Quiet on the set!
Early start to sort to low loader- type vehicle and first port of call is DKW Autos where Big Dave and Little Dave have sorted many a last minute hitch for us! They reckon a towable dolly which will tow the vehicle by its front wheels horizontally will do the job and Sol goes for a quick lesson in how to operate the thing! Need to sort food for tonight as the ever dwindling budget needs help wherever possible and Iceland come up trumps (cheers Kathy!). Production Office kitchen turns into a bap-buttering production line and Gill Williams (add “Head of Catering” to her list of acknowledgements) whips up a fine feast for all! First hitch of the night (these things are sent to try us!) is that the tyres on the towable dolly deflate. No foot pumps around so Gill (add chief mechanic too!) takes the tyres to a petrol station to pump ‘em up. Hook the Cherokee up and there are problems galore. The towing vehicle (Sol’s people carrier) is lighter than the jeep making towing difficult. Crew are asked to sit in the people carrier to add weight (it’s a good job we all ate so many of Gill’s sarnies).
However a bigger problem arises when we discover that we can’t tow the vehicle. Young Dave from DKW autos comes out to help (dressed in full biker leathers!) but we discover that the 4 wheel drive automatic can’t be towed, even in neutral, as the wheels lock. We need to drop this scene and move onto another scene involving DJ WORM (Mick) clinging to a set of aircraft step which are being driven by MAGIC (Lenny). Paul Barry again comes to our rescue with his low loader (and no we couldn’t use this earlier for the car stuff if that’s what you are thinking!!) transporting the steps from Liverpool Airport to us. Shoot some great stuff with the lads and steps and our next job is to create a mud bath for our 5 x Widnes Wool’s to muddy themselves up for the next scene!
A paddling pool and 2 sacks of top soil are put in place and Roy, Lucy, Peter and I set about filling the pool with every utensil we can find. This involves traipsing to the toilets at the National Bloodbank Toilets and filling our mop bucket, jugs, saucepans, washing up bowls etc etc. A couple of trips in (it’s a big pool!) and good old Roy finds a big plastic bin! Hurray!! That makes it our final trip and we get mixing the mud! Whilst mixing, our stand in make up lady (Suzanne) applies mud make up (supplied by Mersey TV!) to our wools faces and then our five brave lads (Michael Ledwich, Graham Mullen, Graham Hicks, Paddy Bleakly and Steven Hodgeson ) brave the cold mud (that’s showbiz) but they do it with a smile on their faces and treat me(!) to a muddy, bear-hug for asking them how cold it was (it was my good jacket too). Their scene is excellent, really, really funny and applause too for Tom O’Rourke our Unit Driver who plays a passing drunk convincingly and comically!
We then shoot Lenny and Mick’s specially composed song “Steps” pop promo stylie, razzing around the Business Park on a set of aircraft steps! Fabulous. We wrap at around 05.00am but hit a further hitch when it starts to rain and we have real trouble getting the aircraft steps and forklift truck back onto the low loader. The forklift keeps sliding off and even witn 5 x burly crew pushing we can’t get the thing on. Gill to the rescue again as she retrieves 2 mats from her car and puts then over the slippy tracks and with a hefty push and a big cheer, we get the forklift on. We leave at around 05:30 and head back to the office with the equipment. Saturday off and then a “Green Screen” studio day at Toxteth Tv on Sunday.
PS some crew and cast (our 5 x widnes wools) decided to pass the time waiting for their scene by, wait for it… skipping!! Gill (now entertainments’manager) whipped out an old tow rope from her boot and no sooner than you could say “I call in my very best friend” a cast and crew skipathon had commenced! (we have photographic evidence!) Top laugh. With best skipping awards being given to Lucy, Tom, Peter (happily recovered from his abcess!) and the Widnes Wools, who have definitely done it before!
Anyone for Double-dutch at the wrap party??
0 Responses to “Production notes”