It’s CHRIIISTMAAAAS!!!

Hello, Acting Fans and fellow bloggers, welcome to the Wednesdays blog post the LAST BLOG POST OF 2012! Let me tell you what has been happing down at the H&H production HQ? Well, actually nothing, nowt, zip - yep, you heard that right, nothing.
Production has ceased for 2012 - pretty much out of necessity, what with Chris busy doing his day job at the theatre. It IS Panto season you know (OH, YES IT IS!) and I, well, I'm thinking you up stuff like when to schedule the start to the shooting again next year. And of course it's CHRISTMAS well soon - next Monday in fact (I'm pretty sure you knew that already though), so we have been winding production down to get ourselves ready for the festive things to begin. We even contemplated leaving series 1 at 4 episodes for 2012 at one point and continuing with episodes 5 & 6 in the New Year but, after putting our heads together and having a long discussion about it, we decided to give it a go a getting episode 5 done and, well, you saw the (pretty darn great, if I say so myself,) results last Friday and if you haven't yet here it is again:

So, yes, this will be the last blog post of this year too, I know you're all sad but don’t worry we WILL RETURN!! In the New Year and (eventually) with the last episode of Series One (and if I said 'Money' was a big one, wait until you see the Series One finale). So from both myself and Chris and Harcourt and Haigh, here at H&H HQ, we would like to say thank you for all of your support throughout the year and for watching and enjoy the series and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And we will see in the WORLD OF TOMORROW!!!

THANK YOU!!!

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

&

Christopher Haigh

SEE YOU IN 2013!

  

V is for VICTORIOUS!!!

The 5th is down, repeat the 5th is down!

Welcome back, Acting Fans and fellow bloggers, It’s Friday and, yep, it’s our blog post - we survived! So let’s get down to it and DO this!

As I said on Wednesday, me and Chris were locked in the editing suite to get the 5th episode done and, well, it was a long day and a long edit but, by Jove, we got it done. We got 47 minutes of footage down to a nice round 12, I’ll just let the sink in a bit…
Yep, we ARE getting that good at this editing lark so it’s not as long as I thought it was going to be when I first read through the script but compared to the rest of the series it is a long episode, I told you it was going to be a BIG one. And I do think it has some of the funniest sequences in this episode some of which I am so glad actually worked out. It is sort of fitting that we end 2012 with a bit of a bang with this last episode of the year.
Oh, and on a side note we edited a 12min episode on the 12th day of the 12th month 2012! Oooooh Spooky!!!!!!!!! Never mind that though, we DID it - two men entered and One Finished Episode leaves to head out into the wilds of the internet.

And here it is! Now witness the comedy power of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL Final Episode of 2012! Oh, and please pass it, tell everyone - like maybe that bloke at the bus stop or the bus driver. Please just tell anyone and share it, pretty please.

Keep the home fire’s burning & I really mean it now, it might start to snow soon!

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

V for Victory!

E-Day has landed!

Hello, fellow bloggers and Acting Fans, It's Wednesday and that mean it’s E-Day! And what is E-day? Well it's the final big edit of the year and last episode of the series for this year (Boo Hoo). The finally, final episode of series one is out sometime next year and trust us that's even bigger and longer (Ooh er!), even more ambitious than this one! And this is a fairly BIG episode.

By the time this is up and you are reading it we should locked in the editing suite, editing away so you can all see this episode. This Friday in fact! So that’s it for now only a short blog, now go on shove off and let us get on with it!

Keep the home fire’s burning and we’ll talk more on Friday.

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

Can The Can

Welcome back, Acting Fans and fellow bloggers, once again to the Friday blog post! While I catch my breath after this weeks whistle-stop schedule let me tell you what’s happened down here at the H&H HQ productions. Well, nothing much, really, only that we have...WRAPPED ON FILMING FOR 2012!
While it feels kind of sad to talk about it, yes, we have finished filming everything for the fifth episode of Series 1, and just in time too as the weather is starting to turn.

Ready to be cut to the bone - TO THE BONE!

We spent the past two days, this Wednesday & Thursday, filming all the remaining scenes back-to-back and, believe me, there were LOADS of shots - we filmed, well, I think it was about 8 scenes in total which, trust me, is a lot to film in two days (AND a couple of Exterior shot pickups that we forgot too). All of them were not without quite a few problems, never mind the costume changes too! Yes, folks, it was indeed a busy two-day shoot but, in true H&H-style, we got it all in the can, even making a few changes last minute on set to some of the scenes due to restrictions on the people availability front (good, and more importantly FREE, Extras are hard to find it turns out). We got it to work though because we are that good at working around the little problems that pop up with filming for a Low-to-No budget series.

So, I bet your wondering when you can see this looong overdue Episode Five of 'H&H:AaL'. Well, me and Chris are going to lock ourselves in the editing room next week and we are not going to be coming out until we have the episode done, or one or both of us have died in the attempt (Well, maybe for a cuppa and some food - nobody's dying on an empty stomach, not on my watch!). Two men enter, one fully edited episode leaves!

The episode will be done and up from a week today (Fings Crossed). Well, that’s it for now I’ve told you everything that needed to be told so, until the next time, keep the home fires burning and...

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

In Media Res

That's right, Acting Fans, it's midway through the week and H&H Productions are right in the middle of things because of that it's a short, short version update post today. We've managed to get on with filming today finishing off our exterior sots and we're hoping to polish off the shooting of Episode 5 tomorrow, Fings Crossed!
Wish us luck, interweb chums! ONWARDS TO VICTORY!

TTFN

Christopher Haigh

 

Movin'

Welcome back, fellow bloggers and Acting Fans alike. This. Is.  FRIDAY!
And, yup, it’s BLOG time - let’s do this!

So what's been happening this week? Well, Erm, actually, as said in Wednesdays blog I was helping my lovely ladyfriend (in the interest of personal safety & privacy I won't even tell them your name, Jo - Oops!) to move to a new location in [CLASSIFIED] and what a busy day it was!
Everything went well with only a few bumps 'n' scrapes and everything got moved, well just about everything, Erm,  everything that is except the few boxes of towels and blankets in that one cupboard I forgot to check *Ahem*. Anyway as always it helps when have such an EPIC TASK to get a professional or two in (I do prefer to pay someone to help you move, especially as they can then do most of the hard work and lift all of the heavy stuff, I see myself as more in supervisory role, after all I AM a Director). All we had to do was move the boxes down for them to take and load up.
On a side note it was the opposite of The Cookies Bar shoot, where we didn't have even a single box, there were loads of boxes, so many in fact not all were used to put stuff in, heck we could have made a box fort out of what was left (but sadly we didn't have the time - I'll miss you, Fort Neverwas *Sniff*. It's just Jo really wanted to get to her new place).

Ok, Time to get back on track to H&H what is happing next with the episode and I bet you're all wondering where it is and is it done yet? Well, erm, the answer is not here and no, it’s not finished yet. We did warn you that episode 5 would be delayed. though even we didn't realise by exactly how much, but we are going to be filming the remainder of the scenes over the course of next week and it should be done, in the can and ready to go into the editing suit for the long editing day ahead of us. We will lock ourselves in the room and get it all down (Well, we hope) and up for all of you to watch as soon as possible. Wish us Luck!

Well that’s all for now so keep the home fire’s burning and...

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

Man At Work

It's midweek and here we are again, Acting Fans, it's time for the Wednesday update and, well, unfortunately there's very little to update. As we've mentioned before Life finds a way to get in the way at this time of year, especially when it comes to getting filming done. We've had one cautious eye on the weather this week but my shift pattern has meant that, even if the going had been good Monday/Tuesday, I was unavailable. Now today the clear blue sky taunts us as it's Vern himself whose unavailable but why?

Well, Acting fans, let me tell you, as it turns out chivalry isn't totally dead, just sort of badly beaten and lying in the gutters bleeding, gathering it's breath - it'll be okay, just give it some time to rest and collect itself. Vern is unavailable over the next couple of days as he's helping his good lady Jo to move in to her new living quarters like a proper boyfriend/partner/whatever-your-preferred-term (&, let's face it, the exercise will do him good).
This isn't entirely terrible news for the production as at the moment I seem to have a bit of excess goop on the go, which I'll hopefully manage to shift by the time we get to filming again, which looks like it may end up being next week. So that's it for this week - nothin' doin', I'm afraid. Stay tuned for Fridays post when we'll be able to let you know some actual stuff!

TTFN

Christopher Haigh

Cookies? Monster!

Welcome, Acting Fans and fellow bloggers, to your regular Friday dose of blog. What shenanigans have we been up to since Wednesday? Well, we've been filming once again (I did say it was a BIG episode)and, like I said in Wednesdays blog post, we have been filming some where we have NEVER EVER (EVER!) filmed before. Yes, we filmed in a local pub (& a preferred hang out of Chris's) called Cookies Bar. It's situated in Halifax town centre, yep,  in fact it’s about a ten minute walk from the Flat/Principal Set/H&H Production HQ and downhill too - handy! They very kindly to gave us permission to film just after opening time at 3PM.

This place used to be stables, no horsing around!

We tried our best to keep the sequence tight on shooting time, it was a short one but we still had quite a variety of shots to get done. Chris and I met up to go through all of the planning and sorting out of the shots at about 2PM, so that when we got in there we weren’t tying up too much of their time - they gotta sell those drinks to make a living.
We also had a couple of extra things to sort out, I realised I'd forgotten to source a couple of props for the shoot and, while we could do without one, we couldn't do it without the other. A quick side trip to the Borough Market sorted out the missing required prop (well, bit of costume actually) and while I went to Cookies to meet with and prep our crew/cast (Hardy and Jake lending their hands, and rest of bodies, again), Chris headed down to the Piece Hall to pester our old chum Simon to lend us an essential piece of background. Which he kindly did.

Meow.

Yes, essential. Anyway, I must say this was the quickest shoot we have ever done. Everything was filmed and in the can by 4:30pm. Which was just in time too as some customers were heading in to wet their whistles. Well, that’s all we’ve done this week since Wednesday - see you in the World of Tomorrow! (Well, er, next week.)

Keep the home fire’s burning and...

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

Back To The Flat!

A warm Wednesday welcome, Acting Fans and fellow bloggers, to this midweek blog post. Here's the happenings at H&H Productions since the narrowly prevented script leak last week. Well, luckily enough, I don’t think anything good has been spoiled or leaked too much from the script. Which is good!

At the start of this week, on Monday in fact, we started on filming the first of the flat interior scenes for the next episode, thanks to Chris's and my flatmates free time not clashing for once - at last! It turned out I, for quite some time of the shoot, was faced down in a pizza (Don’t worry - all will be become clear soon). We had quite a lot of shots scheduled for Monday and we didn’t quite get them all done but we did get the two sequences of the first scene completed (which is good for us, especially as one of them took a while to set up, too). That one (the long set-up) was where Chris spent quite some time of the shoot but I can’t tell you any more about it as it will be [SPOILERS] (Aren’t I just bad? Tee hee). This meant a bit of re-scheduling with the last two shots now being set to get done at a later date. (This a BIG episode guys - for a Low-to-No Budget webseries).

Now today we are off out to do even more shooting this time in a location that we have never used to before - that's right, folks, somewhere brand spanking new to H&H! More on that on Friday I think, I mean I’ve got to keep on making you come on back now, haven't I?
So that's all for now, folks, as always keep them home fires burning and...

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

Disaster Averted!

Belated greetings, Acting Fans, to this late breaking blog! With news that's both urgent and not! This week with the breakdown of my shifts and the encroaching Panto season making it's presence known meaning my hours at work are going up (work being a theatre and pantomime being it's bread and butter) we've had time for little else shooting wise this week. Vern has been on with the shot selection for the filmed scenes of episode 5 and that's about it - except for one thing!
Today it has come to our attention that there has been a potential script leak during production of episode 5. Somebody, we're not sure who yet - possibly some greenhorn intern in the production, left a shooting script on site after Wednesdays shoot!

The Horror! All those precious [SPOILERS] laying about willy nilly at the Piece Hall! For ANY  Tom, Dick or Harry to get their filthy paws on them!
Luckily for us the filthy paws in question belonged to our old chum, Proprietor X of Legacy Comics, Simon Shaw. I retrieved the script today but who knows what secrets Simon has gleaned in the mean time? Maybe he'll let you in on a spoiler or two, for a PRICE! So 'Harcourt & Haigh' join illustrious productions such as 'Doctor Who' and 'Batman Begins' in having vital scripts leak out - but WE got OURS back, HA! Shows what you know Nolan and Moffat!
This weekend see's myself and Vernon caught up in a bit of a social whirl but the production will be back on track next week, Acting Fans, so never fear the show goes on. Until next week...

TTFN

Christopher Haigh

We'll Take The Fifth

Welcome back, Acting Fans and fellow bloggers, to this this Wednesday post, so what has been happening since my Birthday last week, well -  I survived the night of the celebration of my birthday! It was an hard night but someone had to do it. Only I was up to the task, which I met head on and, only occasionally, face first.

There we go.

Me and my fellow colleague haven been hard at work this week, on Tuesday we had a runthrough of the script to makes sure that all of the lines read right. I had also managed to get in touch with the Elsie Whitely Centre to find out if we would able to use them as a location and we could but, well, we could but at a PRICE (£20 quid per hour, the standard rate they hire out conference rooms for) and for the amount of time we need it for (Which is about a half hour, if that, as it is just one or two shots) we were, well, rather shocked - so that won’t be happening. Perhaps the bloke for Elsie Whitley's didn't quite grasp it when I told him we were Low-to-No Budget and I mean REALLY Low-to-No budget ('No' being the apt word), we are either going to have to find another location, or drop the scene. Which we don’t want to do if we can help it, I'm sure between me and Chris we can figure something out though. We also did a final check on some of the locations and popped by to confirm the dates and times we would be showing up at, and today? Well, today we were out filming a load of the exterior shots of episode 5.

And here we come

We have been filming once again in our favourite place to film (and, so far, it’s free to do so), the Piece Hall. 'For what?' I hear you ask, well, it's the [SPOILERS], teehee, you didn’t think I was going to tell exactly what we were filming, did you? Oh, you did, did you? Well I'm not going to tell you! We even managed to get some extra people roped in, in fact, we got most of 'em from people who were just mulling in and around the nearest shops (I can be quite persuasive when I want to be).

What's he doing there?

We have had a lot to do on this episode with still more to go and this is why this next episode will be a little late in coming out but don’t panics! We do have a long shoot planned for next week too, where we should get all of it done. Well. with any luck we should - I mean yes, yes, WE can - in fact we SHALL get it done!

Roll up, roll up

Well that’s it for now, Acting Fans, so as I sign off today wish us 'Good Luck' and remember to keep them home fires burning.

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

HAPPY ANNIVERNSARY!!!

Yes, Acting Fans, it's that special time of year again! What?!
NO! Not Goth Christmas, you've well missed that! And, NO, not Bonfire Night neither!
It's the time of year where we reflect on when a certain man incarnated on our tiny planet, a man who came to save us all, or at least to watch a heck of a lot of Manga cartoons and Honk Kong films! Yes, Acting Fans, rejoice for today of all days he came unto us - The Vern!

Behold THE VERN!

Rumour has it that the gentle giant of mirth was rocketed to the relative safety of our little blue dot by his loving parents as their doomed world exploded!

WARNING: Not ACTUAL Footage of the Vern's arrival

The other rumour is that that isn't true at all but that Vern started spreading the first rumour himself because, well, who wants to think about their parents, y'know, doing the deed. Eew!
Nevertheless from that fateful November the 9th onwards the world would forever cower in the shadow of the Colossal Acting Talent that now bestrode it like a, well, like a Colossus!

Always ready for the call to, 'ACTION!'

So, Acting Fans, please join me in wishing my Partner-In-ACTING!-crime and drunken hijinks all the very best and a Happy Birthday -

Many Happy Returns to The Vern!

Christopher Haigh

 

All The Old Familiar Places

Yep - It's Location, location, location time (once again)!

Welcome back, fellow bloggers and Acting Fans, to Wednesdays regular blog post. Here's what's been happening over and down here at H&H productions. Well, well. Once again we're planning (yep, again) but, of course, it IS essential to process of filming.

Tree!

After the planning and storyboarding of last week, we went out today to scout out, and try to get permission to use where necessary, some of the locations that we need for episode 5. This time we even did some proper visual storyboarding on, wait for it, the actual camera we shoot with, our trusty pal Lumix, instead of with Chris's phone camera - which, by the way, can't do the right aspect ratio (Yep, we finally remembered the camera that we use for filming can also, you know, take photos BECAUSE IT IS A CAMERA)!

Cookies!

We checked out the area of pedestrian precinct we need for one exterior scene, had a look at setting up the shots for a scene at trusty old Piece Hall, got a 'yes' from the pub we need to use for one interior scene (Chris's beloved Cookies Bar), got the exterior angles sorted for near a local Greasy Spoon and from the Elsie Whitely Innovation Centre we got contact details of who to get in touch with regarding filming there - wish us luck there, Acting Fans, as we could really do with using this location in the episode!
So, well, that’s about it, not really all that much to report on this week. Filming will commence real soon on this next episode and, of course, you’ll be the first to know when it does.

Somewhere so familiar...

That’s it for today keep them home fires burning and...

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

May The Fourth Be With You!

The 4th episode has landed!

Welcome back once again bloggers and Acting Fans - it’s Friday! It’s blog time let’s do this. Well, well, as we said on Wednesdays blog post H&H Episode 4 'The Experiment' is now live, in fact it’s on this very blog just below what are reading right now! So, go on! What are you waiting for? Give it a watch, we've made it easy for you to see:

We do indeed spoil you lot with TWO H&H adventures in one week but we still need your help to spread the word, folks. So please share and post it EVERYWHERE PPPPPPlease. Pretty please. With a cherry on top. And tell all your friends about it and get them tell their friends and so on and on and on and on (ad infinitum would be good).

So, what else have we been doing? I hear you all shout out at the once and then, suddenly, silence! We have begun the planning and storyboarding of episode 5 of H&H and with any luck (and little Energon) it will be up soon for you all to view. This one might take a little bit more time to film as it is a big’un as befits the last episode of 2012 (fingers crossed) and it's, well, you’ll see when it’s up live and kicking.

Well, that’s it for now acting fans I will sign off and see you in the World of Tomorrow!!!!!

So keep the home fires burning and….

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

Happy Halloween

Welcome, Bloggers and Acting Fans, to Wednesdays Spooooky and creeeeepy blog, Mwhahahahahahahaha, and, boy, do we have a treat in store for you!
No trick!
As today is Halloween (Or, if you prefer, Samhain) we have an HEXtra special seasonal mini, well, erm, Special for you of our unique H&H Madness - Mwhahahahahaha! Click below -IF YOU DARE!

Have you watched it? Good! Yes, this was the 'Something Special' we've been keeping secret. Now please don’t forget to share it with your friends and then get them to share it with their friends, then they can share with their Fiends, er, I mean friends and so on and so on.

Well, that’s about if for today so don’t forget to tune back in on Friday when episode four goes live, folks. Yep, you get the regular episode this week as well! We are indeed spoiling you this week aren’t we?

So good night out there....whatever you are - Mwhahahahahahahahahahah!

Oh, and keep them Halloween Lanterns burning - I mean it’s a good way to keep them pesky ghouls and demons away! And don't have nightmares!


TTFN

Vernon Sutcliffe

 

The Fastest Editors In The West

...Yorkshire borough of Calderdale, Halifax area, that is.

Welcome to this weeks Friday update, Acting Fans, it's me again, Vern's not-so-silent partner in crime. Now let me tell you what we've been up to since Wednesday. This Thursday saw Vern once again pay a visit to Casa Del Haigho where the editing suite is based, his morning shift meant we had to wait until the afternoon to get started, about half 1-ish, and between then and early evening (about 8PM) we managed to get the additional scene cut and added to episode 4 - finalising the cut leaving only some ADR to do and the episode will be completed, which I'll be on with this weekend. Now You may think that doesn't seem so quick.
That is not all however, we also edited something else to final form. Something else which I've just completed the ADR on today. The thing is, well, I can't tell you what it is. I'm sworn to secrecy by the Big Tease himself - on pain of DEATH (I assume he meant a metaphorical death, otherwise he'd have to find another Haigh. Mind you, there are plenty of us around and about here Oop North - better not risk it). I can only tell you that it's the 'Something Special' we've mentioned before. No, no, I can't possibly tell you anything else. I just can't but I CAN leave you with these:

The Axeman Cometh?

Well, you could probably guess that...

Have a Great Weekend, Acting Fans...

TTFN

Christopher Haigh

All The Fun Of The Fair

Yes, we here at H&H Productions have never been ones able to resist a fairground attraction (especially me and my magpie mind, what with all the shiny, colourful things on display) and so that's where you could have found us today, Acting Fans, at the Piece Hall's Half-Term Fair. Not just for fun and games though - we had a purpose.
As you may recall from last week we were due to shoot two sequences at the weekend on Sunday. Unfortunately though, we had to drop the additional scene we were going to shoot for episode 4 due to lack of manpower. The scene required many more bodies than we were able to muster but the deadline for episode 4 remained. (Have no fear, Acting Fans, the scenes we required for the mystery 'Special Something' were done and dusted with alacrity).

Welcome to the House Of Fun

This left us with something of a dilemma. Should we try and reschedule the additional scene and, if we failed to get the bodies again, run the risk of doing it with fewer people and it not looking so good (or, worst case scenario, we failed to get the shoot done and the episode is down a scene just before it's due to go up) or do we actually create a new scene entirely that requires only the core of H&H Productions, i.e. us? And if a new scene, what?
It was seeing the funfair rides being put up on the Friday during a brief stop off at the Piece Hall that the idea came to me that we could use it as a part of a new scene and when I put the idea to m'colleague Vern at the shoot he eagerly agreed. The new scene actually gets in an idea that goes way back to the very beginnings of the creation of Harcourt & Haigh that hasn't had the most prominent part in the series so far but anything else I say would be [SPOILERS].
With the able assistance of two of our newest drafted crew, Jake and Hardy, we got the line takes we needed. After that, Vern and I finished off the shoot with a bit of stock footage coverage and ADR soundtrack recording. Yes, Acting Fans, episode 4 is now in the can and we'll also be taking a pass at the editing this week. If we can get it done this will give us an extra week to plan out episode 5 and, boy, are we gonna need it - it's complicated! More on that later, 'cause that's it for now.

See you Friday for more H&H goss,

TTFN

Christopher Haigh

A Bit Of A Rush (Or Two)

It’s live once again, LIIIVE!

Welcome back, fellow bloggers and Acting Fans, here's Fridays blog - on we go! Once again I am very pleased to announce that the third episode of 'Harcourt & Haigh' is live, yep, that’s right, folks, you read that right! Episode 3 'Stake Out' is now live on YouTube and on this blog - just below this bit of text in fact, so go on - put your feet with a cuppa and give it a watch. Woo!

This weekend, actually this Sunday, will be a busy one. Due to a slight schedule misalignment with Chris's day job we'll be trying to shoot two sequences on the one day - the last scenes needed to complete episode 4 and a scene or two for that little something special I teased you about on Wednesday. We'll have to get our skates on to get done. Wish us luck!
Also if you're new to H&H fandom don’t forget to have a poke about our channel to take a look at the others episode or any of the trailers that you might have missed. As always please tell all your friends about it and get them to tell their friends and them to tell their friends friends (and THEM to tell their friends friends friends...friends?). Feel free to post it around the web, any random fandom sites you can think of too, or on your own twitter. We're 20th Century Boys at heart and we don't think we've quite grasped this t'Intarwub thing so we'll take all the help we can get. We do hope you've enjoyed Number 3 and that you will stay tuned for more - come on, it's only a fortnight away!

Well, that’s it for this Friday blog so as always keep the home fires burning...

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

Chip, Chip, Chopping Away

Wait! Chopping away?! No, That is right but you'll have to wait to find out why.

Hello, fellow bloggers and Acting Fans welcome once again to our Wednesday blog. Let us tell you all what we’ve been up to today.

Well, once again we have been out filming shots in and about Halifax for a little something very, very special. What is this special something? I am afraid I can’t you that just yet (I could but then I'd have to kill you and, if I killed you, who would watch the series apart from our mums, eh?). No, really, I am very afraid (and I am writing this blog of my own free will, honest). Let me just say it's for something a little bit Hextra. And, no, that isn't a typo.

It's a Mystery...

Also this week Chris has been getting on with the sound editing for the 4th episode of H&H, trying to get rid of all of those pesky cars zooming past on some of the outdoor shot for that episode. I am pleased to report that it was a success for Chris, he won the fight against the car noise with the use of a noise gate and a few other sound effects put in place (for ambiance as well as masking) and it is now a working scene. Ha! Sucks to be you Gods of Inconvenient Traffic - we WIN!

To recap: We have been filming today (Check), Chris finished sound editing (Check), I don’t think there is anything else on the list to tell you about, is there? Hmm…….. is there……. Erm………….. Oh, wait! Yes, there is - but guess what H&H fandoms? That’s going to have to wait until Fridays blog post. So keep your onions peeled - the same H channel, about the same H time.

And remember, keep the home fires burning...

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

The Knuckle Down

Wotcha, Acting Fans, and welcome to Fridays belated blog update. We're coming to you a little later than usual - but it's for a good reason. You see we got a bit of a gap in our schedules this week, which meant we could bring forward the planned first cut of episode 4 (originally pencilled in for next week).

So bright and early this morning, oh, alright, at about quarter to eleven Vern got his bod down to the editing suite (Yes, yes, my bedroom) and we got into the cut. Once again, as with episode 3, being able to view the rushes on Vern's PC to make the shot selection has really speeded things up.
This time I'd also done my homework with some additional preparation too (minor trimming of the calls to 'Action!', etc. and making the odd scene break) so we got to the final first cut in about 4 and a half hours. We also managed to fit in a minor tweak to episode 3 today, as Vern had taken a look at some of the missing footage and found a nice brief shot that we could use to replace one in the edit where we'd originally used a double of another shot. The new shot had a nice little touch of establishing something that the episode was missing before, well done, Mr. V!
That means episode 3 is well and truly ready to hit the 'Tube at the end of next week, bang on schedule. Unless, that is, we have some notes from our test audience, the unwitting victims helpful volunteers rounded up by Vern to be subjected to a preview of the episode this weekend. Fings crossed, everyone!

We only have a minor (but body-heavy, yeah, we need some extra bodies) scene to shoot to finalise episode 4 and, if all goes well, we'll be cracking on with episode 5 soon, oh, and a little something else besides is on the cards but what exactly? Well, That would be telling. That's all for this week, Acting Fans, stay tuned and keep frosty.

TTFN

Christopher Haigh

Another One Bites The Dust

One more down

Hello, Acting Fans and fellow bloggers, welcome back this Wednesday and, yes it’s our blog time. Boy, We have been very, very busy. As you know (if you've been keeping up with the blog - and if not GET TO IT!), last week we wrapped on a two-week long shoot filming episodes 3 and 4 back-to-back. Yesterday saw us back in the editing room (AKA Chris's bedroom) to edit episode 3.

In your car

This time episode went together a lot easier than in past edit’s. We only had the takes we were going to use, had a clear understanding of what the episode was going to look like and how it fit together. It was like putting a moving jigsaw together and, like true pros (well, of a sort) though, somehow along the way, in copying the footage from my PC to Chris's Mac some line takes were lost. Luckily we had enough coverage from other takes to use in the cut and it turned out we may have ended up dropping at least one of the lost lines for time constraint anyway. Yeah, we’re getting pretty good at this, if I don’t say so myself. We’re pleased to say that the 3rd episode of H&H is now complete with all visual F/X (Yes, VISUAL effects. Ooooh, what could they be?) and additional sound put in and it only took us about 10hrs-ish (Well, we had to break for lunch and tea).

I say, those effects are rather special

'What next then?' I hear you ask (I do indeed hear you - in my head). Well, Let me tell you we met up today to plan out episode 5 of the series and start the sorting out of our locations and the permission to use them. I know, I know - what about Rule #4 of the Guerrilla film making rules, 'Sneak in and film and sneak out'? Sometimes it is good ask nicely so you can stay longer and get done what you need to get done (but I would still use Rule #4 wherever I can).

That’s it for now, you are all once again up to date on the goings here at H&H HQ. So until next we meet for a chat/read...

Keep the home fires burning, well - it IS getting a bit cold now.

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

The Elsie Whiteley - You’ll never find a better place for networking, we must be cautious.

Hello, Acting Fans and fellow Bloggers, it’s Friday and blog time once again.

So - what has been happening down here at H&H Production HQ?
Well, as you know, we wrapped on the next two episodes earlier in the week. What else could we have been doing in the mean time before we get to the editing?
Well, we've been concerned with 'Bidness'. Yes, We went up to The Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre for a Creative Calderdale-organised meeting and multi-media talk from Frank Boyd, Director of the Creative Industries Knowledge Transfer Network, and to hopefully do some networking.

And it turned out to be a good evening, we got some tips and a load of information on digital media, not all of it directly relevant to what we're up to but some of which could be a help to us, and we got to meet a number of like-minded people and do a little networking of our own. We got some good interest in the series and, maybe, some more people to help us out behind the scenes.
Most importantly there was FREE BOOZE AND FOOD (you could say we were sort of 'in character'). Awww, and what a damn fine curry it was, mmmmm, it was very tasty indeed, mmmm! So good, in fact, I had 3 plates, yes, that's right 3 Plates (Well, they were only small plates and waste not want not - there was still plenty of curry left after) and, anyway, we are poor impoverished actors - we need all the free stuff we can get, teehee, but it was a very informative and eventful evening though - even without the curry (though the curry was really good, oh yes).
I think that's it for today’s blog. I don’t think I’ve missed anything this time, or have I?
Hmm…I'm sure there might be something else to say but, damn it, what was is it?!
Oh yeah -  NOW I remember! Yes, Acting Fans and Blogonauts, today is the day that the SECOND EPISODE OF HARCOURT & HAIGH IS LIVE!!! In fact it’s so live just click below - such are the wonders of internet linking!

Ok, that really is it for today, so enjoy the second episode and, please, pass it on and tell all your friends about it (and get them to tell all their friends and so on and so on - help us get those views up).

Until next time, keep the home fires burning people!

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt