Mike Browne’s Blog

There’s a new Pope. No word on who yet, but there is one. Whatever that means…

I just got done with my work for the day. Had an interesting production meeting this morning at Remy Kozak’s place (Co-Producer and Prodcution Manager). I spent the afternoon with John Penhall, the first AD on the shoot this weekend. John seems like a pretty cool guy. Weird but he worked on Bloodhounds 2. That MOW is the one I got invited on set as a guest of the director, Stuart Cooper, who was staying at Viva Tower at the time. I got to site with him while they shot scense in a restaurant with Nia Peeples and Corbin Bernsen. Corbin Bernsen was in a really shitty mood and was assholey to eveyone around him. Der! Anyway, I digress, I’m learning lots from John already. I’m like a sponge taking it all in. Next weekend 1st AD is Aibi Okundaye. I’m looking forward to working with him too.

We worked on call sheets for the next two days and then I took the train home and made phone calls to crew for their call times, then emailed directions and call sheets to cast and crew. I’m bagged. It’s bedtime. I have to be on set downtown at 7:30 am. Funnily enough tomorrow’s location is my old agent’s office, Kirk Talent. Bad memories. Ugh. Auditions after a night of being a security shlub watching cars in a parking lot. “Oh what a feeling!” ARGH!

Here I sit in the Blenz Coffee shop on Hamilton Street in Yaletown. I paid the 10 bucks to Fatport for 24 hours of access to the WiFi here at the shop. Why am I here you ask? I have a production meeting for the TV pilot I’m working on as 2nd AD this weekend and next at the production office here on Davie Street. The show is called Daingerfield. Yes the spelling is right and there’s no relation to Rodney the now deceased comic who could ‘get no respect at all’. The show stars it’s writer and producer Michael Daingerfield. The story is loosely based on his life as an actor trying to make a go of it here in Hollywood North. I didn’t blog at all yesterday as I was reading the script and going over the 1st AD’s cast and crew lists One Liners (Used by everyone to remember how the scenes relate), DooD report (Day out of Days – A chart of days of work for each actor on a project) and Call Sheets (Used to let cast and crew their timings and scenes for the next day). As this production has 42 actors (not including background extras) the logistics involved in having everyone in the right place at the right time could be crazy making, but it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to.

Today we have to go over the creators’ vision for the project and get everyone straight on roles timing and locations. I’m really looking forward to this. It’s exciting to get involved at this level. There’s lots of work ahead but fun all the same. Any script that has the word diarrhea in a joke on the first page is good in my books. 🙂

Not exactly a turbo Ninja but I bet it goes as fast. Thanks to Carol and Fiona for this little gem.

CBC News: Third trial finds Kelly Ellard guilty of murder
Finally.

CBC News: Ontario won’t charge Homolka in sister’s death
She’s just about to get out. I wonder what will happen with her. There’s a lot of hate in this country for this woman.

Man to wife: Honey, how long has this man been living in our closet?

The subjects came off our house sale on Saturday so now it’s official. Thanks to our awesome real estate agent, Shirley Nelson, we’re no longer home owners. To hell with the Joneses we’re the Brownes and we’ll blaze our own trails. We don’t want to play the game just because it’s what you’re ‘supposed to do’. That’s not very creative at all.

I feel a bit relieved, but will be more so when we find a new place to rent. As we suspected there aren’t a ton of places that allow dogs as far as I can see and it will take some searching to find the right place. Moosh is an older dog and not a problem at all, but that doesn’t help when it comes to renting. Landlords don’t tend to bend the rules just because you have a ‘good dog’.

We have some criteria for a new place. Here the list of things we want:

• dogs welcome
• no in house basement suites – condo apartments or townhouses only
• not on ground floor (not 100% firm on this)
• lots of natural light – better for plants and people
• soundproofing or concrete building
• two bedrooms or one bedroom and a den
• as many utilities included as possible
• dishwasher – hand washing sucks ass
• prefer in suite laundry but shared is acceptable
• few to no kids in building (especially directly adjacent)
• in Vancouver city proper close to the action
• ample parking (prefer secured)
• non-smoking (cigarettes and drugs)
• reasonable price

If any of you know of a place or places like this feel free to send suggestions to me at mikebrowne[at]gmail.com

What a day. Not much blogging. I’ve been too busy to think about it. I stayed up late to watch the Pope’s funeral. Not because I’m Catholic, just because it was fascinating to see the regal trappings of a very popular figure’s send off. It was cool to see that many people gathered together in one place peacefully to celebrate one person’s life.

We had our house inspection which went ‘fine’ so I was out for most of the day to let them do their thing. The subjects should come off as of tomorrow if there’s nothing unforeseen in the meantime. My fingers and toes are all crossed. I’m not sure how I’m able to type.

I got a phone call asking me to work as 2nd AD on a TV pilot being filmed here starting next weekend. If all goes well and it gets picked up I may have a gig for the entire series. How cool is that? I’m excited.

Finally, it’s 11 years since Kurt Cobain was found after he did himself in with a shotgun blast to the head. We still miss you Kurt. Too bad you joined that ‘stupid club‘.