locations: The Tears of Uther Pendragon
Sep. 19th, 2010 10:29 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
merlocmod.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
merlinlocationsGosh! Well, that double episode certainly got the third season off to an epic start! And from a locations perspective, there was much of interest.
♦ There was great use made of the Brecon Beacons, for the chilling opening scene where Merlin and Arthur find the slaughtered knights, and also the scenes where Cenred's army is marching towards Camelot, he meets up with Morgause, and so on.
♦ We finally see how they used a new location, Clements End: for the 'dollop head' scenes where Merlin and Arthur ride through a forest, find an enemy camp, and then 'find' Morgana. Thanks are due to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
embrightstar and pakafe for already investigating this location so thoroughly!
♦ Further excellent use was made of Puzzlewood, for the place where Morgause and Morgana rendevous and Merlin is attacked by serkets.
♦ We see another new location: the castle set at Dragon International Film Studios, near Cardiff, which they used for the exterior shots of Cenred's castle. (The room in which Morgause and Cenred talk, however, is our own Council Chambers set - redressed yet again!)
♦ There was extensive use made of the Chateau de Pierrefonds and its immediate surrounds, much of which would already be familiar to regular viewers. I was pleased to see some use made of the 'double helix' staircase while Morgana was sneaking around, though you couldn't see that it was actually a double staircase - I think that's something that could be made use of. The scenes in the great hall and the crypt were particularly evocative.
♦ And of course they also used our own studio sets in Cardiff. My only real disappointment was that they used a set for Uther's bedroom, rather than the Empress's beautiful bedroom at the Chateau, which they used in ep 106 A Remedy to Cure All Ills.
And now there's ep 303 to look forward to! From the promo, it seems to be very much centred around the castle, so I imagine locations-wise there will be little that's new. But hey, it looks like there'll be lots of Gaius, and that's No Bad Thing! ♥
♦ There was great use made of the Brecon Beacons, for the chilling opening scene where Merlin and Arthur find the slaughtered knights, and also the scenes where Cenred's army is marching towards Camelot, he meets up with Morgause, and so on.
♦ We finally see how they used a new location, Clements End: for the 'dollop head' scenes where Merlin and Arthur ride through a forest, find an enemy camp, and then 'find' Morgana. Thanks are due to
embrightstar and pakafe for already investigating this location so thoroughly! ♦ Further excellent use was made of Puzzlewood, for the place where Morgause and Morgana rendevous and Merlin is attacked by serkets.
♦ We see another new location: the castle set at Dragon International Film Studios, near Cardiff, which they used for the exterior shots of Cenred's castle. (The room in which Morgause and Cenred talk, however, is our own Council Chambers set - redressed yet again!)
♦ There was extensive use made of the Chateau de Pierrefonds and its immediate surrounds, much of which would already be familiar to regular viewers. I was pleased to see some use made of the 'double helix' staircase while Morgana was sneaking around, though you couldn't see that it was actually a double staircase - I think that's something that could be made use of. The scenes in the great hall and the crypt were particularly evocative.
♦ And of course they also used our own studio sets in Cardiff. My only real disappointment was that they used a set for Uther's bedroom, rather than the Empress's beautiful bedroom at the Chateau, which they used in ep 106 A Remedy to Cure All Ills.
And now there's ep 303 to look forward to! From the promo, it seems to be very much centred around the castle, so I imagine locations-wise there will be little that's new. But hey, it looks like there'll be lots of Gaius, and that's No Bad Thing! ♥
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-09-19 12:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-19 05:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-19 02:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-19 05:56 pm (UTC)It's all done with filters through which the camera films the scene (and perhaps some tweaking in post-production, I'm not sure). You might remember the photos I took of Dale looking through a blue 'monocle'...? That was him checking the light through a handheld version of the filters.
I must say, I don't think I'd pick it any more, even though I know a little bit about how it works. It certainly isn't like the old days - I remember some 'night' scenes in The Professionals which were totally cringeworthy, even at the time! :-D
no subject
Date: 2010-09-19 04:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-19 05:57 pm (UTC)No unicorns, though... But no serkets, either, so maybe we should be glad about that! :-DDD
no subject
Date: 2010-09-19 06:02 pm (UTC)I'm glad for the lack of serkets! I wouldn't go in unless I had a handy dragon to pull me out otherwise ;D
no subject
Date: 2010-09-19 10:14 pm (UTC)There is a bus you can catch to... (riffles through remaining grey cells) Coleford. But then it's a bit of a walk out to Puzzlewood, though it's not too far out of town. It's really much easier to get around in that area with a car. I'm sure your Mum could be persuaded that she'd enjoy Puzzlewood, too. {beams brightly}
no subject
Date: 2010-09-19 10:21 pm (UTC)Ooh that reminds me, I got a book the other day called The Traveller's Guide to Arthurian Britain, it looks really interesting and names sites all over the UK. Most are in the west and in Wales. Once I've passed my test and got some experience there'll be no stopping me ;D
I'm sure she can too, although both of us have gone off the M4 since spending so long on it going to Swansea last year XD