Words on the Street x 2

Maureen started the Word on the Street festival in Toronto with a reading in the author's tent, followed by a sigining at 11:30 am this morning. We then got into the car and drove all the way to Kitchener Ontario so she could do the exact same in Kitchener at 3:00. We got there at 2:40. A Journeyman To Grief was sold out by the time we got to Kitchener and Maureen read to an SRO crowd there. The neat thing was the host in Kitchener who organized the whole thing is a huge fan of Maureen's and really plugged the Christine series as well. So Maureen signed lots of books there too.
When we got home, a neighbour of ours was fixing its lair so I got out the camera again just for you to show off our very fine neighbour's web!! Enjoy, more on Murdoch next week.

Where are the Nike's???? Coronation Street meets The Murdoch Mysteries at Springhill Manor

This is my sister 'n law Molly Jennings. I did not take these photos nor was I there, but my wife handed the little point and shoot Canon to Vince Walsh to shoot this photo of Chris Gascoyne, while she took the other one of Molly and Tom Craig. Now you have to understand that Molly, an ex Liverpudlian, is meeting her favourite stars as she just loves Corrie. So you can tell by the look of joy on her face that she is just so happy.
They stayed and had lunch with the gang and came home. Today the crew is back in Hamilton shooting scenes from the other episode they are block shooting at the moment, Bad Medicine. Long nights long days and about three weeks to go

Push from India and Newfoundland

Indiantelevision.com posted a piece on the upcoming MIPCON and the shows Granada Television is featuring including Murdoch. Should be lots of international interest over there in Cannes. The conference starts Oct 8 - 12.
In the meantime I never posted this interview with Jonny Harris, the actor who portrays George Crabtree and who you see chatting with Maureen in the previous post from the set that I put up.
The article ran in August, enjoy

By Clare-Marie Gosse (St. John's)
The Independent (Newfoundland/Labrador)
Friday, August 17, 2007

By Clare-Marie Gosse

For The Independent


One of the entertaining things about the fact Newfoundland and Labrador seems to be stocked full of creative talent is that quite often someone you know will make an appearance on a major TV show or feature film.

Think Shaun Majumder on 24.

Now think comedian and actor Jonny Harris.

Harris, known for his work in Hatching, Matching and Dispatching, Young Triffie and sketch comedy group the Dance Party of Newfoundland, has landed a co-starring role in The Murdoch Mysteries, a new television series set in late 19th century Toronto. The detective show is slated to air in January and will run for 13 weeks on Bravo!

Harris describes the series as a sort of Canadian CSI — and admits he was a little skeptical of the premise at first.

“I was like, OK, so we’re going to make a show about forensics and forensics doesn’t exist yet … but it’s not really like that,” he says. “It is pretty interesting to see some of the techniques they employed.”

Granada International, one of the biggest producers in England, thinks so too. As co-producers with Canada’s Shaftsbury Films and CHUM, the company plans to air The Murdoch Mysteries across Britain — which means more profit for everyone involved, particularly if the show is a hit.

To be performing a dramatic role in a dramatic production is quite a change for Harris, who is best known for stand-up and sketch comedy. He plays Const. George Crabtree, Det. William Murdoch’s young sidekick on the show.

Problem is, the writers are picking up on the fact Harris is actually a funny guy and they’re beginning to incorporate that into his character.

“So now, really, any comic relief, that’s kind of my job,” he says. “Which is nice, but I kind of hope I’ll still have a few dramatic scenes.”

Although he says his character’s background hasn’t been established in the show yet, it probably will be soon.

“I think the writers want me to bring in a bit more Newfoundland dialect to the part. They’re thinking, yeah OK, let’s say he (Constable Crabtree) came up from Newfoundland when he was younger.”

Harris’ ultimate goal is to return to Newfoundland — and be established enough to still get considered for acting roles away.

“I’m kind of wondering now what the next few years will be … I miss home a lot,” he says.

Harris is sitting on a stool in the middle of Rabbittown Theatre’s stage in the centre of St. John’s. He’s surrounded by bits of popcorn and the occasional dollop of yogurt, remnants of The Dance Party’s latest sketch comedy show Good to Pee Home, which opened to a packed house the night before.

Since shooting began on The Murdoch Mysteries in June, this is Harris’ one week off and he’s chosen to spend it performing with fellow Dance Partiers Phil Churchill, Steve Cochrane and Dave Sullivan. Despite the fact the hilarious group is now split (members-wise) between Toronto and here, they’re as solid as ever, playing gigs both Stateside and locally. The Dance Party has also developed a mainland following, and has a stint at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival to look forward to in November.

Harris and Cochrane made the move to Toronto from Newfoundland last year to build up their acting portfolios. Harris wanted to try living away because he’s never done it before.

“There really wasn’t very much going on around here … I’m sure I’ll end up living here, but I thought OK, I may as well do a stint living somewhere else and Toronto made sense for me because I had a few contacts there having done a national series.”

That series was CBC’s Hatching, Matching and Dispatching in which he acted with, amongst others, Mary Walsh and Mark McKinney. Shortly after doing the show he had a meeting with Walsh and McKinney’s agent, and when Harris moved to Toronto, the agent took him on.

“I was very fortunate to get this job. There are a lot of actors that are out of work there,” he says, adding he was surprised to even be considered for the role. Harris sent the casting agent at The Murdoch Mysteries a tape of his performance in Rising Tide Theatre’s tour of the play No Man’s Land and got called in for an audition.

“Originally the description was that he was a big menacing guy. I was like, ‘What? Why are they bothering me with this?’ Anyway, I sent them the tape and they really liked it and said they were thinking of changing up the character a bit … I was over the moon.”

Harris is one of four core cast members, which also include Murdoch, played by Yannick Bisson; Murdoch’s boss Inspector Bracken-reid, played by Coronation Street star Thomas Craig; and Dr. Julia Ogden, played by Helene Joy.

Harris, who was born in Corner Brook, lived in Cambridge, England as an infant, and grew up in Pouch Cove, says he still can’t believe his luck.

The Murdoch Mysteries is only his third paid on-camera job, and he says it’s an “infinite learning process.” He’s come a long way since attending Sir Wilfred Grenfell’s theatre program and performing his first one-man show, the critically acclaimed Out of the Bog, yet Harris admits he still half-expects to wake up in a ditch somewhere.

“I’m definitely my own worst critic. They screened an episode (of The Murdoch Mysteries) at work just before I left and I was watching it thinking, ‘Arrgh God. There’s all these great actors and then this weird looking bayman … what am I doing there?’”

claremariegosse@hotmail.com

New Camera

Sold all my Nikon gear for a new Canon system, I bought four new lenses as well. I was back in the studio tonight shooting the same ducks. The colour is much richer and I used tungsten tonight instead of flash. Canon makes way better cameras, glad I dumped my Nikon system. Don't buy Nikon Cameras for digital photography, buy Canon

From the Granada International Website for MIP 2007 in Cannes

Drama: Murdoch Mysteries

The Murdoch Mysteries, a dynamic new 13 x 48’ drama series, is set in Toronto, Canada in the 1890s. Yannick Bisson (Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, Soul Food) stars as William Murdoch, a young detective who solves a series of challenging murders using emerging and progressive forensic techniques. Scorned for his ideas by Chief Inspector Brackenreid, he forms an unlikely ally with beautiful coroner Dr Julia Ogden, who is also struggling against tradition and prejudice, and together they prove a formidable team. Also starring Thomas Craig (Where The Heart Is) the series is a Shaftesbury Films production in association with CHUM Television, Granada International and UKTV.

Back to Dundas Ont. and Springhill Estate

The great thing about great sets is that they can be turned around into another set for a different episode. Maureen is off to Springhill Estate tomorrow in Dundas Ontario where you recall I posted the very first pictures from the film set back in June. And this is where John Lecuyer, the director, also shot scenes from Under The Dragons Tail back in 2004.
We had big hugs with John when we went to the set the other day and his comment regarding the change of leads was that he was now working with a "taller" Murdoch. Yannick is about two inches taller than Peter.
We had lunch in the big mess hall at the studio which is called "Outakes" and all the cast come to lunch with the crew, totally out of their costumes, which I am sure is more comfortable for them. Helene Joy (Dr Ogden) was getting ready to do her scenes after lunch and she had the wildest looking curlers I have ever seen because they have to give the top of her head that curly Victorian look. So she looked rather funny eating her lunch. Helene is an elegant beautiful woman and also a mighty fine actress.
I sat with Cal Coons, exectutive producer and head of the writing team, over lunch. We always have a very animated discussion about the content of the show and how it is going. I of course have my own opinions about where I think things should be heading and Cal always politely listens. The feedback I give him is based on seeing the rough cuts. He and the writing team as well as the producer are very happy with the creative direction of the show at the moment and the last few episodes have been just great they feel. There is a very happy and ebullient attitude amongst that team, which of course Maureen is part of in her consuting role.
I am sure there will be some great creative meetings leading up to season two.
We hope to see more rough cuts over the next two weeks as we have only seen 5 episodes and there are now 10 completed.
I will not be going to Springhill Estate tomorrow so we will all have to do with Maureen's report, although she is taking her sister in law who us a huge fan of Coronation Street and will get to meet two of that show's former stars, Tom Craig and Chris Gascoyne. This photo is of the parking lot where both Murdoch and the Incredible Hulk are being filmed. Wonder what the heck that buidling is in the background eh? Not for our show.

Gloves anybody???

Well all I can say is we had a most wonderful plug into the show today. The mood is ebullient on the set. We met the editor Tom Jouran who puts the whole show together and is an absolute master.
Excitement abounds amongst everyone for us going beyond season one and Granada will be doing the big push internationally.
They were in the police station today and we had another actor from Coronation Street, Chris Gascoyne, in the show as a very important charcter in the Prince episode and guess what his name is??? Jennings.
My friend with the Nilkes was out riding on his own yesterday and I proudly showed him my war wounds. I will be getting a mountain bike next Spring and will work on my chops so to speak so we can go out again next year more often.
Good news on the writing front, A Journeyman To Grief has just gone into reprint, which is always great for an author.
I am halfway through A K Handshape which you will be able to buy next year. It is just so good and if you have read Does Your Mother Know, be prepared to have your socks knocked off by this one. Maureen has written a fantastic novel. Big and great. More tomorrow

More thoughts on yesterday and . .

We are going to the set tomorrow morning. Looking forward to seeing some of the new actors in the show.
I am off for what I refer to as a recovery run this morning. Not really stiff from yesterday, just a few bruises and wounds.
There are people we meet in our lifetime and you know when you meet them that they have some special gift. I remember meeting Jimmy Carter in person once and I understood immediatley why he got elected President. He made you feel like you were the most important person in the room. He is also very charismatic.
My cycling friend is very much like that. I kept thinking about how this friend of mine would have excelled at whatever chosen path he took in his life, he is blessed with something that makes him special and unique. We are all unique in our own way, but I think you understand what I mean. It is just so amazing that he is the star of our tv show and for that we are so glad and happy.
More tomorrow when I get back from the set

I am soooo exhausted - it killed me

I am a road cylist for krissakes. I felt like a baby on the trails today and my partner is like this fine tuned machine who flys around on his bike hitting high speed turns up and down over tree roots and bumps going like a bat out of hell who should do a film on how to ride a mountain bike.
I mean look at me, a 56 year old aging athlete, in great shape who sits on a nice pretty road bike and all I have to do is dodge the cars and people.
So I meet my friend at the beginning of this treacherous trail which we ride, I mean he rides on and I run, walk, fall and tumble, ride. And he waits for me. Then he coaches me, then he inspires me to soldier on and relax. How could I relax, I was terrified half the time. My friend glides over these long logs and wooden bridges. I get off and run with the damn bike. He waits for me. Finally I start to relax. He yells out my name, I race along for a bit feeling confident. I took a bad tumble. I am bruised and scraped. I hate it, I love it, I hate it again, I want to go home, where's my mommy???? Okay I did start to relax. We get to the flatter part and he takes off again like a bat out of hell. I chase, "watch the underpass!! he yells, I walk my bike, I chase, holy shit we come to the jumps. I watch as my friend does these acrobatic leaps over these jumps, I watch in awe, can I have 20 years back God??? No sorry, you gotta make do with what you have. We talk to the kids who are doing the jumps, this is kid's sport. My friend used to ride when he was young then rode motorcycles for awhile. I was a scardy kid too afraid to do all that stuff. It is coming back to haunt me. Then the gazelle and I head for home. We make it back and chat about bikes and life and I feel proud that I had done something way way out of my comfort zone. I did not embarass myself although I thought I did at first. I am fit but this is another world altogether. Trail riding with an absolutely phenomenal athlete who happens to be carrying an entire tv series on his shoulders. I rode home thinking I had gone through something and I had a great friend who supported my beginner efforts the whole time we rode and helped me overcome my fears. I feel better for it and my bruises and scrapes, well, they are my badges of honour.

which is more realistic?

Off on a 3 hour bike ride in a few minutes. Gulp, never have done the mountain trail biking thing. Will report back on the whole adventure.
Do you think the hint of blue is better than the previous one? Need honest feedback. Thanks

Show and Tell

Going to a party, a birthday party for one of our actors later tonight. Should be fun, I will tell stories but no pics, sorry.
This is what I created in class on Wednesday

Busy with school

I got home at 10:30 last night from my photography course and today I am done at 9:30 pm for web page design. In between I am working. So I will emerge on Friday when we plan to go down to the set in the afternoon. There are all thoses actors I mentioned in a previous post on set this Friday, and Maureen wants to meet them. I will try to get a few snapshots. Maureen has finished The K Handshape and we are sending it to the publisher today as well as to Shaftesbury Films who have optioned it.
She is not sure where she wants to go next, she might hold off writing another Murdoch book and keep going with the Forensic Profiler.
We want to see how the tv series impacts on her book sales and see if we can get some European publishers to look at her back list once the series airs accross the pond.
IF you have read A Journeyman to Grief, you will know that Will's life has changed by the end of the book. I think the next time Murdoch comes to life in print , he will be five years older and the century will have changed. But don;t hold me to that because I am not the writer. But it is a good bet.
In the meantime, read all her books and follow Detective Murdoch through his first phase on through to the tv screen.

IRA circa 1895?????

We have the heavy hitters in the current episode being filmed "The Rebel and The Prince" in which Alex Zarowney, one of the writers on the series, came up with the idea of a girl in jeopardy and the fenians working on a plot of some sort which then Maureen suggested her ideas, and the story ideas were combined.
Maureen had proposed idea way back when they were first discussing various episode ideas, about the Finian movement and the pre IRA, which she wrote a play on many years ago called No Traveller Returns. So for the tv series, a member of the Royal Family visits Toronto in 1895 and there is trouble brewing with the Irish. Can't tell you what happens but, we have in this episode along with our regular cast, another member from the Coronation Street alumni Chris Gascoyne who is a mate of Thomas Craig's and he has a very big part in this show. We have Michael Riley Canadian Actor extraordinaire, We have Vincent Walsh who is also an Irish actor who does a lot of work in Canada.
This could be the episode of episodes in the series. It is a bit like a thriller and spy story.
Here are more shots from last Thursday. We will try and get to the set more this week. Can't wait to meet all these actors.

Hello Magazine - Current Issue

A friend emailed me today and told me she saw a feature photo of Yannick and Chantale in the current issue of Hello Magaizine. I will try to look for it tomorrow as I did not have time today.
www.HelloMagazine.com/Canada
I'm feeling a bit nervous as the series draws closer to the end of production. Today they started shooting episodes 111/112 which will be in production for the next three weeks. Bad Medicine and The Rebel and The Prince which is a story idea that Maureen gave the writers and deals with the Irish and the Crown so to speak. Kind of 1895 IRA stuff but not really as they did not exist in 1895. Anyway is has a spy story edge to it this one and bad feelings to put it mildly between the Irish and the British.
Got more photos from last Thursday to show you and I will get to them in the next couple of days. I did a big shoot of a 25th anniversary party last Saturday night as well as the walk yesterday so I am a bit od'd as I have to get ready for school and work this week.

A Perfect Day and A Perfect Event

More than 125 people showed up for Maureen's Heritage Toronto Walk this afternoon and this was a familiar group who gave Maureen a round of applause when she was introduced. Familiar in the sense that they either knew her or knew of her from her books and television series. And she delivered her best 2 1/2 hour walk of Murdoch's Toronto ever. As you can see she is wearing a costume from the set and given that the temperature was in the low 60's, she was quite comfortable. We had a few guests drop in and you know who the two girls are, and their Mom Rebecca. Then I had a gentleman request his photo to be taken and I happily obliged as it does at least add some colour to our very Victorian crowd.
Maureen had to mount the slide by the time we got to Ontario Street where Murdoch lives at 222. So she gave her sermon on women's rights from the 1890's. By the end we got to the tavern and I sold lots of books so the author gave an autograph session. Enjoy!! and make sure to click on the photos to blow them up so you can see them up close!

Reminder of tomorrow and a couple of surprises

Maureen was fitted in wardrobe yesterday and will be in costume from the television series. Her outfit is both period and $$$$$$$. So come out I will have some books for sale in the end if you show and you can get autographed copies. We have invited all of the people from the show including actors but knowing how hard they work, they may want a rest day since they are in a show about Murdoch already.
Here are the details again

Murdoch’s Toronto: Fact Into Fiction

Sunday, September 16 – 1:30 PM

Follow in the footsteps of detective William Murdoch, hero of Maureen Jennings' historical mystery series. Through the windows of imagination, this walk will take you into the world of 1890s Toronto; how society functioned; its attitudes, religious strife and daily concerns.

Leader: Maureen Jennings

Start point: Jarvis Street Baptist Church, NE corner of Jarvis and Gerrard Streets

Finish point: Dominion Brewery, Queen St. E and Sumach St.

Length: Approx. 2 hours

Focus: Historical

It was a great day

I was so thrilled with the day yesterday. Here I have the two girls whose photos I posted previously, Olivia and Isabella. You can see Maureen being interviewed, and just lots of action. The set was a demonstration of the power of Electric current, which during 1895 was undergoing a change from Direct Current to Alternation Current. So there was skullduggery and mayhem as the result of an experiment. Wait and see. Oh someone wanted to see Dr Ogden's shoes and so this is one pair of shoes she wears as she and Murdoch were off on a picnic together in the park and also attendees at the demo. More tomorrow

At the set all day today

I have loads of shots from the Allan Gardens set today and it was an amazing day for the Murdoch Mysteries. We were there early this morning, I left to go and teach two classes, then I came back and stayed til almost 5:00 after which I went off to school for the rest of the night. So be patient, I will load the photos and the stories from the set tomorrow. Maureen went to a read through of an epsiode and she is going to another tomorrow. The show is great and the last few episodes they are shooting will be just fantastic. Stay tuned I will be back
Cheers

Going to the set tomorrow am

Not much new to tell you today, just really basking in the success of the new episode we watched last night. I hope to take lots of shots from tomorrow and give you a full report. I'm back at Photo school tonight so I will be very busy this fall.
Cheers

Still Waters is in our hands for tonight

Remember the post I did from Toronto Island and also the club out in Hamilton. This is the rowing episode and the rough cut of Still Waters arrived tonight for us to view. Which we will be doing in about 15 minutes as Maureen is right now reading the script of Bad Medicine which features the wonderful Maria Del Mar again who is reprising her role as the medium who first appeared in Elementary My Dear Murdoch. Of course none of this will make a lot of sense to you now, but when the episodes air, it will and we can have a most wonderful discussion.
Oh and a good friend of ours has just had a short story optioned for a feature film, but I will not announce anything official on it yet until he give me the green light. Then I can tell you who it is, but he and Maureen do have something in common so wait on that and I will let you know.
Cheers

Looks like we're shooting at Allan Gardens on Thursday

Just found out the the show is going be filming this coming Thursday at the same location Maureen starts her walk in Allan Gardens. The Murdoch Mysteries will be filming all day at Allan Gardens. If you are in the neighbourhood, stop by and have a look. Tons of extras and lots of people in period dress. I know I am very very excited about this. If you see me be sure to say hello eh?? These are some shots of the atrium at Allan Gardens that I did last year. The park is located at the corner of Sherbourne and Gerrard between Gerrard and Carlton. Big park, can't miss it. Oh yeah, these two ladies on bikes would have ridden them around Allan Gardens in 1895.

Don't miss this and hope to see many of you

This coming Sunday Maureen is doing a walk for Heritage Toronto called Murdoch's Torononto Fact Into Fiction. It is a two hour walk on the streets where the books are set and Maureen gives a description of what went on during the Toronto of the 1890's. She will be in period costume with lots of photos and a great talk at many stops along he way. Over 150 usually attend this.
Here are the details and perhaps you can interview Maureen at the end when we all go to the Dominion Tavern. We will also go by, at a certain point n the walk, Murdochs fictional house and she will talk lots about the show I'm sure. I will be the one shooting lots of pictures so you can approach me and introduce yourself.

Here are the details from Heritage Toronto

Murdoch’s Toronto: Fact Into Fiction

Sunday, September 16 – 1:30 PM

Follow in the footsteps of detective William Murdoch, hero of Maureen Jennings' historical mystery series. Through the windows of imagination, this walk will take you into the world of 1890s Toronto; how society functioned; its attitudes, religious strife and daily concerns.

Leader: Maureen Jennings

Start point: Jarvis Street Baptist Church, NE corner of Jarvis and Gerrard Streets

Finish point: Dominion Brewery, Queen St. E and Sumach St.

Length: Approx. 2 hours

Focus: Historical

Difficulty: Average walk on sidewalks

Father Knows Best? 2.5 stars and many more

What an adventure and what a mad scene that is going on in Toronto right now with the Film Festival. Apparantly we have one of the most prestigous festivals in the world, so much so that the eyes of the film press are upon us at the moment and that Brad and Angelie were in the house last night for the Jesse James film. In fact they were upstairs in the Elgin Theatre while we were downstairs in the Winetergarden theatre. So you can see the crowds, the press and the red carpet were out for the famous pair, and not for the film we saw. Jim Broadbent showed with the director for our film but not Colin who looks decidedly puffy in the face and not the Mr Darcy I remember. Do we all get older and some not so gracefully?? Maureen and I have both decided that Colin Firth was miscast in this film. We felt his difficulty with the emotional aspect of the material contributed to our feeling that the film missed on certain levels. I think also the director could have had the father play the character with a little more of an evil nature as it was hard to not like Jim's performance when he was healthy and being randy. So there was not enough in the performances to show how the relationship between the grown up character and his dad was so conflicted. The teenage boy on the other hand was was masterful and he was the best actor in the film we thought in terms of hs protrayal of a conflicted teenage boy growing up in the early 60's in a family of two doctors with a father who is overbearing, and a bit of a philanderer.
It is painful story about mortality as well and the death of a parent where the male character nerver really resolves his conflicted feelings about his Dad. Go see the film when it comes out and we'll compare notes. It is worth seeing for sure.
2.5 stars
And that is Maureen and our friend Michelle who got us the tickets and also our friend Janet. I invited them to post their own review or feelings about the film so let's see if they show up.

Okay this what I was trying to do

Notice the symmetry in the light. I am happy now. Off to see the Firth movie which is about a father and his son growing up in Ireland. We need kleenex apparently. I will report to you. Oh yeah I forgot to tell you, I am going mountain biking with a friend next Saturday after work (my work). He is an expert cyclist and is currently filming a tv series. My neighbour is loaning me his mt bike to try. Wonder if Murdoch would have been a recreational cyclist aside from being a cop eh? We'll find out when the present meets the past on the trails. Ha Ha.

I'm attempting to create something . .

And this is a grand failure. I need to get translucent plastic for the highlights on the sides of the glass to create an effect. This was done with four lights and the reflections are a bit much for me, plus I want to see more inside the glass. So I figured all this out while we were watching an episode of Blue Murder, the program created by Cath Staincliffe for ITV. I love a lot of the shows that ITV creates, Vincent especially. So this one is pretty good and the stories are pretty beleivable.
We're off to the Firth film tomorrow and I will report back. I should have a lot of Murdoch stuff for you next week as Maureen is going to those read throughs I mentioned and we will go to one of the exterior sets. Perhaps next Friday. No rough cut to look at this weekend. We have only seen four episodes, I want more! Hopefully next week.

School begins next week

I am going to be so busy with workshops and two courses, but I am also going to have access to a studio this year so I will be shooting more people, models, clients, lots of stuff. Here's one I worked on from a shoot I did last year. I have learned so much about post production that I am doing some really great stuff with shots I took with a Mola Lighting system. A form of a beauty dish. she's lovely eh?

Okay Okay a bit of gossip

On the way over to the launch of Eric's book we passed by a park where saw Tammy Isbell, her mother, and the twin boys Sam and Tom who are Peter Outerbridge's children. Now, Tammy being married to Peter, our first Murdoch, was also in the third movie of the week along with Peter. She played Lilly and if you have read Under the Dragons Tail, some of you may have cried over Lilly's plight. I did for sure amd Tammy did a great job in the movie of the week. She is a fantastic actress in her own right and stars in a show called Paradise Falls.
Now, Peter and Yannick have the same agent, Perry.
So Tammy said to me when we stopped the car and chatted that she had heard that Yannick has never worked so hard in his life.
I immediately said that the heat probably was not helping any of the cast and that he was exceptionally fit.
I am sure this is true because he is in practically every scene in the show. When I get the call sheets and see what they are doing for the next day, the number 1 comes up in about every scene. #1 is Murdoch.
Yannick is working hard but he is an athlete and he is marvellous as our Murdoch! Long Live Detective Murdoch, even in 90 degree heat day after day.

Things a bit in limbo for few days

I have no earth shattering news. The Toronto International Film Festival is starting this week and it takes all the publicity from everything else. Maureen and I are going to a premiere of a Colin Firth film this coming Saturday and Mr Darcy is supposed to be in attendance. I think we are going to the Murdoch set later next week, I know Maureen is going to two script read throughs, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday or Friday.
We expect two more rough cuts within days, episode 5 and 6, Still Waters, which was the one where I took all the pictures on Toronto Island, and Til Death Do Us Part, which was the episode that takes place in the church. I showed you some photos of that church awhile back.
I am missing going to see the actors so hopefully next week we get to hook up again.
Maureen has finished her big re-write of the K Handshape and she is now going over it one more time to tweak it before she sends it over to the publisher and to the producer who is waiting to read it so they can start development in earnest.
Phew, life never gets boring here although we did go to a book launch tonight for Eric Wright's new novel, not a mystery, and it was at the publishers home. Lots of the literati crowd from the publishing world, I am sorry I did not bring my camera. We did not know alot of people, but many knew who Maureen was (I hope so eh?).
But we are genre fiction people, not literati so I was indifferent to the whole thing. At least Maureen got to see many of her friends from the days she taught at Ryerson.
More tomorrow

Thrilling for these two

These two young ladies, Isabella and Olivia are the daughters of Rebecca Bell and Martyn Krys who happens to be our lawyer. Long story short, I did these headshots in the studio last winter as the two girls are both young drama students. It was always our hope we could get them into the Murdoch series even as background artists for a specific scene. Well dreams come true as the episode "Power" moves to an outside location next Thursday and there will be a need for background performers in a scene where an accident happens which results in MURDER 1895 style. So these two young ladies have a casting call that day and will be out of school so they can work in "The Murdoch Mysteries". This is exciting for them, they are 11 and 10.

Update on my website & Mr. Lecuyer

If you link to www.idenfordphotography.com and go to the portraits page, I updated it on the weekend and you can see some more of my portrait work. I updated the landscapes page as well but I will be adding a lot more to it over the next couple of weeks. More on Murdoch tomorrow, they were back to work today and this week we get John Le'Cuyer working on prep starting Thursday. He was our director on Under the Dragons Tail and we are so thrilled he is back on the job for two episodes. It will be fun to be working with John again. It may be a bit strange for him because he is wrapping on the first two episodes (season four) of Regenesis which stars Peter Outerbridge, who you recall did the Movies of the Week. So for John, he is leaving a set with the original Murdoch, Peter Outerbridge, and will be working with our new Murdoch, the man with the Nike's eh???
John Lecuyer and Maureen Jennings on the set of Under The Dragons Tail

Sandrine's Wallpaper - Magnificent!!!

Sandrine has created the most exquisite wallpaper. If you are interested in having it for your computer backdrop, email me at idenford@mac.com and I will forward it to you. Maureen has put one of them on her desktop it is so evocative of a dark Victorian night that we are transported directly into the world of Detective Murdoch. Email me and I will send them to you.

More Spiritualism on The Murdoch Mysteries

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most substantive book on Spiritualism is the two-volume set, The History of Spiritualism. In it he discusses a wide range of subjects and personalities linked with the Modern Spiritualist Movement, both in North America and the United Kingdom.
Addressing the remarks of his critics, he wrote regarding the movement . . . .
"It was this realization which caused me and my wife to devote ourselves largely to this subject, to lecture upon it in many countries, and to travel to Australia, New Zealand, America and Canada upon missions of instruction."
So Voila! The writers on the tv series came up with an idea that he do his lecture tour and have Conan Doyle meet up with Detective Murdoch and help him solve a case centred around a murder that takes place around the Spiritualist movement in the Toronto of the late 1890's.
Maria Del Mar (see photo) is the actress who plays a character named Sarah Pensall and she is so wonderful as a "medium" in this episode, the writers have now put her into another episode that is coming up called Bad Medicine. Won't say much about the content so I do not give anything away but I can tell you Maria is an exceptional actress and we're so glad she is one more episode.
So both Maria and Geraint Wyn Davies as Conan Doyle are having encore performances in the first season of The Murdoch Mysteries, and you my friends will get to see the episodes they are in. Oh, they both play amazingly well with our star as well who is just doing a fantastic job. Five more episodes to complete, eight in the can which are now in post production

Gavin Crawford is in The Murdoch Mysteries

Gavin is a Canadian comedian/actor of some renown, having been nominated for a Gemini award for his show The Gavin Crawford show. He was cast to play Harcourt Grimesby in the episode Belly Speaker which has just gone to camera and is being shot in a block with the episode I mentioned in a previous post, Power, which features Dimitry C. as the scientist/inventor Nikola Tesla.
I won't give anything away but Gavin is a perfect Harcourt and his character is a puppeteer in the episode, a very weird puppeteer. The episode also features the return of Geraint Wyn Davies as Arthur Conan Doyle which for Sherlockians, is a thrill to have ACD appear in two episodes of the Murdoch Mysteries this season.
We watched the cut of Body Double again last night which takes place in and around a production of Macbeth in an old Victorian Theatre. For theatre lovers, Body Double is just a thrill. And the costumes are so amazing.
It is an interesting process for us to view an episode from the first cut, to the network cut, to the final cut with all the layers of effects and music that get added in. It never gets boring as you see the art in how an excellent show is produced and formed over time.
It will take until Ferbruary to see all the final episodes in their complete production state, and by then the networks will have started to air the earlier episodes. So this show flies along in post production even while it starts to air on television.
Here's a brief history of Nikola Tesla from a PBS history on the man. He has found his way to Toronto late 1890's in the Murdoch Mysteries

From PBS:
"Nikola Tesla was one of the greatest electrical inventors who ever lived. His technological achievements transformed North America from isolated communities to countries connected by power grids where information was available upon demand. In the 20th century, it was Tesla's technology that united the United States and eventually the whole world.

Tesla's life was like a movie. It is the story of a brilliant and charismatic immigrant who rose to the height of celebrity with his amazing talent, and then was tragically undone by his own visionary ideas. The cast of characters includes: Thomas Edison, J. Pierpont Morgan, Guglielmo Marconi, George Westinghouse, Mark Twain and many more.

A Serb by origin, his early discovery of the alternating current motor led him to North America to seek a venue for his discovery. Here he developed the polyphase AC system of power transmission, which drives every home and industry in the country. He invented the Tesla coil to create high-frequency electricity, and with it neon and florescent lighting, radio transmission, remote control, and hundreds of other devices which are now an essential part of our everyday lives."