The Production GuideFilming
by Martin Willey
The Production Guide
These are the covers of shooting scripts, doodled on by Martin Landau.
See Script To Screen feature for more production documents.
Director Lee Katzin and assistant director Ken Baker watching the first scenes to be shot for Breakaway in 1973 were the in the nuclear disposal area. This must be a dress rehearsal, as the moonbuggy, spacesuits and waste domes are not completed.
A tractor moves the "lunar" dust around.
Left to right, clapper loader Paul Turtle, lighting cameraman Frank Watts with tape measure to focus puller Mike Tomlin, who is standing in for Martin Landau, stood behind, talking to make-up artist Basil Newall. On the right, cameraman Neil Binney.
Camera crews preparing a shot with the practical commlock. Notice the crew member standing behind Landau, holding the cable behind his arm. Focus puller Mike Tomlin is adjusting the focus, while stand-in John Clifford is seen beyond.
There were long periods during shooting where the actors sit and wait.
Make-up artists Helene Bevan (left) and Maude Onslow (right) prepare Barbara Bain and Martin Landau for a scene in Main Mission
Helene Bevan prepares the wig for Suzanne Heimer on the Main Mission set for Breakaway
Preparing for a shot in Matter Of Life And Death. Barbara Bain's stand-in, Suzanne Heimer, is sitting left as lighting cameraman Frank Watts holds the light meter in front of her, Martin Landau's stand-in John Clifford stands on the right. Right: the shot as filmed with Landau and Bain.
Suzanne Heimer is the stand-in for Barbara Bain, as director Charles Crichton prepares the camera angles.
The planet set for Matter Of Life And Death. Behind the camera, writer Johnny Byrne talks to lighting cameraman Frank Watts and Steve Lanning. In front of the cast with the clapperboard is 3rd assistant director Roy Button.
The Eagle set is built on the side of the planet set.
Storm effects on the planet set, with large fans and smoke.
Rehearsing a scene for Matter Of Life And Death
Filming the same scene for Matter Of Life And Death
The Eagle pilot section set, during the initial episodes.
Filming on the Eagle pilot section during Ring Around The Moon. One side wall has been removed.
Filming video screen scenes in Black Sun. Paul Jones is in full costume, and sat in the Eagle seat with the back wall behind him. But this is not the Eagle set- the Alpha walls on the side show we are on the side of the main Moonbase sets. The image shown on the monitors will be shown on the TV monitors under the Main Mission Big Screen. These video feeds were filmed "live" on a corner of the studio stage, a few metres away from the Main Mission set.
In Ring Around The Moon, Barbara Bain stands on a platform with a vertical wooden board to keep her still. The platform will move forwards, as Koenig runs up behind her.
Rehearsing a stunt scene in Ring Around The Moon. Notice the back of the Eagle set behind stand-in John Clifford
Preparing to film the actual stunt scene, now with full spacesuit, the stuntman is attached to a cable to swing him backwards.
Lighting cameraman Frank Watts uses a light meter, while John Clifford, holding his coffee cup, stands in for Koenig.
Make-up artist Basil Newall doing the old-age make-up for Martin Landau in Black Sun.
Basil Newall and Philip Leakey apply make-up prosthetics. Helene Bevan and Maude Onslow do the wig, and director Lee Katzin checks the results.
Helene Bevan and Maude Onslow doing Barry Morse's hair in Black Sun
Command Conference in War Games. White lines on the floor behind Alan, Paul and Victor's chairs mark their positions. Koenig and Alan's chairs have mats under them, to muffle the sound of chair legs and feet on the floor. Occasionally these brown mats can be seen in the show.
Filming Main Mission balcony scenes for The Last Enemy with a camera crane, 13th November 1974. Sitting on the crane is cameraman Neil Binney and focus puller Mike Tomlin. Director Bob Kellett wears a white top and cap.
Filming the Kendo shiai (match) in Testament of Arkadia, filmed on Monday 17th February 1975. The cameraman uses a hand held camera, and wears a crash helmet for protection from the shinai (bamboo staffs). A second crew member is behind him, to manoeuvre him if he gets too close. Eddie Stacey is the stunt double for Koenig and arranges the fight; Gerry Crampton doubles for Luke.
Copyright Martin Willey. Some photos thanks to Mark Shaw.