Ringside seat...

[julesjones]

So, arrived at work today to find the on-street parking coned off all along the street. This turned out to be because the BBC were planning to use the street and surrounding area as an outdoor location for some new drama (I think) series, and the coned off parking was where they were going to put the vans carrying the umpty million tonnes of filming gear.

Half a dozen vans of various sizes arrived over the course of the morning, and kit was trolleyed off in various directions -- after being carefully swathed in plastic sheeting, because this is Manchester and there were showers. Thundery showers. There was, in fact, a glorious thunderstorm over lunchtime, complete with hailstones several millimetres across, which I am sure went down really well with the tech crew.

If you've ever watched Doctor Who Confidential, I can assure you that the quantity of tea consumed by tech crew on location is if anything underestimated. What Confidential doesn't show is the number of cigarettes also consumed. They'd also obviously found our local chippie.

Not a lot of actual acting seemed to be happening directly outside for most of the day, but by the time I wandered busward they'd set up camp in the local park, and acting in front of camera was in progress. There seemed to be a remarkable number of people involved given that only two of them were in front of the camera. There were a couple of little gazebo tents to keep the rain off things that needed to be kept dry, including some of the people. I was tempted to stop and watch, but it was getting late, and it's been a damp and somewhat cold day, so I headed off home. I think they were planning to pack up by 11 this evening, so I'm assuming that everything will be gone tomorrow. I await with interest the finished result, in which I shall doubtless fail to recognise the stuff I walk past every weekday.

Comments

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

All sounds fascinating :)

I remember one time wandering down York Street in Sydney wandering why there were so many cars when the roads were blocked off... till Sis pointed out that Australian taxis aren't yellow and don't have US numberplates. I can't recall what film it was we worked out they were substituting for an American city...

[gauroth.livejournal.com]

How interesting! I recall being unable to get anywhere near Durham Cathedral a few years ago, because they were filming a bit of 'Arry Potter. All the roads were clogged with vans and with sinister black cables. So odd having all this 21st century Stuff in a Mediaeval site!

[yourbob.livejournal.com]

You're lucky. "My Blue Heaven" filmed for a couple weeks in my preferred grocery store and pet shop. Weirdly they filmed only once during the day and the rest at night. The interiors were all done at night so you could shop in the movie sets for awhile. Despite that, they took over have the shopping center parking for all that time.