Signed up John Battsek today

Franny Armstrong
Location
Bus back from Tottenham Court Rd
Mood
Very excited. Toes tapping
Soundtrack
Inane mobile phone conversations all around
Ailments
None
Date
20.05.04
Current crisis
18,000 pound debt on credit cards & overdrafts
Current silver lining
We have a Producer

Two years have passed since thinking of the idea for the film. Been busy finishing Drowned Out and making a DVD of McLibel.

Signed up John Battsek today. I've had my eye on him to be the Producer of the Traffic/Oil doc since I heard him talk at something or other a year or two ago, where he told the whole story of how he went to the movies to see 'When We Were Kings', walked out wanting to make a feature doc, thought it may as well be sport cos he loves it, walked by a poster with the word 'Munich', remembered the Munich Olympics of 1972, made doc, won Oscar. Plus he was scruffy, swore a lot and said that the idea was everything.

So I went and gave him the one-minute pitch. It's Traffic, except it's oil instead of drugs and documentary instead of fiction. He said, and I quote, "Love it. Let's do it."

Fantastic to have a proper industry type person on board. Bit worried about his green Nike socks and the fact that he wore his sunglasses throughout lunch in the shade. But I think we could be a great team.