I'm back...
A gruelling week, will elaborate on all the details tomorrow when I'm less sleep-deprived.
Here's a mini-list for now: the pros and cons of my job:
CONS:
Being so tired that I can hardly remember my name.
Physically exhausted
all the time.
My face hurts from smiling at people all day (you can't have a sour face in my job).
Putting up with the most extreme sexism and chauvinism
all day.
Having earache and headaches from wearing a couvert headset (for the walkie-talkie) in one ear, and a hands-free headset for my mobile phone in the other. (When driving home from work, I still hear voices in my ear - even after removing the headsets).
Not having the accomplishments I achieve at work acknowledged.
Being totally ignorant of the world outside of the movie I am working on. I would have no idea if another war had started - I haven't had time to read a paper, listen to the radio or watch tv in weeks.
Not being able to go to the cinema.
Not being able to go to the gym.
Not being able to read a book.
Losing touch with friends. They don't understand what it is like to work 80-100 hours a week. They stop ringing after a while. It's hard to maintain contact with people when I barely get 5 hours a day to sleep.
Ditto relationships. Plus, forget dating outside of the movie, the only men I get to meet are on the shoot. And most of them are worthless fuckwits.
Not having enough time to play with myself (as often as I'd like). It's sad but true: with only 5 hours of glorious sleep I am either too knackered to fiddle, or am needing sleep so bad that I am not willing to sacrifice
even one minute of it to play.
PROS:
The adrenalin rush from working on a movie every single day. I get to watch this enormous machine create a monster that kicks ass. I love it.
Working with great people. It's an amazing thing to walk round a studio lot and have
everyone - total strangers included - say 'hello' or 'good morning' to you. It's a lovely little community - totally opposite to the coldness and rudeness of London daily life.
Meeting wonderful people on set. It makes the whole thing such fun when they are cool, down to earth people who you can take the piss out of and they become like family.
Having my work appreciated, acknowledged and rewarded.
Being in a good mood all day. Hey I love my job, why the hell would I be moody?
Making new friends: making movies is intense; the friendships and working relationships on it are formed quickly and tightly and are paramount to making the whole thing run smoothly.
Flirting my ass off all day. I get to be playful and fun and it doesn't have to
mean anything.
Being able to think about sex all the time - the thoughts running parallel to my 'work brain'. It actually keeps me warm when I am standing outside...