Run Love

Been hanging out with Rudyard again today - its his last day before his holiday so hes been showing me loads of tricks and telling me stories while he waits for his viewing and no doubt a late night after a million changes by the executive producer.

We got on to the subject of the king of porn, Paul Raymond passing away last week. Back in the sixties, Rudyard used to edit blue movies in the heart of Soho before getting his break in films. "Good old Raymond, he gave me one of my first jobs. Even though it was on the blueys, it got me that vital experience and I'm eternally grateful to him, god rest his soul." He welled up talking about him, it seemed they were close and he was obviously moved by his death so I quickly changed the subject.

I found out that he was also a edit assistant for David Lean on Doctor Zhivago. "Mr.Lean started as a teaboy himself so he was always very good to me; in fact I've never heard anyone ask for a cup of tea with the politeness of Mr.Lean, he was a absolute gent. Some of the directors and editors of today could learn a lot more than just the art of film making from a great man like him".

We also joked about the other edits in the building "Have you seen those two in the Attenborough at the moment? Theres a short one and a taller chubby one, both wearing those awful spectactles - they look like the two ronnies!" This was a man right after myself! We laughed long and loud. Then all of a sudden he stopped laughing and went all serious. I wandered if I'd said something out of turn, or if my blog had been rumbled. I was shitting myself, I'd never seen Rudyard look like this before. My hands went clammy. Finally after what seemed like an age, he began to talk. "Alan dear boy, I'm getting to old for this business. I need a break, I need to enjoy life - the time has come for me to retire. But I feel like I need someone to replace me, someone who I can pass all the wonderful things I've learned on to who I know will appreciate it. I've been struggling to find someone suitable; everyone I meet talks hot air about grading and vignettes and never about the art of storytelling. But then you walked into my edit and I knew instantly. I'd like that someone to be you Alan."

Milk.

And.

Fucking.

Two!

This is amazing! When he gets back from Tuscany, hes going to give me a job as his assistant and start getting me work cutting as much as possible - that way he can start to enjoy his free time and his vintage wine collection. He's also going to get me a broadcast credit as his assistant for the sequence I cut on the weekend dropped in on the online, he just needs to check with his producer tomorrow before he catches the plane. This is my big break, this is it! No more making tea, running across fucking Soho dropping tapes off, collecting lunches and all the other shit that goes with being a runner! This is a life changing moment. My name up in lights on the BBC for everyone to see. All my dreams are coming true!

Maybe I can update my blog: The Secret Diary of a Broadcast Editor! Don't worry I won't forget my roots, I know where I've come from and I won't ever treat runners the way I've been treated.

I know where to get my own fucking latte! Run love.