2011 February : Sea-Patrol.com

Archive for February, 2011

Series 5 Exclusive Interview with Ditch Davey (Jim Roth)

1. What attracted you to return to Sea Patrol? Were you surprised when approached about Jim returning?

I had a lot of fun shooting SP2 and jumped at the chance to join the cast again for Season 5. Yes, I was pleasantly surprised that Jim Roth returned. I was lucky enough to get a lot of notice so I was able to start preparing 6 months before we started shooting.

2. Are you able to tell us what happened with your character since he left in 2008?

It’s classified.

3. What can we expect from your character in Series 5?

Jim is on his own mission that just so happens to cross paths with Kate and The Hammersley crew. He is more focused on his work and on Kate. Jim will ultimately be forced to make a decision about his personal life versus his professional life.

4. If given the chance to make a return to the series again in the future, would you do it? Why or why not?

Sea Patrol is such a great show to work on and given the chance, of course I’d love to come back. But there are two very big reasons why Jim won’t be back.

5. Are there any anecdotes from shooting that you’d like to share?

During the Gold Coast leg of Series 2, there was an incident involving a number of cast members that eventually led to me missing my flight back to Melbourne – by 2 days. A good time was had by ALL!

Categories: Interviews

Series 5 Exclusive Interview with Lisa McCune (XO)

1. How quickly do you get back into character when the new season commences? Is it instantly or does it take a day or two.

Being involved with any production that utilises ‘real life’ is always incredibly informing for an actor. When we arrive on day one it’s into a uniform, arm up and step out onto the deck of a warship…’action’.

2. The unresolved sexual tension has been a big part of Sea Patrol since the beginning. Season 4 saw Mike and Kate’s relationship escalate with the two finally giving into their feelings. Were you happy with how the writers developed that relationship in Season 4?

The most tantalising viewing for me is when you can’t wait to see two characters near each other. Every look and action is telling. They could be talking about jam on toast, but the chemistry is palpable. URST: Unresolved sexual tension – the unresolved part is pretty important. I think the writers were very clever to allow a moment of passion before circumstances changed and made contact impossible.

3. What was it like filming the love scenes with Ian in Season 4. Did the fact that you are close friends make it easier or harder?

There is nothing romantic about making out with anyone in front of 40 other people. The technicalities of where to put your hand, what angle to tilt your head to capture the light – passion killers. We only ever want you to see the magic. Ian and I have known each other a long time, so we have a shorthand and can have a laugh about his Superman undies.

4. Do your kids watch you on Sea Patrol? What do they think of the show and you performing?

My kids love Sea Patrol. Particularly the boys. We have kids in our street who drop over after school when the new episodes arrive. As far as seeing me on the telly, they never really mention it.

5. It seems that a significant part of Mike and Kate’s communication is non-verbal – how much of that comes from collaboration and ideas between you and Ian and how much is dictated by the script?

The limitations that prevent them getting together on the show, in actual fact, provide the most drama. Kate and Mike have a long history. They are both ambitious and want navy careers, but until one of them is posted off Hammersley their love is out of bounds. It’s a delicious scenario for a writer.

The actors are definitely informed first and foremost by the script. Then the scenes of the scripts are shaped and crafted by the directors with the actors. Then the Director of Photography moves the camera to tell the story the way the director wants to interpret it. After that the editor cuts the scenes together. It’s very much a collaboration that works best when there is a unified understanding.

6. What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had meeting a fan?

I am fortunate to have met so many wonderful fans over the years, it would be impossible to choose just one.

7. The scene in ‘In Too Deep’ where Kate had her gun pointed at the drug boss was extremely powerful. What were the challenges of playing that scene?

Kate was face to face with the man who, she believed, had murdered the love of her life. She could have taken revenge, but didn’t. So the struggle and dilemma for Kate in that scene made it really clear for me, the actor.

8. What effect do you think the return of Ditch Davey’s character Jim Roth in Series 5 will have on Kate?

Jim Roth’s arrival in series 5 will re-visit some unfinished business. He is a man of great tenacity and he will test both Mike and Kate with his determination to win over Kate. He is willing to fight for her…is Mike?

9. Would you like to write or direct an episode of “Sea Patrol”?

Direct? Yes. Write? No. Interfere? Always.

10. Can you let us in on some of your storylines for Series 5?

More action, new characters, lots of laughs and plenty of intrigue. “Sea Patrol: Damage Control” – the title says it all.

Categories: Interviews

Final Production Update: 9th of February 2011 (Day 84)

Our 84th day is our last day of shooting Sea Patrol Series 5 – Damage Control – on Wednesday 9th February.

By then we will have filmed some 12,000 shots covering more than 4,000 scenes all of which will be edited to 68 episodes of television.

When we down tools it’s going to be sad/happy because all of us don’t want it to end, but exhausted as we all are, we know all good things do come to an end regardless.

Meanwhile our editors have been beavering away since October last year and won’t finish editing until mid April. They take roughly four weeks to edit each episode. We shoot roughly 18 to 1. In other words for every 18 metres we shoot, we finish up using just 1 metre. There’s an average of 1,000 edits per episode.

Because television is rebroadcast again and again, we try to make each episode as perfectly edited as we can. We try to get the rhythm of our storytelling just right and we try to provide the audience with just the right information at just the right time. It’s very intense work which is also very rewarding. Because we’re all free of the pressure and dangers of the shoot, we can relax (a little) and try and think just like people at home – be ‘as one’ with the audience and react instinctively (rather than intellectually) to what we see and how we edit it all together.

As some of you know, making Sea Patrol is like hand carving a gigantic jigsaw puzzle – then throwing all the pieces in the air – then pushing them into piles. Say a blue pile first for ‘at sea’ shooting, green next for’ locations’ and say yellow last for ‘studio’. We may shoot scenes from a many as five episodes in a single shoot day. Keeping track of it all is the job of our Continuity people – one for each director.

Just like its fun completing a big complex jigsaw puzzle, so is editing all these pieces together to form a satisfying visual story with the right blend of drama, emotion, action and humour.

When the editors finish, then we start on sound. Each episode may have 100 different soundtracks with sound effects, dialogue and music all perfectly synchronised then balanced. Our music is all original and is written specially for each scene so that’s a whole other creative process. Music is such a wonderful addition as it can help so much in telling a story and ensure the audience enjoys and connects with the story emotionally.

All of that means we’ll only just be finished and deliver the last episode to the network by 30th June 2011.

As for now, we’re all tired but happy. We know we’ve all given it our absolute best.

Sea Patrol 5 will be our finest yet. Hope you enjoy it.

Hal and Di McElroy
9 February 2011