Spanner Films - Crew

We apologise for the break in diary service

franny — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:21:23 +0000

Hello anyone who might be reading this.

Sorry I haven't had a moment to get the diary entries from August to December up here.

Five years ago today

franny — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 06:42:58 +0000

It's exactly five years to the day - possibly to the hour - that we thought of the idea for the film, so strikes me as a delightfully auspicious moment to go public about our little project.

500 million people on the case?

sylvia — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:05:52 +0000

The last ever day filming Crude didn't start too well for poor Lizzie as the hire car she picked up yesterday developed a flat tyre and she spent half the night organising tow trucks. Then had to get up at 5.30am to pick me and new soundman Ben up to drive to Bedford for the result of Piers's three-year battle to get planning permission for his latest windfarm.

Spices then gold now oil next water

sylvia — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:54:49 +0000

Rain, Cameras, Action....

Photograph: Charlotte Rushton

No option but to keep going

sylvia — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:47:25 +0000

Just finished two weeks script writing with David and Emily . Nearly killed me. Brain imploded. Far too many great ideas and no system for marshalling them.

Very much from the Spanner mould

sylvia — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:19:51 +0000

Suddenly remembered Emily James as I was washing up for the first time in three weeks this morning. She's an indie filmmaker very much from the Spanner mould. Her film "The Luckiest Nut In the World " famously used animated singing peanuts to discuss trade liberalisation.

"I assume I'm getting paid nothing?"

sylvia — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:56:34 +0000

Fate has intervened to save Crude. I've been stuck in a terror tunnel as it gradually dawns on me how many elements we are incapable of doing. Like making animation. Or mocking up news reports. Or trawling a million hours of BBC archive.

Renewed our vows

sylvia — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 12:41:44 +0000

Lizzie and I have made up. She agrees that "a change in attitude is needed". And I said that it was the panic of steering the whole Crude ship on my own for two weeks that caused me to overreact (was that an apology?). Anyhow, we've renewed our vows to get the fucker finished.

A good thought from the Guardian. Think there may be the replacement Crude title somewhere in the
idea of "like there is no tomorrow":

And where's that going to get you?

sylvia — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 12:10:38 +0000

Good thing: Met with Jeh in a swanky pad he was staying at in Kensington to show him the rough cut of the film. His old friend from his car-dealing days in London was there too. I was feeling immensely nervous as it started up.....but..... he absolutely LOVED it. Was laughing all the way through - as was his pal. He said he couldn't believe that I'd made something so professional looking and so "slick".

So much for my last ever flight

sylvia — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 12:00:31 +0000

Jeh with mockup planes at Airbus in Toulouse

Photograph: Patrick Igonet