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Ok another story from the vaults of horror.
When Rawhead had long finished production in Wicklow until suddenyl there was a post production call for something called 'Bluescreen'.
Yes now it's green but then it was blue.
It was a brand new thing (that was going to take all our jobs one day).
So up until this point my role was mainly to wear the top half of the 'working costume' (there were 3 types) so that cameramen could get light readings, people could measure etc etc. Seriously it was like having a smelly rubber duvet on you and people genuinely would forget and leave me hours. I was still a kid fresh out of the army and to be frank carrying my own bodyweight for hours without being shouted at was like a holiday. In fact the grips called me "mule". Whatever shit job there was I could do it until they felt sorry watching me and stopped me out of pity.
Anyway. In the whole thing I never did anything that to my knowledge was used in the film. I worked for the FX company (Coast to Coast Ltd) as a skivvy. So I was a handler for the creature basically and a tech stand in. Even to stand on a set in costume you have to be a stunt performer or an actor. I'd never acted in anything but I did have Equity provisional membership. They could have hung the thing on a plank if it wasn't for the unions.
So we get this call for a bluescreen shoot. It's in Covent Garden (wooo) and Heinrich had gone back to Germany months ago, it was my big moment. I have to say it was like a film in itself. At our workshop the director and producers came in (turning their noses up at the chemical reek and the full zombie in the toilet etc) and there honestly was a totally non-ironic conversation going ;
"My Gaaaad! it will cost a fortune getting Heinrich back! Even more to find a replacement! But our hands are tied by Equity! I mean IF ONLY there was someone who could stand in. Christ imagine if we had a person who already had worn the gear and knew the moves and...etc etc"
You get the drift. Went on for hours. And I was so young and thick I was going 'yeah wow what a dilemma'. Idiot. Anyway naturally someone twigged but you can tell how far down the food chain I was. I mean I stood, sat, leapt and even slept in that thing as well as looked after it for nearly 4 months and no-one noticed.
So we go to the studio and the deal is I wear the last remaining 'action suit' and they film ONE SHOT. Basically I have to squat, loads of muck is shovelled on me and then I leap up and go RAAA. I mean we are talking 4 or 5 seconds of screen time.
It took 2 days. And a day in films is 7am until midnight. All I did. Squat, shit shovelled... RAAAA.
"No...do it again."
I never got any direction. They never said 'once more with more RAAA'. I since learned it was more to do with working with new tech than anything.
SO.
Day 2 and being covered (and it's covered) with muck and I smell basically like a rugby boot. Not a football boot. A RUGBY boot. A 6ft boot. THe costume is porous. So it's absorbed the muck. The 'action suit' has an under-skull (modelled by me in the workshop pics) that has a double set of teeth that open and close as well as glowing red eyes. My timid suggestion that the eyes didn't need to be plugged in in such bright conditions was of course ignored.
Red eye are battery powered. Battery is 1985 battery pack. Pack is worn around my waist. Batteries sit on my arse.
I've explained you can't see out of it. Not 'restricted vision' I mean you are blind. Heninrich wasn't. It was made to a mould of his enormous body and head. He could see a bit out of the mouth if he lifted his head right up. On me? nothing.
So 2 days of manure (bear in mind the suit had been outdoors for months) and squatting and leaping and doing it for the first time in a BOILING HOT studio... in a nutshell the battery pack corroded but the net result was that my arse caught fire. The outer costume first (it had 3 layers). Then the latex.
Apparently the dampness made it very smoky.
Thing is I am being pushed about all the time in this thing and I am deaf and blind. 'The Mule' could not tell the difference between the daily pushing and shouting and the 'get away from the lights you are on fire' type of pushing and shouting.
Suddenly I click something is wrong as there is a sharp pain in my crevice. It's melting rubber seeking shelter.
At this point I was told the flames were entirely up my legs and back.
Now I was shown footage. As a waggish camera operator filmed it all.
Bear in mind also the hands. They are massive gloves. Double layered. I cannot do anything for myself even if I wanted to. Everything costs a fortune. I can't get out of the thing if I wasn't already told I'd be fired if I tried.
So the footage shows a monster with it arse on fire. It's big waggly head and even more waggly hands flapping about being chased by about 10 people with various buckets, extinguishers and cameras who no matter how close they get to attacking the flames find the monster moves or runs just as they get to him.
Round and round he goes. Like a cheap horror Benny Hill routine.
Eventually a couple of sparkies just grab jackets and leap on me. Then they can hose me down.
Yes I know. If there was any way human or monsterly possible to get the footage I would put it up but sadly...
You'll have to use your imaginations.
When Rawhead had long finished production in Wicklow until suddenyl there was a post production call for something called 'Bluescreen'.
Yes now it's green but then it was blue.
It was a brand new thing (that was going to take all our jobs one day).
So up until this point my role was mainly to wear the top half of the 'working costume' (there were 3 types) so that cameramen could get light readings, people could measure etc etc. Seriously it was like having a smelly rubber duvet on you and people genuinely would forget and leave me hours. I was still a kid fresh out of the army and to be frank carrying my own bodyweight for hours without being shouted at was like a holiday. In fact the grips called me "mule". Whatever shit job there was I could do it until they felt sorry watching me and stopped me out of pity.
Anyway. In the whole thing I never did anything that to my knowledge was used in the film. I worked for the FX company (Coast to Coast Ltd) as a skivvy. So I was a handler for the creature basically and a tech stand in. Even to stand on a set in costume you have to be a stunt performer or an actor. I'd never acted in anything but I did have Equity provisional membership. They could have hung the thing on a plank if it wasn't for the unions.
So we get this call for a bluescreen shoot. It's in Covent Garden (wooo) and Heinrich had gone back to Germany months ago, it was my big moment. I have to say it was like a film in itself. At our workshop the director and producers came in (turning their noses up at the chemical reek and the full zombie in the toilet etc) and there honestly was a totally non-ironic conversation going ;
"My Gaaaad! it will cost a fortune getting Heinrich back! Even more to find a replacement! But our hands are tied by Equity! I mean IF ONLY there was someone who could stand in. Christ imagine if we had a person who already had worn the gear and knew the moves and...etc etc"
You get the drift. Went on for hours. And I was so young and thick I was going 'yeah wow what a dilemma'. Idiot. Anyway naturally someone twigged but you can tell how far down the food chain I was. I mean I stood, sat, leapt and even slept in that thing as well as looked after it for nearly 4 months and no-one noticed.
So we go to the studio and the deal is I wear the last remaining 'action suit' and they film ONE SHOT. Basically I have to squat, loads of muck is shovelled on me and then I leap up and go RAAA. I mean we are talking 4 or 5 seconds of screen time.
It took 2 days. And a day in films is 7am until midnight. All I did. Squat, shit shovelled... RAAAA.
"No...do it again."
I never got any direction. They never said 'once more with more RAAA'. I since learned it was more to do with working with new tech than anything.
SO.
Day 2 and being covered (and it's covered) with muck and I smell basically like a rugby boot. Not a football boot. A RUGBY boot. A 6ft boot. THe costume is porous. So it's absorbed the muck. The 'action suit' has an under-skull (modelled by me in the workshop pics) that has a double set of teeth that open and close as well as glowing red eyes. My timid suggestion that the eyes didn't need to be plugged in in such bright conditions was of course ignored.
Red eye are battery powered. Battery is 1985 battery pack. Pack is worn around my waist. Batteries sit on my arse.
I've explained you can't see out of it. Not 'restricted vision' I mean you are blind. Heninrich wasn't. It was made to a mould of his enormous body and head. He could see a bit out of the mouth if he lifted his head right up. On me? nothing.
So 2 days of manure (bear in mind the suit had been outdoors for months) and squatting and leaping and doing it for the first time in a BOILING HOT studio... in a nutshell the battery pack corroded but the net result was that my arse caught fire. The outer costume first (it had 3 layers). Then the latex.
Apparently the dampness made it very smoky.
Thing is I am being pushed about all the time in this thing and I am deaf and blind. 'The Mule' could not tell the difference between the daily pushing and shouting and the 'get away from the lights you are on fire' type of pushing and shouting.
Suddenly I click something is wrong as there is a sharp pain in my crevice. It's melting rubber seeking shelter.
At this point I was told the flames were entirely up my legs and back.
Now I was shown footage. As a waggish camera operator filmed it all.
Bear in mind also the hands. They are massive gloves. Double layered. I cannot do anything for myself even if I wanted to. Everything costs a fortune. I can't get out of the thing if I wasn't already told I'd be fired if I tried.
So the footage shows a monster with it arse on fire. It's big waggly head and even more waggly hands flapping about being chased by about 10 people with various buckets, extinguishers and cameras who no matter how close they get to attacking the flames find the monster moves or runs just as they get to him.
Round and round he goes. Like a cheap horror Benny Hill routine.
Eventually a couple of sparkies just grab jackets and leap on me. Then they can hose me down.
Yes I know. If there was any way human or monsterly possible to get the footage I would put it up but sadly...
You'll have to use your imaginations.
