Pictures from the filming of "The Idiots Lantern".

Read from the bottom up!

Monday 12 January 2009

Various Dr Who Pictures from "The Idiots Lantern".

First days filming, an early shot but filmed late in the day. This picture was purchased on e-bay all other taken by me!
The Magpie Shop before the BBC got their hands on it.


The mock control room, built in the back rooms of Cardiff City Hospital.
The van from the iron stairs leading to the radio mast.
The Doctor and the real Star!
The van parked ready for the Doctor to run past.
Setting up the shot for the Doctor and the boy to run to the studio.
The director (orange lined jacket) giving orders!
The Star relaxing between takes.
Very poor picture of an hydrolic platform used to spray 1000's of gallons of water from on high to simulate rain. As water is clear the camera cannot pick it up very well, so you need much more, a torrant on film will look like a drizzle.  Sometimes they add milk powder to the water so it shows up better, uses less water but actors and item get discoloured.
Getting ready for the rain/night opening shot, note the flood lamps has been covered with plastic.
Ron Cook posing with the van he has just driven round and round the block with five crew on board.
Posing again, more relaxed this time as it all went well.
The crew fitting interior lights and mounting camera's/microphones into the van.
A get away shot that was deleted from the episode.
Ron now very proud at the wheel of his trusty vehicle.
The shop transformed.
How do they do it all, so quickly, you would think it was all real.
David doing his dry run,pacing out his run into the camera.
The van side lined as not wanted in the shot of David running out of the shop.
Resetting the van, so Ron could run out of the shop, jump into the van and make a quick getaway. It was me driving the van, Ron only closed the door.
Tweaking the shot again.
Trial set up. Note the road markings, to remove them the BBC put down loose stone chipping over them and even sprayed them with water based paints to blend them in to the rest of the road surface.
The art director in grey coat admires his teams work in making the shop, it was him that wanted a J type, they had cast a Blue Ford originally as Mr Magpies van, but he changed his mind, lucky for me.
The finished shop front.
7.15 a.m. at base camp, waiting for the off to filming site.
The finished Tardis located for the first shot.
The back of the Tardis showing how the scooter came through it.
Dry run, the first meeting of the Dr,Rose and Magpie.
Opening shot of the boys removing a T.V. from the back of the van.
2nd director, shows Ron Cook where to stand.
Rose doing her first shot, dressed in 1950's, awaiting the Dr's big entrance.
Director,Dr and Rose chat about the scooter shot.
Same again, we all had coats on as it was so cold, just above freezing, filmed early February, but we had to pretend it was summer.
The Tardis having been built is pushed to the right location.
The street transformed.
The Tardis assembled and needs touching up after its travels.
The street being cleared and the period vehicles, hired locally are in posistion.
One of the hired traffic wardens. Although the whole street has been hired, the residents paid to vacate early and not to park in the road, just in case a stray modern car was parked, the traffic warden would then issue a ticket and half an hour later the car would be towed away.
It was costing a lot to hire the street, compensation paid to some house owners, most houses were fitted with dummy sash windows to cover up the modern double glazing units fitted.
Send us an e-mail if you would like a set of 50 behind the scenes pictures, the above are just a selection. rolyjb@yahoo.co.uk cost £10 inc p+p