We’re still in preproduction for “Automatic”, and last week was all about keeping the wheels turning – literally and figuratively. The to-do list included meeting with the actors, finding a truck and tracking down a handful of filming locations. Almost all of that got done.

Most importantly: WE HAVE THE TRUCK!

I already had an informal agreement with a friend of a friend a few weeks ago – it had sounded promising, but nothing was firmed up. Last week, I spoke with the chap who manages the trucks, and we’ve got an agreement. The truck’s up near Stansted Airport and, even better, I’ve got confirmation from the female driver who’ll stand in for Myra, our trucker character.

I’d assumed filming at a petrol station would be a bit of a headache, but after a bit of digging online and a few exploratory phone calls, I got lucky. The owner of a place near Brighton gave us the green light, so I’m heading there this week to check it out in person.

Then there was the cafe. I spent the first part of last week walking around Hove looking for something that worked, but nothing looked quite right. Then on Thursday, I met up with my regular sketching group and realised that the cafe where we always meet is perfect. It was right under my nose all the time!

I needed a clean, tidy flat for Esther for my final location. I’d had one offer, but the place didn’t feel right; it had the wrong vibe. The view from the window felt too cheerful and bright. What we really need is a feeling of more existential gloom. But on Sunday evening, as luck would have it, a friend suggested a walk to Shoreham. We wandered, chatted, ate ice cream, then took the excellent 700 bus back to Hove. Just I was approaching my flat, I met a friend who happens to have the perfect location. She instantly offered to lend it to us for filming. So that’s it. We have all the locations. I’m not saying exactly where yet – I don’t want to jinx anything.

For the actor meetings, I’d grouped them by relationships to help explore dynamics. One session was with the two directors, another with the grandparents. Poor Konrad’s had three separate meetings: one for his relationship with his mother, one for his colleagues and one for his girlfriend.

The meetings were incredible. I hadn’t realised how much background work actors do. They create whole personal histories for their characters, explaining their personalities, life choices and their relationships within the film. It’s been a real eye-opener and led to some great conversations about the script.

It turns out that a few sections of the script need tweaking. It’s already evolved a lot over the past year, so I’m holding off on more changes until the practical stuff, logistics, locations, etc., is nailed down. For now, I’m making notes and saving them for one final rewrite. That’ll be coming soon; after that, we’ll lock the script.

We also touched on costume ideas during the actor meetings, and next week Angela (our casting associate) and I are heading to Gladrags to see what we can find to hire.

Coming next: I’ve got to finalise the truck and cafe bookings, do some double-checking, and tie up a few administrative loose ends. Then it’s on to the final rewrite and sorting the filming schedule.

It’s all starting to fee very real.