11th Feb (Day 30)

Woke up early to film our night shifters changing the drill bit and stuff. However, they’re such dossers that they drilled deliberately slowly so that they could leave that to the other shift.)

It’s interesting that the best characters tend to be the dossers. Maybe it’s just that I relate to them better? Who knows? Anyway, net result was that we didn’t get much out of them – except a relatively straight forward changing of the pipe.

This did mean getting Robbie up the derrick, which looked kinda cool in the fog, but won’t cut with our main action scene (which was shot at night). However, it will make for a good “they’ve finally started drilling” scene. Kevin has his feet on the desk saying he loves drilling largely cos you can put it on auto – which is amusing.

The hands got all being coy about doing high fives for us which is a shame. (Cheesy hi five for the ending are a must. Sad but true.) But apparently roughnecks are too cool for hi fives. Shame. But don’t blame ‘em.

Got in for a huge slab of rib eye by 11am – that’s what being a roughneck (even an honorary one) is all about !

Did a funny sequence with Robbie and Tommy using an indelible marker to scrawl ‘pacto power’ and ‘worm’ on the new kid’s helmet. (Pacto are the plastic bag like porta potties we have to use. Some people call them, the cookie monsters, because of the way the mouth snaps open and closed as you pump.)

Made it to the lake to try and salvage our B Story. It was a really clear day and the tundra looked exactly like an ocean of waves that had been frozen mid swell, stretching on and on forever, Beautiful.

Filmed a bit with Woody who was – like his name – Wooden. But did a serviceable job. Turns out Bobbie is back in two weeks (after being here for 12!!!!) so we should be able to film him watching the herc land when someone ??? Returns around 15th March (hopefully not me).

Been worrying about Kel – cos she went to a big party this Sat (Charlie girl’s bday) – and I know she’ll have gone nuts and put herself through guilt hell Sunday night. And hate next week. When I finally managed to blag my way onto someone’s computer, sure enough, Kel had been up ‘til 9am and was in bad way – not helped by some bad news. Need to get back home asap – really missing her at the mo’.

Feel that its time to go in my bones – the shifts are all changing and the rig is covered in people we don’t even know (except our main crew) and the filming’s pretty much done. Out of here on Tuesday – been here 3.5 weeks though. LONG LONG LONG time to be stuck in the middle of absolutely, nowhere in a tiny camp with one long corridor and a bunch of strange Americans.

Started writing the script and am feeling kind of confident – although missing a few bits and bobs – we should be able to pick them up over the next two days.

Off filming late again tonight.

Talk tomorrow.

xR