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domvar
Newbie
United Kingdom
5 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Aug 2009 : 12:55:01
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Hi all Does any one have any info or documentation on the origional macra prop drawings indication of size pictures other than the stock one or information about what happened to the prop after the show.
I know it got painted white for the final sceens but does any one know the whereabouts of the prop or if the story about it being mounted on the front of a mini are true ?
I have allways been interested in the prop but I am now trying to make a CGI macra and the more detail I can get the better.
Don't expect miricals though as I am only doing it a a subject for teaching myself how to use the software
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Sontaran
Time Traveller
United Kingdom
912 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2009 : 14:06:58
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As can be seen from the telesnaps on the BBC classic Doctor Who website, the Macra looks shorter than a Dalek (it was operated by Robert Jewell.
It this telesnap (and the clip is on the Lost in Time DVD), Ben can be seen stood over a Macra. Polly is sat on the floor, presumably to make its attack on her look more terrifying...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/photonovels/macra/two/51.shtml
The prop may well have been returned to Shawcraft, who I think may have stored props for the BBC (the Slyther, Sandy and at least one Chumblie were at Shawcraft after their TV appearances), they would then be in a position to repair it if it was needed again.
Most of the prop looks as if it was made of sheet foam, which would crumble to dust after a few years. The two big claws were fibre-glass.
The idea that it was built over the body of a Mini, or mounted on a truck, may have come from the prop looking very big in the BBC publicity still. There wouldn't be much room for the sets if the Macra prop had to be driven around the studio on a vehicle!
TC |
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Richard Bignell
Time Traveller
United Kingdom
721 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2009 : 14:43:36
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quote:
Originally posted by SontaranThe idea that it was built over the body of a Mini, or mounted on a truck, may have come from the prop looking very big in the BBC publicity still.
In all probability it stems from a memo that a very cross Innes Lloyd to the Visual Effects Organiser in March 1967 complaining about the service they were getting from Shawcraft in light of the problems experienced during the production of The Faceless Ones. Lloyd ended up commenting that the Macra had cost £500+ to produce, "the same price as a cheap car", which indeed was the cost of a Morris Mini-Minor at that time.
Given that the use of Shawcraft was terminated after The Faceless Ones, I can't see that they would have had any need or desire to hold onto any of the old DW props they held in storage.
Richard |
Edited by - Richard Bignell on 12 Aug 2009 14:45:50 |
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Sontaran
Time Traveller
United Kingdom
912 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2009 : 18:12:12
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quote:
Originally posted by Richard Bignell
[quote]
Given that the use of Shawcraft was terminated after The Faceless Ones, I can't see that they would have had any need or desire to hold onto any of the old DW props they held in storage.
Richard
I'd forgotten about that memo Richard.
Around the end of 1997 I was working at the Henson workshop in Camden on the Lost In Space film and there was a young concept artist there, Kevin Hunter. I got chatting to him one day when he was designing a living spaceship, like a whale floating through space, for a then new Sci-fi series - the spaceship was Moya and the series was Farscape.
On hearing that I was a Doctor Who fan, he asked me if I had heard of Shawcraft? I replied I had, and of Bill Roberts. Kevin had mentioned the name to many model makers and effects people he met as he was under the impression Shawcraft were a big name in TV and film effects. Nobody he had met had heard of Shawcraft.
Kevin is the Grand-nephew of Bill Roberts. I took some photos to show Kevin of Bill Roberts at Shawcraft (the Getty ones of Bill with the Slyther and Zarbi and movie Daleks being made).
He mentioned that he remembered seeing a Chumblie at Shawcraft when he was young. Kevin is about 10 years younger than me, I seem to think he was born in 1971. He remembers the Chumblie being close to a mushroom colour, a pale yellow.
I agree though, I doubt Shawcraft kept much of the stuff, maybe some things were tucked away at the back of the workshop and they were forgotten about or it would have been more trouble to move them then it was worth.
Bill Roberts had a spare Dalek (the only left-handed one) which he hired out to fates, maybe some other props were kept for a similar reason.
After Bill Roberts retired, his two sons ran the business, but had no real interest in it, and it folded many years ago now.
TC. |
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xylok b
Seasoned Time Traveller
United Kingdom
1074 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2009 : 19:29:14
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| ooh it wud be nice if they made chumblies for the dw exibition, then also did they make the visian and shreiker props for the Daleks masterplan and other stories in season 3 and 4 ? |
My destiny is in the stars, and to see the day when all 108 missing eps of Doctor Who and Shada are recons and or animations on dvd! |
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Sontaran
Time Traveller
United Kingdom
912 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2009 : 09:29:52
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quote:
Originally posted by xylok b
Ooh, it would be nice if they made Chumblies for the DW exhibition. Also did they make the Visian and Shreiker props for the Daleks' Master Plan and other stories in season 3 and 4?
The Visian was a costume (like a baggy boiler-suit), so may have been made by one of the costume makers that the BBC used.
I don't know who made the Shreiker.
Shawcraft weren't the only model-making company the BBC commissioned.
TC |
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domvar
Newbie
United Kingdom
5 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2009 : 12:37:17
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Ok, thanks for the replies. There are a lot of Bill's relatives posting coments about him on BBC south wales I wonder if any of them have access to the designs that were used ? shame it's not still knocking about some where though looking at the prop pics it looks like some of the body was GRP as well
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Richard Bignell
Time Traveller
United Kingdom
721 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2009 : 14:15:03
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The family has been contacted in the past, but they no longer have anything connected with Shawcraft's work on Doctor Who.
There is a rough profile drawing of the creature in the production file for The Macra Terror, which indicates that it was supposed to be approximately eight foot long by four foot high. |
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Frankymole
Junior Time Traveller
94 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2009 : 09:14:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Sontaran
quote:
Originally posted by Richard Bignell
[quote]
Given that the use of Shawcraft was terminated after The Faceless Ones, I can't see that they would have had any need or desire to hold onto any of the old DW props they held in storage.
Richard
I'd forgotten about that memo Richard.
Around the end of 1997 I was working at the Henson workshop in Camden on the Lost In Space film and there was a young concept artist there, Kevin Hunter. I got chatting to him one day when he was designing a living spaceship, like a whale floating through space, for a then new Sci-fi series - the spaceship was Moya and the series was Farscape.
On hearing that I was a Doctor Who fan, he asked me if I had heard of Shawcraft? I replied I had, and of Bill Roberts. Kevin had mentioned the name to many model makers and effects people he met as he was under the impression Shawcraft were a big name in TV and film effects. Nobody he had met had heard of Shawcraft.
Kevin is the Grand-nephew of Bill Roberts. I took some photos to show Kevin of Bill Roberts at Shawcraft (the Getty ones of Bill with the Slyther and Zarbi and movie Daleks being made).
He mentioned that he remembered seeing a Chumblie at Shawcraft when he was young. Kevin is about 10 years younger than me, I seem to think he was born in 1971. He remembers the Chumblie being close to a mushroom colour, a pale yellow.
I agree though, I doubt Shawcraft kept much of the stuff, maybe some things were tucked away at the back of the workshop and they were forgotten about or it would have been more trouble to move them then it was worth.
Bill Roberts had a spare Dalek (the only left-handed one) which he hired out to fates, maybe some other props were kept for a similar reason.
After Bill Roberts retired, his two sons ran the business, but had no real interest in it, and it folded many years ago now.
TC.
Really interesting, thanks for sharing those memories! Great to know, too, what colour the Chumblies were. (To go with the green-costumed Drahvins!) |
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MACRA Prop
