Wednesday 16 May 2012

Filming and adventures on the underground

Well, we finally have the permits for filming on the tube. This means you'll soon be able to see what a fool I make of myself rather than just read about it.

I tried it out yesterday, proud of my new permit, with a two man crew. The first person I approached was carring something that wasn't musical (an occasional mistake). I said "is that a musical instrument?" he said "No. Is there a problem?"

I realised that having an official badge doesn't always work in your favours and I've lost that charm of scruffy man randomly approaching strangers.

However, two really strange things happened to yesterday.

The first, before I got the permit and in the morning at Tower Hill Station, I spotted a guy carrying a violin (turned out to be a viola, sorry!) and I knew he looked familiar. I gave the usual spiel about the challenge, and he seemed really interested. I told him my name and he said "are you any relation to Hannah Buswell?" To my knowledge I'm not, so I said no and then he gave me his name. I said "are you any relation to xxxx?" He said "yes". That's my twin brother.

I'd met his twin on 12th February, over 3 months ago, at the very same station, carrying a violin (which I correctly guessed)....

Second odd thing also involved a violist. I had a manic time at Baker Street station, meeting around 8 musicians in the space of about 5 minutes. It was insane! Running from one to the other. Not sure I'm cut out for that. Anyway, met this guy with a viola and started my speech and he went "oh, I've heard of you". Not actually that strange I guess (not many people running around trying to form an orchestra!) but it was a first for me on the London Underground.

And it made me think about things a little. I'm aware that, over the next few months, things will pick up and become a little more "proper". Film crews following me on the tube, business cards, meetings with companies about commissioning stuff, news stories about the challenge and the performance on the EDF Energy London Eye, it's all getting a lot more professional. As a result, I anticipate a larger number of people being interested. I don't blame them. Once there's a stamp of approval behind things, you always feel a little more comfortable.

But I'll miss the days when I looked like a tramp and only had a pencil and a notepad and people had to just believe in a dream.

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