Block 2, Episode 4
Aberdare, 7.30pm-9:30pm
We've covered a fair bit of ground and seen an awful lot of Cardiff during the shooting, but this is the furthest afield we've gone to film.
You may remember from a previous production diary that, when we filmed at the Heathcock pub in Llandaff, we decided to finish the shoot without getting the final scene due to several technical issues. This left us with a quandary of how to get this final scene shot. Our ever-resourceful second camera operator, Craig, came up trumps and offered the use of Beluga, the bar he manages in Aberdare. So Rhys and I jumped on a train whilst Rebecca, Andy and our two actors drove up to get this scene filmed.
Rhys and I arrived early and, with Craig's help, set the lights and cameras up so that- when the actors arrived- it was a case of in costume (and, in Andrew's case, make-up) and on set. It also gave me time to examine Andrew's costume to see if any repair work needed doing on it. It did.
Actors arrived and suited up, then we were able to start the filming. We were only filming one scene, but it's a long scene, six pages of dialogue, and it's amongst the very best of Matthew Ford's writing for the series. It's a proper father-son heart-to-heart and is pivotal to Episode 4. Within the first few takes of the evening, it became clear that wrapping early at the Heathcock was the right decision.
Both Scott and Andrew were absolutely brilliant and really did Matt's writing justice. The scene is a mix of pathos and comedy and our two actors delivered that pitched-perfectly. One particular take had me and several other members of the crew in tears (not the first time that has happened during filming).
After several takes to ensure coverage, we were able to finish for the night and able to declare a series wrap for both Scott and Andrew. Another main cast member wrapped and principal photography completed on five of the six episodes.
The end is nigh...