Film-maker's Diary
My Life in Film director Toby MacDonald granted writer Mark Chappell unlimited access to the set. He kept a diary...
Day 1
The cast and crew seem pleasantly surprised to have a writer on set, especially one who can carry six cups of coffee at a time. I stay out of the way, try not to trip over cables, and oversee the placement of several traffic cones.
Day 2
I think people thought yesterday was going to be my only visit to the set. "You mean you're going to be here every day?" they all ask with wide eyes. But it doesn't take long for me to fit in, and soon all I can talk about all day is food.
Day 5
Our first episode re-works the plot of REAR WINDOW. No homage is complete without a Hitchcock cameo. His look-a-like is on set today. The jowls, the belly, he looks perfect! Too perfect: nobody dares sit next to him on the dining bus. He refers to Hitchcock as "the real me" and they even share the same birthday. In front of camera, he doesn't disappoint. His trademark shuffle in profile is a rare delight.
Day 9
In episode six, Art and Jones upset an Olympic diver. For the sake of authenticity, we sent the actor for an all-over body wax yesterday. Painful. I can't look him in the eye. In the audition, he was generously hirsute. Now he is mainly red.
Day 11
As each episode re-works the plot of a classic film, one of the big challenges is to condense a two-hour story into less than thirty minutes. This is where Kris really excels. One of his great strengths is the ability to carry story so well. His every look and gesture tells the story, drives the narrative forward.
Day 15
The Fellini extras look fantastic! Not only the countless beautiful women, but also the Italianate sixties-era old men. They're all here for the most elaborate establishing shot in the series.
Day 21
One ambition for the show was to make each episode look and feel as different as the original films, yet still look and feel distinctively MLiF. All this with only one cinematographer! Fortunately, he was Andy Hollis. And on a day like today, he miraculously evokes styles as various as Kubrick, Fellini and Hitchcock. And MacDonald!
Day 23
For all the fun to have with the film references in MLiF, the heart of the series really is the friendship between Art and Jones. We have to believe Jones would follow Art anywhere, and that Art wouldn't go anywhere if he didn't. Right from the start, Kris and Andrew Scott convinced as long-time friends. No more so than today. Today we film the final scene of the series. A long two-shot of our boys as they talk about the good old days. They look great on screen together. Such a warm rapport with each other. They're so watchable. I could listen to them for hours. You really want them to take you on a journey.
Day 24
I finally came in useful today. Not a re-write exactly, but a stand-in table-tennis player. One of the scenes in the TOP GUN episode calls for an actor to get hit by a ping-pong ball, over and over again. And I was the only volunteer accurate enough, or mean enough, to really make the ball slap against his belly. I think I won the respect of the focus puller.
Day 28
In the script, it can look as if Art gets all the funny lines. And Jones is just a side-kick. Nobody thinks that now. Andrew really makes the part of Jones make perfect sense. He is the kind of actor who can make a writer look good. The script is a lot funnier than I thought.
Day 33
In episode six, a super-posse of postmen on bicycles chase Art and Jones out of town. The sequence includes the only zoom shot Andy Hollis will allow Toby in the entire series. Everybody is very excited. Although there is a slight delay because of one of the postman extras. He has actually forgotten how to ride a bike.
Day 37
The first shot today will be the first time the viewer sees Kris Marshall in his new role. He sits at a desk in his pyjamas and stares out the window at a semi-naked woman through a pair of binoculars. I wonder if the audience will identify with him. A moment before the camera turns over, our Costume Designer races on set to do up his top button. It's the way James Stewart wears his pyjamas, Fiona explains. And she's right. It's all in the detail.
Day 41
Music is going to play a big part in making the series feel properly cinematic. Another composer comes in today. Andy Blaney. I want to play him a song Toby and I like for the show, but it's on tape and the only tape player is in my car. So we go out to the car park, in the rain, and listen to West Coast surf music in a car with L-plates. It feels like an eccentric test. If it is, he passes with flying colours.
Day 237
At times, the mood of the original film haunts the set. No more so than with THE SHINING. Most of the episode takes place at night, and in the darkness we lose track of time. Cabin fever sets in. Restless, I wander around the studio. In the restroom, I can overhear the caretaker mumble lines of dialogue to himself. In the hallway, the props department mop the floor. Blood from a scene shot days ago still seeps through the tiles. I look for Kris and Andrew in make-up, but can only find their stunt-doubles. As I turn to go out, the sight of two angelic, pig-tailed twin sisters startles me. I run outside, almost trip over a tricycle, and gasp for air. Here, the stunt co-ordinator wants to test the axe. I think it's fake.
Day 49
The Olympic diver is in again today. I feel terrible. For the sake of continuity this time, we sent him for an all-over body wax yesterday. I went into make-up to say hello, and accidentally spilt a bottle of after- shave on his chest. It looks like a severe burn.
Extracts from My Life In Film, A Film-maker's Diary reprinted here with the kind permission of Fibber & Fibber.
