I just got off the phone with....

well let me see, think of a really huge massive celebrity and chances are I just got off the phone with either their manager or publicist at some point today. As a matter of fact, over the last few days all I have been doing is talking on the phone or emailing people trying to get some of the celebrities that will start rolling into Toronto for TiFF to jump into my van for a quick interview.

Its amazing to learn and find out just how many "people" some of these people have. I guess they don't all have a ton of managers and agents and publicist ect. but compared to what I have, it seems quite astonishing. I talked with six different people who work with Rachel McAdams until I finally got in touch with the person handling the details of her press schedule and stuff like that while she is in Toronto for TiFF. How awesome would it be to have Rachel McAdams right there in the van for an interview. A couple years ago at Tiff, I had a small part in a film that was in the festival and during the screening I had to pee really bad so I snuck out to quick go #1 and on my way to the washroom I walked right by Rachel McAdams just sitting on a chair all by herself I guess waiting for someone. Needless to say, I couldn't stop to even say hi because I had to pee really bad but in retrospect maybe I should have. I don't imagine she spend too much time alone with all the folks working with her these days on her career.

When I first started making calls and sending out emails this past week I think I felt a little bummed about not having more help with this kind of stuff on the show. It would sure make things alot easier if it wasn't up to me to do just about everything that ever needs to be done to keep this show on the air year after year. Then I thought about the years before I first got the show on the air waiting and wanting my friends to do all this stuff with me. We talked alot about it but it never ever happened until I realized if I didn't make it happen myself, it probably never would. So I got the show on the air and this week I got busy being my own publicist/segment producer/ show booker and started making calls.

Its turned out to be kinda fun talking to all these folks in LaLa land about my van and the show and whatever else I could think of to say to get them to start thinking an interview in my van would be a cool idea. Can't wait to start doing some interviews now. TiFF kicks off in less than a week!

So here we go.....again...

Looks like my two weeks of taking it easy and a bit of a break from it all have kinda been cut short by about a week! The emails are piling up and the mayham of TiFF is looming way to heavy on my mind to be able to relax. I was up north at the cottage on the weekend and what usually is a 100% relaxing paddle along the shoreline, turned more into a frantic J-stroke to get back to my laptop and check emails and crap. There is only dial up at the cottage so Monday morning I took one last dive into the lake and headed back here to the city. The good ol days of "Be Real with JR DIGS" and having sixteen people on the crew working on the show with me are long gone. If Collin Farrell is climbing into the van for a interview when I begin shooting my second season from the van, well I guess it's going to be me who has to make sure everything gets set up with the publicist and the assistance and everyone else who needs to be contacted to make this happen. I need to make sure things happen this fall.

With just over a week to go before I start shooting new shows from the van again, I can't begin to explain how much I wish I had someone to help me book guest, act as a publicist or someone to be a bit of a segment producer over the ten days at TiFF in September. For the next three hours I will be calling and emailing peoples peoples people! I plan on shooting eight new shows over the ten days of TiFF and I will be on the red carpet every single night as well. I'll probably blog each and every day to keep you guys up to speed so stay tuned guys.

Now back to the glamorous life a guy who shoots his talkshow from a van! I've got three cameras, a fake plant, a half a tank of gas and yes....I'm JR DIGS, a man with a van!

"It's totally a good idea" says Patrick!

With The Toronto International Film Festival coming up again in a few weeks, I think I might actually need to recruit a few people to help out on the red carpets and stuff. There is a bunch of stuff I could need help and I definitely am looking for someone who may be able to help me set up interviews,be a segment producer and act as kind of a publicist at times.

With my new found credibility that last years Gemini nomination has given me as a talkshow host and television personality, I have been given press credentials again this year at TiFF which is awesome! That however, doesn't change the fact that this little one man circus act of mine can get a bit exhausting at times.

Patrick the co-op has been a big help since first pitching in as a volunteer, then a co-op student and these days as a 100% full time dude who actually gets paid to live this glamorous life I have introduced him to.(lol)

I'm looking forward to hearing from some of you who may be interested in volunteering from the 4th-13th of September at TiFF with me. Although I've never heard Patrick use the word "totally" I'm sure he would tell you just how "righteous" an idea it is to contact me about volunteering, especially for TIFF. Just so you know what fun times that may lead to, I've posted a bit of footage of Patrick here this week for you guys to check out.....

Dock Blogging...

I wish, it would be great if I could be out on the dock right now with the big bright full moon shining down over the lake while I quick update my blog from my laptop, but we only have dial up here at the cottage. It sucks, its so slow, but that's ok, I'm not here to spend my time on the internet, I just needed to check my email quick.

Most of my family is here right now which is cool. I wish I could spend an entire week up here kicking back, swimming, boating, sitting around the fire and doing nothing but taking a couple weeks off means getting out of the edit suite for a few weeks not stop working on stuff. I have to be back in the city by Wednesday it looks like.

Patrick the co-op student who is not actually just a co-op student any longer, is holding down the fort these days. The kid has turned out to be super reliable and a pretty good friggin editor. I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not but Patrick has turned all his hard work into a paid gig now. I gave him a bunch of stuff to work on while I am off and out of the loop these last couple weeks of the summer but maybe I'll tell him to pull some footage of himself and mash something together so you guys can see the kid in action. Look for me to post it sometime yet this week, maybe when I slide into the office on Wednesday.

K, it's time to go see if the beaver is swimming around somewhere out there or maybe challenge my sister and my mom to a game of battling tops. They are really crappy at battling tops!

Later guys, happy swimming.