Filming for The Golden Compass movie has been continuing (see previous) this week at Greenwich around the area of Crowley Wharf and also in London, at Picadilly Circus.
CBBC have some great shots of both sets. The Greenwich river scene series of photographs shows turbaned Gyptians, fog and street lights as Lyra flees London. The last two photos show Lyra, but CBBC say she is a double for the actress playing her, Dakota Blue Richards. The London photographs meanwhile show green-screen daemons, well-dressed extras and a facial shot of Dakota's double.
The Greenwich scene filmed involved Lyra running towards the river wall, down the steps, onto a pontoon and then getting into a barge. Jonathon, who took several photographs of the goings-on for us, has a very full and evocative report of the main days' action which you can read here. From his report it sounds like the scene where Lyra leaves London after escaping Mrs Coulter's party.
Report
“Filming has just wrapped in Greenwich. Just been watching with a great view
right down by the river.
The bit that I saw consisted of Lyra (definitely…with curly, shoulder
lengthish hair) in a pale blue, quite long, dress running through the gate,
down the pontoon then on and into the boat before being quickly taken below
deck. She kept on turning round looking scared. As she gets on board
Gyptians gather up ropes etc. on the boat (“Keep busy” said the director of
the 2nd unit). A Gyptian lookout stands looking out on the moonlit river.
Lyra was followed by a woman and several Gyptians running down the pontoon with bows and arrows turning round and looking out as if wary of attack.
The pathway (which you see in the far ground of my photos earlier..where cars etc. parked) was lit up with bulbed lamps (as you would imagine from the book) as well as huge arc lights simulating moonlight on the water. Smoke
occasionally billowed across simulating a beautifully foggy scene. The scene
was redone a couple of time before wrapping and they are just starting to
dismantle everything. There may have been bits before but I was in the pub
with a mate! By morning I am sure it will be hard to believe that the Golden
Compass ever came to Greenwich!
The Gyptians are dressed in turbans or woollen hats and colourful, patterned
woollen cloaks. I “nearly” got a photo of some stand ins until they asked
who I was from. If my camera battery hadn't died at the point I was about to
take a photo I might have had an exclusive!!! Although I was clocked as not
being part of the crew at the point I was (nearly) taking the photo.
The barge came in just after dark and, although I got some photos, they are
far too dark to distinguish the barge. It was a 50ft barge with patterning
down the side and which nearly, on approach, was rammed into the river walls about 3 times! There were some stand ins (including one with a beard who was helming the boat).”
First comment wooo!!!
Anyways, Lyra getting onto Ma Costa's boat after running away from Coulter? Anyone live near there? Snap a pic of the "little girl" please!
:laughing:
Yeah! :tongue:
Doesn't the book mention Lyra getting out of the boat occasionally to open gates and such?
I'd always pictured it as being a sort of gate that one could open from the deck of the boat, but I don't know how realistic that is.
So what I mean to say is, yes, she did open gates and such.
I've seen the type of gates they're talking about, you have to get out and open them. That must get old really fast :laughing:
I might just have to sneak over to Greenwich this weekend and see if I can see anything. It's only 3 miles and South of the river from where I live.
As for people wanting pictures of Dakota, I can see why the filmakers and possibly her family want to protect her. People can be really nasty with their opinions and that little girl doesn't need harsh words before we've even seen the film.
No, she doesn't need harsh words, but we'll show her nothing but love :tongue:. So all you lucky people who live nearby, do go and try to snap a quick picture before they threaten to arrest you. I don't even care if its nothing but a blur of blonde hair. This is the first time I've officially heard of her filming, so its the best chance to get a glimpse that we've gotten.
"but we'll show her nothing but love"
::cracks up:: like we could EVER keep the peace on this site
what do you mean by that?!
im so happy for dakota!ive been to other websites and they say SUCH sad things about her!and its usally just because she was picked to be lyra and they were'nt!i feel so sorry for dakota that all these people are saying this just because of that! maybe thats why her parents/producers dont want pics released of her 'cause EVEN MORE people will go:aw!so unfair.. blah blah she dosent look like.. blah blah…(am i going off topic?)anyway…i am so glad they are making this movie!!!
I'm kind of apprehensive about the release of images of Dakota. With all the nonsense that occured around Nicole Kidman being blonde, people will be complaining if her eyes aren't the right width apart.
(and because I know at least one person will take me seriously, that was sarcasm)
PEDIFLES
i think the gates they're talking about are like locks that control boat traffic
Well, an extra on IMdb is reporting that Dakota looks really young, but otherwise indescribable. The other extra on that board reports that she looks perfect. That's the best I can do :smile:.
I can't imagine anyone on this site being overly critical of Dakota, she's just a child and a newcomer.
"PEDIFLES"
And how are these people Pedifiles? Do you even know the meaning of the word?
what is the meaning of pedifles anyways? :wassat:
darenshan54 says: "PEDIFLES"
Yet you can't even spell the word properly. Get a life and come back when you've got something intelligent to say.
I agree with you, Penguin_Factory. I've seen the way book purists react whenever there is a film adaptation. If every detail isn't THEIR idea of perfect they start throwing hissy fits. It seems that Mr Pullman himself is flexible when it comes to the film so I think us fans should just hold back the harsh words until we see the end product.
Newsround have the first shot of Lyra from the weekend's filming.
Behind her is Ma Costa. It's picture 9.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6050000/newsid_6053100/6053166.stm
And
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews
Lee.
Yay! photos of Lyra at last – even if she is a double – we are getting more of an idea about costumes if nothing else, I hope new line release an official photo soon…
Occasions has only one s, yo! :tongue:
Thank you Lee; I hadn't noticed that yet. I've reorganised the post somewhat now (and it doesn't include occassionally anymore :tongue:).
Probably the best set of pics yet!
The lighting for the scene was quite eerie and just plain grand in that cinematic way.
I'm not too sure how I feel about these turban like wraps on some of the Gyptians.
And I'm sure that is a double of Lyra. It almost looks like a very small adult doubling actually.
I like the turbans; makes the Gyptians a bit more than "let's scuff up some sailors."
It all looks so dark and scary…I LOVE IT! Also, (starting the Lyra-bashing a wee bit early…) I never though of Lyra with hair that curly… :tongue:
I didn't think her hair was that curly either or her dress so fancy, but to be fair to us, that was costume/hair and makeup bashing, not Lyra bashing :tongue:.
From what I can make out through the smog and the hair and the fact that that's not even Dakota, she looks great!
I think this is a pretty good sign, ya'll. I think we'll probably be seeing the best pictures of the real Dakota Blue Richards pretty soon! :tongue: But, wow, the little girl who is probably her double looks so very thin! :wassat:
i don't think that they should be going all Spy On The Actress on poor Dakota, but all the same, i'm glad to have finally seen a glimpse of her!- if that is her.
2 all those people who dont think she has curly hair…remember this..all of you are saying that she had just left mrs coulters party so of coarse she'll have curly hair because it was done for the party for her 2 look pretty or something. i think it'll be straight for further viewing.this is what i think, so sorry 2 anyone who dos'nt agree.
Well, she still looks like the girl I saw in the pizza restaurant in Oxford. Blonde, shoulder-length curly hair, very slight, young-looking. 🙂
I think that Mysterygal has a rather good kind of point, there. 🙂
I think mysterygal would have had a good point if it weren't for the fact that Lyra was supposed to be undercover when she was with the Gyptians. She was supposed to be disguised as a coarse roper's girl, not Mrs. Coulter' pet. I don't think it too big a deal because we don't know the context of this scene. I think everything looks pretty good.
I think that they have a proper pic of lyra (dakota) up now, under picture number 3.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6050000/newsid_6055000/6055024.stm
finally!!! lyra is unveiled! 😀
She's gorgeous, or seems to be from this blurry little picture. What are the chances that this is another double? It's a full facial shot, I can't see why it would be a double…
Can we zoom in?
I imagine it must be her. I think that she looks fantastic for the part (from what I can tell since the pic is a bit blurry). I'm a little shocked at the brown hair (I was thinking blonde since they casted her blonde parents), but it absolutely works. Good luck to her 🙂
No offence, guys, but I really don't think that any of these pictures are necessarily of Dakota for two reasons – 1)The newsround website SAID that this was not Dakota, but a stand-in. 2)They do often use doubles in scenes like this, even though it looks like they're taking a shot of her face. They do that so they can get more shots from other angles, and background shots and things, but with somebody actually in the right place. They wouldn't use Dakota for this, as she can only work limited hours, because she's only twelve.
Sorry – i don't mean to sound like a know-it-all! 🙂
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6050000/newsid_6055000/6055024.stm
[Pleads for no Dakota body-double bashing].
About the angle, just because the guy took a photo of her face doesn't mean the scene is being shot the same way.
Anyway, I like the costumes shown here, it all seems very realistic instead of going in too much of a "fantasy-ish" direction.
I agree with mch about the first pic but I'm pretty sure the second one is the real Lyra, if it were just a double, they'd have her carry a puppet pan not this green thing, because if the angle is wide enough for her face not to matter, it's wide enough for pan not to be animated. just my 2p
She (in the second Lyra-ish pic) looks very thin and tall…confusion. Also, if they stated straight out that it's NOT her, I'm guessing that it's not. Therefore, I am NOT Dakota bashing…I'm body-double bashing…and yes, it IS a good excuse :tongue:
She (in the second Lyra-ish pic) looks very thin and tall…confusion.
They have numerous ways of making her look shorter, don't worry too much. I think she's great. Hear that, Dakaota/stunt double? SUPPORT! 🙂
Also notice that the heels.
…are pretty tall. Height booster.
WOO HOO!!!!!!A PIC OF DAKOTA!!!!wait…? is she a double or what?if she is…she's kinda how i imagined her to look.even if she IS a double.does ANYONE get what im saying here?
that bright green thing she is holding is pan everyone!it may not look like a animal but if you know about computer graphics, it will look like a animal on the big screen.(so cool) 🙂
why has she got brown hair though?
that's not brown hair… it looks a bit of dirty blonde.. which is the color hair she's supposed to have eh?
ok (ps: i spelt my name wrong just before if anyone got confused)
i think this costume looks perfect, especially if this is the scene just after she leaves Mrs Coulters party. the dress is kinda victorian but a more updated victorian, without a really big corset or anything, which looks great, tho i not to sure about the heels, but i guess Mrs Coulter would of made her wear them.
Ah, I *really* like the sort of pale blue dress Dakota Blue Richards' double is wearing, there in one of those nice pictures! :laughing: