The shoot represented the bulk of live action filming for the project and was quite a task, logistically, mentally and physically. Four days and three nights in Llanberis, filming Cursed Earth scenes at Dinorwic slate quarry. The location has had it's fair share of film crews and was recently used for the remake of 'Clash of The Titans'.
We had a great deal to and fit in if we were to make the most of this superb location. Thanks again to the people at First Hydro Power Station for allowing us to film on their private property.
The day before the main cast arrived we scheduled a couple of simple scenes, to warm us up. The mountatin gave us a tiny taste of it's fury, but we naively thought (probably just me) that we'd hopefully seen the worst of it. The next day we were given a boost by the arrival of the 'Mutants'. After first calling off at the 2000AD Nerve Centre "to show them what they needed to be doing", John Burdis arrived along with a number of cast regulars.
We had some rough ideas for the Mutant Gang, but we were completely reliant on the actors who arrived on the day. This was possibly the only bit of good luck we had, as all the actors quickly found a character to fit with their costume and began adding depth and history to the gang. So when 'action!' was eventually called most people already had an idea how their character would act without the need for detailed direction.
Conditions for the next couple of days were grueling with regular wind and rain showers. Despite this we were completely blown away by the professionalism and enthusiasm shown. I couldn't get over how 'happy' everyone seemed hanging around for hours, to spend only a few moments in front of the camera, usually whilst freezing cold and wet. The majority of people had also traveled a great distance for the privilege.
Dale Jackson and David Rigby produced some very convincing work allowing us more freedom with their characters. Mark Watson's measured body language and movement worked perfectly with his character. In contrast Guy Robbins' performance was a real scene stealer. After a stressful couple of days I honestly hurt myself laughing so hard at his disturbingly funny performance. Without exception every actor produced something great for the camera.
Dan created some superb 'hero' props especially for the shoot and put together some crazy costumes for the Mutant gang. John Burdis also gave some very useful military advice on weapons props as well as doubling for Minty in some of the more 'dangerous' scenes.
As usual Edmund Dehn's performance was faultless in some very uncomfortable conditions. Catching a glimpse of Edmund's work on the playback was a real tonic. Amazing work from Steve Green under some ridiculous weather conditions and a very stressful schedule. I was amazed by the footage he managed to capture under the circumstances. A number of people commented on how harsh the landscape looked on the dailies. No CGI - just good old fashioned 'orrible weather.
Once again, well done everyone.
wow - well done...strangely enough, i used to go on holiday there as kid! crazy place...looking forward to the results!
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