Nick's Blog
The Moveable Fighting Blog
25/11/2008 @ 10:22
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I am a weak, weak man...
Yesterday, I was on my way back from work when I passed the Model Zone shop in High Holborn (it's one of my favourite shopping emporiums). There, in the window, I saw the words ACTION MAN 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION and below that banner were dozens of authentic replicas of Action Man (or GI Joe for you American readers) with all his accessories and kit laid out in all its glory.
Now why would this display freeze me in my tracks and cause me to drool on the footpath and shop window? Because, for me, Action Man is the greatest toy ever made. I had a number of toys as a child but Action Man took pride of place. He was fantastic! He had all this equipment, uniforms, tanks, helicopters, assault boats and the young Nick would make up little plays of commando action and derring do using these moveable fighting men...THEY WERE NEVER DOLLS! The other great thing about Action Man in his heyday, and something that Hasbro forgot when they re-released him as this gaudy neon lit cartoon character in the 1990s, was that he was fairly authentic. His uniforms were based on real military kit, he used realistic weapons and had a Scorpion tank...not some weird bent out of shape shape in purple and bilious green. And kids loved that back then; a toy that had a ring of authenticity about it. You'd watch "The Longest Day" or "Where Eagles Dare" on the TV and then be able to re-enact it using your Action Men. There was even an "Escape From Colditz" Action Man set that was produced to tie in to the TV series of the same name. So you could re-enact the escapades of David McCallum and Robert Wagner AND play the board game whilst watching the TV show. Kids these days don't really know what true fun is.
Action Man chimes in with my philosophy of fun: Something both tangible and imaginative. You could take your Action Men, kit them out as commandos, tank drivers, deep sea divers, whatever and then launch them into little stories and adventures in your bedroom or back garden. And that's why he's better than any computer game.
Like I said, I'm a weak man...I went into Model Zone and bought the Combat Soldier Action Man and equipment card. I now have the German Stormtrooper on order as well. I don't know if I'm seriously going to go into my back garden and play with him but little Adam will one day thank me for introducing him to Action Man....when he's old enough to play with him PROPERLY.
Uneasy Lies The Head That Writes The Blog
09/11/2008 @ 22:44
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I'm proud of what a small group of us have achieved with Rhubba since we had the idea. From the time Nick Jarvie, Richard and myself started writing sketches, through to Daniel and me working out how we were going to use the internet to broadcast them, it's been very satisfying. Over that time we've established a really good core group of people who work on producing the sketches and found fantastic actors to work with as well. It has been, to coin a cliche, one big team effort.
But every team has a captain or manager if you will and that's me. I am a frustrated world dictator deep down and I have this strange dichotomy within me. On the one hand I want to control every detail down to the last detail but on the other hand I want a happy working environment and to have people trust me and like me so although I secretly want control, I openly trust those around me to carry things out. And in having a team I trust around me, I feel that we do have happy times producing our work. When I look back at all the sketches we've done, I can think of only two times when I've raised my voice. If you had known me more than 5 years ago, then you'll agree that this is an improvement in my calmness issues.
However, I realise all too clearly that being the chief does put me apart from the people around me. It's not my hygiene, it's having to be responsible for everyone and everything: You can't be a world dictator and palm off all responsibility. I find myself retreating from my colleagues ever so slightly in order to maintain a sense of detatched leadership.
I realised that a certain aloofness was creeping in the other day when I was at a rehearsal for another, non-Rhubba, project I am working on. There were a few people who've appeared in Rhubba sketches and who I know fairly well. The rehearsals went well and we all had a terrific time. At the end of the evening, we all went our separate ways and there were hugs all round...all round except for me. I pulled back...I just did shaking hands and a polite "all the best" with people I know and trust. I'm just not doing the touchy-feely thing anymore where once I did.
Looking back, I realise that I've done this quite a few times in the last year or so. I leave cast and crew parties early, I am ever so slightly more formal with colleagues and I do talk shop a hell of a lot instead of kicking back and relaxing and not being afraid to open up. It's as if I don't want that bubble of leadership to burst in the presence of others; which is strange because I'm the commander of a very small production company and not the head of a major motion picture studio so why am I acting like a stiff-assed Brit?
Being in the film business has left me with a few insecurities: In my earlier days, any sign of talking too much or talking too little would cost you work. You got work by doing your job and getting along as part of a team. Once you stepped out of line in the team, you were convieniently forgotten. Every rejection hit hard because are hard to come by. So I spent a lot of time learning the skills to keep you in work beyond just being competant at your job.
Now I have people working for me and I should have cast off those insecurities, but it hasn't worked out like that. I don't need to win people to my side in the same way because those people who have agreed to work on something I'm making are willing to trust me. All I have to do is keep the whole damn show moving and when it's over then we can all relax...except for me, strangely. It's as if I've gone from being a baby to King Henry without ever having been Prince Hal.
In a couple of weeks' time there will be the Rhubba party and I'm hoping I can just forget being the boss for one night and be me....and enjoy being Prince Hal for one night.
