PRODUCTION JOURNAL: Chris Cooke's BBC Director Diary part 3

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BBC has recently launched a series of diaries by directors. Reposted below is part 3 of 8 journal entries filmmaker Chris Cooke has written to give you a glimpse of the creative thought process and the practical obstacles filmmakers have to overcome during development.  Read and see how it relates to your production life.
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Chris avoids Americanisation in his third video diary
I am ill and tired as usual, as regular watchers of these video diaries will know already.
My flat has a small and unhealthy ergonomic triangle that is bad for me when I am writing at home. I sit typing only two feet from my refrigerator and two feet from my sofa, fags and remote control... my routine seems to be: Type and smoke; walk to fridge, make sandwich; walk to sofa; chill out and smoke and watch some film or other while eating, smoking, etc... lie down and think up new script-based idea. Er, that's it! It's all the exercise I ever get. And it's bad for me.
Anyway, that's what I've been up to. Every time I read some other director's diary they've just been to Hollywood for a meeting, or are in transit to New York for a meeting, or are crossing the Gobi Desert for research or are holidaying in Milan with a famous actor or something. Me? I am getting fat typing in Nottingham.
"I MAKE WHAT ARE CALLED 'SMALL' FILMS"
Well, I have met some famous people and been abroad as well you know! But not often and not that it matters: I make what are called 'small' films, the type that are diagnosed as "rough and ready", "personal", "regional", or "bleak"... but most often I am considered parochial and "British". I think people should write what they know, at least then they're being honest.
Anyway, the DVD of One For The Road has been released and I am interested to find out who is buying it. Steve and I are continuing to get on with the Wrestling film, World Of Pain (as it is called at the moment), and Helen and I are busy rushing out a new outline of our incredibly bleak comedy road movie about belief, nihilism, and grief. FilmFour are keen for a rewrite on that one and enthusiastic about our wrestling opus. So things are moving forward faster than ever.
This new video diary deals with the Americanisation of British cinema (sounds better than it is!) and writing what you know, writing for your friends... again it's all about collaboration and making things with the tools we have around us.
See you again next time.

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