Special Effects
Post categories: mitchell and webb
| 18:02 UK time, Wednesday, 28 July 2010
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As the producer of That Mitchell and Webb Look I've had a lot of make-believe questions about the special effects we use. Here are the ones I've decided I hear most often.
Are David's and Robert's faces really assembled each week by laughing goblins like in the title sequence?
No. David and Rob were conceived, born and then grew up in much the same way as a person, and gradually over time their faces just turned out that way. For the title sequence we simply filmed some laughing goblins taking apart David and Robert's faces and then played it backwards.
Are those real jet-packs in the jet-pack sketch?
Yes and no. Under the terms of Lord Reith's will it has always been forbidden to depict anything on television or radio that hasn't actually taken place, and these days, following the Ross Brand Unpleasantness, this has quite rightly been extended to cover some things that have actually taken place too. For that reason we went to a lot of trouble developing and building a working jet pack and then caused various accidents with it. That meant that the sketch featuring jet-pack-related accidents could reasonably be called a "reconstruction" rather than a "lie", and thus it slips under the Ofcom wire.Ìý For the sketch itself we had to use fake jet-packs for safety reasons so the sketch was actually filmed under-water to achieve the flying effects and the bubbles were painted out with tippex.
For the final sketch was it difficult flying a spaceship onto the heart of the sun?
We were quite lucky with this because Mark Thompson our Director General actually does have a space-ship which he uses to attend meetings in the West End which actually helps the licence payer because that way he avoids the congestion charge so it's fine.Ìý Anyway he let us borrow the space ship and if you watch the shot carefully you'll see that the sketch ends just before actual solar impact, so the DG got it back without a scratch...
Why didn't you use the Robot James Bachman for the sketches featuring James Bachman?
To be honest, sensationalist headlines like "Robot James Bachman Inferno" made it pretty well impossible for us to use the Robot James Bachman, which is a shame and I think an over-reaction to what was really only a medium-sized fire in a very badly-built gymnasium. I think one day jolly robot character actors will grace the screens but for now I'm prepared to accept that we were too far ahead of the curve on this one.
Is it true that you've been asked to make your blog more interactive so people can feel they have in some way engaged with it even though it is essentially some jokes people are meant to read?
Yes. That has happened. Why not give me your suggestions on how I can make this blog more interactive?
Comment number 1.
At 28th Jul 2010, Anna Fruen wrote:I don't think there IS any way to make this blog interactive; but I appreciate you asking.
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Comment number 2.
At 29th Jul 2010, Wheelie EDSer wrote:The best way to make this blog interactive would be to add polls to it. Everyone loves a ticky box!
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Comment number 3.
At 29th Jul 2010, mudigrrl wrote:I think interactivity is in the eye of the beholder.
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Comment number 4.
At 29th Jul 2010, Ugh wrote:Ah, finally, something entertaining to read.
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Comment number 5.
At 29th Jul 2010, Clangerfan1 wrote:You need to offer the option of letting us view alternate endings to all jokes, sketches etc. Or perhaps just alternate grammar or sentence structure possibilities. Or maybe there should be a little quiz at the end of each blog entry to test how well we have read and understood what we have just seen/read.
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Comment number 6.
At 29th Jul 2010, Clangerfan1 wrote:Or maybe you might consider devising a way for us to "talk back" to you - a place where we could express our views and thoughts and share our feelings with you about your blog. Don't know if the technology is available for this yet - but I think it would be a good way for us to feel more involved and give us a very false sense of developing a much deeper relationship with you.
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Comment number 7.
At 3rd Aug 2010, Mark Shadbolt wrote:Perhaps you could conduct a seminar to a third of the world's population and then tell each of them to tell a friend to call you. I think most people will have interacted by that point.
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Comment number 8.
At 9th Aug 2010, Anna Fruen wrote:I like these people, they have a smarts.
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Comment number 9.
At 9th Aug 2010, Libby wrote:I note there's been no re-occurence of the cunnilingus sketch -- what with the flush it bought to the cheeks of the army of David's besotted fangirls, that sketch was plenty interactive.
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