foilarmsandhog

Sketch Diary - Confession sketch...

Added 2022-06-08 13:00:08 +0000 UTC

It's been 3 years since we've attempted to write a new show, and I've forgotten how quickly we need to turn around these weekly filmed sketches. We basically lose half a day, which when we only spend two days.. is well.. significant. That said, we can't help but remain ourselves, which is, agonize over every single line right up until the time we have to shoot, and then cram the filming into 45 mins... will we every learn?

Thankfully, Hog has spent the previous day doing the set, so we have a serious leg up, and its working out really well. I spent a few hours last night on the script, and I'm paying for it today. I find that I can rarely have two productive days in a row. A really solid day of writing, fist-punching-the-air-energy and "wow I am KILLING it" said out loud to myself, is usually followed by "god, I really suck today". I've learned to expect the unproductive days after the good ones, so no big deal.

The usual rummaging around in the FAH bins to see what scripts we have bears fruit. It starts with the usual conversation:

"Do you remember that script that we all couldn't agree on..."

"errr.. (nervously), which one?"

Turns out, it's not as bad as I first thought...the script is a bit of a camel, a horse designed by a committee, but, with a shave here and a slice there, we manage to cut off those humps, so now its a camel screaming in agony, but it does look a bit more like a horse. That's good right?

It's set in a confessional box, and we're putting shots together. Matching close-ups with wide angles has never been our strong point, but hopefully we're getting better there. We do love the 85 lens, its the one that makes everyone looking moody, and it's getting high praise today. It did take us 15 minutes to find the thing in this hell space we call an office, but it's worth it. Will we ever clean the office? Well yes, but probably in September.

Hog is directing, and he, like the rest of us, has a different directing style. He really gets into it. He likes to keep it natural, not too much rehearsal and he lets the reel run. He's definitely the actor of the group, because he's always talking about character goals. I'm a bit more precise, (and you'll have to take my word that this is in no way a criticism), in that I'm looking for a line said a certain way or a facial expression followed by a pause, but the end product is the same. The benefit of mine is that it's quick. The drawback is that I might not give the actors (Foil and Hog) time to develop something potentially brilliant, new and interesting.... Maybe I should start to put a bit of Hog's style into my own....

It's always fun doing a 'Priest voice' and I hope that this weird sketch that we're doing this Thursday lands, despite a very particular premise and references that could be too specific. Who knows. Look, we could just do immigration sketches every other week, but that would get a bit boring after a while. Wouldn't it? I feel like I'm ending most of these paragraphs with rhetorical questions...

Tomorrow I'm going to try and fly through the edit, so I can get writing on the new show. I've so many songs I don't know what to do with them, perhaps it's time for a few character sketches...Lots to think about. It's exciting. Isn't it?

Chat soon and thanks for reading

Arms?