Victoria Trow – What Was Pebble Mill?

Kinsey – rubber numbers

This sheet shows the ‘rubber numbers’ for some of the 16mm film rushes for the 1991, Pebble Mill six part drama series, Kinsey. The ‘rubber numbers’ were added to the transferred sound, so that it could be synched up with the frames of film. This log shows how the ‘rubber numbers’ corresponded with the ‘key numbers’ on the film itself. Also included are the slate number, the episode and the scene, and a description of the shot.

Thanks to film editor of Kinsey, Oliver White, for sharing this sheet.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Adam Trotman: ‘Omg my bad hand writing. Seems I was very lazy with my shot descriptions. Bob Mitchell used to do the rubber numbering. The rubber numbers where added to both the film rushes and the sound after we had synched it up with the clapper boards….. The key numbers were noted down as a double check if we ever need to get new rushes printed for what ever reason. And finally I see a take 11. …. never seem to go beyond 4 these days….’

Dawn Trotman: ‘Is it your writing Adam? Great times at Elliot road.. and don’t forget the black spacing!’

Victoria Trow: ‘Blimey, rubber numbers – Adam, was that you? Oh Bob Mitchell…. And Oh Oliver White and Carol Parks who saved me….. I will never forget Oliver re-cutting a scene on that show that had seemed fairly routine and uninteresting. A master class, A few frames off here, a few added on there…. Memorable.’

Terry Powell: ‘I loved working on this show, looked after Lee Lawson who still to this day, and his wife Twiggy, I see.’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Could someone explain to an essentially radio bloke what on earth you are talking about??’

Adam Trotman: ‘Pete – this is a shot log used in the old film cutting rooms. It was to help assistants and editors keep tabs on what rushes they had and where they were. … rubber numbering was used to help keep the film in sync with the sound.’

Timesheet – Reaching for the Skies

Charles White’s timesheet

This timesheet is from Charles White, who was involved in the post-production of the documentary series: Reaching for the Skies, a history of flight. The twelve part series was transmitted in Sept-Nov 1988. It was a co-production with John Gau Productions, the series producer was Ivan Rendall, with different episodes being produced and directed by different people, including Tony Salmon and Dennis Adams. The editors included Greg Miller and Mike Duxbury.

The timesheet shows an over 80 hour week for Charles, meaning that he would have accrued an awful lot of overtime payments, or time off in lieu!

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Jane Green: ‘I have my Clothes Show and Howards’ Way timesheets. 20 hours days filming – no joke!’

Ruth Barretto: ‘I can remember the days when I used to process all of productions timesheets and Expenses. 4 consecutive days in excess of 12 hours and on the 5th day 4 hours then you earn a day off in lieu…. Oh so sad that i still remember that!!!’

Lynn Cullimore: ‘I can imagine the hours as it was a big production. I worked on it for a few days filming at RAF Coningsby on tornadoes. It was fantastic.’

Victoria Trow: ‘Long hours? Over 100 one week on the dreaded Witchcraft. But nobody ever minded over time – time and a half + less than 10hr break….. Those were the days. My first job at Pebble Mill – in a portakabin with Fiona Haigh syncing up the rushes.’

Mark Heslop: ‘108 hrs on same series, unfortunately no proof, but everybody worked stupid hours on that programme.’

Rosalind Gower: ‘I’m still rather horrified he was scheduled a 60 hour week! I know we all worked crazy hours when we had to but it does seem very wrong that he was officially down to work for five consecutive days of 12 hours per day, big production or not.’

Witchcraft

Script front page and cast list for the BBC 2 drama Witchcraft. This was a two parter on BBC 2, transmitted in 1992, written by Nigel Williams and directed by Peter Sasdy.

It was a challenging production, with several members of the team left bruised by the experience.

Here is the BFI database entry for the drama:

Part 1:

A film school teacher chooses 17th-century witchcraft and adultery as the theme of his latest script. As shooting of the film begins, real-life events take on a menacing quality and events from the past seem to be being re-enacted in the present. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/463201

Part 2:

As reality and fiction blur, the parallels between the 17th-century past and the present drive Jamie to a breakdown. He becomes possessed by the image of Ezekiel, the Witchfinder. Meg makes a bizarre discovery putting everyone’s lives at risk. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/481195

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Christine Houston: ‘(Film Unit) Made rare location visit to take replacement equipment. The set was a totally constructed medieval village in the middle of a field, complete with olde worlde long-horned cattle. Managed to watch about 30secs of filming before director “cut” to query authenticity of costumes for the period!! I had a catering services lunch with the crew while the exasperated costume dept tried to convince him all was good. Also remember being completely disorientated when Tim Everett put his headphones on me – thought there were people talking behind me when they were actually on the other side of the field. WEIRD!!’

Victoria Trow: ‘Oh blimey, Peter Sasdy, divide and rule merchant. The editing team was at the rehearsal rooms. The best advice we had was from the PA who said we should always write down any instructions from Peter to cover ourselves. John [Rosser] wouldn’t talk about Peter until he’d not only left the building but had been seen to drive away in his car – John was convinced he had bat hearing. Nightmare yes, intense yes, fun in some kind of crazy way, yes; was it worth it, was it a good film? No!’

Terry Powell: ‘The directer was a nightmare bully, sexist and just a complete —-. I think that covers that. Terry, costume.’

Survival of the Fittest – front page and cast

Here is the script front page, and cast information for the 1990, ‘Screen One’ drama: Survival of the Fittest.

Here is the synopsis from the BFI Film and TV Database:

‘Dark comedy that looks at what happens when a fiercely-independent 80-year-old widow becomes too frail to live alone. Molly Cowper is dettermined to stay in her own home, even though she has recently had a mild heart attack. Not wanting to be alone at night, she makes elaborate plans to ensure that neighbours will sleep in her house. Supervised by her long-suffering son Geoffrey an agreement is drawn up so that Chris Trinder and Eileen Blackett will stay there at agreed times. Her arrangements begin to fall apart however, when Chris dies of a heart attack adn her dog is run over. Although Geoffrey tries to sort things out Molly still tries to enforce her wishes, riding roughshod over all of them with devastating consequences.’ http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/446261?view=synopsis

The script was written by Julian Mitchell, Martyn Friend was the director and Carol Parks the producer.

The drama starred Jean Anderson as Molly Cowper, Timothy West as Geoffrey Cowper, Nerys Hughes as Betty Trinder, Timothy Davies as Chris Tinder, Elizabeth Spriggs as Eileen Blackett, Ben Porter as the young Chris Tinder, Joanna Brookes as June Trinder, Andrew Groves as Richard Blackett, Steven Sherwood as Mr Towse, Doc O’Brien as the taxi driver.

Thanks to Willoughby Gullachsen (Gus) for keeping the pages safe all this time.

The following comments were added on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Terry Powell: ‘Again another show I worked on really enjoyed it can’t believe how menu shows a year we did now only really work on 2 or 3 a year. As home life is now so important.’

Annie Toy: ‘Goodness, that brings back memories. I used to catalogue all Gus’s pictures after they’d been up on the board on the downstairs corridor. They were brilliant.’

Victoria Trow: ‘Andy Netley won a Bafta last year.’

John Greening: ‘Brilliant -especially as I’m currently directing Tim West on EastEnders!’

Steve Saunderson: ‘Gus, what a talented artist, I try day by day to achieve great images but great images just poured out of his camera. Not a bad line-up is it?…and yes John a great cast including Timothy West…the last time I bumped into Dir. Martyn Friend, I was on a massive night shoot (lots of lights and sparks) for Midsomer Murders and he passed by and assured the producers that they were in very good hands, v. kind of him.’

Post Production Christmas Party

Mark Heslop, Ingrid Wagner, Stan Treasurer, Greg Miller

Jonathan Birkett, Victoria Trow, Roger Mulliner, Ian Bellion

Ian Bellion, Peter Gower, Charles White, John Rosser, Mike Duxbury

Photos by Shirley O’Mara, no reproduction without permission.

Each year the Pebble Mill Post Production department held its own Christmas party. These photos date from the late 1980s, when the department descended on the Forbidden City Chinese Restaurant for its festive treat!

Please add a comment if you can identify any of the missing names.