Merlin cast + crew | talk about locations

[merlocmod.livejournal.com]

Gosh! This is the 201st post to the community, which currently has over 300 members! Hurrah! And long live Merlin Locations! ♥

What better way to celebrate than this: sharing some enthusiastic words from Colin and from co-producer Rachel Knight, which make them sound just about as geeky as us, bless them. :-D I have just posted the following to the website...

♦

I've been delighted to see that we're not the only ones chatting about Merlin filming locations lately! (Well, not that I personally have been chatting much, alas, as work has kind of swallowed up my life for a while. Though to be honest, I've also been a bit more spoilerphobic than usual in the lead up to the finale episodes.) But here's some links to wise words from our own beloved cast, crew and producers…

Thank you to various Locations friends for pointing us in the right directions… ♥ If anyone spots any more locations chat out there, please be sure to let us know! ♥

Digital Spy | interview with Colin | 25 November 2010 

Digital Spy interviewed Colin in anticipation of the season finale. Among other things, they asked him about his personal highlights of the third season. Colin mentioned: working with Warwick Davis; recreating some iconic moments from the Arthurian legends; and, 'Of course, all the locations that we get to go to are brilliant. There were some new ones we visited this year which were just stunning.'

Woot!

And again, in relation to being part of this materialisation of the Arthurian legends, he says, 'It's hugely exciting. I haven't become complacent at all. I still act like a bit of a geek when I see it all happening!'

He is totally our kind of guy, isn't he? :-D

You can read the interview in full here...

BBC | blog by Rachel Knight | 25 November 2010

Rachel Knight was a story/script editor for the first two seasons of Merlin, and has become a co-producer in the third season. She wrote a blog entry for the BBC, again in the lead-up to the finale. She sounds genuinely enthused by the show and by the legends, bless her: working with them is 'a storyteller's dream'.

In the blog she talks about the search for a castle that could stand in for Camelot, and about the magic of the Chateau de Pierrefonds. It is enticing to hear her talk about not just the astonishing Salle de Preuses, but 'all the underground tunnels and dusty towers' of the Chateau - 'the bits the public never get to see'. Rachel also talks about the pressures of filming on location, including running two units while at Pierrefonds, to make the most of the precious time in France.

The wonderful locations of South Wales hold their own against the Chateau, though - despite the grim realities of location shoots, with 4:30 am starts and 'smelly portaloos'! As Rachel says, 'Merlin just wouldn't be the same without' locations such as Neath Abbey and 'the wilds of Trefil'.

There is much much more in the blog entry, which I am sure you'll enjoy reading. And as if that isn't enough, someone has very kindly mentioned the Merlin Locations website in the comments! ♥

Just in case Rachel ever sees this, I'd like to thank her for sharing her enthusiasm with us. It is wonderful to have this insight into the magic that happens on the other side of the camera, and to know that the production team are as keen as we are on the show, the legends, and the locations.

You can read the blog in full here...

Comments

[the-muppet.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on running such a successful site and community; well deserved after all the hard work put into it =)

♥

[merlocmod.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your kind words, my sweet, and for all your support and advice along the way. You're one of those precious people 'without whom'... ♥

[kathyh]

I think their imaginative use of locations is one of the things that really makes Merlin stand out. Many thanks for all the work you do hunting them down and helping us to appreciate them :)

Great interviews. I really love that the cast and crew are so enthusiastic.

[merlocmod.livejournal.com]

I think you're absolutely right about the locations being one of the things that helps lift the whole thing out of the expected... except that you put it better and more succinctly than me! :-) I'm so happy to be here sharing the magic with you, hon. And it's great to feel that our beloved cast and crew feel a bit of the magic, too, eh? ♥

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

I love that the cast and crew are so enthusiastic about everything.

Any suggestions as to when they'll be filming in Pierrefonds in April. I have to make plane reservations soon.

[merlocmod.livejournal.com]

Yeah, isn't it great...? :-D And such enthusiasm is totally infectious!

Hon, I'm going to PM you, but the hard truth is that we won't know about the filming in Pierrefonds until much closer to the time, and in any case we never know officially. I have had this in the back of my mind all this time, and of course I will keep you (and everyone else) as informed as I can. But if you need to book ahead of time, there are going to be risks - as I'm sure you're well aware.

Factors to consider:
♦ They seem to be starting filming a little later than usual in 2011, in March rather than February - though of course that might mean only a week or two difference, and it might not affect the filming in France.
♦ They are only filming 10 eps instead of 13, so that will inevitably shorten/change the schedule - but we don't know exactly how.
♦ They may have the Chateau booked for the same/similar dates in April as they've used in past years - but how firm or flexible that booking is, we don't know.
♦ I suspect that 2011 will be similar to 2010 in that there will be less time spent filming in France, 2 weeks rather than the previous 3, as they have now built extra 'castle corridor' sets in Cardiff.

That's all I know! What you want to conclude at this point is up to you. The longer you can hold off booking tickets, the better, but then I can't promise we'll know anything for sure anyway, until it's actually happening. I'm sorry that's all I can offer right now! ♥

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the info. I also have problems with April since I have something else I'm committed to at the end of the month so I'm constrained as to when I can go. I may just book a flight giving a best guess and then if they aren't filming then, I'll visit some of the other sites in the UK and give up on France. Maybe even do an Arthurian legends walkabout.