Wednesday 4th August- Tuesday 10th August
Now we're back at Canal Road (our production base) where we have built the dance studio set. Audition sequences and Sean (Adam Garcia) meeting Linda (Sophie Lee) for the first time.

I had a chance to ask Adam, Sophie and Sam their best and worst memories of the film. For Adam the best was learning to use the lathe, the worst, "stand-by in a Newcastle hotel room!". He also commented that he was better fed than in the theatre. Sam said he'll have very memories of his fellow Bootmen.

He will also remember the horror of multiple "Takes" which he thought, diminished his spontaneity. Sophie was pre-occupied with her dancing ability - or lack of it! Her happiest moment - making her "diabolical" dancing work as a plus for the picture. Her worst moment, "watching the sheer genius of the other dancers showing her up time and time again."

Planning is under way for the second unit shoot next week and the Wrap Party on Saturday is getting serious attention. Great excitement - we're gettng Justine Clarke's (Kim) band. The Wardrobe and Art Department's are holding sales of costumes and props. "Boots" are heavily in demand, also the snazzy blue and orange jackets worn by the cast at BHP. William Zappa (Walter) and David Lee (Sound Recordist) are sharing the wood from the dance studio floor! No takers yet for stainless steel loos!

Many visitors to the set this week and press interviews for leading cast and crew. The buzz around town is very strong for Bootmen.

The final week
Well, we're through. Even as I write, Dein is winging his way down the Newcastle coastline completing our helicopter coverage for the opening sequence. Dein had storyboarded the sequence, allowing four minutes. When the journey took eigt minutes he decided he must have, in his head, been travelling in a stealth bomber.

It's been a very busy week completing final scenes and picking up shots that we missed along the way. We shot Adam's last dance sequence at White Bay. I had a visit from the founder of Adam's website. She told me he has 30,000 "hits" on his home page and she has gathered over 250 photographs of him for the site. Told me there is extraordinary interest in his career.

Many of the crew have become a little sad. There is regret that after such an intense experience it is all going to dissipate and dissolve and most of us will be going our separate ways.

I travelled up to Newcastle to be present for Adam's final shot - arrival at the Civic Theatre. There was spontaneous applause at the conclusion of his very special performance and our small second unit crew adjourned to the pub for a debrief before heading back to Sydney. Crew plans are very varied, ranging from "North Queensland to veg out", "play with the puppy", "London and Venice", "prosthetics on Moulin Rouge", to "back looking after the kids".

Our wrap party was a huge success finishing at 5am. Red, white and blue balloons all over the ceiling (the Newcastle Knights colours). An excellent goof tape was screened.

I asked members of the crew how they had found working with Dein.
"He listened and learned",
"He was so quick",
"He got on well with everybody - great leadership qualities",
"Could talk to anyone",
"Had technical know-how",
"Never afraid to ask for help",
"Breathtaking talent with the tap sequences - he choreographed so quickly",
"Gained in confidence every day",
"Knew what he wanted",
"Lots of laughs - lovely bloke",
"My favourite director".
And Dein's final words to the crew, "Thanks for teaching me".

Website comment - Well I wonder who the website founder mentioned above could be?
This is the final Bootmen Diary - but check out the interview that I did with Hilary Linstead - Producer of Bootmen and the writer of the Bootmen Diaries, when I visited the Bootmen Production Office.
Find out what it was like working with Adam and what Hilary thinks of his abilities.