Sound.. Camera... Action!

"My left profile is definitely the best....Or maybe you'd like to see the right? Actually I do a mean 'looking into the distance' face? Not that? Well, look, how about I just give you a nuzzle and you tell me what you want?"

"No, I don't get it...... you can't really mean you came to film those squat, pokey nosed guys with the curly coats? Yeah. I know they're cute and friendly but - hell's bells - horses are just so much more interesting- after all there are millions of us in the country and only a couple of hundred of those little guys........." And so he went on, but no matter what Rocco thought or tried to do to grab the limelight, the fact was that it was Ginger and her mini movie stars who were the main attraction, with the other curly coats as supporting cast.

The film crew were here all day: Dan the director and Danny his go-for (which he did cheerfully and charmingly all day long - teas, coffees, water, apples for Ginger - nothing too much for him)and Daniel the camera man and Dave (how'd he get in?) the sound man.....then there was the Expert on Pigs and The Big Name Lady (who doesn't suffer fools and speaks her mind and had everyone just slightly in awe)...... and they filmed pigs and views and 'mood' shots and all the other creatures and interviewed The Big Boss ("Very interesting, but can you condense all that history into just a few sound bites?" said Director Dan) and, at the end of the day, filmed him feeding all the pigs. Totally exhausted he was by the end of it all. Normally it takes about 20-30 minutes to do the feed round: do it with the whole crew positioning and testing and re-taking and it goes on for three times as long! They loved the sound effects though - pigs at feeding time get really vocal and utterly animated........

The weather was mostly perfect for filming - warmish but slightly overcast, though the sun did come out from behind the clouds for most of the afternoon and there were a couple of relaxing breaks for lunch - a quick one with the Big Name Lady (she only 'does' 8 hour days so with travelling up from the smoke and then having to get back she had only a couple of hours here so each minute was very precious...... not for her, but for the 'crew'!) and a more relaxing one after she'd left....... The Cook spent all morning preparing tasty morsels for their delectation - 4 types of sausage, 2 types of ham, quiches with our own bacon (natch), home grown salads (and some that weren't) etc etc. The Big Name Lady even purchased some victuals to take home, and she wasn't the only one.....

All agreed that Ginger had been a real star: being an old hand now at dealing with camera crews she posed and obliged and performed and orchestrated her little brood to the delight of all: when she'd had enough she herded the babes into the ark for a drink but she was happy later to suckle them in full view :

"And she wouldn't have done that if she were not relaxed about it all" said the Boss.

The single No Go was picking up piglets. Director Dan wanted that shot of Big Name Lady holding piglet: Expert tried to persuade Ginger to let her pick one up... and she tried for an age .. distracting Ginger with Apples might work, she thought, but somehow Movie Queen got the apples and Expert didn't get her piglets......Eventually, "OK, guys perhaps we'll leave that for another day" said Director Dan.... "Told you so" muttered Linda quietly to herself (almost)!

By the end of the day everyone was tired but happy and agreed that they probably had enough good 'stuff' to make into five minutes of real film!

Even Rocco might get a single second of fame!

And before he left Dan showed us the edited version of 'the birth of the piglets' which he'd captured live on film. Totally and utterly incredible. I don't suppose anyone has ever captured such amazing footage............. No wonder he got promoted (on the strength of it, we suggested)!