images

L1

Another scene here showing a child playground. The camera is supposed to be really low (to make everything look huge) and was tracked through a pre cut hole in the floor. We had to work out a way of temporarily covering the hole prior to the camera tracking through. As the track curved this required special elastic band releases to allow the pre cut grass to fall away during the track.

L2

Another shot showing the initial apartment. All the props were marked and stuck in position to prevent them being moved during the effects filming.

M1

Our lead actor, on a safety wire, descends the perspective stairs. Behind him, doubles or look-alikes are positioned around the stairs. Tracking points are placed on the background cyclorama to aid the insertion of more stairs and look-alikes in postproduction. The cameraman, wearing a head cam, follows our actor down the stairs. With the exposed empty tank being concrete and eight feet deep, safety was paramount and anyone near the edges or on stairs was wired. Next Photo: A special 'lightweight' pile of books were made and stuck together, with a hole to see through. The schoolchild met our actress at the base of the stairs and led her through another door. The books were made with poly board with the covers stuck on afterwards.

R1

Here the corridor can be seen prior to filming. It was forty feet long and diminished to just four feet high at the end. A channel was made within the floor to allow room for the camerawoman wearing a headcam, this was later blacked out so it couldn't be seen in the final film.

R2

The opening scene showing the initial computer with the first door behind. Both the computer and door were shot separately. As the camera zooms in, the computer monitor morph's into the lower door panel (which has been made to the same proportions). This then forms the first part of a jigsaw door (not shown), which grows into the final door (as seen). The jigsaw door was filmed stop frame and also in situ so it matched the final door position. The end result was a computer that formed itself into a door, which was used at the beginning and end of the trail.

R3

Kate Melua, some of the 'Archers' cast, Djsanj and Judge Jules all had to squeeze into my long diminishing corridor. Being only four feet high at the end, it required some careful choreography to get the camerawoman through to the end where the next door was.

R4

An initial plan showing how the computer transforms into all the doors. Sketches like these are very useful to check with all concerned what I'm proposing to build before we start spending serious money!

R5

Another initial sketch. Whilst creating this I thought it would be very useful to use a stage with an existing water tank as it would give me an extra level of stairs and provide more interesting perspective for the shot.

R6

The final scale model. It was virtually impossible to draw this set up so I created this model to measure and do my construction drawings with. It was also useful to show the construction crew so all had a clear idea of what was being built. It's a bit ironic that whenever these are made, they are required by the clients for meetings and at the same time, we need them to build with.

R7

One of the scale drawings created from the model above. Each team of carpenters was given their own set of stairs to build. The unlucky ones got the perspective stairs.

R8

Mid way through the build. The background, hanging stairs, were made from polystyrene and hung from wires. The tower in the background gives a good indication of the size of the set.

R9

Looking down at the set from the camera POV. The green wall left and right would be superimposed with the previous set (the apartment) together with the first door. Here there is a good view of the perspective stairs leading down to the next scene. The scale model can be seen on the stairs at the bottom left.