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Scribere quid cogitas
A WRITER'S
CHRONICLE
Sunday 31st October 2021
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IF EMPOWERED, HELP OTHERS BE HEARD
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Index
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With the kind permission of the actor Claudia Black
(@TheClaudiaBlack), her thread related to safety on
a film set is reproduced here. The incident that provoked
this commentary was the death of Halnya Hutchins, and the
injuring of Joel Souza on the set of "RUST".
This is NOT being published to get political about the
incident - that is for the mainstream press to do. I have
asked permission to publish this because of the humanity
that is so clearly demonstrated in the wording of Claudia's
commentary. A humanity that so many in positions of power
and popularity so often choose to ignore or forget.
"If you're an aspiring actor, and as my advice was good
enough for a young Mcavoy I pray you'll listen now. When we
were filming Pitch Black a producer came to give me a
choice. They had a problem and needed to do a reshoot with
me and a stuntie. The shoot thus far had been rough; the
crew was exhausted. 6 day weeks are unsustainable. Mistakes
happen when crews are tired and often on the 6th day. The
crew couldn't say "no" to another Saturday but I could. I
asked when they needed a decision and went to speak with
some crew. I made sure that they themselves were choosing
-rest vs an overtime paycheck- I would not presume to know
their needs and priorities. They chose safety and rest.
"Safety First," is after all, an oft heard refrain on
any decent set with its priorities in check. I returned to
the producer and told him I was too tired and didn't want
to work the Saturday. He looked at me for a few seconds. I
was a good actor and a bad liar. He went to say something,
nodded instead and rescheduled. We do a lot of things on
sets that would otherwise be illegal. It can be thrilling.
It's a privilege.
It should never cost a life.
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I was in my early 20s when I was asked to make that
decision ostensibly for me though realistically on behalf
of many. Thankfully I live without regret. For 30 years
I've been working with firearms consistently and never once
referred to a firearm as a prop; it's a deadly weapon.
Actors get infantilized on sets then criticized for
childish behavior. I don't care what number you are on
the call sheet. Lead. From the back of the pack if you have
to. No job nor career is worth a life. I have pulled
stunts early in my career when I could tell they were
dodgy. Your stunt double is there to make you look cool
but they often do not feel empowered to speak up.
Check in with them and use your voice. It's not
about heroism it's about humanity and navigating
frustrating and fateful hierarchies. Whenever I have
weapons training and they ask if I've had experience with
firearms, after 30 years I still say, "Yes, but assume I
know nothing and teach me everything." (I am repeatedly
told by armorers and stunt departments that women are
easier to train because they do not think they know
everything.) "Beginners Mind" will keep you humble and
others safe.
Film culture is unique. Our days are more 5-9 than 9-5. We
work on a 24 hr clock and in TV and indie filmmaking, time
is the enemy. We hurry up & wait right before we rush to
complete the call sheet & before we lose light. We are
carnie folk; the kids who didn't fit in; rebels, outliers,
misfits, neurodiverse arty farties. We are a circus that
packs up & leaves once the film or series is "in the can"
never to reassemble with the same people in the same way
again. We experience little deaths in our hearts every
time we wrap. Processing that grief & post shoot anticlimax
is part of the gig after bonding closely with fellow wild
ones hired to recreate some aspect of humanity, only to
disperse and move on.
We should never be grieving an actual crew member's
preventable death when playing make believe.
Play requires the safety of a responsible container. The
producers are in charge of that. They need to set up that
container, nourish and maintain it with crystal clear
communication. They need to listen and actually care and
follow through. They need to identify toxic behavior
and address it head on. For too long people who consider
themselves to be "non creatives", have indulged toxic and
unsafe behaviors because they think it goes with the
territory of being arty and are terrified that if
confronted, the artist will walk off and filming will stop.
So in this tipping point moment and on this two-way
street; actors, please, prioritize being good people
before being a great artist. Put the crew first. Speak
up. Cultivate an environment of verbal consent. I offer
consent to male artists now and they are confused at first
by the offer. Persist. You can always find something that
a male actor does not like having done to his body. And
once you establish that baseline, all the off-air scripts
change; vulnerability is better understood. Safety first.
Because from safety, comes great play and beautiful art;
delicious co-creation. If you create great art in spite of
toxicity it's a tenuous, unrepeatable, unsustainable and
lonely phenomenon. So listen. Observe. Ask questions.
Check in with the crew and make *them* cups of tea. Ask
them how you make their jobs hard even though movie stars
aren't supposed to.
I am devastated about Halyna. Walking onto a set on Friday
morning right after reading the news, I had to work yet
again with firearms and a wobbly, yet fiercely professional,
stunt department. We had a top armorer quite literally in
the trenches with us. As I stepped onto the muddy set I
turned to the armorer and said, "I'm so grateful you're
here." I turned to the courageous and dutiful stunties,
asked if they were ok and said, "If you see or feel
something today that worries you, anything, and you speak
up and are not heard, find me and I shall speak, *loudly*".
Relative safety and art should be mutually inclusive.
It's where the secret sauce resides. It's where true cinema
magic is cultivated. The set is my home. If it's yours too,
treat it as you would, the safe haven it deserves to be,
especially for those of us who never found a home anywhere
else."
My response to Claudia, who I couldn't miss when she
co-starred in the SciFi series "Stargate SG1" and
"Farscape", and (with apologies) I had to be reminded of
her role in "Pitch Black"...
Normally I am not one to cheer celebrities, I've been a
fan of your various works, and whilst celebrities are not
my favourite people, I HAVE TO make an exception for you
after reading this. Much respect to you, and many thanks
for demonstrating such empathy and compassion for ALL
those who work alongside you.
And she still gave me permission to produce this.
Thank you, Claudia.
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A short thread
There are many different voices that are unique in their own
way, and this thread is from an individual whose voice can
vary depending on the subject of the tweet/thread.
Here's an excerpt from the "Phydeaux" thread, which uses
#Vss365 and #VssMurder hashtags, by @Michaelbigchees.
Phydeaux springs to his feet, Odachi like sword in his left
paw.
Naphusa has the #stranger's scent as well.
Khopesh is drawn.
Phydeaux's dogonal guards bisect the room with their entrance.
Axes.
Mauls.
Microwave disrupters.
Massive insect rasps, "Help me, please."
Phydeaux's blades are sheathed, for now.
Naphusa's aren't.
Painted #Wolf, is dying to end the Cockroach,and is more
protective of Phydeaux than even his sworn guard.
Razor sharp, Khopesh, is wicked looking.
Guards cannot not cooperate, they're not happy.
Naphusa pulls Phydeaux aside.
"Do you #trust that, that, monster my love?"
Phydeaux, licks her face.
"No, but I trust myself and my wolves. We'll shred him to
paste if he is being duplicitous."
Bleedum Sharptooth, brandishes a mini rail gun, to confirm the
statement.
Kantkrushtiss Rottedsugar marches through the hallway in a
thorax vest shackle and neck explosive.
Still looks dangerous.
He's of the larger variety.
5 meters not counting antenna.
Does what his kind consider a smile.
The #intimate gesture is lost in translation.
Gabbon is speaking to the general assembly.
Phydeaux wants to bite him.
Through bone and #sinew.
Arrogant ape.
Barks Up. "This self-righteous baboon is too busy showing you
he can piss further than me to look at the entire tree. Who
else wants peace?"
Gabbon huffs.
I'll be keeping my eyes open for other threads during the
week in readiness for the next edition.
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WordSquare
WordSquare #004
Words must be a minimum of 3 letters long.
They must contain the letter in the shaded square.
Only the letters in the square can be used.
There is at least one 9-letter word in each square.
WordSquare #003 Solution
9 letters
AFTERNOON
8 letters
None
7 letters
FORNENT, FRONTON
6 letters
AFRONT, ENFANT, FANNER, FOETOR, FOOTER, FOOTRA, FORANE,
NONFAT, REFOOT, TOFORE
5 letters
AFOOT, AFORE, AFTER, FANON, FEART, FETOR, FORTE, FRATE,
FRENA, FREON, FRONT, OFTEN, OFTER, TREFA
4 letters
AFRO, FANE, FANO, FARE, FART, FATE, FEAR, FEAT, FENT, FERN,
FETA, FOEN, FONE, FONT, FOOT, FORA, FORE, FORT, FRAE, FRAT,
FRET, FROE, ORFE, RAFT, REFT, ROOF, TERF, TREF
3 letters
AFT, ARF, EFT, ERF, FAE, FAN, FAR, FAT, FEN, FER, FET, FOE,
FON, FOO, FOR, FRA, FRO, NEF, OAF, OFT, OOF, ORF, REF, TEF
#Vss365 (#Intimate)
Submission by : @MichaelBigChees
Co-ed locker room is a nightmare.
The #intimate proximity of women is new to Lancaster.
He's shy.
Bashful in world of booming voices & huge personalities.
Showering Female marine asks.
"Yanay seen a naked uhmon bafore?"
He Says.
"Honly myontee, n shena luklikya."
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Curated tweets
A selection of tweets from the many fine examples produced by
the hashtag players.
A little gruesome, yet humorous, poetry for you delectation.
#Vss365 (#Accident)
Submission by : @derickijohnson
I've been in
an accident-
My car
a crumpled mess
My passenger
is headless
There's blood
all o'er her dress
Her ghost is standing
next to mine
& she looks
quite pissed
I think cuz
this tragedy
means party
will be missed
I'm in Hell
cuz I will never
hear the end
of this.
If you'd like to recommend a tweet from other contributors
let me know via Twitter.
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More curated tweets
More tweets of note for your enjoyment: produced by
the hashtag players.
#Vss365 (#Hurt)
Submission by : @helen_laycock
I always braced myself for Gran's hugs. She didn't mean to,
but she always #hurt me. I felt like a bird, each tiny bone
on the verge of breaking.
But that's how she did love, big and enfolding.
Gran's the little one now, wings fragile and flightless.
I hug her gently.
#VssMurder (#Dark)
#Vss365 (#Hurt)
Submission by : @EverexJohn
We push through twilight hand in hand, pass dark nooks and
lone figures. Together, we laugh at the stories-the #hurt,
the missing.
Nearly home, she stops, presses me against a wall, kisses
me.
"You scared?" she says.
My reply is stifled by her blade.
"And now?"
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Bend To Live, Live To Bend
Submission by : @JosephMKavanag1
If a business manages to stay open for a century or more,
it is gifted many opportunities to play a part in the
history of the surrounding locality.
So it is where I work.
I work at the Joseph Kavanagh Company.
The Shop, as we call
it, began on April 9th, 1866 when my great-grandfather's
Uncle Joe (pictured to the left), who I am named after,
opened a coppersmith's shop in Baltimore.
His first years were difficult but the business
got busier and Joe hired his nephew to work for him. He
trained both him, and before long, another nephew. Joe's
skills became valuable in the burgeoning alcohol industry
and he was able to expand his Shop.
In the 1880s, Joe heard of a copper colossus being built in
New York. Intrigued by the idea, he traveled there
to offer his services. Joe was hired as a rigger for the
Statue of Liberty's construction.
He was a stoic man but even he felt a great sense of pride
at his very small involvement in the project.
However, when things were at their peak, tragedy struck.
In 1904, the Great Baltimore Fire destroyed 1500 buildings
in the city including the Shop's Lombard Street building.
Joe and his nephews watched it come down after salvaging
what they could.
The next day Joe was just as determined as the City to go
on. Temporary facilities were rented and the family
returned to work. Sadly, Joe died ten months later never
knowing that his business would rebound so well.
The nephews took control of the Shop but it was no easy
transition. A few years of disputes led to there being two
Joseph Kavanagh companies. In the end, his nephew also named
Joe prevailed.
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Winter Scene
A winter scene in Friday Woods, Colchester, UK.
Photograph courtesy of @davidmstarkie
Other photographs, drawings, paintings, illustrations will
be considered for inclusion in this publication.
ARTICLES FOR FUTURE EDITIONS
I am already requesting articles from potential contributors
which may include "Fantasy map designing", "living with
trauma" and "my day job" (where the work might be
intriguing, some might say 'monumental'), but these are yet
to be confirmed.
There are certain areas of the writing community that are
under-represented here, which is mainly due to my lack of
involvement in those areas. That does not mean that these
genres/areas/topics are excluded. If you have any articles
tweets, stories, anecdotes to share then do, please, submit
them for consideration.
This is meant to be a publication for the entire writing
community, along with artists, editors, cover designers,
etc.
Want to be included?
Make a contribution, either via a direct submission or a
recommendation for the works of others.
All *polite* suggestions considered.
Like what you've seen here?
Tell your friends, partners, peers, anyone and everyone
who may be interested in any of the content.
Paperboy image courtesy of pin clipart
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It took some time for him to get his feet on
the ground, but he was able to have a new building
constructed on Central Avenue and it became the Shop's home
for over 90 years.
The Kavanagh's primary source of income was the alcohol
industry but that all stopped when Prohibition became the
law of the land. Over 50% of their work went away in one
day. Of course, they did what they had to do and went into
the booze business for themselves. They start off small but
were quickly making more cash than expected. It came to a
halt after two years when one of their bootlegging
associates who was married to Joe's niece was involved in
a robbery and murder. There was a manhunt, a trial then
several prison breaks.
The Kavanagh's were questioned over and over but they truly
knew nothing of the murder as it had nothing to do with the
whiskey trade. When Prohibition was repealed and the
Depression was over, those crazy years ended as a sense of
normalcy returned to the Shop.
Business picked up on Central Avenue as the third
generation took control and through the 40's and 50's, the
focus was distillery work again, but they began delving
into rolling or curving metal for structural and ornamental
purposes. Eddie Kavanagh ran the place. His son Jack was
top coppersmith. Unfortunately by the 1960s, the distillery
work moved out of Baltimore. The company changed its focus
becoming a metal bending and rolling shop. Constructors,
welding shops, fabricators and even sculptors began to
knock on the door at Central Avenue.
In 1988, The Shop passed from my father to my brother,
sister and I. Like our predecessors, we work as well as
own. We get our hands dirty every day. In addition to the
structural curving we do, we bend for furniture makers,
museums (Smithsonian and Rock 'n' Roll Hall
of fame), display builders, and film and TV companies.
If a film or television show was filmed in our area, there's
a very good chance we were involved with prop or set work.
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A few more curated tweets
Sometimes it starts as fun, but life can some very serious
consequences at times, and we should not ignore that fact.
#Vss365 (#Flee)
Submission by : @SilverJLaine
"OK, when the lady comes out of the Butchers, you act
adorable & I'll get the sausages," said Fido.
"Got it," said Rover.
The lady appeared; they set the plan in motion.
"I've got the sausages!" Fido barked. "Quick, #flee!"
"Flea? Oh no! Where?" Rover yelped.
"Run!"
"Oh."
#Vss365 (#Flee)
#BraveWrite
Submission by : @AspenBrave
You like that chip
On your shoulder
Nursing the what if
I'm never enough
You refuse to see why
Scars of PTSD
Called me
You've no clue how I survived
Excuses are your lock & key
Go ahead-#flee
Only love-not control
Will set you free
#FromOneLine
#CrowCalls
#VssPoem
#Vss365 (#Flee)
#VssMurder (#Treacherous)
Submission by : @rubbishpoet
The envelope was covered with mud and unstamped
The inimitable handwriting leaving no doubt
Evil had returned, no other option but to flee
Along the narrow and treacherous path of life
Death only delayed yet never defeated
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Produced by and for Owen G. Richards
and anyone else even remotely interested or
amused by this stuff.
First introduced September 2021 in an alternative format.
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