*Takes a very deep breath*
Feb. 22nd, 2007 08:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gothams3rdrobinI have spent just over the last twenty-four hours trying my hardest not to melt in a puddle of squee!
Yesterday, Tim and I took Rowan and his best friend Isaac out for the day, to the bowling alley down Cardiff Bay. Isaac won by a respectible margin, and was in the lead from the very first round, so the fact he decided to copy Rowan in using the special bowling slide about three rounds in was irrelevant.
After the game, we headed into the Bay to get something to eat, followed by some ice cream. I have pictures of the day, which I will post in a separate entry.
However....
While walking the distance between the leisure complex and the Millennium Centre, Tim spotted some vans from the company commonly used by the Doctor Who production crew. This made him curious. After we'd eaten, we took the kids to go look at the Water Tower, which had by this time been switched on so the water was cascading. The vans were still there and there was a crew setting up what turned out to be a crane-camera. A few friends of Tim's were there as well, waiting for them to get started.
This resulted in some mild squeeing on my part, and a desperate phone call to my Mam to ask if she would watch Rowan for a few hours once we'd dropped Isaac at home, so we could come back and watch the filming. I won't go into the arrangements we ultimately made, but we made it back within about an hour, by which time they were minutes away from starting filming.
So...the scene we saw was located on Roald Dahl Plass, and involved these three characters;
For those of you not paying attention in class, that's The Doctor, Martha and Captain Jack Harkness!!!!
*squees some more*
The scene they were filming was when Jack says goodbye to them and returns to Torchwood - at a run! *grins* I won't elaborate any more than that at this point, but oh my fucking god! It's looking to be a fan-bloody-tastic scene.
We watched them film it several times, partially for alternate angles, and once because one of the audience accidentally got in the shot while John was running for the Water Tower.
Some more snaps from the location, taken entirely between each filming incase I disturbed them somehow;
These have been cropped within Paint Shop as my camera takes photos at desktop-picture size so, while the originals were nice and clear, these have degraded somewhat. Though you can see what I was aiming for. Would have been nice to be able to get closer though.
Once that was done, David and Freema scarpered off for their tea, while John hung around for a few minutes more to do a quick interview for BBC Three's 'Doctor Who Confidential'. While he was doing this, the crew packed up in order to move the filming inside the Millennium Centre. And who should also turn up at this point? John Sim from Life On Mars! We saw them film his scene about eight times, the director never quite seeming happy with it - I think he wanted something more than the extras playing journalists were giving, but again I don't want to spoil it any more. Couldn't take any pictures as we were indoors and the flash would have been a problem.
While there, we heard that there was another shoot scheduled for today, at the Malfa Shopping Centre. Which is just down the road from me! So we headed out there this morning, though we had Rowan in tow this time, to check it out. We saw David, John and Freema again - much to everyone's delight - and watched them film a very interesting scene in the forecourt by the bus-stop. Which must have been tricky as the buses were still running past. I just hope the bus wasn't in shot as it would be glaringly obvious they weren't where-ever it is they were supposed to be! *grins*
Couldn't stay long, as Rowan got bored and didn't like having to be silent (what five year old does, even with some of his favourite tv characters in front of him?). However, when we waited for the bus, we were right alongside the spot where John and Freema were keeping out of the camera's sight, so I was a metre away from John Barrowman for about ten minutes! *squees some more!*
I get very tense when I'm at filming locations though - possibly a throwback to when I studied media production myself and no-one pays any attention to the teenagers with the video camera, or they decide to disrupt the shot. If anyone spoke above a whisper near me while cameras were rolling, I'd be turning to glare at them. Sometimes even when they whispered! lol! At one point yesterday, some stupid teenage girls approached the Plas from the bridge and one of them yelled "I want him to marry me!!" *facepalms* And this morning, there were several incidents that really got my goat; one woman took a photo while they were filming, and either hadn't managed to switch her flash off or had completely ignored the request from the crew not five minutes before that there be no flash photography while cameras were rolling. Then, during the second run-through of the scene, some stupid twat started calling out from one of the balconies of the council flats above the shopping centre. Several of us peered out from under the shelter (it was pouring with rain) to see who it was and glare at him; it was one of the council's cleaners!! *sporks him*
We tried to get back to see more after taking Rowan to our GP for his last set of innoculations (I'm behind 'cause I found it awkward to get to the clinic with my working hours) but they were still setting up for the next shot and Rowan just wasn't prepared to hang around. Though apparently Tim managed to see some more on his way home this evening, so I'm looking forward to hearing in detail what he saw.
Aaaahhhh! *grins* I can't wait for the series to start now!!
Yesterday, Tim and I took Rowan and his best friend Isaac out for the day, to the bowling alley down Cardiff Bay. Isaac won by a respectible margin, and was in the lead from the very first round, so the fact he decided to copy Rowan in using the special bowling slide about three rounds in was irrelevant.
After the game, we headed into the Bay to get something to eat, followed by some ice cream. I have pictures of the day, which I will post in a separate entry.
However....
While walking the distance between the leisure complex and the Millennium Centre, Tim spotted some vans from the company commonly used by the Doctor Who production crew. This made him curious. After we'd eaten, we took the kids to go look at the Water Tower, which had by this time been switched on so the water was cascading. The vans were still there and there was a crew setting up what turned out to be a crane-camera. A few friends of Tim's were there as well, waiting for them to get started.
This resulted in some mild squeeing on my part, and a desperate phone call to my Mam to ask if she would watch Rowan for a few hours once we'd dropped Isaac at home, so we could come back and watch the filming. I won't go into the arrangements we ultimately made, but we made it back within about an hour, by which time they were minutes away from starting filming.
So...the scene we saw was located on Roald Dahl Plass, and involved these three characters;
For those of you not paying attention in class, that's The Doctor, Martha and Captain Jack Harkness!!!!
*squees some more*
The scene they were filming was when Jack says goodbye to them and returns to Torchwood - at a run! *grins* I won't elaborate any more than that at this point, but oh my fucking god! It's looking to be a fan-bloody-tastic scene.
We watched them film it several times, partially for alternate angles, and once because one of the audience accidentally got in the shot while John was running for the Water Tower.
Some more snaps from the location, taken entirely between each filming incase I disturbed them somehow;
These have been cropped within Paint Shop as my camera takes photos at desktop-picture size so, while the originals were nice and clear, these have degraded somewhat. Though you can see what I was aiming for. Would have been nice to be able to get closer though.
Once that was done, David and Freema scarpered off for their tea, while John hung around for a few minutes more to do a quick interview for BBC Three's 'Doctor Who Confidential'. While he was doing this, the crew packed up in order to move the filming inside the Millennium Centre. And who should also turn up at this point? John Sim from Life On Mars! We saw them film his scene about eight times, the director never quite seeming happy with it - I think he wanted something more than the extras playing journalists were giving, but again I don't want to spoil it any more. Couldn't take any pictures as we were indoors and the flash would have been a problem.
While there, we heard that there was another shoot scheduled for today, at the Malfa Shopping Centre. Which is just down the road from me! So we headed out there this morning, though we had Rowan in tow this time, to check it out. We saw David, John and Freema again - much to everyone's delight - and watched them film a very interesting scene in the forecourt by the bus-stop. Which must have been tricky as the buses were still running past. I just hope the bus wasn't in shot as it would be glaringly obvious they weren't where-ever it is they were supposed to be! *grins*
Couldn't stay long, as Rowan got bored and didn't like having to be silent (what five year old does, even with some of his favourite tv characters in front of him?). However, when we waited for the bus, we were right alongside the spot where John and Freema were keeping out of the camera's sight, so I was a metre away from John Barrowman for about ten minutes! *squees some more!*
I get very tense when I'm at filming locations though - possibly a throwback to when I studied media production myself and no-one pays any attention to the teenagers with the video camera, or they decide to disrupt the shot. If anyone spoke above a whisper near me while cameras were rolling, I'd be turning to glare at them. Sometimes even when they whispered! lol! At one point yesterday, some stupid teenage girls approached the Plas from the bridge and one of them yelled "I want him to marry me!!" *facepalms* And this morning, there were several incidents that really got my goat; one woman took a photo while they were filming, and either hadn't managed to switch her flash off or had completely ignored the request from the crew not five minutes before that there be no flash photography while cameras were rolling. Then, during the second run-through of the scene, some stupid twat started calling out from one of the balconies of the council flats above the shopping centre. Several of us peered out from under the shelter (it was pouring with rain) to see who it was and glare at him; it was one of the council's cleaners!! *sporks him*
We tried to get back to see more after taking Rowan to our GP for his last set of innoculations (I'm behind 'cause I found it awkward to get to the clinic with my working hours) but they were still setting up for the next shot and Rowan just wasn't prepared to hang around. Though apparently Tim managed to see some more on his way home this evening, so I'm looking forward to hearing in detail what he saw.
Aaaahhhh! *grins* I can't wait for the series to start now!!
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no subject
Date: 2007-02-22 08:47 pm (UTC)EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*twirls you*
no subject
Date: 2007-02-22 08:49 pm (UTC)I KNOW!!!!
no subject
Date: 2007-02-22 08:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-22 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-22 09:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-22 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-22 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-22 09:11 pm (UTC)As long as you stay behind the established line, and don't make any noise while the cameras are rolling, all's cool.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-22 09:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-22 09:09 pm (UTC)Stoopid people are, unfortunately, an occupational hazard. However, it would be awful if we lost the opportunity to hang out and watch the shoots because the Stoopid were overly so.
*is still squeeing oh so much!*
no subject
Date: 2007-02-23 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-23 09:07 pm (UTC)Right now I'm watching the penultimate episode of David Tennant's first season (I love the video library my cable tv provider has!). I was hoping I'd see Ianto from Torchwood, but alas my memory was faulty and he wasn't actually in this episode. *sighs* They merely use what happens as part of his back story.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-19 10:01 pm (UTC)John Simm makes me suspicious, because The Independent reported that he was cast to play the Master in series 3...so if he was actually on set and filming...maybe the rumours are true? I'm not sure whether I should get excited about that prospect or just really really confused...I have seen the TV movie! The Master is dead I tell you! Dead!
In conclusion, I wish I was you. *growls*
no subject
Date: 2007-03-19 10:09 pm (UTC)We were very lucky to have been in the area at the time - and able to arrange a last minute babysitter. It was so worth it!
I've heard that rumour too. It should be interesting to see what actually happens. I will tell you John Simm has something to do with The Saxon, which is the phrase they're sprinkling through this season, the way they did 'Bad Wolf' and those endless - and sometimes unnecessary - Torchwood references. Heck, The Saxon even got a mention in the pilot of The Sarah Jane Adventures!
And yeah, Cardiff can be very pretty - the Bay makes me very happy at the moment - though its all changing. Half the town centre's pretty much being demolished to make way for a new shopping complex, so a lot of what was familiar to me is just rubble now. Before long half the landscape you see in Torchwood won't be there anymore! *chuckles*
no subject
Date: 2007-03-19 10:16 pm (UTC)I'm uneasy about this. Bad Wolf was something clever and unique. The Torchwood thing was amusing because all the old fans were thinking 'ahhh, we've seen this before, how marvellous'. But in my experience, when great minds like RTD start maxing out on the 'story arc' idea, everything falls into the over-complicated pit of weirdity that was Angel Season 4.
I noticed that they were doing some smashing when I went. Is it just me, or are those pillar thingies outisde the Millenium Centre gone? I don't want them to change it! I want to be able to prance around Cardiff as it was in Boom Town in my lovely scarf...I don't want a massive shopping centre...*whimpers*
no subject
Date: 2007-03-19 10:23 pm (UTC)I don't think the pillars are gone. They did have to redo the flooring up the Plass though - it's a kind of fake sand/gravel thing now, rather than the gorgeous weathered planks.
I don't think too much of the city as shown in Boom Town's been changed *grin* It's mostly the bottom end, down where Toys R Us and the ice rink used to be. Though St David's Market is no more....*sighs* At least it got immortalised in it's glory last season...even if it was that daft episode with Peter Kay.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-19 10:29 pm (UTC)Hmmph. I liked the weathered planks. These people are foolish. Not like us. ^-~
If I were Julie Gardener or another of the DW inner circle, I would bonk RTD on the head and tell him not to be so silly.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-19 10:53 pm (UTC)And let's not even mention the appalling joke at the end regarding the paving slab - wholly aside from the fact I can't believe the Doctor would actually do that....it's something not even crack-fic would get away with!