300(th)!

This. Is. ACTING!!!

Yes, Acting Fans, your eyes do not deceive you, not only is this our 300th Post it's also true your favourite felonious thespians are BACK! You have our sincere apologies for our (longer than intended) hiatus but a number of things, including life in general, got production off track. Nothing majorly serious, please do not worry, but misfiring ideas (that neither of us thought were really up to snuff), employment (or lack thereof), communication (or lack thereof) and some minor illness conspired to halt the H&H Productions machine.
As you can see above though, we're welcoming you back with the first episode of new look series 2 of Actor's Log (and the more eagle-eyed of you may notice a light sprucing up of the Production Blog itself). We're pretty proud of this one, it took us long enough to conceive it and it feels like a return to the essence of our initial idea of who Harcourt & Haigh are. The only problem now is to keep coming up with videos that are just as good! Oof.
You can rest assured, this is the first though and not the last - it's onwards and upwards into the 2015-2016 Series 2 from here on, so thank you for your patience and keep your eyes peeled for more H&H shenanigans to come but for now, People of the World's Internet...

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

&

Christopher Haigh

The H Hangover

Yes, Acting fans, we're here once again for the Midweek catch-up and, if you haven't seen it yet, you should check out our latest vlog in all it's worldly wisdom (heck, even if you HAVE seen it we need as many views and likes as you can muster):

Though if you didn't catch it before the weekend and subsequently suffered on Bank Holiday Monday don't feel TOO bad because, well, I helped make that video and I still ended up in a similar state myself.
Never again...until next time.
Anyway, enough of what's past - on to the here & NOW! Due to the Bank Holiday Fallout and my subsequent work shifts we've yet to have our regular meet-up but never fear the H&H Machine has not ground to a halt! We're now on with the next vlog which I am passing my keen eye over Vern's initial script before a bit of tweaking (perhaps even into a whole new era). Now to get it ready in time to get it done before The Move! My learned colleague will update you more on Friday.
Another bit of drama, real-life this time, has struck at H&H HQ just today I received an Alert from Google that an unauthorised login was attempted on our humble Gmail account! Yep, an attempted haxxooring! From a mobile device in Colorado, and neither the Vern or myself got drunk enough over the weekend to get there and back and forget about it. Never fear though, our Security Parameters and Countermeasures are now fully enabled! It was a bit exciting there for a moment, okay, okay, more like momentarily distracting but still an attempted hack from America. Wow.
Now that's dealt with it's time for me to get back to my perusing and tweaking, so that's it for this Wednesday, see you later and...

TTFN

Christopher Haigh

Riding Like The Wind

Greetings, Acting Fans, welcome to this week's Humpday, yes, we're halfway to the Weekend, folks, and we've been busy at H&H HQ. Forget Vern ushering me into the age of 37 with his musical stylings of 'Wild Thing', 'Bad Moon Rising' and 'I'm A Believer' at a local cocktail bar on my Birthday night out - we've been busy on actual H&H stuff too, particularly on the Vlog front. We got two of them shot and edited this week and the first of them to go up is live right now, just in Valen-time for Valentine's Day!

Yes, take heart, single Acting Fans, love could strike at any time, any place but while it hasn't yet try keeping busy. How? Well, even as it threatens to snow Vern and I are moving on with trying to nail down the filming of the elusive 6th episode of Series 1 and as it turns out we need all the help we can get. Yep, we're saying that...

If you're no longer content to just sit back and watch H&H unfurl and would like to get involved in front of or behind the camera then get in touch with us at the H&H Gmail account: handh.tv@gmail.com.
We need as many warm bodies as possible for this ambitious Season 1 finale and are looking to move on it as soon as we can. In the mean time stay tuned to the H&H channel as Next Monday we have the next Actor's Log ready and raring to go! That's all so far this week, Internet Chums, so...

TTFN

Christopher Haigh

Going Trojan

Guess who's back, Back again, Aiches back, Tell a friend, Guess who's back, Guess who's back, Guess who's back, Guess who's back, Guess who's back, Guess who's back, Guess who's back...

Alright, it's us! Welcome back, Acting Fans, fellow bloggers and the Peoples of the Internet, yes we are back and we have been busy again! First thing is first we have a New Years Vlog (well, it's out for Chinese New Year of the Wood Horse but that's still a New Year, right?) up and it should be just at the bottom of this text here so go give it a watch! Please do....

So have you watched it? Good! Like I said, we have been beavering away, planning out a few new things including upcoming vlogs, the odd special and of course the ever-elusive (& still a bit complex) Episode 6, not to mention Series 2. Yes, we've even once again given No.6 a re-write and, well, it's much better now and, yes, you WILL get to see it this year - as soon as we get going and get it filmed, of cvourse. Yep, we are. We have sorted out lots of things to do in the coming months and, well, I guess we'd best get to writing them. Once again thank you for all of support and hope you keep up and on with us as we go onwards and upwards in 2014! And to all Happy Chinese New Year-

Gung Hey Fat Choi!!!

Thats all for now folks TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

Christmas Presence

Welcome back, Acting Fans, people of the world wide webs and fellow bloggers. Yep, it's Wednesday blog again (at least this time I didn't forget)!

Just what have we been doing down here at the H&H HQ? Well, just in case you haven't seen it we put up the 4th actors vlog on Monday, yes, and video log number 4 has a very seasonal flavour, it's the 'Yule Log' and it is here, just under this text what you are reading right now for you to watch!

OK so you've watch it right? RIGHT!?! So what else have we been doing? Well, as we said in the big Friday post, we went o'er hill and dale to our sister town Huddersfield, where we were drawn from life, yes, live and in character and I can say it was a load of fun. For being sat still that is. Just a note to self: next time pick poses that don't hurt after a few minutes, as being stood in the same pose for up to 15 minutes can be a bit of a killer. Forget poses with your arms stretched, even 5 minutes can be bad - or maybe we need more exercise!

There's nothing to it...VOGUE!

On the following Sunday me and Chris did a quick meet-up to view the vlog that you have just watched and do a very quick pick up shot for the second part with a bit of additional dialogue recording. As always I am not going to tell you what the pick up was as it would, well, with an appearance by-
Whoops! Almost let the cat out of the bag there! Well that's most of it for now and I guess we'd best get back to it, and we shall see you on Friday!

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

Checking It Twice

Welcome once again, fellow bloggers, Acting Fans and people of the internet, yep, it's Wednesday once again and this is our blog.

Once again we have been a bit busy, we have put up another Vlog video on YouTube, Number 3. WHAT?! You've not seen it yet? Hmm...ok, I'll be nice and it is under this text of which are reading for you to watch and enjoy.

Watched it? gGood. Now what else have we been doing, well, we have been putting together a Christmas list, no, no, not for Santa (though we have been exceptionally good this year) but for our next vlog. You see we have a few things in which we need to do this next vlog. In fact I think it has the most props we have every used in one go, more than most episodes. No, really it has we have about [SPOILERS] many [SPOILERS] including a [SPOILERS], [SPOILERS] [SPOILERS] [SPOILERS], [SPOILERS] and [SPOILERS] *teehee* we are so mean to you!

Well I'd best get back to the list and find some footage clips of things I need for it. 'What footage and what things?' I hear you cry out at once, then suddenly silence. Well you will just have to wait and see, we won't keep you waiting too long for it.

That's all for now folks we'll be seeing you on Friday.

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

(Not Very) Dear Diary

Welcome, interneterers, fellow bloggers and Acting Fans, yep, were back for another Wednesday blog post. So sit right there and let me tell you how and what we have been doing this week!

Well it has been very busy down here at H&H HQ, yep, we have been steaming along with the Next Phase of H&H. Once again we have been busy filming. Yep, you have indeed read that right FILMING! 'But what?!' I hear you cry, well now just calm down and I will tell you. We have been filming the 2nd Actor's Log video and it was a lot of fun to do (with much laughing on set), yes, we filmed and it was done in record time too! What do you mean 'What's an Actor's log'?! It was clearly explained RIGHT HERE:

Yes, THAT Actor's Log - these are a major part of the next phase of Harcourt & Haigh, so from now we hope to get at least one of these quick turn-around short shorts on the channel a month so there's something new (and Funny, we hope) to see on the channel in between the Series and Specials being made (plus it keeps us on out toes). The very next Vlog is based on semi-true events that happened to M' colleague Chris too and, well, when I heard it I knew it just had to be a blog so we met up this Monday gone (the 11th) and got down to film, then Chris took it off to the editing suite for the cut.  Now it has been done and is ready to go. Yes, folks we filmed and edited it all within two days (we are indeed getting better at this) and I can say it came out a lot better than I ever imagined!

I can also say this is probably one of my favourites so far, of all the things we've done so far too, I so can't wait for it to go up, and when will it go up, I bet you are all wondering....well it will be soooon!

Well that's all folks.... and we will see you on Friday

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

Return To the End Of The Beginning

Welcome to the weekend, Acting Fans and other peoples of the Internets, and this weekend it's a most special time of year - yes, tomorrow it's time for the Vernniversary. To celebrate the most auspicious arrival of your favourite Colossal Acting Talent on our humble planet we will be assembling the H&H Productions News Team to anchor rolling coverage of what should really be a national holiday! In lieu of a day off please join me in once again wishing the Vernster a very Happy Birthday and many happy returns!
Anyway as it's his Birthday we've decided a little treat (for you lot) to celebrate the fact is in order before this Monday, that you should already be #SAVETHEDAYing remember, so we dug back into the H&H archives and sifted out this little bit of H&H History. Yes, we're spoiling you again. As a little 'Thank you' to everyone who helped us get this thing off the ground and get the pilot filmed we shot this short on my Dad's camcorder (for effect, yes, yes, okay AND because we are a Low-to-No Budget production) and, after a dust off with a quick once-over, we thought we'd stick it out there for you lot as a 'thank you' for tuning in to the felonious acting of our two struggling thespians.

So there you go a quick look through the wayback machine to the very beginning, we hope you enjoyed it! Oh, and there might be a bit of a connection with the upcoming #SAVETHEDAY event this very Monday, yes, we can be a bit sneaky like that seeding things to come. You really should keep your eyes peeled when watching Harcourt & Haigh, y'know. That's it for this week, Internet Chums & Blogonauts, but of course you still need to #SAVETHEDAY - MONDAY 11TH NOVEMBER to be precise for the Next Phase of 'Harcourt & Haigh:Actors at Large' stay tuned.

TTFN

Christopher Haigh

See What We Did There

Welcome, Acting Fans, bloggers and people of the Internets, yes, it that time it's Friday so here is our blog of the day. Let's get down to it - it's a Special one today!

As we said we would on Wednesday we went into the editing room, two men entered and with some luck a complete episode should have left (or two broken men). Well, I am pleased to say we did, yes once again we got the episode done but this time it was a looong editing day. We weren't broken but our brains took a battering. Thank God Chris did some of his pre-editing and cropping, or we would probably still been at it well into that night.

Once again we were reminded of some of the hard lesson we learned from over the course of making H&H but due to us not doing a lot of filming this year, well, we kinda forgot (Whoops!). It didn't help that we had such a tight deadline to get the Special done in time for Halloween and in the rush things getting bypassed or just even straight left out. Things like a pre-read through, checking angles, using marks and making sure that we had all of the coverage that we needed, to name a few. Despite all that we put our heads down and kept at it until we made it work and I think you'll be very pleased with it, well, we hope we get at least a single laugh - though we'd prefer a few times more too.

'So when is it going to be out?' I hear in your screams of anticipation (or is Michael Myers doing the rounds again, it is his time of year, after all)............Well, I can say it is already out! It was released out into the wild world of the internet last night or, to paraphrase the late great Orson Welles, it escaped (with a little assistance, of course) into the mysterious morass of Youtube and for your convenience, dear reader, it is also just below this text for you to watch, because we're nice like that

We would greatly appreciate if you would spread the Curse of our humour, far and wide. Let it infest the entirety of the Internet - or at least like, post and pass on the link. Our monstrous (Alter) Egos need feeding, get on it, Internet Chums!

Well, that's all for now see in the future, oh, and don't have Knightmares...

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

SURPRISE!

Welcome back everybody, yep, it's Wednesday and it's blog time! Well now, as you can see, we have been busy since last we wrote. And trust us nobody is more surprised than us! Chris had been busy organising the YouTube Channel trailer setup this weekend. First recording the narration on Sunday (with the help of post-night out throat from the Saturday before, for extra gruffness) and then, while he was messing about, er, I mean sorting out the start of the trailer on Monday, he realised we might be able to get it done with a lot less additional filming than we at first planned. He set off yesterday with his Test proof version in hand to show me which I watched, just laughed at it and said, yes. During the quick meet up yesterday, we filmed just one shot for it. One shot. Which we were able to do at H&H HQ, that plus a quick scan on the interwebs for some stock footage of 'EXPLODO!' and we got the trailer done!
And There it is ☝!

Now we were planning to film additional scenes that we scripted especially for it but I think the way Chris has put it together (with a clever bit of footage recycling) is much better and, well, flows better too with a short punchy runtime. In fact it might be more of an intro than, well, our current episode intro, which gives us something to think about (and work with) when it comes to the Season 2 episode Intro.

Getting the Channel trailer out of the way sooner than expected means we have time for more things on our plate. Yes, we plan on starting filming on the Halloween special later in the week on Thursday as that really need to get done. Then well it will be on to film at last the last episode of series 1.Fings crossed we can get the spare warm bodies!

That's it for now see you in the Future!

Vernon Harcourt

 

An Easter Easter Egg

Welcome back, acting fans and fellow bloggers! It's Friday’s blog post and once again we have been halted by the blooming weather! DAMN YOU, SNOW!!! *Shaking fist at the sky* But that's not important right now - what have we got instore for you today? What are we going to ramble on about? Is it yet even more planning? Well...
NOPE!!!

We have a bit of a surprise for you all today! You could even say it's something of an 'Easter egg'.

You know that TOP SECRET thing I was on about (and not on about at the same time)? Well, I can finally tell you, yep, we have been busy working away to not only bring you the final episode of Series 1 but we've also put together an Easter special H&H short, you might call it an escapade, well, Eggscapade if you will! And it’s right down below this text for you to watch, RIGHT NOW!

Yes, this is what we have been doing on the secret you, lucky, lucky lot! Well that’s it for today we best get on wait for the snow to melt so we can actually get so filming. DAMN YOU, BLOODY SNOW!!! *Shaking fist at sky again*

Well stay safe out there and...

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

Deleted (No, No, Undo Delete) Scenes

Welcome back, Acting Fans and fellow bloggers, Friday it is and this here is our blog post. Yeah! Just what has been happening in the world of H&H, well we're still in that there planning stage (yeah, I know - I keep on saying that) but there is so much to do. We will get to the more exciting stuff soon. Promise.

So what about today? Why have you even bothered to read this post? Well, you lucky, lucky lot we have another treat for you whilst we're between things. Yep, We've got another episode of 'Behind The Acting' for you! This time it’s the go of the Deleted Scene. Yep, The things that were cut out of the series. Rather than bore you with 10 hours of Alternate Takes we've boiled them down to some of the more amusing scenes that we had to drop for whatever reason.

Here is the video I hope you enjoy it and share it with everyone, yep, even the postman, the bus driver and that person who's sitting next to you on the bus.

 So it’s good night from him and it’s good night from me.

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

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

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

 

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

The Impossible Dream

Welcome once again bloggers and acting fans, it’s Friday and it’s blog time, so what's new down at H&H HQ?

Networking, luvvie darling. That most important skill. We have been to see a play at the Actors Workshop, their production of Man of La Mancha, to do just that.

We were mainly on a scouting mission for other actors (and hopefully crew) and to ask if we could use the Actor Workshops as a location in a future episode. We did get some interest in the show and we are setting up a meeting so we can sort out whether or not the location can be used and who wants to get involved - so fingers crossed, fellow Acting Fans and bloggers, that we are able to use it.
We have also gone through the rushes of this weeks shoot and picked the best shots to use for the scene we filmed at The Cat I'Th' Well for the next episode.

So that's it for this week - apart from the Episode going live, that is (Have I not already said that? GOTCHA! Hee hee, I can never resist a tease.)
You didn't think I'd forgotten about it really, did you? Yes, as you are reading this the very first episode of the series is now live. Yep, you heard (well, read) that right, the series proper has now started!
After years of the planning and the talking (and the driving our friends up the wall with all the talking) it has finally happened it is LIVE. Its lives, IT LIIIIIVES…..

So please watch it, tell all your friends to watch it and get them to tell their friends about it and get them to tell their friends to tell their friends and so on and so forth. Heck - get them to tell strangers about it! Because we want as mucho many people out there to enjoy the misadventures of Harcourt & Haigh as possible!

Well, that’s it for now that’s definitely all we have been up to, yep, it’s all go again at H&H HQ, until the next blog keep the home fires burning. (You’re going to need to, it’s coming in cold now.)

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt