THE HAUNTING OF THOMAS BREWSTER - DIRECTOR'S NOTES

(30/04/2008)
By Barnaby Edwards

Audio directors are often asked what exactly we do: surely it's just a question of assembling the cast in a studio, giving them the script and pressing record? Well, by way of illustration, I thought I'd show you what my duties were on The Haunting of Thomas Brewster:

STORYLINE AND FIRST DRAFT: AUGUST-OCTOBER 2007
Jonathan Morris is asked by Alan Barnes and Nicholas Briggs to suggest a storyline for a Fifth Doctor and Nyssa adventure. He sends in a brief synopsis for a story set in Victorian London. It's at this point that I become involved. Along with Alan and Nick, I read the synopsis and give notes. It's returned to Jonny, who refines the synopsis accordingly. Alan sends the revised storyline to the Doctor Who production office in Cardiff for approval.

The first draft of episode one comes in at the end of September and it's clear we're going to need a good young actor to play the title role. On 26th September I suggest two actors for the role: John Pickard and Sid Mitchell. When the finished script is delivered on 16th October, it becomes apparent that the fresher-voiced John would be perfect for Brewster and the slightly more knowing Sid would be better suited to Pickens. But we also need someone to play the Doctor's new assistant. I ponder this.

Alan, Nick and I give our notes on Draft One and Jonny goes off to write a second draft.

CD COVER: OCTOBER 2007
While Jonny is busy rewriting, I start discussing the cover with our designer Alex Mallinson. We both want something suitably gothic. I send him some picture ideas, including artwork from the films An American Haunting, The Haunted House, The Wolf-Man and The Haunting. Alex reads through Draft One of the script and starts formulating ideas. Alan and I write the blurb for the back cover. Alex sends me a sketch of the pose he wants the actor playing Thomas Brewster to adopt. I file it away for when I'm at the studio.

SECOND DRAFT: NOVEMBER 2007
Jonny's second draft is superb. We have a number of tiny amendments, mainly to do with making some characters more sympathetic and others less so. My main contribution is rather nerdish: the story features Tower Bridge, which I point out wasn't built until 1894. Jonny happily moves it to another London bridge. The retweaked script goes off to Cardiff for approval.

BUDGETING AND SCHEDULING: NOVEMBER 2007
As ever, I won't be able to afford all the actors on both recording days, so I need to work out whom I'll need when. I break the script down into individual scenes and part scenes, so I can arrange which bits I'll be recording on which days. In an ideal world, you'd start with Scene One at the beginning of the first day of recording and work through to the final scene at the close of the second day. Sadly, that's rarely possible on a tight budget, so you have to be more inventive in your scheduling.

The Haunting of Thomas Brewster is without doubt the most technically complex script I've yet directed. Any single scene may need to be recorded up to six times (not counting retakes):

1. Main action: Doctor, Nyssa, Brewster, Lilian and Meg, say.
2. Narration: Brewster narrating what's happening.
3. Ghost: an ethereal voice speaking inside the head of one of the characters.
4. Flashback: a scene from the past we only see in flashback within this scene.
5. Doubling up: one of the actors playing two roles in the same scene, meaning we have to record the whole scene twice (for example, Leslie Ash playing both Lilian and Meg).
6. Background voices: street sellers, hawkers and so on.

Working all this out and fitting it into a two-day recording schedule takes me nearly two weeks.

CASTING: NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2007
Having worked out which characters I need on which day(s), I prepare a shortlist of actors I'd like to play each part (perhaps ten actors per role). Peter, Sarah and the studio have been booked for 13th and 14th December, so the rest of the cast will have to be available for one or other or both of those days. Then begins the lengthy process of phoning agents, making offers, sending out scripts, negotiating fees and so on. I start casting on 26th November, sending Jonny, Alan, Nick and David Richardson regular updates on my progress.

The first actor to confirm is Christian Coulson (Tom Riddle from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) as the Doctor's new assistant, Robert McIntosh. I've stayed in touch with Christian since I cast him in The Bride of Peladon. He's such a talented actor and I knew I wanted to work with him again, so this is a great start. Next to confirm is John Pickard (from 2point4children and Hollyoaks) as Thomas Brewster - and the rest fall into place after that until finally the whole thing is cast.

RECORDING: 13-14 DECEMBER 2007
We record in our usual studios from 10am until 6pm, with a break for lunch during which I have to take all the publicity photographs of the actors (these pictures will be used on the cover and in the booklet of the CD, as well as being sent to Doctor Who Magazine and other periodicals). The cast are uniformly excellent and a good time is had by all. Jonathan Morris comes in to hear what we're doing with the script and is able to offer some useful pointers to the actors as to the meaning of words like "kinchin" and "libbege".

CD BOOKLET: JANUARY 2008
Alex Mallinson's superb cover comes in, although we have to replace his moody shot of Tower Bridge with another, more period bridge. My fault entirely: I forgot to mention my historical nicety to him! I write my director's notes for the interior of the booklet and send David Richardson a selection of photographs, together with a cast list. I'm amazed at how many roles Trevor Cooper plays - we must get him again.

POST PRODUCTION: JANUARY-APRIL 2008
Sound designer Simon Robinson and I discuss the feel of the music. I suggest Saint-Saens's Carnival of the Animals, Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition, Stravinsky's Isle of the Dead, the soundtrack to The Name of the Rose, Philip Glass's music for Dracula and some of John Harle's pieces for A History of Britain. I don't want Simon to copy any of these works, but they're useful as a sort of musical shorthand for the atmosphere I'd like to establish for the story. This is the third story I've done with Simon and I absolutely adore his music, so I'm already excited thinking about what he'll come up with.

On 14th January, Simon sends me the dialogue edit for my approval. This is an assemblage of all the correct takes in the correct order and will be the first time I can listen for real to what I had hitherto only heard in my head. Usually this sounds a bit disappointing because there aren't any effects or music and the voices all sound like they're in a studio booth rather than in a railway tunnel or on a riverbank or wherever. However, this time I'm pleasantly surprised: the story comes across well and the performances are wonderful (Barry McCarthy's Creek is a particular joy). I type up some sound design notes, decide to use a handful of alternative takes on certain lines, make some trims and send it back to Simon to have the effects put on. We talk a lot about pitch bending some of the characters: Leslie Ash's two aunts, Lilian and Meg, are tweaked up and down respectively to make them sound more distinct from each other; Creek is pitched up a teensy bit as well.

On 10th February, Simon starts sending me a version with the sound effects on it. He's done the most spectacular job. Over the next three weeks we tweak and adjust and refine the effects edit. We're in relatively good shape before I have to go away for the whole of March to work on something or other. While I'm away, Simon sets about composing the musical score and e-mails me each episode as it comes out. Simon's music gives the story a wonderful sense of drama and emotional depth and my only note to him is: more!

SIGN OFF: 28 MARCH 2008
Happy with the finished result, I sign off on the project. Nick Briggs wants us to tweak a couple of the TARDIS effects, which takes Simon a few more days. Once that's completed, Simon does the CD mastering and sends the discs off to our duplication facility. That's that. The Haunting of Thomas Brewster has kept me - and many other people - busy for eight months. I hope you enjoy it.

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THE DARK HUSBAND - PRODUCERS NOTES

(20/03/2008)
THE DARK HUSBAND - PRODUCER’S NOTES
By David Richardson

It’s the week before Christmas, and most people are out and about buying their presents. As I arrive at The Moat studios, I’m painfully aware that I’m yet to buy my first gift - there’s just been too much to do. And the world is so busy, in fact, just to get this recording to fit with everyone’s schedules, we’ve had to separate the two recording days - we do half of the story on Tuesday 18th, the rest on Friday 21st. Which is bad news for poor Philip Olivier, who has to travel down from Liverpool and back twice in one week. He doesn’t seem to mind at all, but I can’t help feeling rotten about the fact. And it’s not easy for Sylvester either, who’s in the middle of playing The Fool in a run of King Lear; last night he apparently got to bed at some ridiculous hour, and here we have him working early in the morning, saving the world yet again.

Anyway, here we are on one of the moons of the planet Tuin, in a respite from a centuries old war. Listen to the finished story and you’d think that the studio was buzzing with people, but today it’s a small band of actors: apart from Sylvester, Phil and Sophie, there’s Danny Webb. Oh, and Sophie has brought her sons in too, so while she’s busy being Ace I’m the acting child minder. Not having kids of my own, I wonder briefly how to entertain them; I start singing songs and they think I’ve gone bonkers. They sit quietly, happily painting and doing arts and crafts. They are, quite simply, the best-behaved children I’ve met in my life.

Star attraction for the day (aside from my singing turn) is Danny, back again so soon after playing Byron in The Girl Who Never Was, simply on the basis that a) he can play anything brilliantly, and b) he’s one of the nicest actors in town. We won’t say too much about what he has to do in the story, because that would spoil it, but let’s just say he’s a very physical actor, even on audio. We’d all be entranced as he’d wave his fists in the air, or strike a pose. Philip thought it was fantastic. When I pointed out in the green room that Danny had taken on a new stance, clenching and unclenching his fists while delivering a line, Phil leapt out of his seat and was in the gallery to take a look. We all thought Danny was stunning.

Three days later, and we were back to Tuin. Sophie’s children weren’t around today, but we had gained the considerably naughtier Sean Connolly and Katarina Olsson, who were playing dual roles as The Bards and the Ir Computers. They were great fun, and absolutely threw themselves into their odd roles. We also had a lot of visitors that day: Peter Ware dropped in to cover it in Doctor Who Magazine, and had so much fun he stayed around for the pub in the evening. Grant Kempster, who was designing the CD cover, dropped in to see the story in the making; he did a quick sketch of what he thought it should be. In the end, that sketch became pretty much what you see in the CD centrespread instead.

And Toby, the studio engineer and the unsung hero of the Audio Adventures of Doctor Who, catered in the Christmas spirit. There was a fabulous buffet, endless mince pies and crackers - everyone got into the spirit of the occasion, and you’ll see from the photos that it was quite a party.

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Diary of a Big Finish Producer

(12/03/2008)
Five exciting days in the life of Big Finish’s line producer David Richardson

Thursday February 28
The deadline for Big Finish Magazine 11, which is given away free to our cherished subscribers, is rapidly looming. Nick Briggs has recorded the links to my script, David Darlington has completed post production on the interviews, trailers and features, and he’s sending stuff to me to approve in sections. It’s sounding great so far. Meanwhile just the cover to finish…

Lots still to sort for our Top Secret Doctor Who Project which I’m looking after while Nick concentrates on his one zillion other responsibilities at Big Finish. The three stories for 2009 are recording in April, and I’m organizing auditions for actresses for tomorrow. We’ve got 11 reading for parts, so that means a schedule to draw up, scenes to mail out to agents, and final checks that I haven’t messed up and got someone coming in to read of Character X when she should be reading for Character Z.

The cover proofs for two Doctor Who releases arrive - The Haunting of Thomas Brewster and Skull of Sobek. Both look perfect - a quick call to Key Productions, who dupe all our CDs, and both will start rolling. They should be in very good time for the April release.

Friday February 29
I’m only in the office for the morning, and there’s so much to sort that not everything will get done. I’m going to prioritize. Hurray for prioritizing! First up, some extra names for today’s auditions. The more the merrier - get ‘em booked. Nick’s asked for a small revision to the cover of Assassin in the Limelight, so that goes back to artist Grant Kempster for some tweaks, mainly involving lighting. Talking of covers… we need to finish off the cover for our first Stargate SG-1 release today, but there’s a problem accessing our FTP server. It’s not going to happen. The clock ticks to 12… and I’ve got to go. That’ll have to wait until next week now.

Quick train into the centre of London, and I meet up for a coffee with one of our directors and actor Bryan Pilkington, who is going to be reading the Doctor’s lines at our audition (before rumours start: Bryan is NOT auditioning for the Doctor!). A gulp of latte later and we’re in the audition rooms at the Arts Theatre with our executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery for the next three-and-a-half hours. I record each of the performances onto a digital recorder; it’s going to be impossible to make a decision now, so we’ll take the sound files away to mull over.

Saturday March 1
I leave home in Bromley and head off to Barking for Invasion, a Doctor Who convention organized by the lovely people at Tenth Planet. This is the first convention I’ve been to in almost 20 years, and I’m impressed by the brilliant organization - those attending get to see star panels and even intimate ‘coffee lounges’ with actors. I’m here with our Marketing Manager John Ainsworth and Website man Paul Wilson, and we run the Big Finish table in the merchandise area. It’s just lovely to meet and talk with the people who buy our CDs - some talk to me about my blog, others tell us about their favourite stories, and congratulate us on the new website. And who’s that on the opposite table? It’s Anneke Wills, signing her autobiography. I pop over and say hello, and it’s my first opportunity to tell her about the plot for her upcoming Companion Chronicles. I was reading the script on the tube coming here, and we hope to record it within six weeks or so. As I describe the story, Anneke’s jaw drops. “That is so bizarre,” she says. “That actually happened in my family.” She’s thrilled.

There’s a strong Big Finish presence here today: Paul McGann has shared the stage with Nick, while Sheridan Smith has popped along for the afternoon to sign autographs. It’s her first convention, and she’s perhaps a little overwhelmed. Paul, John and I record a podcast with her, and it’s great fun. When it’s time for Sheridan to leave to begin signing she exclaims, ‘But I’m enjoying this! We’re having a great chinwag!’. She’s just as loveable as Lucie Miller.

Sunday March 2
Day off. I watch 3.10 to Yuma. Great movie, you should see it.

Monday March 3
I’m working at home today. I’ve got five scripts to read, and they’ll never get looked at if I’m in the office. First up I’ve got the second draft versions of two scripts from our Top Secret Project, which will be released in January to March 2009. It’s recording at the end of next month, so these scripts have to go to Cardiff to be approved by next Monday. Which gives us a week for the director and me to make any notes, and for the writers to amend them. I’ve also got the first and sixth scripts from season three of The Companion Chronicles to read. Emails piling up in the Inbox. The master of the Big Finish Magazine to listen to and approve… The last one will get bumped to tomorrow.

Tuesday March 4
Yay! Access to the Big Finish FTP site, so I’m starting to get the Stargate cover done. It’s taking ages to download. So I’m writing this!

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THE CONDEMNED - PRODUCERS NOTES

(25/02/2008)
By David Richardson

I was the new boy at Big Finish when The Condemned went into studio. And while Cuddlesome, which was produced for Doctor Who Magazine, was my first recording, this was the first full BF release that I worked on. It seems fitting somehow, because The Condemned, in its own modest way, is a bit of a reboot for the Doctor Who audio range, as it marks the first story with the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) and Eighth Doctor companion Charley Pollard (India Fisher).

And so I arrived at The Moat studios on November 29 for the first day of recording, to find a huddle of people drinking coffee. And then in walks Colin, who marches up to India with a broad smile and booming, ‘Hello, you’re my new assistant aren’t you!’ Big grins, a warm handshake - it’s there, in that moment, that indefinable chemistry between two people… and they haven’t even gone into the recording booths yet. A little piece of Doctor Who magic in one instant; this is going to be a great day. 

And, indeed, first up for recording in Nick Briggs’s schedule is the opening TARDIS scene, as Charley meets the earlier Doctor. It’s pitch perfect - though India would never know, we’re all laughing out loud in the gallery at the wonderful comic moment when Charley can’t quite muster surprise at stepping into a Space and Time ship. 

The Condemned has a large cast, most of which are here for the two days, while some do their scenes in one. Our guest stars are faces familiar from the TV series; Anna Hope, previously seen under cat prosthetic as Novice Hame, is here in the flesh, and she’s lovely. A gentle, feminine figure who steps into the sound booth and transforms into the brassy DI Menzies, which she performs in her own Mancunian accent. Will Ash was in the TV show in 42, stuck in an airlock with Martha Jones; here he’s the rather tragic figure of Sam, and he’s scary and brilliant in his scenes. Poor Will; the night before he had been filming in Sheffield until 4am and then drove down to London for our recording. Yet he’s a bright and sparky presence in the green room, chatting away. He mentions a BBC3 series called Conviction that he starred in a few years back. I realize I bought the DVD but never watched it; that night I start catching up.

It’s funny, I’m never star struck - 14 years working as a journalist has knocked that out of me. Yet I am just a little in awe of actors. I just think it’s marvellous that someone can transform into someone else. Like Diana Morrison, who plays the sultry and dangerous Antonia Bailey. In the green room she’s sweet and chatty and a really warm presence; put her in the recording booth and she scares the life out of me. Then there’s Stephen Aintree, a face you’ll recognize from Little Britain and Tittybangbang, who’s bullish as DCI Turbnall in the story, yet behind the scenes was just delighted to be working on Doctor Who, and he’d bought his autograph book along for everyone to sign.

It’s a great two days. When the wrap is called, it’s off down to the pub: just me, Nick, writer Eddie Robson and India, who wants to know about her next story, The Doomwood Curse. I reel off a synopsis of the story, and suddenly I’m conscious of how deliciously crazy it all sounds. The Sixth Doctor and Charley really do have some wonderful adventures ahead of them.

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The Nick Briggs To-Do-List

(20/02/2008)
By Nicholas Briggs

The essence of this job is the ‘to do’ list.  The trouble is that there is more than one list!

First, there’s mine, in a big Black n’ Red book.  [Yes, I do have a computer!  Several, in fact.  One on my office desk, one to take home, one for my audio editing and two more that are on their last legs.  Is that some kind of record?]

Anyway…  My ‘to do’ list currently looks like this… [‘translations’ in brackets]

1. GTC cover issues [I wanted something altered on the cover.  It looked a bit empty.  Grant Kempster has now given it a rather neat background with a museum plan on it.  This item is now ticked and scratched out.  Done!]
2. Puccini.  [I’ll say no more for now.  But this too has been ticked.  Done!]
3. GTC trailer [the trailer for Grand Theft Cosmos.  Also scratched out and ticked.  Done!  I love doing those McGann trailers.  All this exec producing has taken me away from my sound design a bit, so I do enjoy a bit of ProTools work from time to time.]
4. Read Story 112 one-parter script.  [It’s by Jim Swallow.  I’ve read and am giving notes on his 3-parter.  Must get on with this!]
5. 2009 subscriber special storyline notes.  [I’ve written a storyline for a returning old enemy for our 2009 subs special.  Alan and Barney have given me extensive notes, especially to help me with the ending – which I highlighted in red with the words ‘Attention!  Help!’ typed above.  Alan phoned me and gave me a good talking to, with lots of suggestions.  I was very tired that day and whined like a child, ‘Can’t you just do it?’  ‘No!’ chided Alan, ‘you sort it out!’  We both laughed.  I now have my solution.  Just need to write up and send to Cardiff, then we’ll see what Gary thinks.  He may have some better solutions.  Very helpful chap, our Gary.]
6. Eighth Doctor and Lucie story 3.3 storyline – black-in red notes and send to Cardiff. [My storyline for the third story – may change position – of the third season of Eighth Doctor and Lucie adventures, involving a returning enemy had been heavily noted by Barney and Alan.  These stories will now be 2x25-minute parts, for reasons that will become clear in 2009.  Alan suggested a great cliffhanger point involving Lucie.  The storyline is currently hugely long.  I ask David R to have a go at summarizing it for me, since I’m so bogged down with other stuff.  He does and I amend his summary.  It’ll go to Gary Russell when he’s back from leave.]
7. Story 116 storyline to complete.  [A significant adventure for the Sixth Doctor and Charley.  I’ve written the storyline for Part 1 and the end of Part 4. I know how it starts, I know where it’s going and how it ends.  I just have to work out exactly how I get there.  Yes, I need a middle!  Don’t we all?]
8. Story 117 script to read.  [This is part of a season of three stories that David Richardson is overseeing, to be released January to March 2009.  The idea was to give Alan and me three stories off so that we could get ahead with the rest of the range, particularly the third season with Paul and Sheridan.  It hasn’t quite worked out like that.  Alan has been giving notes, at David’s request.  I warn that I may not have time to do this.  And I trust Alan.  And wasn’t I meant to have less involvement in these three stories anyway?  Things rarely go to plan.]
9. Eighth Doctor and Lucie story 3.4 storyline -  read.  [Alan is strongly suggesting a second draft of this is needed.  Writer Jonny Morris is in agreement.  Having read it, I concur with Alan’s notes, and make a couple of points about the Doctor and Lucie’s relationship in this story.  We need to be certain that the development is right from the previous stories.]
10. Record BFM script.  [David has written a script for me to record for the latest Big Finish Magazine.  I’ve made a few alterations and will get on with it in a minute!  In a minute, all right?!?]
11. Paul Wilson – alphabet record.  [Paul is sorting out services for the visually impaired on our website, and needs me to record all the letters of the alphabet and numbers zero to ten for him.  No problem.  Will do that with the BFM script.]

So, that’s my list.  Tomorrow, it will get bigger.  And then there are the other lists.  The one David has of things he wants me to do.  The one our marketing director John Ainsworth has of things he needs to discuss with me.  And the one Alan Barnes has – which we’ll discuss next week when he comes down from Oxford to visit.  I’m hoping we’ll end the day with our traditional curry and some beeeeeeer.

Right, better do that recording now…

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