Submitted For Approval

Greetings and salutations, Acting Fans! Just a short one to let you know how the regular H&H Halloween production is coming on, and come on it has. I have taken my first pass at the footage we have and it now sits awaiting in a DropBox folder for my partner-in-crimes-against-the-internet's to take look at it.
Yes, I have wrestled with the shots (plus a measure of self-doubt) and come up with the best what I could. Now all we need is for Vern to cast his keen eyes over it and give us the yays and the nays. Looking at what we have so far we may have to discuss altering our original plans, but all in good time - he does have to do the course he's on at the moment too, poor chap. Nevertheless the H&H machine seems back on track, fings crossed!

TTFN

Christopher Haigh

Today Was A Good (Fri)Day

Hello Acting Fans, Bloggers and people of the Internet and welcome back to this  (Good) Friday Blog post where I can answer the question, 'so what have we been up to?' with, 'quite a lot in fact.' Let's get down to it!

First, as we said in last Friday's blog, we got our filming on last Sunday, and this time we got more than enough footage, helped along by buying some bits & bats of props on the spot. Like a green drink that tasted like leaves (I kid you not, it did) and some safety glasses. (Got to love them pound shops!) With them in hand, we were ready to film and get it done. It went well, very well and, oh boy, did we have a laugh too.

Then on the Wednesday, as Chris mention very briefly, we went up to People's Park to film the last bit for the Vlog. Which, of course, you shall see - soon in fact! 'How soon?' I hear you all cry out at once. Well this Bank Holiday Monday in fact, which brings me to the last point the Actor's Log vlog itself.

What you lookin' at! Well, hopefully you'll look at it.

Yes, Chris locked himself away in the H&H Editing Suite (AKA his bedroom) Wednesday night and some of Thursday to get it edited together and today has brought the first cut down to show me and I can tell you all it's still very funny, I think one of our best so far (yep, I know thats a bold statement) but Chris wanted a fresh pair of eyes to look over it anyway, just in case we could it a bit more tighter. And he was right here's is a few cuts her & there that we have come up with, well, a few slight trimmings here there to get rid of the baginess (he's a star). So don't worry it'll be ready for Monday.

Well, thats all for now, folks, see ya soon. When we make a Bank Holiday Monday less boring! We hope you've had a great Good Friday and have a Great Easter Weekend!

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

Loading Screen

Hello there, Acting Fans, a belated blog as we careen into the Bank Holiday Weekend! Though we haven't had a H&H Pow-wow since our midweek final Summer Special shoot there's still been activity at H&H HQ II - The Editing Suite, conveniently located rather close to my bed, ladies! (For when I get TIRED from all the EDITING, my dears, REALLY, how naughty of you!) Anyway since we got the footage shot it's up to yours truly to get the lot of it uploaded and ready to edit, so I've seen quite a bit of this:

Yep, the familiar site of the iMovie loading bar and, fortunately this time, not a lot of the spinny Beach Ball O' Doom:

I HATE that guy!

I'm happy to report that, after my memory kicked in and I grabbed a little bit of extra footage that I had to dive into the ol' H&H Footage Archive to load up with the rest, this screen is loaded to bear and ready for the H&H Cutting Crew (Myself and the irrepressible Vern, of course) to get on and wrangle it into an episode-y sort of shape. There may be a little additional prep for edit to do over the Bank Holiday but that's pretty much it for this week. Have a Grand Bank Holiday Weekend yourselves, Internet Chums and...

TTFN

Christopher Haigh

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

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

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

Re-Cutting Crew

Welcome back, fellow bloggers, it’s Friday - so it’s time once again for the second blog post of the week! Here's what’s been happening down at H&H production HQ since Wednesday. Well, if you’ve not guessed from the title we, or rather Chris, have been glued to the editing desk (AKA his Mac) to do some re-cuts. But of what?! Calm down, dears, and I will tell you...

The H&H Vogue - The Hogue

Chris has been doing a re-cut of the title sequence for the series. Yep, We have decided to change it from the pilot, which you can view right now online (or here). Mainly to add a few different shots, take out and/or trim some down and just generally moving them around to be a bit more dynamic. When we put the Pilot episode's titles together we didn’t use much footage and, looking back at it now it seems, well, a bit too sedate - not a lot going on there. A shot or two from the Pilot titles have made it over but only a few, in a nod to TV show tradition we have tried to use mainly footage from the Pilot episode itself, with a little hint of stuff to come.

Run-run-run-runaway

And what I’ve been doing while Chris has been slaving away over his hot Mac? Well, I’ve been passing my judgemental eye over the cuts and saying 'yea' or 'nay', suggesting changes here & there (Man, I love Directing) and am still on with learning my lines as always - so many, many lines. That’s all I seem to be doing at the moment, the perils of being a Leading Man, I suppose. Hmm, Chris seems to be having all the fun.

Well, that’s it for now. Until next time Keep the home fire burning and...

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

Ebb & Hustle & Flow

Welcome back, Acting Fans, it’s Friday and you know what that means it’s blog time - so let’s do this!
Since last time we have been (well, when I say 'we' I mean mostly Chris) putting in the sound F/X to the first episode and doing minor editing tweaks to the episode (I guess you could call it a sort-of 'effects shot' but that might be over-selling it). Chris then brought some rough cuts of the episodes to drop off at my gaff (AKA: H&H HQ ) for me to look over and say 'yea' or 'nay' to. I'm glad to say they passed my approval with just a few notes for minor tweaking, such as the SFX sound levels and one or two bits & pieces here or there.

After viewing the episode roughs and making the few notes, we did a bit of re-writing on one of the next episodes, we’ve just added small changes inspired by the development of the format of the two filmed episodes. But what? I hear you ask well, well, that’s a secret you’ll just have to wait and see what it is exactly. Let's just say a 'running gag' (Maybe a clue or not...ooooh, what am I like?).

  
Anyway, it's no stopping for us yet just because two are down, it’s straight on with the next one I am going to be spending most of this week learning lines ready for the rehearsal next Friday. Friday? That doesn't sound non-stop does it but, yep, our next rehearsal is a week away, well, we have to do our day jobs in between these rehearsals, shoots and such - this web show of comic genius don’t pay for itself you know, well, not yet anyways!
I think that's about it for now, until the next time we speak through the written word, keep them home fires burning and as always...

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

It Lives, IT LIIIIIIVES!!

Welcome back, bloggers and Acting Fans. Well, I am BACK, the Big Tease has returned to ride the keyboard once again MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
I survived the apocalyptic disaster of my PC breaking down. God rest her electric soul, she'd served me well - speed on the wings of a calculator to android heaven, my dear. I now have a new machine. Better, stronger, faster, oh, alright, cheap & affordable - so then let's get to it!

What’s has happened since the last time Chris talked to you (besides my computational woes)?
Well, we wrapped up shooting on the first episode last week and yesterday we went in to the editing room (as you may recall, AKA Chris’s bedroom. Note: To potential Slash-fictioners, there was no funny business - apart from the creation of a work of Comic Genius®, that is) and I am very pleased to say we now have two episodes pretty much completed. With just some additional sound effects for the first episode to go but once they are in, it's ready to go! (OH, yeah! Groovy!)

Getting ahead in filmmaking

But we did have one small problem when we were editing and that was with one of the 'Previously on Harcourt & Haigh' sequences which we filmed waaaay back in March.
We had the raw footage but we had experimented with separately-recorded sound, due to the camera we were using being a compact digital one with great video but sadly no Mic Socket (this was during our period of video camera uncertainty) and a lot of ambient noise, because of this some of the sound needed syncing up. Unfortunately somehow not all of the shots and/or sound files we thought we had were there, perhaps a lack of coverage on our part or the files may be lost in the shuffle, filed 'safely' somewhere in the recesses of Chris's hard drive.
We did, however, have a section of some of the line takes edited together with sound synced up thanks to Matt. With a bit of clever editing and syncing up some dialogue from the synced edit with shots from other takes we did in fact manage to make it work. (Yeah! Go us! We are like some kind of, I dunno, editors or something, we are.)

He's back...and this time, it's personal!

So in three single-day sessions we have filmed and edited an episode, we are indeed rocking on with this series. With a lot of luck, and a little bit of energon, they should be live soon. Well, once we cut together a new Intro sequence that is.

There we go, Acting Fans and bloggers, that's it for now so, as always, keep them home fire’s burning until the next time we meet up.

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

Steaming Along

Hello, Acting Fans and Bloggers, welcome back once again - let’s get to it!
So, I am very pleased to be able to say now that the second episode (of the series run) is now completed, minus the sound effects. I if I do say so myself (which I will) it is very good and funny. I really do think we have done a very good job with this one.

Our new digital camera has made worlds of difference to the production. Mainly being able to watch the rushes, there and then after shooting. So we can pinpoint any mistakes right away and get some re-shoots within the same session without the pain of re-setting the set for continuity on another day.

As a small note though I must say, out of all of the things I have edited, this has been one of the hardest one to do (definite thoughts of getting a second camera spring to mind) but in true Harcourt & Haigh style we have pulled it off (just). And it all works and flows the way I envisioned it to.

So what’s next? What are we up to and when can we see episode? Those are the questions you're all asking. Well, let me tell ya……………….. hahaha - not just yet, Acting Fans, tune in next time same H time, same H place to find the answers and maybe a little more!
Until next we meet, keep the home fires burning.

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

 

The Rundown

Welcome back, fellow bloggers, and hello - lets get right down to it today. It has been a busy week at the H&H production office as on Monday we did a rough cut (very rough) of the 2nd episode and, oh boy, did it take us a while (Note to self: Shooting an episode in such long single takes is not the best idea, try get a second camera next time) it was quite hard matching it up continuity wise but in the end we did it!
And as you may know from Wednesdays blog we finished off shooting the second episode by doing the few additional shots and pick-ups we needed as well as filming the final lines. We will be going into the editing room (A.K.A. Chris’s bedroom) next week to get this episode all done and dusted.
So that what of today, what are we doing now? Well today is once again a meet up to plan the shooting of the first episode. This is going to involve a line readthrough, planning out shots, making sure to note down all the props we are going to use and where they are going to go in the episode.

2 x Actors/Writers/Whatevers meeting in a Coffee Shop? How unusual!

As a last note I have been looking over the rushes for the main body of the episode to see, which are indeed the better takes as the rough cut of the episode does still need some work. Well ,that’s it bloggers, now you're up to speed as what's happened and what is going to happen.

Until the next time that we talk (and read) together, as always, keep them home fires burning

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

Selection Box

Hello, this IS the blog you're looking for, Welcome back fellow bloggers and Acting Fans.

So what have we been doing at H&H HQ? Well, we haven’t been filming this week, nope, and I bet you're are little confused to why. Well calm down and let me tell you, sshh, such an impatient lot aren’t you? We (me, myself and co-creator Chris) have been going thought all of the rushes to see which are the best to use for the first cut of the episode. We did this as we weren't sure of the availability of the flat on Tuesday and our (day job) working hours leave us pretty much unable to film later this week. 

We've been sorting the clips, noting the timeframe from which clip is relevant and writing it down, re-naming their file names so we know what to use when it comes to the edit. Now I know what you’re thinking (no, really, I am - and it won’t work) I did say in another blog that I had already done this. And yes but that was just me on my own reviewing on a first pass, looking over the footage, seeing if it all worked and if we had all the coverage we needed.

So we now have all of the footage chosen and we are almost ready to go in and edit the second episode. Well, we've just  got a few small picks-up to film and this episode is in the can, so to speak. And then it’s on the next one. Like they say, 'There’s no rest for the wicked.'

Until the next time that we meet, so long and keep them home fires a-burning!

TTFN

Vernon Sutcliffe

Victory!

One down, only 7 to go.

Yes, Acting fans it's been a BIG weekend for us down at the Harcourt & Haigh productions studio (with us only stopping once for our tea). We have finally done it, oh yes, it has been done at last, Mwhahahahahahah! What is it that has been done? The Pilot! The pilot is done, completed, altogether, finito, finis, in the can, it’s a W-R-A-P folks. Oh yeah! Groo-OO-oovy.

And the wait and the work has been worth it, no reshoots required, as me and my learned colleague both like it (or at least like it enough that we are willing to keep our hands off it now - otherwise we could be tweaking it forever!). Now we have also started to plan out the next episode too. (Go us!)

Now back on to that something BIG again, yes, I know what you're thinking, isn't the something BIG the pilot being done? Nope, my fellow Acting fans, it is not. Well, what is it, the something BIG that is, if not that?
It’s that on this Friday, the 20th of April, something, something, something, will happen - No foolin'. Something BIG. The Countdown clock is ticking. Tee hee. Tune in then to find out what. Oooh, I'm such a tease! Bad Vern!

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

Re-record not fade away, Re-record not fade away...

Well, Acting fans, I'm going to tell you how it's going to be, not with Scotch's Lifetime Guarantee but with the goings on here at H&H HQ. Today’s the day we start the countdown (don't call it a Final Countdown, we still have plenty to do) to something BIG but to what, I hear you ask (Along with "Get on with it already, dammit!"). First on to something else though.

As we said on Wednesdays blog post we have been busy editing the pilot episode  and today we will be taking the time to quickly shoot some dialogue-free pick-up shots, the aforementioned Exterior and Interior establishing shots of the flat (as well as a pan to a master shot of Scene 2) which shouldn’t take us too long to do. By the time you read this post everything should be in the can for the pilot, Yay (*Phew*)!

Now back to the something BIG and exactly what is it well, well, well, my dear acting fans, I did say this is the START of the countdown. All I am gonna say is it will be worth the looong wait (well, hopefully).

Teehee. Tune in on Wednesday for some more vague references to what it could be...

TTFN

Vernon Sutcliffe

 

The Cutting Crew

No, no, no. Not those guys - it's US, Acting fans! Your favourite Celtaevallian Thespians! We've been at it again, with noses to the monitor screen and fingers to the mouse button. This Tuesday gone we've rocketed through the footage of the re-shot flat scenes and, boy, do I mean rocketed.
Now we're much happier with the results this time and, despite losing some footage to unfortunate technical issues with one of our DV tapes, we have enough decent coverage to edit the Flat scene as we envisaged, barring a minor re-shoot of the Interior and Exterior establishing shots of the Harcourt & Haigh residence that is.

 
Thanks to some initial prepping of the footage at our last editing session, we got this one down around the 5 hour mark (not including a brief stop off once again for pizza and a cuppa), we were done at a quarter to four! Go us!
Now we have the intro, titles, Act 1(minus Scene 2), Act 2 and Act 3 edited with only the addition of the Act 1 Scene 2 footage, the credits and [REDACTED FOR SPOILERS] to go. Once we have them in place it's time for some additional ADR and...OMG! Then the Pilot is DONE!?!

Of course, that's not the end of it. Then it's on to the next episodes, where we're hoping to get the turnaround between shooting and editing streamlined, fings crossed. While speaking of 'Things to Come' my learned colleague, Mr. Vernon Harcourt, esq., reminds me that there is something else to say on the matter. He wants me to tell you that the Countdown starts this Friday. To what? That would be telling. Now I get to play the tease for once (Thanks, Vern)!

TTFN

Christopher Haigh

In The Cut

Well, Acting fans, Chris and I have been editing all day long, in fact for about a full 8 hours yesterday and we have the Intro bumper and Act 1 of the Pilot cut. And it's funny (if I say so myself). And it all fits together - like a glove! Praise Shatner! (We only stopped once, briefly, to re-fuel with a pizza, a biccy, a bun and a cup of tea.)

Why has it taken so long to do only a small part of it I wonder you may wonder? (I do indeed wonder about what you think about, you see, because I care. About you. ALL of you.) Well, my dear, darling Acting friends, out there in the wilds of the intertubes, we had a absolute load of footage to go through and edit down to what we need.

 I do mean a load, in the bumper footage alone there were about 30minutes or so that we had to cut right down to the bone. We were merciless editors with a job to do. And, by Jove, we did it. Then there was about 40mins or so of the First Act to wade through and cut down to size. Which is par for the course when it comes to filming (and much better than not having enough to edit together) but quite enough for us - as neither of us could be mistaken for Malick or Kubrick.

Absolutely no resemblance whatsoever.

 So Day 2 of the edit of the pilot is scheduled for next week as we both have a full calendar for this Easter Weekend when hopefully it shall be done (well, minus a few small re-shoots)!
Then it’s back to planning and mapping out the following shoots (Hmm, we do seen to do an awful lot of planning don’t we but still - we need MOAR!)

TTFN

Vernon Harcourt

Special Delivery

Well, Folks, It's that special time of year when nights have drawn in, the stars align and where we contemplate the sacrifice, the wonders and the miracles that have been, as well as those that have yet to come. The celebration of an entrance into the world, an unusual birth. What?! Christmas? Nooooo!

Aww, Isn't it cute? 8 Gigs of Acting Prowess!

We've got our footage together!

And we're ready to get editing a rough cut of the first episode! Now bear in mind there'll be a lot of re-shooting yet and this rough cut will be for-our-eyes-only as we figure out which shots to change, where we need new composition and what we've missed. Over the festive season we'll be beavering away behind the scenes (and between the festivities) and hopefully (fings crossed) we may have something to show you over the yuletide season/early new year.

Until then we've got someone in to take care of our Precious Cargo:

 

 

Thanks, Goku!

TTFN,

Vernon Harcourt
&

Christopher Haigh