The Production GuideScript To Screen: Matter of Life and Death
by Martin Willey
The Production GuideThis is the first day of shooting on the planet set, on stage M at Pinewood. Filming began on Wednesday 23 January; the "hurricane effect" started on Friday 25th, and finished Monday 28 January.
For this scene, the Eagle passenger module was built on the side of the planet set, so when the Eagle door opens they look directly at the planet. The screen that Sandra looks at in the passenger module is showing a live TV feed of the planet set (the call set specifies 4 monitors, but only one is seen on screen). As the call sheet indicates, a silent fan was required to simulate the breeze as they stand on the Eagle steps (the fan can also be seen on the behind the scenes photo here).
At the bottom of the steps is director Charles Crichton. To the right is 3rd assistant director Roy Button, standing in front of the dismantled Eagle pilot section set.
The call sheet specifies 2 parrots, 2 cockatoos, 4 doves and 8 pigeons. Actually they use two types of Macaw parrot, Scarlet Macaws, and Blue and Yellow Macaws; there are no cockatoos. The doves and pigeons are not seen, apparently not used. Hearing director Charles Crichton calling "cut!" at the end of each scene, the parrots began to mimic him, calling "cut" in the middle of filming.
Landau and Bain by the pond. As the call sheet reveals, they are not drinking the coloured water from the set pond- they are drinking orange juice.
| GROUP THREE PRODUCTION LIMITED | "SPACE 1999" T.V. SERIES EPISODE 2: "MATTER OF LIFE & DEATH" |
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| CALL SHEET NO. 8. |
| DIRECTOR: | CHARLES CRICHTON | STAGE: | M |
| DATE: | WEDNESDAY, 23rd January, 1974 | UNIT CALL: | 8.30a.m. |
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| ARTISTE | CHARACTER | D/ROOM | MAKE UP CALL | SET CALL |
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| INT. EAGLE & PLANET. | Sc.61.62.65.67.69.71.71pt. (Burn Ins For) 66.68. |
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| MARTIN LANDAU | KOENIG | 321 | 8.30a.m. | 9.15a.m. |
| BARBARA BAIN | HELENA | 322 | 7.30a.m. | 9.00a.m. |
| PRENTIS HANCOCK | MORROW | 336 | 7.45a.m. | 8.30a.m. |
| ZIENIA MERTON | SANDRA | 328 | 7.45a.m. | 8.30a.m. |
| NICK TATE | CARTER | 326 | 7.30a.m. | 8.30a.m. |
| Stand Ins: | ||||
| John Clifford | for Mr. Landau | 8.00a.m. | 8.30a.m. | |
| Suzanne Heimer | for Miss Bain | 8.00a.m. | 8.30a.m. | |
| Props: | Continuity equipment from Sc.55 to include Helena's sample case, survival kits, tools, water tester, stunguns, knife for Koenig, commlocks, space fruits (edible) |
| Art Dept: | 1). Bird handler to stand by from 8.00a.m. with 2 parrots, 2 cockatoos, 4 doves 2). Practical orange pond. Orange juice for drinking to stand by. /8 pigeons. 3). Eagle Module flat for Commlock link. 4). Dummy commlock screen to stand by with Matte screen. |
| Camera Dept: | Harrison fog filters required from 8.30a.m. Crane required from 8.30a.m. |
| Wardrobe: | Boots worn from Sc.61. Gloves for Morrow from Sc.61. Morrow/Sandra affected by explosion Sc.72 |
| Floor Sp.Fx: | 1). Dry ice for mistfxs. 2). Silent wind and fans to stand by. 3). Stun gun to explode with repeat. Sc.72. 4). Smoke fxs for Eagle link up shot. Sc.71. |
Stunt Arranger:
Alf Joint to stand by from 8.30a.m.
| Electronics: | Sc.61.62. Monitors 1,2,3,4. - View of planets set - live. Sc.65pt.71pt.73pt.86pt. VTR Playback of Bergman's dialogue for above scenes of Commlock Link up. So.65. Commlock 1) Bergman. Sc.69. Commlock link 1). Bergman, 2). Morrow, 3). Matte spidershot. Sc.71. Commlock link 1). Bergman(interference), 2). Carter. Eagle. Sc.72. Commlock link 1). Bergman (interference). |
| Sound Dept: | Playback for Bergman dialogue of VTR scenes |
| Plumber Dept: | Plumber to stand by from 8.30a.m. |
| Plasters Dept: | Plasterer to stand by from 8.30a.m. |
| Fire Dept: | To remove smoke alarms M Stage. |
| CATERING: | a.m. and p.m. breaks on M Stage for 70 people. |
| RUSHES: | Theatre 7 at 5.30p.m. |
| TRANSPORT: | Joe Himpfen to collect Miss Bain at 7.00a.m. Mr.Landau - to be collected at 7.30a.m. |
KEN BAKER
Assistant Director.
The filming includes a number of commlock scenes. Unusually, three different techniques are used (with a fourth different shot already filmed).
Normally when Koenig speaks into the commlock prop, the other actor is standing behind camera saying his lines. For close-ups of the commlock screen, Landau is holding a larger commlock prop with 1.5 inch screen (from a Panasonic TR-001 television). It is showing a live television feed of Nick Tate in front of a "flat" (a section of set wall). In fact, it's the side wall of the Eagle command module (not the back wall, Tate is sitting sideways). This is the same wall we see behind Roy Button in the behind the scenes shot above.
Unusually, Barry Morse is not present for his commlock scenes. Morse was filmed on tape the previous day. When the camera is pointing at Landau, Morse's dialogue is played back for Landau from the same tape. Using taped video was rare; it was more flexible to point a television camera at a live actor, prepared graphic or still photograph and send the live video along a cable.
This is another commlock prop (in the Art department list it is number 4, "Dummy commlock screen to stand by with Matte screen."). Mattes are made by filming the screen, then in post-production inserting another piece of film over the screen area. The inserted film in called the "burn-in", and this is how they made many Main Mission big screen shots. Here the prop and hand are a still photograph, so the screen area is fixed in position, with the screen punched out to show the Eagle special effects shot. This setup would have been used for another shot- a giant spider. In the script, Paul shows Koenig some big spiders he and Sandra discovered ("about six inches across. Our instruments tell us that their sting is deadly but when we go near them they run. Look, I'll show you one.") A library shot of a giant spider was obtained, and this call sheet indicates it was filmed, but cut.
This shot was not filmed on 23rd January; it was actually filmed on Monday 14th January during the Eagle command module scenes. It is not even a commlock prop, just a 16 inch television screen with a grey frame that looks like the commlock screen hood. Because the audience is watching the action on the screen, they don't notice it is not a small commlock screen.