Production GuideObservations: Bringers Of Wonder part 1
Production Guide
During the opening teaser as Koenig is acting erratically, the Eagle cockpit is shown open so that the viewer can see the spacesuits 'moving in the background' to provide a certain degree of verisimilitude. The only problem is that the cockpit door is closed while Koenig sings his Salvation Army song.... Thanks to Charles McEvoy.
As Koenig flies, his helmet rolls around. In this shot, you can just see the wire that is pulling the helmet (leading towards the console).
The shot of astronauts running through corridors is from The AB Chrysalis (we see more of the start of the shot in this episode, with Harry Fielder and "Darren" with the white beard, but the end of the shot is cut, including Quentin Pierre who is following the other two).
When Koenig's Eagle sweeps over the nuclear waste domes, only the starboard vertical thrusters are firing. This happens frequently, but is less obvious in launch scenes only seen from one side. Thanks to Charles McEvoy.
Why are the two nuclear physicists (who we've never seen before) in Command Center? Koenig was investigating an "increase in the neutron count" over the waste domes, which seems a good reason for them to be observing the data. If Koenig is just data gathering (keeping up his flying hours), there is no need for them to leave Alpha. Thanks to Fergus.
The Eagle's wires are briefly seen in this shot (but you really need High Definition picture and slow motion to spot them).
The aliens are manipulating Koenig's mind when he crashes the Eagle. Why? As Maya says, crashing the Eagle into the domes cannot cause an explosion. If they are trying to kill Koenig- why? Before he is treated with the brain impulse machine, he is as easily controlled by their illusions as the other Alphans (as his behaviour in the crash shows). Thanks to Fergus.
Koenig tries to put his helmet on, but he can't get it into the neck ring, so he holds it down. Thanks to Richard Totis.
Koenig is not wearing a chest or back pack during his erratic flight, but he is wearing his seatbelt. When the rescuers arrive, his seat belt is gone and he is wearing a chest and back pack.. and the air supply is firmly secured! (thanks to Charles McEvoy and Fergus)
The Eagle passenger module on fire. Normally there is a sloping light panel over the door, but it has been removed and the flames reach up through it. Similarly, the central roof panels are empty. Unhelpfully, the blue fire extinguishers normally on the forward bulkhead wall are gone.
The fire fighters don't have oxygen back packs (or helmets). The label on the back pack reads "Fire Proceedure" (a common misspelling in the series, by someone in the art department who couldn't spell "Procedure").
When they open the door to the lunar surface, the fires should be extinguished by the vacuum of space. If Koenig hadn't got his spacesuit on, he would also be quickly killed by the lack of oxygen.
The same silver firesuits with hoods (rather than spacesuit helmets) and backpacks are used inside Alpha for the Records Lab fire later in the episode. The chest pack is the Swift spacesuit chest pack from Brian The Brain. One of the firemen (number 9) does not have a backpack, so presumably there is an oxygen supply in the chest pack. The id numbers are 4 and 9 in the command module, number 2 and unseen number in the passenger module.
Only two firemen are seen in the same shot. It is probable that there were only two firemen suits existed. The numbers were swapped between the command module and passenger module shots.
Bottom right, you can see the retracted Eagle door (the back of the wall shelves have been removed)
Watch the fire extinguishers that the crewmen carry. Both in the passenger section and in the cockpit, the white handle/ nozzle breaks from the red hose. The firemen end up trying to direct the spray with their hands. (thanks to Charles McEvoy)
In Missing Link, Helena led the rescue crew to Koenig's crash. Now she waits back on Alpha, and the rescue crew does not seem to include any medical personnel, even though Koenig has critical brain injuries. Thanks to Fergus.
When Koenig is rescued from the command module, his helmet is clean. When he is carried across the moon surface, his helmet has black marks. Thanks to Richard Totis.
Kander's spacesuit has an ugly black mark on the arm by the "Eagle 2" badge. In part 2, Bartlett is wearing this spacesuit.
This is the only episode we see someone filming events for the "Records Unit" (who have their own helmet sticker and uniform badge). He was not present at numerous events including encounters with aliens and landing on planets. (thanks to Fergus)
As the unknown ship approaches, Tony calls Helena to ask when he can talk to Koenig. In Command Center, he is looking down at Sandra's screen. On Helena's screen, he is looking directly at the screen as if on the same level. Thanks to Thomas
Sandra says the range of the alien ship is 90,210,000 miles (=145,180,000km). Maya states "Even at the speed of light it would take that spaceship almost an hour to reach Alpha". In fact, it would take about 8 minutes. Thanks to Chris Moore.
The close up of the Superswift landing shows the front feet central on the pad. The long shot seen on the Big Screen shows it centrally located on the pad. The later pan towards the Moonbase shows it shifted way to the right; the boarding tube would have to dock to the command module
The Moonbase is a photograph placed beyond the launch pad. Unfortunately, it slopes to the right.
Guido in the Superswift. This is the only bit of the interior we see. He is in a normal Eagle pilot seat. Behind is a frosted glass/perspex panel, with the light patterns of (Year 1) computer panels behind. This publicity photo reveals a "2" sticker. This is actually the side arch in Command Center.
Koenig crashes wearing his spacesuit. They remove the spacesuit- but leave him in his Alphan uniform, jacket and boots. After a crash, he should have had a complete physical examination, so normally he should have been undressed. While unconscious and undergoing treatment, for hygiene reasons he should be changed into clean pyjamas or hospital gown.
Vincent explains the medical monitors to Louisa. She guides him away from the monitor- which has changed from a wide shot to a close up of Koenig. Nobody has touched buttons, for instance to zoom in or switch cameras. It could be automatically switching between multiple cameras, but the wide shot and close-up are the same angle. Thanks to Richard Totis.
Ben Vincent takes a quick look at Koenig on the medical monitor and takes off. He rushes into the care unit and assaults Sandstrom. He doesn't even ask a question like: What is going on? What are you doing? Helena does try to ask Sandstrom, but Vincent grabs him violently. For all Vincent could have known, Sandstrom was trying to correct an instrument malfunction. Vincent uses that same cross-armed choking technique that Carter uses in part 2. Thanks to Charles McEvoy.
As Sandstrom is thrown by Vincent, Koenig's head turns sideways towards the action. He doesn't seem to open his eyes, but it is a more dramatic movement than the disturbed squirming we see in close up. Thanks to James. C
When Koenig sits up after waking, Helena is in front of him, and Vincent behind him on the other side of the bed. After he states the cause of his crash was "rocket malfunction", there is a cut to a reaction shot of Helena and Vincent, suddenly standing together. Helena and Vincent appear together in further shots until Helena mentions Diana Morris, and the next shot shows Vincent again behind Koenig, as he was before. Thanks to Thomas.
"They're not your friends..they're horrible. Ugly, hideous." Koenig's behaviour is extreme and irrational. Even if he sees the aliens in their true form and realises the deception, he doesn't know their plans. Ugly doesn't mean evil, and Koenig reacts with instant violence. Kander reacts the same way - but the aliens are controlling his mind to destroy him. Koenig's mind should be protected. All the other Alphans - Maya, Helena, Tony - react with shock, but are calm and calculating within moments. Koenig appears to be mentally disturbed, exactly as Helena and the others assume.
"We have the range to control him. Why fear him?" asks Louisa. Shaw states that Koenig is a strong leader. It seems a reasonable question. They controlled him in order to crash his Eagle. Thanks to Fergus.
The video screen that Kander uses is slightly different in close-ups. The first close-up, and longer shots, show the viewer has the number "5" in the red section. The close-up shots (showing pictures) show the number "4" in the same position. The orange boxes to the right have also moved slightly closer to the screen. When pictures are shown, there is a plain wall or panel immediately behind the viewer. In long shots the silver filing cabinets are behind the viewer.
The photo that horrifies Kander is the exactly the same view that horrifies Koenig- it's a still frame from the earlier scene. Kander wasn't present in that scene.
Why can't the aliens control what Alphans see on TV screens? Only 12 Alphans meet the Superswift crew, so presumably the 300 others are watching on monitor screens anyway.
In the cupboard with the oxygen cylinder, there is a Swift spacesuit backpack from Brian The Brain. Thanks to Richard Totis.
Apparently, door control panels are highly explosive. Simply by striking it with a hand, it explodes and locks the door (afterwards there is no obvious visible damage). Later Kander falls back into it and causes an even larger explosion (admittedly with oxygen filling the room).
When Kander grabs the white microscope, the eye-piece bends and almost breaks off, revealing a rather less sturdy prop. Thanks to Richard Totis.
The orange boxes have labels. The top one is "Europe", underneath is "Wildlife". We can also read "Rockets".
The influence of the aliens seems to be related to distance and screen images are (sometimes) more difficult. Hence when Alan takes Louisa just a short distance away from Ben Vincent, he is able to react to the Medical Relay picture. And even at close range, two aliens concentrating cannot stop Kander seeing a true screen image.
But the powers are inconsistent. The Alphans first see the Superswift and Guido on the Big Screen, at distance. The reception committee is just twelve Alphans. What about all the other 280 Alphans? Aren't they watching on close-circuit TV? In part 2, Helena and Maya watch a video of the "probe ship" but the illusion is intact for them.
The aliens are also unable to stop the girl calling Maya for help. Doesn't she (or the rescuers that arrive later) think it odd that the two visitors are stood there, not appearing to help?
In Medical, Alan does not have a stun gun. Maya calls them to Records Lab. When he arrives, Alan has a stun gun and holster. Thanks to Fergus.
This is the second time Maya has transformed into a Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa); she also does in One Moment of Humanity. This species is one of the largest cockroaches, often kept as pets or as feed animals for reptiles and spiders. They have a long history in film, appearing in Bug (1975) and Men in Black (1997) among others. Thanks to Dean Velasco.
When Kander comes out of the Records Lab, the set has no ceiling (because of the fire risk). So the studio wall and hanging ropes can be seen through timber cross beams.
A fireman can be seen waiting behind the wall panel extreme left. It is odd that ordinary Alphans are crowding around the lab, watching through the windows while the firemen stand back.
"She's a metamorph." The aliens have telepathically read people's memories to reconstruct old friends. Yet it is surprising they didn't discover Maya can transform, either from her own brain or that of Tony and others who have seen it many times. Thanks to Fergus.
Tony's original tunic was a converted year 1 uniform, with three red lines stitched across the chest. In this episode, he sometimes wears a new tunic, which has two red lines either side of a seam across his chest. Often, he changes his tunic between adjacent scenes. When he reads out the pilot ship names, he is wearing the new tunic; when he tells Koenig about it in Medical, he is wearing the old tunic. Thanks to Simon.
Tony reads out the names. The aliens must be suppressing the sense of coincidence that all 3 names are present in Command Center (among the 10 or so Alphans, out of 300). Why do the aliens need the 3 members of the radioactive monitoring team? Their knowledge of the waste dumps is irrelevant, as they will think they are on Earth. Thanks to Fergus.
The Pilot Ship emerges from the Superswift. In part 2 we learn that the Pilot Ship is in reality an Eagle. How does the Pilot Ship leave the same launch pad as the Superswift/ alien ship? (As this is part of an illusion, they may in fact have left from a different launch pad).
The interior of the Swift Pilot ship ("22" according to the number on the door) is adapted from the Ultra Probe interior, itself revamped from the UFO "Seagull X-Ray" aircraft passenger cabin.
The Eagle only has two seats in the Command Module, but there are 3 of them in the Pilot Ship. Where is Bartlett sitting in reality? (Thanks to Fergus)
They have "Eagle 2" patches on their shoulders, although it is understandable that they don't have a supply of patches for "Pilot Ship".
The long shot of the aliens on the lunar surface, the studio lights illuminate the backdrop in a very uneven fashion creating cones of light and dark. As the background aliens are photo cut-outs, without internal lighting, spotlights had to be used to make them "glow" like the foreground aliens.
When Koenig is first hit, there is a red gurney visible beyond in the corridor. Afterwards it disappears. Thanks to Fergus. There is a number "9" on the corner wall, which appears and disappears throughout the sequence.
During the kendo fight, Tony's body disappears. Sandstrom is finally knocked unconscious very close to where Tony should be lying.
At the start of the fight, Sandstrom wears a belt. When the kendoka fights him, his belt disappears. It reappears in the reverse shot, showing Sandstrom from behind. Finally, when he falls to the floor, the belt is gone again. Thanks to Simon Rhodes.
Despite being unconscious, Sandstrom's body is moved between shots at the end of the sequence.
Dr Shaw enters Medical Center. Tony and Maya were also heading to visit Koenig in Medical. How did Shaw pass the fight without being seen? Thanks to Fergus.
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