The calm before the storm

3 days to go until we set off for the States and the main shoot. We have a week in NYC then 5 days on the cruise and for the last month I have been dreaming about the film, waking up in the middle of the night thinking about the cruise, planning interview questions in my head for verbal gymnast Voltaire, hoping everything that can be is in place.

As the shoot comes closer things have become calmer as decisions are made and ticked off. Steven Sheil (our Director of Photography) wrote about this when he was making his horror Deliver Me. Nothing is worse when you're making a film than not knowing, although making documentaries means that there is a huge element of the unknown that you have to expect and in fact embrace. Fear, well a small dose is not actually a bad thing as it means you care about a project and is much better than being complacent.

So, in time honoured tradition I have been playing out my pre-trip / shoot rituals - Washing every item of clothing I own, just in case I may need that floor length ball gown, only to see it abandoned on the floor when I get the reality slap of trying to lift my suitcase down the stairs and also remember of the ever vigilant check in staff at Heathrow. I have bought every sea sickness and mosquito remedy know to the pharmacist at Sainsbury's. I suffered at the mouths (probiscuses) of a swarm of thirsty mosquitos in Tampa on the pilot shoot earlier this year and it wasn't pretty.

Many people have asked me if I am going to 'Goth up' for the shoot. I think this would be incredibly disingenuous and the beige cashmere cardigan I have to wear up on deck is possibly the epitome of non-goth attire. Who knows, the lure of dressing up can be very strong and the Goth shop we are going to be filming in in NYC next week looks amazing. I suspect many outfits will be tried on.

Time to go as I feel a bit nauseus - maybe it is the return of 'the fear' or the early onset of sea sickness.