Photo: Starz: Shooting flogging scenes from Season 1
This morning in Glasgow, esteemed members of the Outlander crew and fans gathered for an inside look at the making of Outlander, hosted by Guru Live, for the Scotland BAFTA’s. Barry Waldo was in attendance with Production Designer Jon Gary Steele, and he live tweeted the panel (Thank you Barry!). A video is not yet available.
Here are highlights from the panel, thanks to Barry and a few other sources…
Panelists included:
From Gary’s team: Jon Gary Steele, Production Designer, Stuart Bryce, Set Decorator
From Terry’s team: Nina Ayers, Costume Designer
From Hair & Makeup: Annie McEwan, Hair & Make Up Designer
From Photography: Ali Walker, Director of Photography
From the Directing team: Nick Heckstall-Smith, 1st Assistant Director
From Ron’s team: David Brown, Executive Producer, and Michael Wilson, Co Producer
Barry: Rumor has it the very talented David Brown is moderating today’s Outlander BAFTA Scotland panel. He is one of, if not THE, best Line Producer in Scotland…
Barry: A little prep for the Outlander Guru Live BAFTA panel with Jon Gary Steele, Stuart Bryce, David Brown, and the rest of the behind-the-camera talent of Outlander Season 3 and Season 4.
BAFTA Scotland: Outlander is such an international phenomenon that attendees have travelled from Spain, France, USA & further afield to be at our behind the scenes Guru Live session. We can’t wait to hear some of the insider info our panelists have in store…
Views over Glasgow from iconic venue, The Lighthouse, where the event was held… (BAFTA Scotland Twitter)
Barry: Getting started Guru Live – Outlander Season 3 trailer playing now … never get tired of seeing it.
On Editing…
Q: How many edits are usually done for an episode?
A: “Typically 2 main edits on Outlander with the first being the Directors cut in Scotland then another in LA by ExecutiveProducers.”
On Diana…
Q: How often is Diana Gabaldon involved?
A: Diana always sees the scripts and has come over during various seasons to work with us.
Photo: Twitter, Diana on location for the filming of Episode 211, which she wrote for Season 2.
David Brown, #Outlander producer on adapting the books – ‘Diana (Gabaldon) came on set on season 2 – she always sees the script – understanding the book is one thing and understanding the TV show is another’ pic.twitter.com/8cqAeh2D2T
— BAFTA Scotland (@BAFTAScotland) April 28, 2018
On the Schedule…
Q: What happens if an actor is ill and they are scheduled to be shooting?
A: we look at the schedule and try to problem solve how to make it work, what sets are ready? what scenes can be shot? What other members of the Outlander cast might be available?
On Costumes…
Barry: Costumes clip a big hit. (they showed the clip of Jamie and Claire watching the dancers near Abandawe, with Claire remembering the Craigh na dun dancers she watched with Frank).
A: Nina Ayers, Costume Designer, Challenges of using tribal masks, island dancing movement required consideration. Used red, the blood the chickens reference. Crocodile head is special point of intrigue by this audience. Croc head didn’t travel well from the UK so needed special attention in South Africa.
On Filming in Scotland…
Q: Outlander seems to be a boom to Scottish film industry?
A: Michael Wilson, Co Producer, This level of drama is like making a feature film every week. An average Scottish film might have 60 people but Outlander Season 3 had more like +250. We have trained people up and over the course of 5 years built a highly functioning crew turning out first class costumes and sets.
On Sets and Locations…
Q: I am curious how you handle historic locations?
A: Scotland has the most amazing buildings so our job is to showcase them AND protect them! The Greens team are the heroes.
David Brown: “We are looking 3 to 4 episodes in advance with our locations department of approximately 22 people. Jon Gary Steele and I live in a van with the team going to locations.”
Stuart Bryce: Regarding the Outlander Print Shop: there were no functioning printers from that period available anywhere. We had to build the printing presses. They actually work, we printed from them.” … then rest of team in unison “And then we burned them!”
Jon Gary Steele: (on Twitter, later) They actually did Not burn the printing presses…. We still have them.
Ali Walker, Director of Photography: “my job is to shoot what is in front of me. Gary’s sets are always easy because they are beautiful.”
Producers response: “Beautiful, yes, and never small!”
Anne Elizabethe remarked after the fact on Twitter: “I cried when the Print Shop burned …loved it so much.”
Barry answered: You and Jon Gary Steele both! Enough tears to fill a river!
On Actor Input on Scripts…
A: Exec Producer David Brown tells us about the importance of the actors to the series and consultation with them as part of the team…
On Makeup and Prosthetics…
Q: How did you go about scars on Jamie’s back?
A: Annie McEwan, Hair & Make Up Designer, We’ve gotten better, it was hard a first. His back is in 2 pieces and it’s all done in 2 hours 20 mins.”
Courtney’s note: I believe this is a reduction in time compared with how long it used to take, and I went looking for validation of that. Sam talks in this 2015 Collider interview about his makeup process, at about 4:25.
Q: How do you handle Claire and Jamie’s aging process?
A: We walk a fine line… you don’t want to make people unattractive. We don’t use prosthetics, no time, … it had to be a subtle aging… and I think it works.”
Alexandra on Twitter said: Sam Heughan said he does wear prosthetics near his brow bones on both sides.
Barry: Thanks for clarifying. They didn’t have time to go into much detail with the panel but noted they could have done droopy eyes et al prosthetics but thought some of it was too much.
And Barry raps up these highlights with a final photo: Hardest working crew in tv today: Jon Gary Steele, Stuart Bryce, and so many more…
Sounds like a fabulous panel; if and when a video is released, I’ll post it. Thanks again to Barry for all the updates… Outlander fan Donna Clark caught Barry in action ?
Source: Barry Waldo
Source: BAFTA Scotland
Thank you! So great to ‘hear’ the scoop from Barry, our on the scene ‘ears’! Much appreciated!!! x
Thank you for this! You’re wonderful!!!
You’re welcome, and you’re pretty wonderful yourself ?
THANKS BARRY!!!!
This was really interesting like all your blogs. Now is this for nominations?
I would’ve cried too over the printshop.
Thanks Beth-I believe it is, similar to the Emmys panel they did, but for Bafta Scotland ???????
This was great, thank you. Hope to see the video.
Oh Wow! Thank you so much for the insight into the making, production, detail of the favourite best ever TV Show series Outlander. All the hard work and talent put into this show is so amazing. Behind the scenes experiences and knowledge of the making of this outstanding TV Series is quite an eye opener and shows us all the perfection, thoughts and creative talent to give us “Outlander”. Everyone should be given many awards for this. Thank you again for sharing all the information above with us. The TV Series Outlander is a real treasure and makes us appreciate it more and more.