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BAR STEWARDS: A COMPLETIST'S GUIDE
DEMO REEL
STATUS: Post-production
RUNNING TIME: 100 minutes (approx.)
GENRE: Romantic comedy/drama
SETTING: Blackburn (Lancashire)
SYNOPSES:
+ [short] Layton's life falls apart after his girl leaves him. He then discovers that he has a mysterious stalker who claims to be Stephen Hawking. Helped (and hindered) by his friends, Layton must find out who the stalker is before he loses his sanity.
A film about two best friends who work in a pub - one's heartbroken, the other needs to get laid. And one of them's being stalked.
+ [half page] Down at the Balking Tollocks Public House, all is not well...
Layton Peebles (Chris Finch) is heartbroken when his girlfriend leaves him. A few months on and and he's still pining for her whilst working at a local bar - a job recommended by his best friend, Jamie Cuntilever (Paul Birtwistle). Jamie is a man of little experience with women, not that he hasn't tried... and failed... many many times. Using his depressed and better-looking friend Layton as his 'wingman', he wastes no opportunity in trying to find a willing sexual partner - despite Layton's lament. Luckily fate introduces him to Carla Purelove, a euro-porn starlet who is described by her friend as "A nymphomaniac deviant masochist, with a weird sense of humour - and bad eyesight".
It's a chance that even the stupidest person in the world couldn't ruin... or could he?
Layton then begins to receive phone calls from someone claiming to be Stephen Hawking, who leaves him advice on life, love and sex. Around the same time, Layton has started a new relationship with the troubled Racheal (Ashleigh Morley) - a girl he meets at a notorious suicide spot, the place where he almost took his own life only months before.
On top of that, Layton has become the target of local gangster Big Ben (Billy Hodge) and his gang after accidentally sleeping with the big man's girlfriend.
Bar Stewards is a film about how when your life falls apart, you can count on the people around you to make it ten times worse.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Pleased Sheep Films
WRITERS: Michael Booth and Paul Birtwistle (additional material)
DIRECTOR: Michael Booth
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Rhiannon Preece-Towey
PRODUCERS: Michael Booth and Paul Coppack
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Chris Finch and Paul Birtwistle
CO-PRODUCERS: Ian 'wiggy' Wiggins and Tim Paley
ASSISTANT PRODUCER: Zahira Ali
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Paul Gordon
BOOM OPERATORS: Paul Coppack and Paul Sparkes (additional)
GRIP: Kevin Braithwaite
FOCUS PULLER: David J. Turner
CAMERA ASSISTANTS: Dominic Ricioppo, Thomas Beswick and Jameel Kazmi
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS: Alison Booth, Lauren Entwistle, Jason Mitchell, Noelene Phythain, Marika McCaulsky and Lara Scott-Thomas
FILM EDITOR: Michael Booth
COLOURIST: Jamie Parry
DIGITAL VISUAL EFFECTS ARTISTS: Hasraf 'Haz' Dulull and Stephen Smith
CG ARTIST: Michael Coleman
SUPERVISING ADR EDITOR: Norbert Weiher
SENIOR ADR EDITOR: Dean Covill
FOLEY & ADR RECORDISTS: Kelly Young, Liz Hardwick, Stephen Hull, Jay Naylor, Michael Nowacki, Tom McAlpine, Riccardo Maiolani, Patrick Doody, Julian Taylor, Claire Turnbull, Holly Wyatt, Paul Waters, Ben Collinson, Felix Rashman, John Heath, Paul Copestake, Claire Gerrard, Andrew Poole and John Neilis
ORIGINAL MUSIC: Jode Steele and David Wainwright (Verbal Vigilante Music)
MAKE-UP ARTIST: Jeannette Marie Kenny
PROPS: Paul Coppack
EXTRAS CASTING: DeeTV Studio: Models & Extras Agency
CAST (main):
Chris Finch (Layton Peebles)
Paul Birtwistle (Jamie Cuntilever, aka Cunty)
Ashleigh Morley (Racheal Carte)
Louise Brand (Anne Marie)
Roxanne Gregory (Donna)
Jackie Knowles (Karen)
Georgina Hunter (Carla Purelove)
Jonathan Rhodes (Miles Bennett-Dyson)
Damian Christian (Bob Fortuna)
Ashley Hyland (Mindy)
Billy Hodge (Big Ben)
Clyve Bonelle (Bones)
Matt Jerrams (The Doc)
Ian Wiggins (Camp David)
Nicky Lockett (aka MC Tunes) (Justin)
John Howarth (Deliveryman Dan)
Alice Barry (Mrs Festivus)
Donna Henry (Coffy)
Carolyn Mason (Jess)
Ryan McKeefery (Leon)
Paul Howard (The Client)
Bernard Nagle (Grandad)
Dee Sanders (Racheal's mum)
Tim Paley (Racheal's dad/Mr Snugfit)
Mark Woodward (PC Tash McDermott)
John Yates (Scone)
CAST (other):
Sophia Carrington (Girl in club)
Sarah Scully (Dancing girl)
Jennifer James (Dancing girl)
Adrian Swindlehurst (Shopkeeper)
Alison Booth (Pub regular)
Paul Coppack (Boy Pisser)
Dominic Ricioppo (Archie)
Paul Gordon (Pez)
Abigail Gilbraith (Loochie Lou)
Jason Mitchell (Jay)
Ranj Nagra (Tyler)
Rhiannon Preece-Towey (Nightclub clerk)
Liam Gascoinge (Nightclub reject)
James Newton (Nightclub doorman)
Sarah Kent (Girl in nightclub)
Natalie Collin (Girl in nightclub)
Joe Moan (Fergie)
Darren R L Gordon (Man in car)
Dru Jones (Man in car)
Clayton Gordon (Man in flat)
John Waterhouse (Unseen man in flat)
CAST (extras):
(Pub) Lee Richardson, Angela Winward, Dave Brown and Laura Lubgane
(Nightclub) Kev Robinson, Dan Driver, Alex Wildman, Amanda Dewhurst, Amanda Nicholls, Amy Corruthers, Andy Holden, Anthony Goldie, Antonio Knowles, Ben Abbott, Cassie McKeefrey, Catherine Collinge, Catherine Goy, Charlotte Houston, Chas Dewhurst, Chris Hall, Chris Moore, Chris O’Rielly, Colin Davis, Danielle Martin, Davis Starky, Emma Gator, Jamie-Leigh Scott, Jenny Smethurst, Jenny Taylor, Joanne Harrington, Jonathan Peirce, Karl Heys, Kelly Begley, Kelly Day, Kelly Dewhurst, Laura Vaughan, Lillee Stanyon, Lindsay Keegan, Luke Kennedy, Luke Southern, Lynda Paley, Marguerita O’Rourke, Mark O’Rielly, Mathew Gribben, Matthew Flaherty, Michael Collinge, Neil Grimshaw, Nick Lever, Paul Anderton, Paul Moss, Peter Young, Robert Livesey, Ross McLean, Sam Dean, Sarah Jane Griver, Sarah Martin, Sean Taylor, Sian Jones, Stacy Jennings, Steve Clarke, Steve O’Rourke, Tracy McCullock and Zoe Parkinson
[MacInTalk, a text-to-speech program that was first used as part of the original Apple Macintosh computer in 1984, provides the voice of Stephen Hawking.]
PUBLICITY STILLS:
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FILM STILLS:
[click each thumbnail to view an album of related stills]
Layton Peebles (plus Layton/Karen sub-album)
Jamie Cuntilever
Jamie and Layton
Racheal Carte (plus sub-albums)
Anne Marie (plus sub-album)
Donna (plus Donna/Layton sub-album)
Miscellaneous characters
BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTOS (shoots dated):
[click each thumbnail to view an album of related photos]
The Duke of Buccleuch pub shoot (13/09/09)
(Photographer: Dave Laurie)
The Hordens final shoot (25/04/09)
Darwen Tower shoot (07/03/09)
The Hordens shoot (27/07/08)
The Hordens shoot (23/07/08)
Longridge night shoot (03-04/05/08)
(Photographer: Dave Laurie)
Roxy Nightclub shoot (19/04/08)
(Photographer: Dave Laurie)
Liquid & Envy shoot (25/03/08)
(Photographer: Bar Stewards extra Gareth Hardy)
Ashleigh Morley house shoot (08/09/07)
Green screen shoot (The Pie Factory, 06/09/07)
The Hordens test shoot (08/12/06)
ADR sessions
BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTOS (miscellaneous):
[click each thumbnail to view an album of related photos]
Out-take reel
All the rest
CAMERA TEST PHOTOS:
[click thumbnail to view an album of related photos]
EDIT PHOTOS:
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LOBBY CARD:
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CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2007 FLYER:
[click each thumbnail to view full-size image]
MOVIESET FLYER:
[click thumbnail to view full-size image]
ARTWORK (sketches by camp david):
[click each thumbnail to view full-size image]
THE '10p' PICTURE:
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BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE/SILLINESS:
[dated where known]
+ Bar Stewards ADR session
+ Adapter test footage (01/11/09)
+ Abstract Finchy Friday
+ Bar Stewards out-takes
+ Waterloogate (17/01/09)
+ UFO phenomenon (17/01/09)
+ Making of Bar Stewards (27/07/08)
+ Behind the scenes at Bar Stewards The Movie (23/07/08)
+
(19/04/08)
+
+
(26/03/08)
+
(16/02/08)
+ The Belm Off
+
+
+ Bar Stewards Kombat
+ All work and some play
+ Finchy sets a bad example
+ Gordon 'N' Coppack and other bits and bobs
+ Shooters Media photo shoot
+ Between takes with Finchy and Birty
+ Chris and Boits (22/04/07)
+ Chris 'n' Jackie (21/04/07)
+ Watch a pro at work
+ Tim Paley
+ Carolyn
+ Meet Donna and Carolyn
+ Chris Finch's longest ever interview
+ End of a day's work!
+ Coppack interviews Alice Barry
+ Hordens pub shoot (13/01/07)
+ Insane test shoot (08/12/06)
+ Tongue-tied and twisted
+ Interview with Roxie
+ Interview with Ashleigh Morley
+ Bertie's Angels
+ In bed with Paul Birtwistle
+ Bar Stewards out-takes
+ Chris Finch on set 2
+ The Chris Finch 'toilet interview'
'CHRIS TALKS ABOUT HIS CAREER' VIDEO INTERVIEWS:
+ Part 2: Not clowning around
+ Part 1: How I got the part (12/05/07)
CAST/CREW VIDEO BLOGS:
+ Paul Coppack video blog (08/02/10)
+ Finchy & the Girls (13/09/09)
+ Chris Finch 'Darwen Tower' blog (07/03/09)
+ Chris Finch 'Hob Nobs' blog (31/01/09)
+ Car blog (?July 2007)
+ Chris Finch 'update' blog... (21/04/07)
+ Cop's lost blog (Feb 07)
+ Birtie's birthday blog (04/02/07)
+ The Yank (02/02/07)
+ Finchy's blog (02/02/07)
+ Birtie's blog (20/01/07)
CAST/CREW BLOGS:
+ Michael Booth's Blog
+ Cop's Producer Blog (written by Paul Coppack)
+ The Flog (written by Chris Finch)
MAGAZINE ARTICLES: Combustion 2008 (Bar Stewards raw footage illustrates review of the compositing software 'Combustion 2008', 3D World, March 2008, p88)
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES:
[mixture of online articles and scanned paper copies, depending on availability]
+ Pub is the toast for new film (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 28/04/09)
+ Dee-light for actors (The Visitor, 21/05/08) [An online version, entitled "Talent agency gets results", can be found on The Visitor's website.]
+ That's A Wrap!: Film Shot In Darwen (The Darrener, 9-15/04/08)
+ Go that extra mile to help out filming (Lancashire Telegraph, 03/04/08)
+ New film is the toast (Lancashire Telegraph, 25/03/08) [An online version, entitled "Extras needed for new film's final scene" and dated 24/03/08, can be found on both the sites for the Lancashire Telegraph and the Blackburn Citizen.]
+ I'm bad... but it's only an act (Billy Hodge online article, Lancashire Telegraph, 11/08/06)
RADIO SPOTS:
+ Michael Booth and Paul Coppack interviewed on the Joe Wilson show, BBC Radio Lancashire, 01/09/09. (Bar Stewards talk from 12 minutes 21 seconds in.) [Click HERE for an MP3 recording of the interview.]
+ Michael Booth, Chris Finch, Paul Coppack and Ian Wiggins interviewed on the Tony Livesey show, BBC Radio Lancashire, 26/03/08. [Click HERE for an MP3 recording of the interview.]
PLEASED SHEEP FILMS PODCASTS:
+ June podcast (recorded 05/06/09, posted 06/06/09)
+ Christmas podcast (24/12/08)
+ First podcast (recorded 31/10/08, posted 10/11/08)
TRIVIA:
+ Bar Stewards was originally filmed on a Panasonic HVX200, with a Red Rock M2 Nikon lens adapter. That then ended up getting changed to a Sony EX1, with a Letus lens adapter. Some establishing shots were later filmed with a Canon 5D Mk II.
+ Shooting began in June 2006 and ended with pick ups, during post production, in March 2010.
+ Bar Stewards is, in fact, a prequel to a piece of work that has been in development for the past 10 years. This companion piece features many of the same characters as Bar Stewards but is far greater and darker in tone than its predecessor - revolving as it does around a very dangerous love triangle.
+ In 1996, when Michael Booth was just 19, his early script for this currently untitled project attracted interest from both Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show) and Ewan Bremner (Trainspotting). Film4 even seriously considered being involved, but it was sadly against their remit at the time and so got rejected.
+ Michael Booth edits Bar Stewards on Final Cut Pro, in his bedroom.
+ Producer Paul Coppack met Michael Booth at the audition for supporting actors. The Pleased Sheep producers were using rooms at the Shooters Media office (where Paul was working) to hold the auditions. Chris Finch, Dorothy Sanderson, Georgina Hunter, Ashleigh Morley and John Howarth all received parts for Bar Stewards there (those parts being the lead of Layton Peebles, Racheal's mum, Carla Purelove, Racheal and, as now titled/altered to, Deliveryman Dan respectively).
+ Paul Birtwistle was originally down to play Layton and Chris Finch was auditioning to play Cunty. Unknown to the actors, Michael Booth decided to swap the characters around; and, in the screen test, both actors were stood in position, waiting for the other one to deliver their opening lines.
+ Associate producer Ian Wiggins got involved with Bar Stewards after Michael Booth was impressed with a short film of his, Tash Force, that he'd found on the internet. There are now plans to shoot a remake. In the meantime, however, Mark Woodward revisits his part of PC Tash McDermott in Bar Stewards.
+ The producers of Bar Stewards all have parts in the film. Paul Coppack plays Boy Pisser (a non-speaking role due to his scenes with dialogue eventually getting cut), Ian Wiggins plays Camp David and Tim Paley plays Racheal’s dad. They’re also recurring extras throughout the film (wearing wigs, hats and hoods). Michael Booth doesn’t feature in any scenes but cinematographer Paul Gordon is used as a pub regular called Pez.
+ Chris Finch and Paul Birtwistle were both given Executive Producer credits as acknowledgment to their commitment to the project.
+ The characters Loochie Lou, Anne Marie, Donna and Big Ben all originate from a Michael Booth short called Drop Outs (2000). Abigail Gilbraith, Louise Brand and Roxanne Gregory still play their respective characters here, though Big Ben, once the part of Kevin Marklew, is now played by Billy Hodge.
+ Paul Birtwistle, Donna Henry (Coffy), Roxanne Gregory, Clyve Bonelle (Bones), Tim Paley (Racheal's dad), Alison Booth (pub regular), Billy Hodge, Carolyn Mason (Jess), Louise Brand and Nicky Lockett (Justin) all appeared in the Michael Booth-directed Diary Of A Bad Lad. John Yates was a helping hand in Bad Lad and appears as Scone in Bar Stewards.
+ Ashleigh Morley, Tim Paley, Georgina Hunter, Dorothy Sanderson, John Howarth and Joe Moan (Fergie) all appeared in short films by Paul Coppack before Bar Stewards.
+ Whilst working as a nightclub doorman during production, Billy Hodge was put into intensive care after being attacked with a large metal pole. Both attackers were jailed for a total of nine years and four months. Billy made a full recovery.
+ Paul Barber (Only Fools and Horses) was approached to play Big Ben; Neil Bell (Shameless) was in line to play Justin; Chesney Hawkes passed on the opportunity to play himself; and former Bullseye presenter Jim Bowen turned down a cameo role.
+ Chris Finch and Jackie Knowles (Karen) once played in a sporting charity event together, meeting up again for the first time since then at the auditions for Bar Stewards.
+ Paul Gordon is not related to cast members Darren Gordon and Clayton Gordon.
+ Georgina Hunter and Louise Brand were both pregnant during production.
+ In 2006, Louise Brand won £30,000 on Deal or No Deal.
+ Throughout the whole production (almost 4 years), Layton’s main costume was never washed.
+ Damian Christian was pulled in last minute to play the part of Bob Fortuna after the crew were let down by a different actor. When Chris Finch phoned Damian about the part, he just happened to be driving around the area at the time.
+ For a couple of years, the producers hunted for an internationally recognised celebrity to play a satirical character called The Informative Dogger. However, after viewing a rough cut, they decided to cut the part.
+ Jonathan Rhodes (Miles Bennett-Dyson) was part of the WYSIWYG team who originally distributed Diary Of A Bad Lad.
+ When Billy Hodge failed to bring a chainsaw prop to one of the shoots, the producers dashed out to B&Q and bought a brand new one just for the scene. The next day, Paul Coppack returned it and got a full refund.
+ Although Matt Jerrams (The Doc) had never met Michael Booth before production started, they had been in touch via email for quite a few years before (through Robert Kurtzman).
+ Camera Assistant Dominic Ricioppo is the lead singer of a Sex Pistols cover band called The Bollocks; Mark Woodward is the lead singer of a band called The Broken Robots; Matt Jerrams is part of a band called The Triknuts; and MC Tunes (Justin) is part of a band called The Ugly (their music being used in the rough cut and ‘making of’ diaries).
+ The opening title music, in the rough cut, was This Is A Warning, by Blackburn-based band Kill Devil Hills. They also performed the track Ready For It, which is used in the Bar Stewards Demo Montage (posted on the Pleased Sheep Forum in May 2008).
+ When the producers were searching for an ADR engineer, Splintered director Simeon Halligan suggested Alan Sheldon. Sheldon then introduced the producers to School of Sound Recording's (SSR) Norbert Weiher. SSR students worked on the Bar Stewards sound mix and ADR as part of their course curriculum.
+ Ashley Hyland is the daughter of boxing promoter John Hyland. She was suggested by film director James Marquand, son of Return of the Jedi director Richard Marquand.
+ Chris Finch’s real name is Chris Wilkinson and Ashleigh Morley’s is Ashley Morley.
+ On Chris Finch's first day of shooting, he had to share a bed on 3 separate occasions with 3 different women.
+ The first scene to be shot (which makes the final cut) was Racheal waking up with Layton.
+ Bar Stewards features clips from Laurel & Hardy’s Flying Deuces.
+ The movie watched by Racheal’s parents is Rail Fiction, an internet only, low-budget film made by Ian Wiggins and featuring some of his workmates from the railways.
+ Throughout one short sequence, one background character is actually being played by 4 different people.
+ The main location filming for the Balking Tollocks pub took place in the function room at The Hordens, in Feniscowles (near Blackburn). The upstairs pub scenes were filmed in producer Paul Coppack’s parents' house, in Waterfoot (Rossendale).
+ Whilst scouting the location at The Hordens, Ian Wiggins had the spare wheel stolen from his scooter. The rest of the production at the location went by without anything going missing.
+ Throughout the production, The Hordens had four different landlords; and they were all kind enough to let filming continue under their management.
+ Despite filming in a working pub, the crew were only forced to relocate once (drunken behaviour from some locals). On that occasion, an unfinished scene, featuring Layton and Tyler in the back seat of Justin’s car, was relocated to a quiet car park at nearby Tockholes.
+ Many of the pub locals (plus the different managers) appear as extras in the film. And a lot of the extras for the pub scenes are actually friends of Ian Wiggins. Grip Kevin Braithwaite, for instance, worked with Ian Wiggins on the railways.
+ Because the main location was filmed in a working pub, the original sound featured noisy beer coolers, bands setting up in the main bar and people singing on karaoke. So to keep the sound consistent, the filmmakers had no choice but to ADR the whole film. One of the cameo actors expressed that it was tough to work in the conditions, but the regular cast said they were used to it.
+ The scene in Justin’s flat was filmed at Manchester's Studio 13, the recording studio of The Ugly. This was the last scene shot to feature dialogue.
+ Two big scenes were reshot at the same location: The Delph. The first, where Layton is introduced to Racheal, was reshot because Michael Booth believed that the actors had become more confident in their roles and the second, where Racheal meets Layton outside the pub, because the original scene was too dark.
+ Another scene from The Delph was also redone. It was a conversation between Layton and Cunty that was reshot so it could be changed to Cunty driving his car.
+ Scenes from the other side of Layton's phone calls were shot during the beginning of the ADR recording process. The producers decided it would help the flow of some of the scenes.
+ Towards the end of filming, the crew turned up to the pub to find a snooker table had been installed. They had no choice but to shoot around it for the rest of filming.
+ Eagle-eyed viewers might spot childish remarks about various cast and crew scrawled on the dartboard's scoreboard. One of the favourite pastimes during set-ups was a darts game called "Bully For Gordon’s Cock".
+ Scenes in the Balking Tollock’s gents' toilets were filmed at The Heaven & Hell nightclub, in Blackburn. The club closed down soon after filming.
+ The newsagents scene was shot on location at Bownhill, in Blackburn. The owner, Adrian Swindlehurst, is behind the counter.
+ The scenes from Layton’s parents' house/bedroom were filmed in Michael Booth’s parents' house, near Blackburn. Their living room is Paul Coppack’s brothers' bedroom.
+ Karen’s flat is Ashleigh Morley’s house, in Rawtenstall (Lancashire).
+ Both Carla Purelove's bedroom scene and the "Rachael’s Parents" scene were filmed in Abigail Gilbraith’s living room, in Blackburn (the bedroom scene upstairs and the scene with Rachel's parents in the living room). The remaining scenes from Carla's house (in the kitchen and bathroom) were filmed at Ian Wiggins’ house, in Blackburn.
+ Cunty drives Paul Coppack’s car; Anne Marie drives Paul Gordon's car; Justin drives Chris Finch’s car; and Jackie Knowles drove her own car. The other crew members’ cars appear in the dogging scene.
+ The scene where Birty gets ready to go to the nightclub was filmed in Paul Gordon’s kitchen.
+ The swanky wine bar scene was filmed in the upstairs function room of the Duke Of Buccleuch pub, in Waterfoot.
+ Known as a suicide hotspot in the film, The Delph scenes were filmed at Kemp Delph, in Oswaldtwistle. There is one known case of a suicide in the 1970’s; and, in January 2009, the police drained The Delph whilst searching for a murder victim.
+ The nightclub scenes were filmed in two different clubs: Liquid & Envy, in Blackburn, and the Roxy Nightclub, in Darwen. The taxi from one of these scenes can be seen driving up Bank Street, in Rawtenstall.
+ The Mill Hill that gets mentioned in the film (while on the phone to Racheal, Layton learns that she is at a party there) is a small area on the outskirts of Blackburn.
+ Whilst filming in Liquid & Envy, the fire alarm went off and the production team, with over 50 extras, had to evacuate the building. The manageress claimed the smoke machine set off the alarm. And as he stood out in the cold, shoppers couldn’t help but spot Ian Wiggins in the transvestite costume that he wears for his 'Camp David' role. The Nail & Beauty Box (a beauty salon next door to the club) were so enthused about his appearance, they kindly fixed his nails for the scene.
+ Big Ben's scenes were filmed in two different warehouses; one was filmed at a Darwen bus depot and the other at P&M Coppack Air Conditioning, in Bacup. The latter was mocked up to look like the Police Station.
+ The shoot for the dogging scene took place on Paul Gordon’s drive, in Longridge (near Preston), over five nights that stretched across the course of 2 years. The crew went into production in all weathers for this scene, with the lights, on two occasions, being damaged due to being blown over in high winds.
+ The Rocky montage was filmed over three years and in varying locations: The Hordens, Bispham, near Blackpool, Terminal One Fitness Centre, in Rossendale, Paul Coppack’s parents' garden and Darwen Tower. The beached ship featured in the Rocky montage is MS Riverdance. [The ship ended up beached due to being broadsided by a wave. All the passengers (made up of crew only) were rescued and airlifted to Blackpool Airport for hospital treatment. Riverdance was eventually scrapped, on site, during 2008.]
+ Jon Eckersley was brought in as an Assistant Director for the first part of the nightclub scene. Other crew members for that scene were Rhiannon Preece-Towey, Lara Scott-Thomas, Marika McCaulsky, Jameel Kazmi and Thomas Beswick (all film students at Manchester City College at the time).
+ Rhiannon Preece-Towey was Assistant Director for the latter part of the nightclub scene and for some of the dogging shoots.
+ Manchester City College kindly provided a Camera Track and Dolly for the nightclub and dogging scenes.
+ Dave Laurie, from DeeTV Studio, responded to a plea for extras for the nightclub scene on Tony Livesey's breakfast show (BBC Radio Lancashire). He later provided actresses for other scenes in the production.
RELATED LINKS:
(General)
+ IMDb page
+ Facebook group
+ Pleased Sheep Films Facebook group
+ MySpace page
+ MovieSet profile
+ Bar Stewards montage on Redrock Micro (Sample Footage section)
+ Wysiwyg Cannes 2006 video diary (day 2) (From about 50 seconds in, Jonathan Rhodes talks briefly to Michael Booth and Paul Gordon about Bar Stewards.)
(Cast/crew official sites)
+ Jonathan Rhodes
+ Dee Sanders
+ Tim Paley
+ Woodwig Films (Earwig Productions)
+ John Howarth
+ Shooters Media
+ Sumners (grading department headed by Jamie Parry)
+ School of Sound Recording
+ Dean Covill
+ Verbal Vigilante Music
+ Hasraf 'Haz' Dulull
(Cast/crew online CVs)
+ Chris Finch's Spotlight and Casting Call Pro CVs
+ Ashleigh Morley's Spotlight, North West Actors and Casting Call Pro CVs
+ Roxanne Gregory's IMDb resumé
+ Jackie Knowles' Spotlight and Casting Call Pro CVs
+ Jonathan Rhodes' Spotlight and Casting Call Pro CVs
+ Damian Christian's Spotlight, North West Actors and Casting Call Pro CVs
+ Ranj Nagra's Spotlight, North West Actors and Casting Call Pro CVs
+ John Howarth's Spotlight, Casting Call Pro and UK Screen CVs
+ Alice Barry's Urban Talent CV
+ Donna Henry's Spotlight and Urban Talent CVs
+ Matthew Butler's Spotlight CV
+ Bernard Nagle's Spotlight and Urban Talent CVs
+ Dee Sanders' Spotlight, CastNet UK and UK Screen CVs
+ Tim Paley's Spotlight, Urban Talent, Casting Call Pro and UK Screen CVs
SPECIAL THANKS:
+ [studio facilities] Purplecrew (based at The Pie Factory)
+ [equipment hire] Jim Grainger and City College Manchester
+ School of Sound Recording (Manchester)
DEMO REEL
STATUS: Post-production
RUNNING TIME: 100 minutes (approx.)
GENRE: Romantic comedy/drama
SETTING: Blackburn (Lancashire)
SYNOPSES:
+ [short] Layton's life falls apart after his girl leaves him. He then discovers that he has a mysterious stalker who claims to be Stephen Hawking. Helped (and hindered) by his friends, Layton must find out who the stalker is before he loses his sanity.
A film about two best friends who work in a pub - one's heartbroken, the other needs to get laid. And one of them's being stalked.
+ [half page] Down at the Balking Tollocks Public House, all is not well...
Layton Peebles (Chris Finch) is heartbroken when his girlfriend leaves him. A few months on and and he's still pining for her whilst working at a local bar - a job recommended by his best friend, Jamie Cuntilever (Paul Birtwistle). Jamie is a man of little experience with women, not that he hasn't tried... and failed... many many times. Using his depressed and better-looking friend Layton as his 'wingman', he wastes no opportunity in trying to find a willing sexual partner - despite Layton's lament. Luckily fate introduces him to Carla Purelove, a euro-porn starlet who is described by her friend as "A nymphomaniac deviant masochist, with a weird sense of humour - and bad eyesight".
It's a chance that even the stupidest person in the world couldn't ruin... or could he?
Layton then begins to receive phone calls from someone claiming to be Stephen Hawking, who leaves him advice on life, love and sex. Around the same time, Layton has started a new relationship with the troubled Racheal (Ashleigh Morley) - a girl he meets at a notorious suicide spot, the place where he almost took his own life only months before.
On top of that, Layton has become the target of local gangster Big Ben (Billy Hodge) and his gang after accidentally sleeping with the big man's girlfriend.
Bar Stewards is a film about how when your life falls apart, you can count on the people around you to make it ten times worse.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Pleased Sheep Films
WRITERS: Michael Booth and Paul Birtwistle (additional material)
DIRECTOR: Michael Booth
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Rhiannon Preece-Towey
PRODUCERS: Michael Booth and Paul Coppack
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Chris Finch and Paul Birtwistle
CO-PRODUCERS: Ian 'wiggy' Wiggins and Tim Paley
ASSISTANT PRODUCER: Zahira Ali
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Paul Gordon
BOOM OPERATORS: Paul Coppack and Paul Sparkes (additional)
GRIP: Kevin Braithwaite
FOCUS PULLER: David J. Turner
CAMERA ASSISTANTS: Dominic Ricioppo, Thomas Beswick and Jameel Kazmi
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS: Alison Booth, Lauren Entwistle, Jason Mitchell, Noelene Phythain, Marika McCaulsky and Lara Scott-Thomas
FILM EDITOR: Michael Booth
COLOURIST: Jamie Parry
DIGITAL VISUAL EFFECTS ARTISTS: Hasraf 'Haz' Dulull and Stephen Smith
CG ARTIST: Michael Coleman
SUPERVISING ADR EDITOR: Norbert Weiher
SENIOR ADR EDITOR: Dean Covill
FOLEY & ADR RECORDISTS: Kelly Young, Liz Hardwick, Stephen Hull, Jay Naylor, Michael Nowacki, Tom McAlpine, Riccardo Maiolani, Patrick Doody, Julian Taylor, Claire Turnbull, Holly Wyatt, Paul Waters, Ben Collinson, Felix Rashman, John Heath, Paul Copestake, Claire Gerrard, Andrew Poole and John Neilis
ORIGINAL MUSIC: Jode Steele and David Wainwright (Verbal Vigilante Music)
MAKE-UP ARTIST: Jeannette Marie Kenny
PROPS: Paul Coppack
EXTRAS CASTING: DeeTV Studio: Models & Extras Agency
CAST (main):
CAST (other):
CAST (extras):
(Pub) Lee Richardson, Angela Winward, Dave Brown and Laura Lubgane
(Nightclub) Kev Robinson, Dan Driver, Alex Wildman, Amanda Dewhurst, Amanda Nicholls, Amy Corruthers, Andy Holden, Anthony Goldie, Antonio Knowles, Ben Abbott, Cassie McKeefrey, Catherine Collinge, Catherine Goy, Charlotte Houston, Chas Dewhurst, Chris Hall, Chris Moore, Chris O’Rielly, Colin Davis, Danielle Martin, Davis Starky, Emma Gator, Jamie-Leigh Scott, Jenny Smethurst, Jenny Taylor, Joanne Harrington, Jonathan Peirce, Karl Heys, Kelly Begley, Kelly Day, Kelly Dewhurst, Laura Vaughan, Lillee Stanyon, Lindsay Keegan, Luke Kennedy, Luke Southern, Lynda Paley, Marguerita O’Rourke, Mark O’Rielly, Mathew Gribben, Matthew Flaherty, Michael Collinge, Neil Grimshaw, Nick Lever, Paul Anderton, Paul Moss, Peter Young, Robert Livesey, Ross McLean, Sam Dean, Sarah Jane Griver, Sarah Martin, Sean Taylor, Sian Jones, Stacy Jennings, Steve Clarke, Steve O’Rourke, Tracy McCullock and Zoe Parkinson
[MacInTalk, a text-to-speech program that was first used as part of the original Apple Macintosh computer in 1984, provides the voice of Stephen Hawking.]
PUBLICITY STILLS:
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FILM STILLS:
[click each thumbnail to view an album of related stills]
Layton Peebles (plus Layton/Karen sub-album)
Jamie Cuntilever
Jamie and Layton
Racheal Carte (plus sub-albums)
Anne Marie (plus sub-album)
Donna (plus Donna/Layton sub-album)
Miscellaneous characters
BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTOS (shoots dated):
[click each thumbnail to view an album of related photos]
The Duke of Buccleuch pub shoot (13/09/09)
(Photographer: Dave Laurie)
The Hordens final shoot (25/04/09)
Darwen Tower shoot (07/03/09)
The Hordens shoot (27/07/08)
The Hordens shoot (23/07/08)
Longridge night shoot (03-04/05/08)
(Photographer: Dave Laurie)
Roxy Nightclub shoot (19/04/08)
(Photographer: Dave Laurie)
Liquid & Envy shoot (25/03/08)
(Photographer: Bar Stewards extra Gareth Hardy)
Ashleigh Morley house shoot (08/09/07)
Green screen shoot (The Pie Factory, 06/09/07)
The Hordens test shoot (08/12/06)
ADR sessions
BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTOS (miscellaneous):
[click each thumbnail to view an album of related photos]
Out-take reel
All the rest
CAMERA TEST PHOTOS:
[click thumbnail to view an album of related photos]
EDIT PHOTOS:
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LOBBY CARD:
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CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2007 FLYER:
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MOVIESET FLYER:
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ARTWORK (sketches by camp david):
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THE '10p' PICTURE:
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BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE/SILLINESS:
[dated where known]
+ Bar Stewards ADR session
+ Adapter test footage (01/11/09)
+ Abstract Finchy Friday
+ Bar Stewards out-takes
+ Waterloogate (17/01/09)
+ UFO phenomenon (17/01/09)
+ Making of Bar Stewards (27/07/08)
+ Behind the scenes at Bar Stewards The Movie (23/07/08)
+
(19/04/08)
+
+
(26/03/08)
+
(16/02/08)
+ The Belm Off
+
+
+ Bar Stewards Kombat
+ All work and some play
+ Finchy sets a bad example
+ Gordon 'N' Coppack and other bits and bobs
+ Shooters Media photo shoot
+ Between takes with Finchy and Birty
+ Chris and Boits (22/04/07)
+ Chris 'n' Jackie (21/04/07)
+ Watch a pro at work
+ Tim Paley
+ Carolyn
+ Meet Donna and Carolyn
+ Chris Finch's longest ever interview
+ End of a day's work!
+ Coppack interviews Alice Barry
+ Hordens pub shoot (13/01/07)
+ Insane test shoot (08/12/06)
+ Tongue-tied and twisted
+ Interview with Roxie
+ Interview with Ashleigh Morley
+ Bertie's Angels
+ In bed with Paul Birtwistle
+ Bar Stewards out-takes
+ Chris Finch on set 2
+ The Chris Finch 'toilet interview'
'CHRIS TALKS ABOUT HIS CAREER' VIDEO INTERVIEWS:
+ Part 2: Not clowning around
+ Part 1: How I got the part (12/05/07)
CAST/CREW VIDEO BLOGS:
+ Paul Coppack video blog (08/02/10)
+ Finchy & the Girls (13/09/09)
+ Chris Finch 'Darwen Tower' blog (07/03/09)
+ Chris Finch 'Hob Nobs' blog (31/01/09)
+ Car blog (?July 2007)
+ Chris Finch 'update' blog... (21/04/07)
+ Cop's lost blog (Feb 07)
+ Birtie's birthday blog (04/02/07)
+ The Yank (02/02/07)
+ Finchy's blog (02/02/07)
+ Birtie's blog (20/01/07)
CAST/CREW BLOGS:
+ Michael Booth's Blog
+ Cop's Producer Blog (written by Paul Coppack)
+ The Flog (written by Chris Finch)
MAGAZINE ARTICLES: Combustion 2008 (Bar Stewards raw footage illustrates review of the compositing software 'Combustion 2008', 3D World, March 2008, p88)
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES:
[mixture of online articles and scanned paper copies, depending on availability]
+ Pub is the toast for new film (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 28/04/09)
+ Dee-light for actors (The Visitor, 21/05/08) [An online version, entitled "Talent agency gets results", can be found on The Visitor's website.]
+ That's A Wrap!: Film Shot In Darwen (The Darrener, 9-15/04/08)
+ Go that extra mile to help out filming (Lancashire Telegraph, 03/04/08)
+ New film is the toast (Lancashire Telegraph, 25/03/08) [An online version, entitled "Extras needed for new film's final scene" and dated 24/03/08, can be found on both the sites for the Lancashire Telegraph and the Blackburn Citizen.]
+ I'm bad... but it's only an act (Billy Hodge online article, Lancashire Telegraph, 11/08/06)
RADIO SPOTS:
+ Michael Booth and Paul Coppack interviewed on the Joe Wilson show, BBC Radio Lancashire, 01/09/09. (Bar Stewards talk from 12 minutes 21 seconds in.) [Click HERE for an MP3 recording of the interview.]
+ Michael Booth, Chris Finch, Paul Coppack and Ian Wiggins interviewed on the Tony Livesey show, BBC Radio Lancashire, 26/03/08. [Click HERE for an MP3 recording of the interview.]
PLEASED SHEEP FILMS PODCASTS:
+ June podcast (recorded 05/06/09, posted 06/06/09)
+ Christmas podcast (24/12/08)
+ First podcast (recorded 31/10/08, posted 10/11/08)
TRIVIA:
+ Bar Stewards was originally filmed on a Panasonic HVX200, with a Red Rock M2 Nikon lens adapter. That then ended up getting changed to a Sony EX1, with a Letus lens adapter. Some establishing shots were later filmed with a Canon 5D Mk II.
+ Shooting began in June 2006 and ended with pick ups, during post production, in March 2010.
+ Bar Stewards is, in fact, a prequel to a piece of work that has been in development for the past 10 years. This companion piece features many of the same characters as Bar Stewards but is far greater and darker in tone than its predecessor - revolving as it does around a very dangerous love triangle.
+ In 1996, when Michael Booth was just 19, his early script for this currently untitled project attracted interest from both Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show) and Ewan Bremner (Trainspotting). Film4 even seriously considered being involved, but it was sadly against their remit at the time and so got rejected.
+ Michael Booth edits Bar Stewards on Final Cut Pro, in his bedroom.
+ Producer Paul Coppack met Michael Booth at the audition for supporting actors. The Pleased Sheep producers were using rooms at the Shooters Media office (where Paul was working) to hold the auditions. Chris Finch, Dorothy Sanderson, Georgina Hunter, Ashleigh Morley and John Howarth all received parts for Bar Stewards there (those parts being the lead of Layton Peebles, Racheal's mum, Carla Purelove, Racheal and, as now titled/altered to, Deliveryman Dan respectively).
+ Paul Birtwistle was originally down to play Layton and Chris Finch was auditioning to play Cunty. Unknown to the actors, Michael Booth decided to swap the characters around; and, in the screen test, both actors were stood in position, waiting for the other one to deliver their opening lines.
+ Associate producer Ian Wiggins got involved with Bar Stewards after Michael Booth was impressed with a short film of his, Tash Force, that he'd found on the internet. There are now plans to shoot a remake. In the meantime, however, Mark Woodward revisits his part of PC Tash McDermott in Bar Stewards.
+ The producers of Bar Stewards all have parts in the film. Paul Coppack plays Boy Pisser (a non-speaking role due to his scenes with dialogue eventually getting cut), Ian Wiggins plays Camp David and Tim Paley plays Racheal’s dad. They’re also recurring extras throughout the film (wearing wigs, hats and hoods). Michael Booth doesn’t feature in any scenes but cinematographer Paul Gordon is used as a pub regular called Pez.
+ Chris Finch and Paul Birtwistle were both given Executive Producer credits as acknowledgment to their commitment to the project.
+ The characters Loochie Lou, Anne Marie, Donna and Big Ben all originate from a Michael Booth short called Drop Outs (2000). Abigail Gilbraith, Louise Brand and Roxanne Gregory still play their respective characters here, though Big Ben, once the part of Kevin Marklew, is now played by Billy Hodge.
+ Paul Birtwistle, Donna Henry (Coffy), Roxanne Gregory, Clyve Bonelle (Bones), Tim Paley (Racheal's dad), Alison Booth (pub regular), Billy Hodge, Carolyn Mason (Jess), Louise Brand and Nicky Lockett (Justin) all appeared in the Michael Booth-directed Diary Of A Bad Lad. John Yates was a helping hand in Bad Lad and appears as Scone in Bar Stewards.
+ Ashleigh Morley, Tim Paley, Georgina Hunter, Dorothy Sanderson, John Howarth and Joe Moan (Fergie) all appeared in short films by Paul Coppack before Bar Stewards.
+ Whilst working as a nightclub doorman during production, Billy Hodge was put into intensive care after being attacked with a large metal pole. Both attackers were jailed for a total of nine years and four months. Billy made a full recovery.
+ Paul Barber (Only Fools and Horses) was approached to play Big Ben; Neil Bell (Shameless) was in line to play Justin; Chesney Hawkes passed on the opportunity to play himself; and former Bullseye presenter Jim Bowen turned down a cameo role.
+ Chris Finch and Jackie Knowles (Karen) once played in a sporting charity event together, meeting up again for the first time since then at the auditions for Bar Stewards.
+ Paul Gordon is not related to cast members Darren Gordon and Clayton Gordon.
+ Georgina Hunter and Louise Brand were both pregnant during production.
+ In 2006, Louise Brand won £30,000 on Deal or No Deal.
+ Throughout the whole production (almost 4 years), Layton’s main costume was never washed.
+ Damian Christian was pulled in last minute to play the part of Bob Fortuna after the crew were let down by a different actor. When Chris Finch phoned Damian about the part, he just happened to be driving around the area at the time.
+ For a couple of years, the producers hunted for an internationally recognised celebrity to play a satirical character called The Informative Dogger. However, after viewing a rough cut, they decided to cut the part.
+ Jonathan Rhodes (Miles Bennett-Dyson) was part of the WYSIWYG team who originally distributed Diary Of A Bad Lad.
+ When Billy Hodge failed to bring a chainsaw prop to one of the shoots, the producers dashed out to B&Q and bought a brand new one just for the scene. The next day, Paul Coppack returned it and got a full refund.
+ Although Matt Jerrams (The Doc) had never met Michael Booth before production started, they had been in touch via email for quite a few years before (through Robert Kurtzman).
+ Camera Assistant Dominic Ricioppo is the lead singer of a Sex Pistols cover band called The Bollocks; Mark Woodward is the lead singer of a band called The Broken Robots; Matt Jerrams is part of a band called The Triknuts; and MC Tunes (Justin) is part of a band called The Ugly (their music being used in the rough cut and ‘making of’ diaries).
+ The opening title music, in the rough cut, was This Is A Warning, by Blackburn-based band Kill Devil Hills. They also performed the track Ready For It, which is used in the Bar Stewards Demo Montage (posted on the Pleased Sheep Forum in May 2008).
+ When the producers were searching for an ADR engineer, Splintered director Simeon Halligan suggested Alan Sheldon. Sheldon then introduced the producers to School of Sound Recording's (SSR) Norbert Weiher. SSR students worked on the Bar Stewards sound mix and ADR as part of their course curriculum.
+ Ashley Hyland is the daughter of boxing promoter John Hyland. She was suggested by film director James Marquand, son of Return of the Jedi director Richard Marquand.
+ Chris Finch’s real name is Chris Wilkinson and Ashleigh Morley’s is Ashley Morley.
+ On Chris Finch's first day of shooting, he had to share a bed on 3 separate occasions with 3 different women.
+ The first scene to be shot (which makes the final cut) was Racheal waking up with Layton.
+ Bar Stewards features clips from Laurel & Hardy’s Flying Deuces.
+ The movie watched by Racheal’s parents is Rail Fiction, an internet only, low-budget film made by Ian Wiggins and featuring some of his workmates from the railways.
+ Throughout one short sequence, one background character is actually being played by 4 different people.
+ The main location filming for the Balking Tollocks pub took place in the function room at The Hordens, in Feniscowles (near Blackburn). The upstairs pub scenes were filmed in producer Paul Coppack’s parents' house, in Waterfoot (Rossendale).
+ Whilst scouting the location at The Hordens, Ian Wiggins had the spare wheel stolen from his scooter. The rest of the production at the location went by without anything going missing.
+ Throughout the production, The Hordens had four different landlords; and they were all kind enough to let filming continue under their management.
+ Despite filming in a working pub, the crew were only forced to relocate once (drunken behaviour from some locals). On that occasion, an unfinished scene, featuring Layton and Tyler in the back seat of Justin’s car, was relocated to a quiet car park at nearby Tockholes.
+ Many of the pub locals (plus the different managers) appear as extras in the film. And a lot of the extras for the pub scenes are actually friends of Ian Wiggins. Grip Kevin Braithwaite, for instance, worked with Ian Wiggins on the railways.
+ Because the main location was filmed in a working pub, the original sound featured noisy beer coolers, bands setting up in the main bar and people singing on karaoke. So to keep the sound consistent, the filmmakers had no choice but to ADR the whole film. One of the cameo actors expressed that it was tough to work in the conditions, but the regular cast said they were used to it.
+ The scene in Justin’s flat was filmed at Manchester's Studio 13, the recording studio of The Ugly. This was the last scene shot to feature dialogue.
+ Two big scenes were reshot at the same location: The Delph. The first, where Layton is introduced to Racheal, was reshot because Michael Booth believed that the actors had become more confident in their roles and the second, where Racheal meets Layton outside the pub, because the original scene was too dark.
+ Another scene from The Delph was also redone. It was a conversation between Layton and Cunty that was reshot so it could be changed to Cunty driving his car.
+ Scenes from the other side of Layton's phone calls were shot during the beginning of the ADR recording process. The producers decided it would help the flow of some of the scenes.
+ Towards the end of filming, the crew turned up to the pub to find a snooker table had been installed. They had no choice but to shoot around it for the rest of filming.
+ Eagle-eyed viewers might spot childish remarks about various cast and crew scrawled on the dartboard's scoreboard. One of the favourite pastimes during set-ups was a darts game called "Bully For Gordon’s Cock".
+ Scenes in the Balking Tollock’s gents' toilets were filmed at The Heaven & Hell nightclub, in Blackburn. The club closed down soon after filming.
+ The newsagents scene was shot on location at Bownhill, in Blackburn. The owner, Adrian Swindlehurst, is behind the counter.
+ The scenes from Layton’s parents' house/bedroom were filmed in Michael Booth’s parents' house, near Blackburn. Their living room is Paul Coppack’s brothers' bedroom.
+ Karen’s flat is Ashleigh Morley’s house, in Rawtenstall (Lancashire).
+ Both Carla Purelove's bedroom scene and the "Rachael’s Parents" scene were filmed in Abigail Gilbraith’s living room, in Blackburn (the bedroom scene upstairs and the scene with Rachel's parents in the living room). The remaining scenes from Carla's house (in the kitchen and bathroom) were filmed at Ian Wiggins’ house, in Blackburn.
+ Cunty drives Paul Coppack’s car; Anne Marie drives Paul Gordon's car; Justin drives Chris Finch’s car; and Jackie Knowles drove her own car. The other crew members’ cars appear in the dogging scene.
+ The scene where Birty gets ready to go to the nightclub was filmed in Paul Gordon’s kitchen.
+ The swanky wine bar scene was filmed in the upstairs function room of the Duke Of Buccleuch pub, in Waterfoot.
+ Known as a suicide hotspot in the film, The Delph scenes were filmed at Kemp Delph, in Oswaldtwistle. There is one known case of a suicide in the 1970’s; and, in January 2009, the police drained The Delph whilst searching for a murder victim.
+ The nightclub scenes were filmed in two different clubs: Liquid & Envy, in Blackburn, and the Roxy Nightclub, in Darwen. The taxi from one of these scenes can be seen driving up Bank Street, in Rawtenstall.
+ The Mill Hill that gets mentioned in the film (while on the phone to Racheal, Layton learns that she is at a party there) is a small area on the outskirts of Blackburn.
+ Whilst filming in Liquid & Envy, the fire alarm went off and the production team, with over 50 extras, had to evacuate the building. The manageress claimed the smoke machine set off the alarm. And as he stood out in the cold, shoppers couldn’t help but spot Ian Wiggins in the transvestite costume that he wears for his 'Camp David' role. The Nail & Beauty Box (a beauty salon next door to the club) were so enthused about his appearance, they kindly fixed his nails for the scene.
+ Big Ben's scenes were filmed in two different warehouses; one was filmed at a Darwen bus depot and the other at P&M Coppack Air Conditioning, in Bacup. The latter was mocked up to look like the Police Station.
+ The shoot for the dogging scene took place on Paul Gordon’s drive, in Longridge (near Preston), over five nights that stretched across the course of 2 years. The crew went into production in all weathers for this scene, with the lights, on two occasions, being damaged due to being blown over in high winds.
+ The Rocky montage was filmed over three years and in varying locations: The Hordens, Bispham, near Blackpool, Terminal One Fitness Centre, in Rossendale, Paul Coppack’s parents' garden and Darwen Tower. The beached ship featured in the Rocky montage is MS Riverdance. [The ship ended up beached due to being broadsided by a wave. All the passengers (made up of crew only) were rescued and airlifted to Blackpool Airport for hospital treatment. Riverdance was eventually scrapped, on site, during 2008.]
+ Jon Eckersley was brought in as an Assistant Director for the first part of the nightclub scene. Other crew members for that scene were Rhiannon Preece-Towey, Lara Scott-Thomas, Marika McCaulsky, Jameel Kazmi and Thomas Beswick (all film students at Manchester City College at the time).
+ Rhiannon Preece-Towey was Assistant Director for the latter part of the nightclub scene and for some of the dogging shoots.
+ Manchester City College kindly provided a Camera Track and Dolly for the nightclub and dogging scenes.
+ Dave Laurie, from DeeTV Studio, responded to a plea for extras for the nightclub scene on Tony Livesey's breakfast show (BBC Radio Lancashire). He later provided actresses for other scenes in the production.
RELATED LINKS:
(General)
+ IMDb page
+ Facebook group
+ Pleased Sheep Films Facebook group
+ MySpace page
+ MovieSet profile
+ Bar Stewards montage on Redrock Micro (Sample Footage section)
+ Wysiwyg Cannes 2006 video diary (day 2) (From about 50 seconds in, Jonathan Rhodes talks briefly to Michael Booth and Paul Gordon about Bar Stewards.)
(Cast/crew official sites)
+ Jonathan Rhodes
+ Dee Sanders
+ Tim Paley
+ Woodwig Films (Earwig Productions)
+ John Howarth
+ Shooters Media
+ Sumners (grading department headed by Jamie Parry)
+ School of Sound Recording
+ Dean Covill
+ Verbal Vigilante Music
+ Hasraf 'Haz' Dulull
(Cast/crew online CVs)
+ Chris Finch's Spotlight and Casting Call Pro CVs
+ Ashleigh Morley's Spotlight, North West Actors and Casting Call Pro CVs
+ Roxanne Gregory's IMDb resumé
+ Jackie Knowles' Spotlight and Casting Call Pro CVs
+ Jonathan Rhodes' Spotlight and Casting Call Pro CVs
+ Damian Christian's Spotlight, North West Actors and Casting Call Pro CVs
+ Ranj Nagra's Spotlight, North West Actors and Casting Call Pro CVs
+ John Howarth's Spotlight, Casting Call Pro and UK Screen CVs
+ Alice Barry's Urban Talent CV
+ Donna Henry's Spotlight and Urban Talent CVs
+ Matthew Butler's Spotlight CV
+ Bernard Nagle's Spotlight and Urban Talent CVs
+ Dee Sanders' Spotlight, CastNet UK and UK Screen CVs
+ Tim Paley's Spotlight, Urban Talent, Casting Call Pro and UK Screen CVs
SPECIAL THANKS:
+ [studio facilities] Purplecrew (based at The Pie Factory)
+ [equipment hire] Jim Grainger and City College Manchester
+ School of Sound Recording (Manchester)
I don't know how on earth you manage to collate all the information together, it's amazingly thorough!
