Short.

I promised myself I’d be wedded to the timecode today. Ben’s now sent me three little edits of the show and I’d hoped to be well into the fun bit by the time I was sitting here in a fresh shirt, about to go and watch a bunch of films that actually got finished.

Somehow, unsurprisingly, didn’t get that far. I’ve, like, watched all the clips though.

It is the fun bit, reacting to the pictures and the edit. But I won’t be able to get back to it until Sunday now; Mark and I are taking a road trip to Bedford tomorrow.

Tonight, however, we’re going as far as Bournemouth pier. After a flurry of emails, the chaps now hosting Future Shorts are showcasing their organisational skills tonight. Mark and I had chatted seriously about taking over the franchise down here, it’s so cool. He’d naturally gotten as far as basically convincing the lady from FS in London to give it to us too. But realistically? How would either of us have found the time to organise a miniature film festival?

White Lantern, the prod co who’ve taken it over are good chums of Mark’s however, and however much they’ve turned in a good deal of enthusiasm for tonight’s lavish gala of short films and minor movie production celebs, I can’t help suspecting something of this will still end up on his desk in the, well, future.

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Wednesday I did something I’ve not made the time to do before. Take a morning off and just go for a walk.

I shouldn’t be blogging this, of course. I’m up to my eyes etc. But the point is, I usually am. And when do I go take in the seaside charm I’m always telling my clients it’s great to work near?

Near? What difference is near? Unless you’re completely at, you’re not there at all.

So I slung a little bag over my shoulder and walked. With a decent pile of things to do that were all largely pending someone getting back to me with something crucial to make them finished things, I paused the Skype pipe and pottered off into the crispy sunshine.

I took myself into Tuckton and along the river and up to the Head, naturally. Found a weird and perfect sweet spot on Warren Hill and watched the waves breaking against the beach in the mouth of the solent. Wandered back eventually past Ma’s place to find her ‘wagging six tails’ at the new carpet that had been finally put down that morning. Dad’s old room looks stunning. Largely thanks to the efforts of my wife.

Efforts are something she doesn’t have right now, though. Still run down enough to be sleeping rather than working today, poor thing.

So, I’m leaving her to Brideshead Revisited – a very long thing she’s almost entirely through – while I go out with our bright young things to watch a series of short things.

Sometimes you just need to get a way for a short time on your own. Off to a beach head, or into another world. Helps you get back to all the workish, creative, real world a little more equipped.

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One thing I did manage to do by the end of the week was revisit something I thought I’d finished but hadn’t – Disfunkshun. So much fun, but… what was the piece missing still?

Mucking about with the beats still further, like something I should leave well alone, I hit upon a little detail by accident that suddenly made it fall into place. Just… there it was. Grinning like a loon, I suddenly knew what we were supposed to be doing with the video.

The Hospital mix is now up on the website and the MySpace. Not much different but different.

Short can be sweet. Especially when it’s the short little something that finally connects up the very long something that still didn’t quite reach.