fivefingeredstyre said:
I always liked that built up black base. Looked to me though that the Tardis back door was open in that scene so maybe there was a prop guy standing out of shot with the smoke machine? I've no idea. The story did look lovely on the big screen at the BFI though! And was it my ears or has the wobbly materialisation sound effect been reinstated when it lands in the woods?So I was at the BFI yesterday, watching Spearhead from Space on a massive cinema screen, and something occurred to me
View attachment 767849
We've always thought the black rostrum around the base of the TARDIS in the lab scenes was because the old base may have finally given up after being dragged around on location to film Pertwee leaving the TARDIS when he lands on Earth in Oxley Woods; however I think its more likely that the real reason for the base being elevated like it is, is so that a smoke generator could be inserted underneath the box.
The take-off scene is quite a tight shot , with Caroline John and Nicholas Courtney standing very close to the TARDIS door, as the abortive take off subsides you can see smoke rising up from the floor around them external to the box. I'd wager that it was originally planned to get a wider shot during the take off; however the set dressing may have gotten in the way, making the final shot a close up.
I don't know about others, but personally, I'd figured out that that's the original base with black cloth or something similar wrapped around it like 5 years ago. I've talked to other people who figured the same. I always assumed its because they added wheels again.So I was at the BFI yesterday, watching Spearhead from Space on a massive cinema screen, and something occurred to me
View attachment 767849
We've always thought the black rostrum around the base of the TARDIS in the lab scenes was because the old base may have finally given up after being dragged around on location to film Pertwee leaving the TARDIS when he lands on Earth in Oxley Woods; however I think its more likely that the real reason for the base being elevated like it is, is so that a smoke generator could be inserted underneath the box.
The take-off scene is quite a tight shot , with Caroline John and Nicholas Courtney standing very close to the TARDIS door, as the abortive take off subsides you can see smoke rising up from the floor around them external to the box. I'd wager that it was originally planned to get a wider shot during the take off; however the set dressing may have gotten in the way, making the final shot a close up.
Interesting - I can believe that the castors on the original Police Box's base 'gave up' after it was dragged into Oxley Wood for "Spearhead" (after all when we next see the Tardis in the publicity shots for "Terror of the Autons", it was minus its base altogether) and this was the reason that the Police Box was mounted on a rostrum.... However, if I've understood you correctly, wouldn't piping smoke into the box from underneath entail cutting a hole in the original base for the pipe to carry the smoke?So I was at the BFI yesterday, watching Spearhead from Space on a massive cinema screen, and something occurred to me
View attachment 767849
We've always thought the black rostrum around the base of the TARDIS in the lab scenes was because the old base may have finally given up after being dragged around on location to film Pertwee leaving the TARDIS when he lands on Earth in Oxley Woods; however I think its more likely that the real reason for the base being elevated like it is, is so that a smoke generator could be inserted underneath the box.
The take-off scene is quite a tight shot , with Caroline John and Nicholas Courtney standing very close to the TARDIS door, as the abortive take off subsides you can see smoke rising up from the floor around them external to the box. I'd wager that it was originally planned to get a wider shot during the take off; however the set dressing may have gotten in the way, making the final shot a close up.
How do!However, if I've understood you correctly, wouldn't piping smoke into the box from underneath entail cutting a hole in the original base for the pipe to carry the smoke?
Yep! That's exactly what I was thinking.I was thinking when I read this thread yesterday, that it looks like fabric (it reminds me of the skirting we use at work for staging... Some kind of felt, maybe?)
Yeah there was smoke coming out from inside the box, as well as from underneath. I think you're right about the open doors at the rear. That way you could get the smoke coming out from inside and underneath.I always liked that built up black base. Looked to me though that the Tardis back door was open in that scene so maybe there was a prop guy standing out of shot with the smoke machine? I've no idea.
Yep! They'd reinstated the original sound effect. Personally I'd have retained the fix. The wobbly start was obviously a mis-que on the original soundtrack.The story did look lovely on the big screen at the BFI though! And was it my ears or has the wobbly materialisation sound effect been reinstated when it lands in the woods?