Last week we filmed in a petrol station. A very simple scene, the main challenge being avoiding customers. Just as we were ready to shoot, someone would wander in. We’d all scurry out of the way to allow the staff to get on with their work, then return once the customer had gone. Many thanks to Mary Rees, Mark Tournoff and Saskia Wilcox for stepping in as supporting artists.

Once again, filmmaking is giving me a chance to appreciate places I’d never normally think about. I’d assumed petrol station staff had a fairly dull time when it was quiet. Not a bit of it. These days a petrol station is part mini-supermarket, part bakery and part car wash, so there’s always something to do. The weather was less than ideal, which does present a bit of a problem script-wise, but I’ll sort that out later. I’d also hoped to shoot a few street scenes, but with one of the actors being unavailable, that’ll have to wait for another day.

Meanwhile, Julie conducted further interviews with some of the actors: one with David Burton and Pat Garrett, and the other with Keaton Makki and Lamb Bennett. We captured some excellent material that can be edited down for publication here and across social media.

I also spent time scrabbling around for supporting artists to help out with the shoots scheduled for next weekend. We’ve got a hectic three days planned and I wanted to ensure we’re properly prepared. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we’ll be filming in a cafe, a university, and also back in the offices. We’ll be working with five actors who haven’t appeared yet: Martin Portlock, Katherine de Leiros, Mike Freeman, Mark Beauchamp, and Christina Dembenezi. It should be an interesting few days ahead.