Frequently, films of the big budget sort have issues because the men with money don’t respect the filmmaking process. When building a skyscraper you don’t rush it to completion – otherwise you get catastrophic results. The same goes for visual storytelling, in which character development will never happen if you don’t allot the appropriate amount of time to build a connection with the audience. Rise of the Planet of the Apes respects this, which is why it’s the surprise blockbuster hit of the summer. Forget Thor or even the decent Captain America, this film may even be better than Harry Potter 7 Pt 2. Not bad for a bunch of damn dirty apes. Continue reading →
Thanks to blog reader Kristen, however, we now have some photos. She took these of the Burke and Hare shoot by Edinburgh Castle on Friday. You can see more at her Flickr page, here
On the set of Burke and Hare, the latest from John Landis
Evidently they brought in real fish for this scene.
Where do you rent these things? Or do they have to make them?
PS
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Not much to report from this shoot. It was cold, rainy and even snowing as they were shooting in an alley near the city center. A fire alarm in the nearby student dorms went off and delayed things even further.
So no photos really (dark and access was more restricted than normal), but I got to hang out with Andy Serkis and Simon Pegg as they were waiting in the basement of the dorms. I approached them with two copies of my film, Hank vs Ninjas, Nazis and Chupacabraas a gift of appreciation saying, “Fans often just get photos and walk away and that’s the only way we can ‘give back’ to you guys. So I wanted to give you something to enjoy.” Both were exceptionally kind and gracious.
I tried to respect boundaries by not snapping photos of them as soon as I spoke with them; I was more interested in just talking to them on a very normal, professional level. We talked about film, the current state of special effects, and where we see them going. Andy Serkis has plans for a motion capture production company (interested in both games and film) and both were fans of Cameron’s technological advances in Avatar.
That rounds out my coverage of the Burke and Hare shoot in Edinburgh. Today that did some quick shooting at a museum (if I recall correctly) and then they’re back to London.
The cast and crew returned from shooting in Sterling for two days to wrap up shooting in Edinburgh, Friday night and Saturday morning before moving to the next location (possibly back to London). Here are the photos (sorry about the quality, extreme low-light conditions)
If you want to find their shooting location, just follow the trucks. I stumbled across these on my way home.
Horse
They were filming on a street that ran beneath the street in the photo. So they had lighting crews set up above the set.
The set of Burke and Hare from above.
Serious lighting. I felt bad for the guy who had to stand in this cherry picker, in the rain, with a very hot, electric lamp.
This tavern is like a VIP club, with a 19th century bouncer that allows Andy Serkis and Simon Pegg inside.
Crew members were running umbrellas to and away from extras as they tried to keep the detailed costumes dry.
Getting ready for the shoot.
In this scene, Serkis and Pegg are in line to get into this exclusive tavern. The bouncer lets them in as horse drawn carriages and extras pass by.
Wider shot of the scene playing out (camera can’t zoom while recording)
I know where they’re shooting tomorrow, so keep checking the blog for updates.
In my post on Batman 3 and Inception, I made qualified statements based on conversations with my source on the set of Burke and Hare. This evening I was able to clarify what he said:
The sets for Batman 3 will be constructed toward the end of the year.
Inception, not The Dark Knight, was the film that was under budget, prompting Nolan to have the crew build an extra set (no word if said set was used in the film).
Last night I was on the set for a small scene of John Landis’ latest, Burke and Hare. The scene feature Andy Serkis and Simon Pegg running down an alley, chasing something, until Pegg notices a strange sound. In the video below, they turn around and director Landis is the one describing the CGI barrel coming toward them, going over their head (“BOUNCE!”), and crashing behind camera.
Serkis, Pegg, and Landis didn’t stray into the crowd to talk much. I was behind the crew since I was their first, but I just got a nod from the celebs as they passed by. Didn’t seem interested in mingling.
It was interesting to see so much money/effort go into such a small scene. They’re shooting in Sterling today and tomorrow, then returning to Edinburgh to shoot Thursday-Saturday morning. A friend of mine already knows where they’re shooting on Friday.
I got a lot of info from a guy on set. He says it’s a 7 week shoot and they just got back from London. They’re using two cameras (blurry picture below) to maximize time.
However, more interesting was his comments on Christopher Nolan (a bit chaotic in his shooting style), since he worked with him on Inception and The Dark Knight. He showed me a video of the rig they used for a hallway scene in the film, which was larger than a semi-truck’s trailer, that completely rotated. He went on to explain that they rubberized everything inside and painted it so the actors inside could roll around and fight. They also locked down a camera inside the hallway and used a camera crane that could go inside the moving rig. Evidently I’m one of the only guys outside of the film industry to see his little cell phone video of this rig.
Trucks and lighting equipment.
This is probably the angle they'll shoot the scene from, since there's a restaurant in the opposite direction.
Dressing the set to hide the new. They also installed old wooden signs.
Rustic carts and hay for that turn of the century look.
This is how you light a set when you can't get a cherry picker lighting kit in: it's a balloon with lights inside.
Waiting for dark with the balloon light rig.
Sorry about the quality. Not enough light and flash wasn't allowed.
John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) is filming part of his latest film, Burke and Hare, in Edinburgh this week. Andy Serkis (Gollum) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) star, with imdb describing the film as:
A black comedy about two 19th century grave robbers who find a lucrative business providing cadavers for an Edinburgh medical school.
Looks like Landis is returning to his roots. Below are pictures I snapped of the set as they’re getting ready to shoot this evening.
Trucks and lighting equipment.
Rustic carts and hay for that turn of the century look.
Dressing the set to hide the new. They also installed old wooden signs.
This is how you light a set when you can't get a cherry picker lighting kit in: it's a balloon with lights inside.
This is probably the angle they'll shoot the scene from, since there's a restaurant in the opposite direction.
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Frequently, films of the big budget sort have issues because the men with money don’t respect the filmmaking process. When building a skyscraper you don’t rush it to completion – otherwise you get catastrophic results. The same goes for visual storytelling, in which character development will never happen if you don’t allot the appropriate amount of time to build a connection with the audience. Rise of the Planet of the Apes respects this, which is why it’s the surprise blockbuster hit of the summer. Forget Thor or even the decent Captain America, this film may even be better than Harry Potter 7 Pt 2. Not bad for a bunch of damn dirty apes. Continue reading 
The Filmsmith
London Burke and Hare Photos
Blog reader Stefanos sent these:
Stefanos says he did not see these cranes being used. Possibly unrelated construction.
Hearse and Horse (butt)
The scene being shot.
PS
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Posted in Filmmaking, News
Tagged Andy Serkis, black comedy, Burke and Hare, Cinema, Comedy, Film, Horror, John Landis, Movies, News, Simon Pegg