A New Week

Back to filming for me, Tuesday went very well and director bloke, Mark has many good shots. We also managed not to drown Kerwin in a little boat on the fast flowing and very deep river Dee. Kerwin, who has never been in a boat before, had to row to the middle of the river, put the oars away and place a binliner wrapped corpse on top of himself before letting the boat drift downstream. He did really well and didn't freak out too much when he found out his safety net was me with a bit of rope, and the drysuit under his clothes of course - we're not that mental.

While we were getting the boat ready the rest of the team went off to film Pat and Scott throw the wrapped corpse off a high bridge over a river, that (judging by Scott's behind the scenes footage) went very well and looked pretty funny.

What's left of my brain needs some sleep so I'll not write that much and put pictures on instead.



Scott Ironside and Patrick Wight, (lead actors) finding another stiff


Me, filling a bottle of bleed


Me, making up the back of the van for my impact


Me, post impact (blood looks very red but thats the flash apparently)


Mark Wyness, (who has taken these photos) with a screwdriver in his head

End of week one (for me)

First stint of filming over for me just now. Some of the crew and cast are out over the weekend filming which gives me time to get the props and costumes for next week ready. I'm also filming the 'making of' of the movie so I'll have to get my head round Final Cut pro this weekend, should be fun and I'm looking forward to it.

Yesterdays filming was pretty intense, we covered 2 deaths at 2 different locations and got some great stuff from the leads - Scott Ironside and Patrick Wight, they were whacking each other about and bouncing off the van by the final takes, so I don't know how sore they are today. I got to stick a screwdriver appliance in Mark Wyness's head and squirt blood out of it, more fun and more strawberry jam smelling actors. (photos to follow soon)

If anyone is interested in my recipe for fake blood it is as follows:-

To make 2 litres (2. 1 quarts)

1 tin Golden (or Karo) syrup

food colouring - 3 bottles red, 3 yellow (75ml bottles/2.5 fluid ounces). Sometimes more yellow is required for digital work as the blood will appear pink.

Strawberry or vanilla flavouring - 1 teaspoon (depending on taste - if being used in mouth)

washing up liquid - 5 drops approx (helps the sticky crap wash off)

Milk (vary amount to requirement)

Warm water - about 1 litre (38 fluid ounces) depending on how thick you want blood

Instructions:- (note. unless you have a really big measuring jug you may need to do 2 loads to fill your container)

Using a suitable large measuring jug first pour half of the syrup in then half of the colouring, mix slowly with a metal spoon (unless you want a red wooden one) and add some warm water. Repeat until you have the consistency and colour you require (remember klingons have purple blood). Now put the jug with the mixture in a microwave (plastic or glass jugs only) for 30 seconds (or sit in bowl of hot water until syrup has mixed with water).

Once the mixture has been warmed mix it again until colour is even then add washing up liquid and flavouring if required. Add some milk if you need more opaque blood - it makes it more arterial (remember to get rid of unused blood at end of each day though as it will stink). I find the best container for the blood is a vacuum flask or thermos, many plastic bottles have crap tops and leak, you really don't want that.

The colour can be deepened or adjusted throughout the process so check it works ok, I usually pour some on my hand to check consistency.

Wasn't that fun! Next week I'll give you my recipe for 50 megaton nuclear warheads.

On The Move....

Just a short post today as I'm totally tired. Today's filming went really well again and the weather was great, even hotter and sunnier than yesterday. I spent a lot of this morning stuck under a van covered in sticky fake blood, not too fun but the shoots looked good and thats the point.

Here are a few shots from yesterday's filming. They show director, Mark Stirton and Kerwin Robertson (on sound) filming Graham's big pishing scene, also a before and after shot of Graham Robertson's character, 'drunk man.' He gets hit in the face by the van while wandering about on a lonely country road.





More to follow tommorrow. Hopefully I will be able to mug the professional photographer (Mark Wyness) thats doing our publicity shots and get some of his excellent photos on the blog. Poor chap's Bowen lighting kit fell in a marsh today so we're all hoping it dries out ok and isn't buggered - as he's still got a lot of shots to do for the film! Honestly, it's not fun as the kit cost more than the van we bought for the film, as we say in Aberdeenland 'ooya beastie!'

Off to bed now to die a bit until 5.30am.

Filming Begins (for me anyway)

Well, I've just returned from my first day on the shoot of 'One Day Removals,' and I'm pretty knackered! The shoot actually started yesterday (Monday 5th March), but as there was no sfx make up or general effects I wasn't needed. Today went pretty well and we covered most of the scenes and the weather was very kind to us, which was handy as all the scenes were outside. I think we all got a bit sunburnt, which in Scotlad in March is illegal or something, good for filming though.

I have taken heaps of photos but have left camera equipment at the director's today, will try and get some shots up tomorrow, especially of wee Graham who'es character is hit in the face by the van - had fun doing make up for that one. Tomorrow I become the van's second victim and have to do my own make up (bit of a challenge). I will also get covered in my own brand of fake blood, which is beyond sticky and tastes of strawberries!

We are filming out at Aboyne at the moment (30miles or so west of Aberdeen) and it a great location, lots of huge mountains, rivers and general countryside. Its not too far from the queen's place at Balmoral so it's very picturesque, but cold even with the sun we had today.

I'll sod off now and get some sleep, I'll post some pictures with the update tomorrow.

Bit of an update

Cor - it's been a while since I posted anything, so after various prods I suppose I'd better get on with it.

Lots of news on the film front for Stirton Productions new feature, 'One Day Removals.' Filming starts on March 5th and we've all got so much to do it's comical - this weekend I'm sewing patches on police jackets, making prop screwdrivers to impale into someone's head, putting together my new mac and articulating a full size corpse. Great fun.

All of the design work has been done and we are on to the construction and panic stages, not sure how much has been spent to date on equipment and props but I could buy a pretty nice car with it. A TVR with lots of custom parts. Much more than the last movie which would have got us a second hand ford focus.

The van, a med-long wheel base Ford Transit, is being done up and decaled next week: as it is one of the stars of the movie we're spending a lot of time making it look well used and barely legal (but not in a 'little coco' sort of way).

Over the past few weeks I've mostly been getting out and doing things as I know I'll be stapled to my mac for the next few months, among the things I have been doing at the weekends are - nearly falling off huge horses, having massive meals with friends, going for walks in the Scottish highlands in feets (yes, feets) of snow and visiting people I should of visited ages ago: including my wee ginger godson, who is now 2 years of old.

I don't have pictures from the rest of the escapades but here is a link to me mate Duncan's blog about our walk in the snow (not, we're not a couple and we both drink beer and watch rugby... mmm, like all the gay guys I know.... I'll stop now).