to rest. At midnight she knocked at my door.

Her: 'Sorry, can I borrow your torch?'

me(sleepy and confused): 'Yeah, why?'

her:'um, because I have to go back to the village in the dark, the mother has disappeared.'

me: 'What!? I'm coming with you.'

20 minutes later we arrived to the parked car at the top of the hill, where the mother's car was together with a police jeep. Cold, very windy, and chillingly quiet was the atmosphere of these empty hills that we had to cross to get back. The wind was loud so it was hard to hear people shouting across the fields to each other. We walked up through the steep hills and saw two fierce lights moving around in the dark. Obviously it was the police, and it helped us find the village because otherwise in utter darkness it was tough to see. When we got there the police told us to remain in the village, the search dogs would find it harder to hunt because people cross the same track were leaving too many scents. The tudors were all a flutter, and the leader was talking to the police or on his mobile constantly. The director was by the girl's bed praying she would continue sleeping in blissful ignorance. The last people to see the mother was us. She never arrived at the village. Nearly four hours had passed without a sign. Her mobile phone was in her handbag, with a dead battery.

The police dogs arrived, and could find nothing. The helicopter flew around and shined a huge light across the fields. It's thermal sight could only see cows and sheep, it was too hard to spot anything human with all the animals giving of similar heat patterns. After 20 minutes the helicopter left. It was like a movie, only very very serious. Five hours had passed since she was last seen. The police established the girl's next of kin, and so the assistant and I set off in the hire car to pick him up in Bristol. The director had a very heavy conscience, and I really felt for her. We all felt guilty. Where on earth was she? We all feared the worst; that she was dead somewhere.

The two hour journey took us four hours because access to the Severn bridge was closed due to high winds. Finally we parked the car up to find the search rescue team getting ready to set their dogs off and hunt for the mother. The relative was in shock, but gave the team a photo of the mother and described her. I was exhausted. By 6am my brain had ceased to function and the director suggested I sleep in her tent. At 8am she woke me up to tell me the mother had walked back in to the village covered in her marathon insulation blanket. She had got lost, and gave up looking for the village. So she wrapped herself in her insulation blanket (how lucky was she to have one! She could have froze) and fell asleep under a tree. When she saw the helicopter she said she ran across the field waving her blanket but they never saw her.

We tried our best not to let the daughter know what had happened, but seeing the next of kin there with them must have begged questions. Finally we told her, although without making it dramatic. She assumed her mother had vanished for only an hour. She said 'So you really DID have a search party looking for you!?' What she didn't know was that for eight frightening hours we thought her mother was dead.

Tudor terror part 1

2007-07-06T18:41:00.000Z

Oh my lord what a crazy experience. Three filming days, two kids and one crazy mother. I was filming two children given a surprise challenge of becoming Tudors for a week. They would slowly adopt the ways of how people lived during Tudor times, firstly finding out things they ate, monarchy in power, ways of punishment just as a way of picturing the era.

The boy and the girl (who will remain nameless) were taken to a small village near Bristol totally Tudor. When I arrived I heard that the boy had already dropped out because it was too difficult. It was smelly, people were weird, the food was horrible. He just 'didn't want to do it'. I parked my van up in a field and picked up my camera. For 20 minutes I followed the crew over steep muddy fields, through fences and avoiding cows and sheep to eventually arrive in a small village. A few outhouses were built some years ago in Tudor style, surrounding a communal court area. On one side was an open barn, on the other little plantations and small brick house called a 'privy', an outside toilet... It stank to high heaven.

Sitting around the buildings were several people, all dressed in common tudor clothing, looking at us as if we had come from the future and didn't belong here. It was as if we had travelled back in time. And there was our 12 year old girl, the remaining survivor of the two children, sweetly dressed in her little brown tunic with a modest white bonnet on her head to hide her hair.

The location was really photographic. The only artificial light was from candles. So everything was always lit from the windows or doors, and often created a highly atmospheric one-sided light. I kept saying how much like Caravaggio's work it reminded me of, and tried to imitate that mood.

We filmed her being taught how to make bread, and the funniest moment was in the bread oven - a tiny room with one small window and a hot oven with a stone table next to it - when the oven was hot enough for the bread to leaven, she was asked to fetch manure to seal the plate-cover that closes the oven. So out we followed her with her bucket to collect very smelly dung and take it back to the bread oven. Then it was butter next, and we filmed her churning a long wooden tube and struggling to move the big pole up and down to mix the milk so it would churn into butter; very hard physical work.

She was very clever, and continually surprised us with her intelligence, sharp observation and courage. At one point she was laughing at us, the film crew, because the 'boom' (the microphone on the end of a pole that records people speaking) kept getting in shot and the director would shout it out to us. As the girl shared the story to the butter girls they couldn't stop laughing, her laughter was contagious. Then she said, 'Do you always laugh?' The two 18yr old girls couldn't believe it! They were being intellectually challenged by a 12 yr old. They stammered a reply but didn't quite know how to react.

The last day was not such smooth running. I found out this wonderful girl had lost her father when she was nine. Her mother was a little odd, and they both argued and shouted at each other often. And often enough, the daughter would win. 'No mother, they're waiting for us, come on!' And she would follow. The rain wasn't intermittent and bareable as it had been the day before, it was constant, and demoralising. The fields got muddier, the climb to the village was harder, the equipment felt heavier. But the girl never moaned. As the day wore on a mist descended, and I filmed a wonderful Jane Eyre moment of her walking towards us in the mist, beginning as a small figure in a mysterious field to entering a muddy wet gate.

The last challenge was sleeping in a tudor house. We filmed her making her bed by stuffing a sack full of hay, with a few herbs and spices to put off the rats and insects getting close. Then we said goodnight. The director and assistant were to sleep nearby in a tent, and of course mother HAD to be nearby in case the girl shouted for help. But firstly we went back across the fields for several reasons. I was finishing, along with another crew member, and we had to take our equipment back to the vans. The other two came with since we were to have a quick meal together before we seperated. The girl's mother came with us to collect some items from her car which was next to our crew van. And there lies the first error. We left the little girl asleep on her own. Even though the tudors were nice people, she was OUR responsibility. But our second mistake we didn't get away with.... (read part 2!)

bathtime

2007-06-29T17:45:00.000Z

We've now accrued so much junk we don't use in the house that it's overspilling out of the loft. We decided something had to go, and the first thing I could see that we don't use anymore was the small bath we always used for Juanita during her first months. But because we don't know anyone that's pregnant and needs a bath I just had to throw it away. It was getting a little old and ropey. I just felt sad that already a piece of Juanita's childhood was leaving us, and that memory I have of her getting in that bath for the first time in the tiniest of bathrooms in Primrose Hill... will stay as a memory none the less, regardless of whether I throw the bath away or not. So stop being nostalgic Ric.

I was concerned people might read this and think how economically unfriendly I am for throwing the bath away instead of giving it to a charity shop at least. But then I remembered that nobody really reads this blog anyway so I'm not going to worry about it!

ice cream

2007-06-15T22:14:00.000Z

Here's a little ice cream sharing moment. I don't think Juanita realised she was dripping it all over herself. I just enjoyed her sitting in my lap for more than a stolen minute. Look how feminine she sits in the last photo. Tis a lovely thing, fatherhood.

Donington Park FMX

2007-06-11T20:58:00.000Z

At a heavy metal rock festival I was camera supervisor filming FMX riders pull stunts whilst it was transfered to a big EVS screen for the crowd to see. Enjoyed every minute of it.

Fatafina

2007-06-05T09:44:00.000Z

This morning when I woke up I could see Catalina was in her cot and assumed she was sleeping, she was too quiet to be awake. Low and behold when I get up to check on her she's just watching me watching her.

Chicken pox

2007-06-04T21:52:00.000Z

Today we ventured outside even though Juanita's ill. She enjoyed the walk back, climbing on all the front garden walls.

Brass bands

2007-06-03T09:49:00.000Z

We returned to Manchester to film more police horses, this time very much in action. Every year over 80 brass bands march up a small village high street to win a prize. It's starts at 2pm, but so does the spectators' drinking. We filmed the horses escorting the bands up the high street several times, including one that was in training called Paddy. He was scared by the band at first, and would bounce his head up and down. But the scary one was called Ben, halfway up the high street he started to circle and face the oncoming band! The street was really crowded with lots of children and old people everywhere, loosing control of a horse has disastrous consequences, so they have to be well trained.

When it started to go dark lots of drunk young guys kept approaching the sound recordist, Bob, and myself asking us what we were doing. I swear we were asked that a hundred times. One pub at the top of the street was heaving with young people outside on the pavement, and crowd control had to be put in place. The Police horses started round slowly pushing the drunk crowd along the street. Then it all kicked off. Somebody punched one horse called Steerforth in the mouth, so he was chased by the foot police and arrested for animal cruelty. But they chased him towards us, and all his friends and other police followed, throwing the guy to the floor. The police were shouting at people to move out the way, and I felt Abby, the producer/director and Bob grab me to move me out of the way of an oncoming horse that nearly ran me down! It was all a bit hairy.

The Police were brilliant though, they really protected us. By the end of the evening we were walking back following the horses up a dark street. But a horse's pace is faster than a man's, and they were soon very far away to hear us. Two kids started to hassle us and threaten to break my camera. It's worth about £40,000. I didn't react at all, it wasn't worth the risk. Abby ran to get the police's attention. For a couple of minutes Bob and I were being more and more isolated, until we heard the reassuring sound of horse hooves. They shouted at the kids and threw them into the bushes, warning them they could be arrested. I filmed the scene in my revenge.

Retirement

2007-05-31T21:29:00.000Z

I filmed for a day in the Police Horses' barracks in the north of England, it was great! I know nothing about these huge animals, almost intimidating. I was getting close to one called Redburn with my big camera on my shoulder and he started back and snorted loudly. But his buddy Dobey was fearless, and would shove his snout right in my lens.

It's funny how each horse has a personality, like dogs I suppose. Dobey was great, really cheeky and curious. We filmed these two because they were retiring after fifteen years serving the police, and followed them in their horsebox (a big truck that fits four horses) to the south of England where there is a large stable grounds in the middle of two valleys. A lot of police and military horses retire there after years of service. All day it had been raining miserably, but when we arrived the sun magically appeared as we edged through the country lanes. Upon entering the grounds the bushes cleared and there were horses everywhere across two valleys. There were high winds, and the shadows of the clouds sped downhill and then uphill again. All the horses had blankets over their backs to keep them warm, and grazed. Two groomed each other. It was horse heaven.

Edwardians in Colour

2007-05-18T22:38:00.000Z

Rosario and I have been hooked by a new documentary on BBC4 about a wealthy stockbroker called Albert Kahn of the late 19th Century bought one of the first colour photographic camera. Subjects had to stand still for wseveral minutes in the photo, and each plate cost a small fortune to produce. He was so enchanted by the medium that he bought multiple cameras and sent photographers around the world, documenting what he wanted to capture in it's moment, to illustrate the differences in world society and to promote peace among men. He started sending his photographers out in the early 20th century, shortly before the Great War.

The documentary reveals how he captured hundreds of civilisations on the brink of war or deprevation as a consequence, also in the midst of an industrial revolution. The photos are amazing. And the documentary is the best thing I've watched in ages.

The Hilderbrandt brothers

2007-04-29T21:33:00.000Z

When I worked in Italy I lived in a small town in Brianza, northern Italy and commuted everyday to Milan centre. It was at this time I took up reading and read loads. I considered all those books I wanted to read, some I didn't and some I felt I should. One of them I felt I should try, even though it looked fatter than the bible, was Lord of the Rings by Tolkien. A few friends had read it (this was before Jackson's trilogy) and highly recommended it, so I gave it a go. I couldn't put it down, and I never paid much attention to fantasy novels. Jackson dumped so many other stories in the books, the film really doesn't do it enough justice.

When I finished the books I searched for illustrative interpretations of Tolkein's imagination and found some wonderful paintings of memorable moments in the plot.

'suffering in Paradise'

2007-04-28T07:23:00.000Z

I worked three long days in a row this week. The first I went to Belgium and back in a day via Eurostar train, a long 18hr day. It was to interview the best banana expert in Europe. A Flemish professor who genetically modifies all sorts of bananas in various labs and green houses. He reckons the Cavendish type, the only distributed type that we all eat worldwide is at great risk of extinction, but he's going to save it! The gros michel was the only banana at the turn of the last century that everybody ate, and that became extinct midcentury. So they found the Cavendish to replace it.

The next day wasn't so long. Horsham, Surrey, I filmed some old musicians from the skiffle era, the music movement that preceded Blues and Rock'n'Roll. Having lunch at a round table the boys shared old stories of Tommy Steele and Cliff Richard et al. One of them was Bruce Welsh of the shadows who was once engaged to Olivia Newton John, apparently. One story was of a 'band' of fellas that went to a hotel after their gig, and were all offered a lady to sit with. One man said his offered partner (the other guys declined the offer because they knew it would be expensive!) was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, and said he loved her. They met often during his stay, but she said she would only charge for the first sitting since she felt the same way about him. Only at the end of the week when they were leaving did he realise his mistake when he saw his bill was ten times that of his colleagues!

Yesterday was a marathon run of interviews, amounting to a 15hr day. It was a very interesting day, all the interviewees were intellectuals commenting on food in one respect or another. I never knew that Ghengis Kahn's strength as an armada was that they had an incredible advantage that no other army had during the era. They survived because they depended on their horses for everything. On transport, on carrying the army, and on nutrition. They drank their milk, and they drank their blood. They would make a small cut at the jugular vein in the throat and drink from it immediately before it would coagulate. Then they would seal the cut quickly afterwards. This is how Kahn managed to conquer more than half of asia so rapidly.

It wouldn't be so tiring if my body still wasn't recovering from the first long day in Belguim. One of the contributors we interviewed yesterday said something that provoked me to write this entry in this blog. I think he's a university lecturer in Oxford, possibly in food history or sociology. Upon hearing that I had two young girls, and my comment that it isn't easy work especially when they're young he said, 'parenthood is like suffering in Paradise'.

Akira

2007-04-23T20:22:00.000Z

Around the time I was studying my BTEC in Graphic Design, more than 12 years ago, I discovered a Japanese animated feature film called Akira. All of it was drawn on 70mm cells, it was absolutely astounding. The very first shot is a close up of a flashing neon shop sign in some back alley, and I thought it was real. It shortly turns into a motorbike chase that unless anyone can prove me wrong still remains unparalleled in the animation world regards to style, pace and illustrative skill. They race through the city leaving red light trails from the back of the bikes creating dynamic lines across the entire frame of most shots.

I'm not an avid follower of anime, and I have seen others that are very good, and I love the fact they've never fully embraced CGI, but I still haven't seen anything that comes close to Akira's skill.

When I found the complete works of comic magazines (where these images come from) the film was based on and discovered how the 2hr film was actually shortened from an even longer epic story, what most inspired me was the art, and I often tried to emulate it's style.

I often wonder now where would I be had I pursued my illustrative ambitions. I can't even find my best old works to be inspired from, I've lost them somewhere between moving houses, countries and 'lending' them to friends to look after. When I am confident at managing my time as a freelancer then I'll try to go back to it. Although after I've mastered my time I'll then have to master being a Dad. I guess I'll never get back to illustration then!

Here's the bike race, but it's been altered with some other foreign track over the top of it - appreciate it primarily for the vision, the soundtrack to the film is just as breath-taking.

coinstar

2007-04-21T21:02:00.000Z

This evening after dinner I remembered that I'd forgotten to buy nappies, we'd only one left. Just before I ran out the house I spotted some saved coppers in a glass and remembered the 'coinstar' machine in Sainsbury's. It accepts all coins and gives you a receipt to exchange for cash when you're done. I finished at the checkout and queued up at the coinstar patiently (yes, there was a queue) frustrated because I wanted to shove 'em in and get back home quickly in case the girls were playing up. I put my coins in and the machine jammed immediately. Call store employee for assistance, it read. So I found somebody who said he had to get the keys to open the damn thing, and I waited another ten minutes. All for the sake of a cup full of coppers.

When the key man arrived, he said it was because the coins I was putting in were so old and grubby that it couldn't read the face of each coin, and upon not recognising them it jams. He told me to clean them and try again afterwards. I bought a bottle of Diet Coke to clean them, and had to queue for that aswell. By that point I'd been at the store for 30 minutes when I could have been in and out in under ten.

When I got home Rosario saw me pouring the coke into a pint glass of coppers, and as I told her my plight I realised the cost of the coke was probably the same as the glass of coins I was trying to clean. She laughed, and said that Diet Coke cleaning coins is a myth. I never was any good at business.

Hampstead Heath

2007-04-15T18:44:00.000Z

Today we organised a get together for Rosario's birthday, a picnic at the park. Actually it was a child-friendly plan so we could spend it in the park that Juanita likes, plus it's surrounded by a large fence. It was nice to see old friends, especially Manuel. The refreshing thing was to let Juanita run around freely and never worry; she can't escape the park, and she can conquer every facet of the wooden train that all the kids climb over. In other words, no danger for her and no danger for us. Except for all the baby buggies she kept stealing from other children.

When we got back home I got a call from the Mexico guys, and they've gone and bought my flights for the next three jobs abroad for the FMX fighters. So that's it, confirmed. I'm going to Dublin, Madrid then Moscow. Brilliant. I'll have a few beers tonight.

Readymoney

2007-04-12T16:12:00.000Z

This photo pretty much sums up Rosario's regular activities outside the "drop-ins" she goes to in and around Camden; Regents Park. There behind them is a statue donated by Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Readymoney in 1869 from India as gratitude for the protection of the Parsees. Somebody must have nicked the name Readymoney because you can't read it there today.

Juanita always runs up and down it at least four times before Ro tells her 'this way' so that she follows her. I like this photo. Especially Juanita's tights. Film is so much nicer than digital, isn't it?

my showreel

2007-04-11T08:10:00.000Z

For those of you that haven't seen my stuff, here's the showreel I'm throwing out there to promote me. It's already done me a few good favours.

My personal favourite is the scene from the cooking series about salt marsh lamb. I got the sound recordist to sit with the second camera in the back of the 4x4 to film Henry the sheperd whilst I went to the top of the bird watching tower to film from afar. If you look closely you can just about see the tower over Henry's shoulder as he's driving. The real star of that piece is Ben though.

Juanis

2007-04-10T21:01:00.000Z

These days have been a little odd for me to get used to as a new freelancer. The oddest feeling is having so much time on my hands and overcoming having to feel guilty about it! I'm now spending a lot more time with my family, and it seems as if we were on holiday. It's lovely! I'm now getting to know Juanita a lot more, and I'm noticing a growing bond between us that I didn't have so much of before. When she hurts herself she comes running to me, when she knows she's got something in her mouth she shouldn't have she won't go to mamá, she says papá papá and spits it out in MY hand!

Today was Rosario's birthday, so we went to a new clothes store (along the peaceful little lane that is Oxford Street) where she bought en masse. Fighting through a crowd of moody female customers gunning for those frilly pink knickers was a bit taxing, primarily because you are trying to push a large buggy repetitively saying 'excuse me' when you should be excusing them. I prefer Ro to push it because when I do I'm ruthless, I run over people's feet and don't look back. Bit like my driving I suppose.

Later we went to the park and Juanis met her friend Oscar where they run after each other and scream running down the sand pit. It's all quite sweet. She's got such character, I'm so proud of her already. Ten years ago the father of a close friend of mine told me something very wise. He said in life you want to be better than everyone else in this rat race. Apart from your children. You want your children to be better than you.

Whipsnade

2007-04-01T18:45:00.000Z

Today was nice, we decided in typical Sanchez Martí fashion at 10am this morning to visit Whipsnade zoo. So we chucked everything together and drove up north near Luton. It was a nice day out, Juanita loved the animals and we even saw the elephants that had been taken away from London Zoo since one of them killed one of the workers! We were a little nervous when the family walked past us tail in trunk.

Juana saw her first real steam train too. We always make the sound of a train 'choo choo' but of course trains don't do that on Kings Cross concourse, so she was quite impressed by the iron machine and the smoke that bellowed from it's nose.

Mex pics

2007-03-27T08:30:00.000Z

Mexico was fantastic. We'd start late morning because we knew we'd finish around 8pm every evening, and there was always a buzz about the place because it was all to be built up to the grand event happening on the Friday night. We rehearsed Wednesday, filmed interviews on Thursday and when the second of two presenters arrived Friday we filmed links with both of them then, then set up for the commentators' positions for the event. Above is a pic of our rehearsal position. What was really cool was being the only bilingual crew member I was transtlating for one interview with Danny Torres, an Andalucian 20yr old. He was a nice guy, and appreciated the fact I translated for him, we got on well. Later on we realised how shit hot he was and that he may actually win the tournament. We filmed his bike for a feature on explaining how they do their tricks, and even filmed his Dad since he was some sort of blacksmith who welded on additional parts to the bike that not all riders had, and this enabled him to pull off better tricks than others.

Well, he did win. Check out the website for FMX fighters. You won't see anything I filmed there because my stuff will be on ITV4 later on this year.

On the Saturday we had a free day to be tourists, so we saw the Mayan temples, really cool.

Then unfortunately I wanted to climb over the red gates of the bullring and got arrested. But because the police are only four foot tall I managed to escape.

Andale andale

2007-03-19T21:48:00.000Z

Catalina doesn't want me to go to central america. She won't give me back my visa.

Football

2007-03-13T18:08:00.000Z

I got a call today from TWI (no I don't know who they are either, but it stands for Trans World Sport and apparently it's a multinational production company) asking me if I've ever shot football. They wanted me to film some matches in the north of Spain for five days, starting Saturday, but I can't do it because I'm going to Mexico! I had to say no to five days work! Anyway he said he'd call me another time and I can start shooting a match in UK first since I hadn't shot footy before.

So wow. Things may be looking up.

From Primrose Hill to Mexico City

2007-03-13T09:10:00.000Z

We went out to the Hill on Saturday, and on our way to the park the two girls fell asleep so we raced to a pub and grabbed a bench outside. And I finally learned to use Ro's mobile phone camera. It was nice to just sit down with a moment of peace and dream a little, or not talk at all. Breath! It's not easy looking after the girls, but I think we do ok - we work around their timings and things tend to be a lot easier to manage then. Juanita has her nap just after lunch usually, so if we need to travel by car, or just have a coffee, we do it then. Their bath time is 6pm so Juanita knows it's dinner shortly after, then bedtime. This rythm when stuck to means her body clock is predictable and no one has to throw their dummy out of the first floor window, or fall off the arm of the sofa deliberately to cause a fuss.

Aside from angry accidents, there are the other random ones we have to control. Like sucking mum's mobile phone charger's contact so it oxidises and mum can't charge her phone anymore. Or nearly throwing dad's mobile phone in the bath. Opening the fridge and helping herself to milk, tomatoes or ham and cheese slices. After dinner. Or climbing on top of Catalina's cot to get inside - whilst her sister sleeps in it. Drawing 'pipis' (birdies) on the wall in colour pencils is my current bone of contention.

I reach a point where I think 'oh sod it I haven't got the energy. Take all the ham slices you like'. That's when Rosario realises I've lost the battle so she steps in. Actually, it's normally the other way round. My favourite fashion at the moment, on a cuter note, is when anything comes to an end (TV program, song, plate of food) she turns to look at us and with her arms outstretched, hands wide open, says "all gone!"

I've been booked for a week's filming in Mexico next week, which is exciting. I think we're going to Mexico City to film some sort of motorcross Championship. If I can get this much work consistantly then I think finally we're going to be alright. I say finally, it's only been two months and they say it takes a year at least!

New Beginnings

2007-03-11T20:25:00.000Z

I don't think I've actually bothered yet to comment on the rather large changes that are happening to me this year. I suppose it's the one big change I always knew was inevitable, but I secretly wanted to postpone it until I thought I had the courage to jump. I was made redundant at the end of Dec 2006, and feared the worst for the new year, but again lady luck has decided to show grace. Another name for lady luck in this case is Sandra, my cousin!

I think it was five years ago I was on the dole looking for any work film-related, often working for free. I used up all my savings, and discovered what an overdraft was. After searching through a film company directory and getting to the letter K with no realistic leads, Sandra recommended I meet her colleague's boyfriend. Through that contact I got 6 weeks work for Tiger Aspect, a large production factory that make all sorts of stuff from tabloid reality TV to motion pictures such as Billy Elliot.

Then my prospects dried up again, but the cameraman remembered me to a small outfit called Positive Film & TV that he used to work for years ago, and they needed an assistant. And there I remained, growing and developing my skills until I too became a cameraman, just like the guy I aspired to be when I assisted. I never realised how lucky I was at how superior Positive was in it's production, and am grateful I have been so well trained.

But Positive depended too much on their one client; Discovery, and even the international business that is known world wide is looking bleak. So Positive let go of all their staff. I was left with a mortgage and four mouths to feed, and the scary prospect of 'bankrupcy' on a small scale. But lady luck came again. Sandra told her boyfriend of my plight, and he told his friend who happens to be going out with an established series producer working for the BBC. They saw my showreel and contracted me for 25 days filming, which in the freelance world is every man's dream when he starts out. It's a comfortable head start to a very competitive race. I was nervous about the job with such a world renouned company, but the six days I've worked so far have proved enjoyable, also because it's a fun job to get. It's now that I realise that I'm actually quite good at my job - I know I've got plenty of room for improvement, but I am also confident my work is better than average. And it's done my ego a lot of good.

I think generally I never think enough of myself even though I've got a lot to be proud of, but I'm so glad I took the risks I did when I returned from abroad. I had a wonderful lifestyle and enough money to save for the future, but no career or intruiging ladder to climb to make me proud. That's what I decided I wanted when I was in Italy, in the prime of a very pleasurable lifestyle.

I was teaching English, and very happy with my work. It was well paid in the centre of Milan but only six hours a day. I ate amazing food. I was welcomed into a warm and friendly close group of friends that I felt like I grew up with. One day I told my Italian girlfriend's mother (who I thought would be my mother-in-law) that I wanted to return to UK with her daughter and make a name for myself. We were all in the living room after eating a fantastic lunch, mushroom risotto I think, drinking a strong coffee. I was sitting on a large sofa, her father, a very big man with a moustache that seemed to cover his mouth because he rarely spoke. But when he did it was scary. He was pretending to watch the news when she asked me sceptically "what do you want to do?" and I said "I don't know what exactly but I know I want to be in the film industry." I knew they saw me as a nice English guy getting an easy life in Italy, and felt understandable doubt, towards a pipe-dreamer who was wanting to risk his livelyhood and taking their only daughter with him. But I knew when I told Grazie Vaghi what my amitions were, that I had never said anything with more conviction.

To this day I remember that conversation as a turning point in my life. I remember I wasn't really telling her my plans. I was telling myself, and had firmly decided something for the first time in my life. It felt like I had come to the answer I had been looking for since leaving university. I had turned a corner and knew where I wanted to head for. The oddest thing is I wasn't to take her daughter with me. She feared the giant commitment of moving to another country more than commiting to co-habiting with me. Ironically I hear through the grape vine she is finally moving to Dublin. But the reason I'm writing this now is that after that decision was made I have now finally arrived at its conclusion; to be a freelance cameraman. And it's taken me a lot of hard work. So I'm now at a new beginning.

I'm not a religious man, but I do believe we're being looked after. Not without its tests, fate reaches out its arm just as we teeter on the edge, and I feel like my family are protected. And for that, to whomever it is, I am truly grateful.

one plus one

2007-02-24T23:22:00.000Z

Rosario said a lovely thing about Juanis today. I told her I was proud of her character already, even though she's not even two yet. She said she has my will and Rosario's strength.

If this is true then the world is her oyster.

Maybe Tomorrow

2007-02-05T23:36:00.000Z

Does anyone know a kid's series called The Littlest Hobo that was shown in the 80s?