| From John Vincent I worked on Larry Graysons Generation Game 1978-1981 as part of Crew 8 (Sen Cam Ron Peverall). The shows were rehearsed/recorded on Wednesdays and Thursdays at Television Theatre, Shepherds Bush Green. End of series was at Christmas, and presents were exchanged. Our present to Larry was a packet of Gypsy Creams (his favourite) with the following poem which he read out on stage. Alan Boyd was Producer and Tony Hawes was Scriptwriter. To Larry From an Admirer on the Camera Crew Wednesdays and Thursdays Just wonıt be the same, For I will be missing Your 'Generation Gameı Iıll miss the excitement, Alan Boyd in a rage. When will he get Hawes Stuffed with onion and sage. To be on the next series Iıd use any ploy. Iıd sit on the conveyor and be your cuddly toy. Iıd hold up your crib cards, I never would miss. Iıd hold up a big one, Saying 'give us a kissı. Iıd go to the Sound Crew And really would beg, To put a radio mike Down your trouser leg. Iıd do it so gently, A real 'proı I suppose, And youıd get a surprise Where my aerial goes! When you open your door, I just wish it was me. How I envy the Fairy On top of your tree. When you come out on stage And you dangle your specs, Iıll blow you a kiss, Happy Christmas from --- |
| This one from John Marsh The worst moment from my early attempts working with a camera crew was when we were recording a show in Cardiff, in Welsh with a studio audience. There was one point when I was driving the senior cameraman and had to make a pretty nifty movement from one set of marks to another. I never did get the hang of having the steering on the rear wheels and in my haste managed not only to steer a somewhat wobbly route, but came into sharp and very loud contact with the front of the audience seating, causing several members of the public to leap for their lives. Extracting myself from the mess I managed to slice over the camera cable, exposing some nasty live-looking wires. The cameraman got off his perch in record time and I went to radio shortly afterwards! |
| And from Roger Bunce... During the Work to Rule, a junior Cameraman, such as myself, was only allowed to perform one operation at a time as specified by our job description. My crew was working on The World of Wooster at the time, with Ian Carmichael as Bertie Wooster and Dennis Price as Jeeves. One of my shots required me to track in to a close-up of Ian Carmichael. The rules allowed me to track and maintain focus, but I was not allowed to tilt, crane or in any other way reframe the shot as I tracked. The result would have been a track into Bertie Wooster's tie knot, rather than his face. Fortunately, the Cast and Production team all supported our action and were prepared to conspire to make the shot work. We arranged that, as I tracked in, Ian Carmichael would bend at the knees, in order to keep his face in the frame. True professional that he is, he maintained perfect headroom throughout the shot! |
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