The ultimate wish fufillment. Written in the form of an interview with flashbacks. Part 1 of 5
Part 1: Lucky Star
Interviewer: I'm talking with the star and co-star of Karen Carragher's 'Dirty Work', her first film since she finished the seven film series of 'Scholarship Girl'. Karen is also co-producer on this new project. So, I hear you two met before the film was even properly scripted?
Karen Carragher: Yes, that's right. I was doing some research into waste collection and I came across a blog on the net by Dave. It was very articulate and thought-provoking with a lot of insight into the job he was doing. When I read his profile and found out that he had been doing the same job...
Dave Gerrard: Or variations of the same job!
KC: Yes. Doing the same job for over twenty years, I thought maybe he would be able to provide me with the depth I needed for the role I was going to play.
Interviewer: The young woman determined to succeed in a job dominated by men?
DG: I'd just like to say that women aren't unwelcome; they just don't like the job. Probably the smell, or thought of it, puts them off. That's only my opinion though.
***
I wasn't sure what to say when I was told by my supervisor that some film people wanted to come and pick my brain about my job. It was just my job, and although I thought about it a fair bit and even put those thoughts into a blog I'd started, that's all it was. I didn't consider myself the fount of all knowledge regarding waste collection. In any case, I agreed and was pleasantly surprised when the only person that turned up on the appointed day was Karen Carragher, the film star. I'd watched her grow up throughout her films in the 'Scholarship Girl' series, we all had. From a cute ten year old to a highly attractive twenty year old, all under the eyes of the world. I was almost expecting her to be aloof, just going through the motions, but I was wrong. She wanted to learn about what life was like collecting people's rubbish. The first day she just sat in my RCV with me as I drove around and asked questions: about the attitude of the public, about the attitude of other bin men to women who worked on the collections. Just background stuff really. She made copious notes and I was expecting more of the same on her second day with us. Karen however asked if I could show her how we worked, she wanted to load bins. To help her out I ceded my driving seat to my second driver and worked the lifts with her for the day. I explained how to load a bin and tried to explain how to load two bins at the same time.
"You just line them up."
"But how? Not everyone can do it, I can see that."
"I can only tell you how I think I do it. It's been so long since I started I can't remember exactly what process I used in the beginning."
"Okay, go on."
"All right. I line up the right hand bin so that the right hand corner is up against the right edge of the lift and then the left hand bin should be about the width of a fist away from it. If everything is correct, when you tip them forwards they should both go up together."
"Sounds simple."
"Well, to me it is, but I've had a hell of a lot of practice." I smiled. "Not so much these days though, as my loaders will tell you." I watched as she painstakingly tried to follow my advice. To her joy and my surprise it worked first time, and then second time. In fact it was nearly ten minutes before she failed to get two on at once, overconfidence finally striking.
Karen was wonderful to work with. She didn't moan once in the three days she worked with me, even when it rained on the third day, soaking all of us. I'd shrugged and said that was something we all got used to, even if we didn't like it. When we finished that day I wasn't expecting to hear from her ever again. I thought that meeting her for three days was great, but never thought that it would lead to anything else.
***
Interviewer: But it did?
DG: Yes. About three weeks later Karen called me. She asked if I was available to be the Technical Advisor for 'Dirty Work'. I had to tell her 'maybe', it all depended on whether my leave entitlement would cover the period they wanted me.
KC: When I told him that we'd need him for at least four months he said he couldn't do it. I had other ideas though. (Grins)
DG: (Smiling) Yes. She went to my line manager and told them that the production company would pay for my replacement for the duration of the filming. For some reason, only I would do.
KC: Well, I felt that the production, especially the actors and maybe the scriptwriter, needed some specialist guidance and because of the way Dave was able to give me some insight during my brief visit, I was confident that he was the man for the job.
DG: (Laughing) I'm glad someone was. When they told me I was going to be the 'Technical Advisor', I panicked. I mean, what does a Technical Advisor do?
KC: (Huge smile) Dummy!
DG: (Blushing) Yes, I know now, advises on technical issues, obviously.
Interviewer: But that still doesn't explain how you ended up in the film?
***
So there I was on the set of the film. They were setting up some sequences of the RCV working. I had just spent a week working with the scriptwriter, polishing the finer points of waste collection operation with him, but here on set I felt overawed, like a fish out of water and a little alone. I wasn't sure exactly what I was supposed to be doing here, so I went and had a look at the RCV they were going to use. Here at least was something familiar. As I was poking around the binlifts, Clint, the director, came up behind me.
"This will be fine for the job won't it?" He asked.
"It's a bit newer and cleaner than the one I'm used too." I smiled. "But it should be fine." I leant back against the big solid side of the truck. "Can I ask one thing though, why am I here?"
"Karen thought you should be on set." He shrugged.
"Miss Carragher? But to do what exactly?"
"To keep an eye on how the waste collection ingredient of the film looks. We don't want all your mates phoning up and telling us that its rubbish, no pun intended."
"All right, I understand that." Now I had an idea of what I was supposed to do. "How do you want me to express my displeasure? Should I run out shouting 'No, no, that's all wrong'? Or will a tap on the shoulder be enough?" Clint put his arm around my shoulder and laughed.
"Karen was right about you. You are a sharp one. Just tap me on the shoulder and as long as it's possible, we'll do it your way."
I watched the first two takes as they loaded bins onto the truck down a winding street and then had to tap Clint's arm.
"What's up Dave?"
"This driver character is supposed to be popular with his workmates, if I read the script correctly?" He nodded. "Well, he wouldn't be very popular with his loaders if he kept pulling up like that all day and made them walk so far with heavy bins."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean he should either pull up just past the bins so all they have to do is push them onto the lifts, or pull up roughly equidistant between the bins either side of the road." Clint gave me a puzzled look. I sighed. "I don't suppose this driver is a real bin man?"
"No, he's the driver who brought the truck from the hire company."
"Thought so. Knows how to go forward, but not when to stop. Let me show you what I mean."
"Go on then."
I trotted up to the RCV and indicated that the driver should move over. I slipped into the driving seat and began to adjust things like the seat and the mirrors.
"Don't worry mate, I know what I'm doing." I said as I slipped the truck into reverse and shot backwards up the twisty street to the entrance, using only one hand as usual. The company driver gave me a dark look. Ignoring him I wound down the window and stuck my head out to tell the extra's what to do. I turned on the radio and sighed. Now it felt right. I moved to the first pair of bins, and then the second...
"That was quite astonishing." Clint said. "They barely had to move."
"Well, loaders deserve something. The driver is in the dry if it rains and in the cool if it's hot, so the least he can do is put the truck right next to the bins for them."
"I told you he was good." Karen said. I hadn't noticed her come onto the set.
"I could probably do it quicker with practice." I blurted out before I realised that it sounded like boasting.
Clint and Karen looked at each other.
"How quick?" Clint asked.
"For the street? Maybe five minutes."
"Okay. Go and practice and rehearse the extras at the same time." The director said. I trotted off; oblivious to the frantic signalling that was going on between the two I had left and three or four other people nearby.
***
Interviewer: So you had no idea what was going on?
KC: Same as usual. (Laughing)
DG: Cheek! (Pokes her arm with his finger) No, I didn't know what they were hatching. I just assumed that they were going to alter the camera positions or something. I mean, it was the first time I'd been on a film set, so I just took everything at face value. In any case, I was enjoying myself shuffling the RCV up and down the street.
Interviewer: At what point do you realise that Karen and Clint had something different planned for you?
DG: It was when Clint came over to where some of the film crew had gathered, betting me that if they coned off half the street I couldn't reverse up it.
KC: He bloody did though! Smart Alec!
DG: (Reddens again) It's easier than you think. Anyway, Clint came across and asked me to come to the trailer in five minutes.
Interviewer: And you still didn't suspect?
DG: No, I thought I'd pissed him off by showing off in the truck. I said as much when I went in. Karen and the scriptwriter were there too, all three of them looking at me in an expectant way. They told me that they wanted me to take the part of the driver 'Pip' that hadn't been cast yet. I was a bit stunned. Having read the script, I knew that 'Emily', Karen's part, was supposed to fall in love with him.
***
"You're changing the ending then?" I asked.
"No." Said Clint. "Except to change 'Pip' to 'Pops' the script stands."
"But that's ridiculous. Twenty year old girls don't fall in love with middle aged men unless they've got money."
"You're an expert on twenty year old girls then?" Karen asked sweetly smiling.
"No. But I am an expert on middle aged men, and I've never been that lucky!"
"Maybe your luck's just changed." Karen said, a sly look on her face now.
"Besides which, this is the movies." Clint said waving his arms wide. "Anything can happen!" He put his arm around my shoulder. "Do you want the part?"
"I've never done any acting." I said. I still couldn't believe this.
"That's the easy part for you. You just have to be yourself."
"So this 'Pops' will react how I would?"
"You got it."
"Please Dave. I know you can do it." Karen gave me the 'scholarship girl' look, and batted her eyelids.
"All right." I sighed. "On the condition I can take some pictures of what's going on. It's the only chance I'm going to get."
"Sure." Said Clint. "Everybody does that anyway these days." He went to the trailer door. "I'll just go and tell the crew what's happening." He turned and said as he left. "At least we won't need a stunt driver for you."
Karen took my unresisting arm and led me towards the commissary truck.
"Come on. We need to discuss a few things about our roles."
***
