So I had to get up pretty early today to record the courtroom voice-over. It took half an hour to set up the camera equipment and then five minutes to actually record and I was done haha. Laura, who plays Debbie (I did the Chinese takeaway scene with her), just had to do a scream which pretty much deafened us. It was really funny haha. The guy doing boom’s – sorry, never actually caught his name – face was so shocked by the volume! They – him and the director/camera man, Wayne – had to stand ten feet back to record the scream. And let me tell you, it was LOUD. It’s for the scene when Debbie finds her fiance, Damon, dead in the bathtub. Lovely.

Anyway, I got home around 10am and can’t believe how early it is. I was so used to sleeping in… I have no idea what I’m gonna do today… maybe go for a run outside, rather than in the gym, since it’s so sunny. I’m trying to keep exercising regularly and I didn’t go yesterday so I better do something today. And I should probably learn some French. And maybe add a few pages more to my screenplay. And tear the wallpaper off my wall so I can paint it white. I’ve decided to use one wall of my room to display my photographs and build on my portfolio. Not that anyone will see it really haha.

I am SO wasting my summer. Thing is… I can’t get a job, start doing my TEFL course or anything until my sixteenth birthday which is still two weeks away. So I’m trying to fill my time with photography, working out, learning French, writing and watching TV. I’M BORED! And everyone has disappeared I’m so aloooooone!

Anyway! I’ve started a photo blog: http://danabeaton.tumblr.com/ That is if I keep to it. I also joined that 365 Project to try and keep myself motivated to take more photos throughout the holidays, but I keep forgetting my camera. I HAVE, however, finished two films so I’m gonna get them developed tomorrow. And they awesomely enough give you the photos on a CD too, so you don’t have to scan every single one. WOOHOO!

Click here for more…

And now a “self-portrait”…

Both taken in 2008, now edited and uploaded. Voila!

I just watched an amazing film by director Alexis Dos Santos called ‘Unmade Beds’. The style of the movie and a little of the plot actually inspired me to turn my huge novel idea into a screenplay instead and I finally know where I want to go with my own story.

I really loved how dreamlike the film was and the parts where there were several clips one after the other, some had sound, some didn’t. Unless that was my TV being screwed up…

The part with the threesome of two guys and one girl… I kind of realised the director has a bit of a thing for including a scene like that in his films. He did the same thing in his movie Glue, which is about a plot I have yet to fully understand. Which I kind of like about his films… they’re a little no-plotty, while still keeping viewers’ interest and being sort of artsy. That’s sort of what I would like my films to be. I like the whole dark, finding yourself, poisoning yourself with booze and sex, there isn’t actually a plot in this movie about my life, abrupt ending, sort of stuff. Haha! That sounds real dumb, right?

Well, Unmade Beds is a bit hard to summarise too, so go and check it out! I was lucky enough to get the Review Copy for £1.75 on eBay, instead of paying well over a tenner for the DVD =D

I have a new OLD photo, if that makes sense. Basically I found it in a folder with pictures from Amsterdam and my German exchange, thinking it was one of the crap ones. I had a lot of those… But realised that with a little editing, it was actually pretty damn good. Maybe you don’t think so, but I really liked how it turned out! Click on the photo to be taken to the dA page, where you can find my gallery with more new stuff.

Well, technically. I finished displaying my GCSE art exhibition at school lol. I think it looks alright, but I didn’t have a lot of time to make it fancy or anything, but I don’t think that was a priority or anything. My photography sketchbook went missing though, which is really fucking annoying. It was by far the best out of the four and I was proud of all my photographs. Even though my art teacher says she can “appeal” and say I did the work, it’s disappointing that I won’t get to show it off. She’s still convinced it will show up though haha. Even if I don’t get to submit it, I’d still want it back one day…

Really nice sunsets lately and the weather has been good enough the past month to go to the beach regularly where I live. It’s awesome. I’m also really wanting to start photography again soon, like really getting into it. I’m developing a film at the moment, so hopefully it turns out well!

I woke up this morning… with a cold and I feel awful. I know it’s such a common thing that everyone has every so often, so why does it make me feel sooooo miserable? Also means I can’t exercise for the next few days, at least not too hard. I was planning on doing spin class tomorrow evening.

I kind of wish I started an anonymous blog now. Because there’s lots of stuff I wanna talk about, that I can tell strangers online who don’t know who I am, but my family and friends know I have this blog even if they don’t always read it. So ya know… oh well. Doesn’t seem worth having two.

Sorry, I am so boring at the moment. I don’t know what to say.

I won a polaroid camera on ebay for a fiver including postage! Haha. I don’t know how great it’ll be, but it’s in working condition and looks good. Shall share some polaroids soon =P

I’m trying to make some money by selling photographs. I owe money to my mum, my brother and possibly a friend too: I’ll explain later. And I really need to start saving for college, because I desperately want to study abroad and it’s pricey. I’m going in town tomorrow to hand CVs to various places, but I figured I should try this too. So if you like my prints, please consider ordering some as it will be helping me a lot. Frames are also available, just ask me!

Click here for print gallery

Sparkler fun! =)

I’ve been working like crazy to hurry along my latest art project for school. I won’t give away my idea yet, but here is my testing of colours.

Please don’t focus on the crappy eyes… they don’t look realistic at all. I was practicing using blue tones as the entire painting will be done with those. It is very simple and quickly done, but it gave me a better idea of what I am planning to do. The artwork will be based on Misguided Ghosts by Paramore, which is the text of the project. I don’t like Paramore at all, but I like the lyrics of this song as I feel it relates to how I’ve been feeling about things in my personal life. I’m going to try and not get all deep now xD

And my photography project is almost done. I’m so slow. The pictures are finished, but the display won’t be ready for another few weeks. My art teacher just put up the prints for the exhibition last week, but only by themselves.

Hope everyone has a Happy New Year and this one is better than the last. We’ve just had something to eat and now we’re planning to play games: Who Am I? and Pictionary (I get way too excited) and Charades. I’m trying to convince the folks to play monopoly but they think it’s boring

I bought an exercise bike yesterday! It isn’t great. I prefer spin bikes, they’re more smooth to ride, but I couldn’t afford one. This one was pretty cheap and will do to get me doing more cardio. I did 12KM yesterday and 14KM today, so I’ll hopefully get better. I did 28KM in 30 mins at the gym once ^^

Still have loads of studying to do. I started history and biology, only to find out I spent three hours revising the wrong thing for history. I’m really nervous about the exams and don’t know where to start revising! I feel so behind. Also needing to remember to practice my bass, finish my photos for my art project, finish a short film or at least the filming and do another two chapters of Opposites Attract. The last two are optional, but I want to accomplish them before I go back to school. When stressed, creating something makes me feel better.

Well we’re playing Who Am I now and it’s my dad’s turn xD Gotta think of something good!

See you all next year! haha.

Question: What are your New Year resolutions?