Just watched a programme in Ch4’s ‘Supporting Acts’ series – the one about a 67 year old stunt man. In it, at one point, he says that he loves the business – meeting writers, directors, actors etc – that it was a great business to be in and that he’ll continue to do it as long as he can. Apart from when he roller-skated through a wall of burning boxes, I think I understand him.

I’m still not sure whether what I’ve been doing lately is just an extension of what was essentially a mid-career break or whether it’s now developed into a genuine career change. So for instance, this last week I’ve been doing Tech Support on the Digital Short “Room to Think” but from tommorrow I may be starting some webby type work for a local community group.

Anyway, the Tech Support work was great fun; a complete contrast to the earlier, (equally enjoyable), Assistant Producer role. What’s Tech Support? … driving down to Dungeness in a van the size of a small whale, lugging 20 stone Pee-Wee Dolly’s up and down the stairs of a house in Balsall Heath and rummaging about the undergrowth of Cannon Hill park, lopping off bits of foliage, while passers by ran screaming away at the sight of a dodgy looking asian bloke emerging out of the woods with a branch in one hand and a stanley knife in the other.

Particularly fun was working with three people, (Jaimie the Writer/Director, Chris the Co-Director and Hardeep the Assistant Set Dresser), who I’d been on courses with at the Light House Media Centre in Wolverhampton.

I think the media industry in the form of short film production offers a very interesting model of project management. If nothing else, the experience I’ve gained should inform quite favourably my other life.