...at 05:30 if I’m in the office, or 07:30 if I’m working from home. I snooze anywhere between 4 and 359 times, but once I'm up I’ll do my new exercise regime where I simply think about going for a run, but actually do the absolute bare minimum of physical activity in hopes that I wake up with a six-pack. So far, the results aren’t clear.
Two slices of toast, brown for the first course, the white is pudding, and a large cup of coffee later, I’m either at my desk or cycling to the train. Due to my neurosis, I HAVE to have the same seat on the train every time, otherwise, I will immediately fall into a deep and resentful rage. While on the train I either read, watch videos, listen to a podcast, answer emails or listen to music and stare out the window pretending I’m in a music video. Touch down in Waterloo, quick bus or train or cycle to Old Street, and then I’m hitting the office just before 9, ready for my first iced coffee of the day.
I got my job…
Through the classic adage of “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. I was post-producing up in Manchester and was looking to move back to London. I had heard of Splice before and, in a lucky turn of events, I was put in contact with Rich (Richard Folley - MD). We met for a coffee and, whilst it wasn’t the right time then, we stayed in contact. After a year of bugging him, a role finally came up!
I’m responsible for…
As a Post Producer, I am right in the thick of it, fielding requests and questions from every direction. It’s my job to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible from the moment the cameras stop rolling to the moment the production touches down on its given channel. I sometimes wish I was like the Spider-man villain, Doc Oc, and have 4 additional arms protruding out of my back to help me out. It’s stressful and thrilling and complicated and tense - but I thrive off it!
My typical day…
Managing my constant level of panic (laughs)! Although usually, it’s emails, emails, and more emails!!! It’s a lucky day I can clear my inbox. At the moment, I’m splitting my time working from home and coming into the office. Working from home certainly has its advantages, but you can feel slightly out of the loop from everything. My French bulldog Bertie usually keeps me company with his constant snoring, although bizarrely, as soon as I’m on a call, he wakes up and demands my attention. I do miss the feeling of being in the office and being able to just jump up and run into a suite, or CTA, or ingest, to try and figure out what’s going on.
The best part of my job…
It might be cheesy, but it's the people. I started this role remotely in the cold and dark of March, which was a strange experience, to say the least. It’s tricky trying to navigate meeting loads of people and learning about a company's processes over g-chat and zoom (and I apologise to everyone for the number of chats I send to you all daily). But as soon as I started coming into the office and eventually met everyone face-to-face and really becoming a part of the team, it’s been incredible.
I’m still relatively new to the job, but I already know I’m gonna get a huge thrill from seeing something I’ve helped create appear on the big screen. If I get a credit at the end, I might even pop a bottle!
After work…
I currently live in Southampton, which means I have to plan my evenings in advance. If I’m at home I’ll either play my PS4 (at the moment I’m struggling through Bloodborne), read, try and do some writing or think about going to the gym. If I’m in the office I stay at my mate's house, so I usually just head back there to chill out, depending on the day I’ve had I might insist on having one or two (or three or four) pints to wind down. No matter where I am, as long as I’m in front of a TV by 9 pm to watch that day's episode of Love Island, I’m happy.
The film/tv show that last inspired me...
This is a tricky one! I’m in a constant cycle of rewatching The US Office, which keeps me reminded that no matter how hectic my day is, at least my boss isn’t Michael Scott, and I’m not a salesman at a Northeastern Pennsylvania-based mid-size paper company.
I also recently rewatched the show Catastrophe, which I’m absolutely obsessed with. It brings me comfort to know that if I ever accidentally had a baby with a stranger I’d known for a week, I’d probably be okay in the end.
My favourite film ever is Paterson, starring the dreamboat Adam Driver. In it he plays a peaceful bus driver in the city of Paterson, New Jersey, who is also a poet, has a bulldog, and goes for a nightly beer at his favourite quiet bar full of colourful characters. Nothing happens in the film at all, and it’s joyous. If that isn’t inspiration, I don’t know what is.
My Plan B…
Buy a ranch out west, adopt roughly 100 dogs, and finally finish that novel I’ve been writing for the last 10 years.