On the Shoulders of Giants

 

Change everything you know about the future...

The trailer from Water on the Rock's latest SF feature On the Shoulders of Giants went online yesterday, and what a corker it is. Obviously I'm biased, because I act in the thing, but as a hardcore sci-fi fan this stuff really tickles my inner geek.

I play Navigator Hyatt on board a super-advanced spaceship in the 23rd century, on its maiden voyage to test out the new Einstein-Rosen Drive. Several things about this role excited me. First, I'd get a laser gun. Second, I'd get a jetpack. Third, it would likely be the closest thing to Blake's 7 I'd ever to act in, (one of my all-time favourite TV shows.) Plus there's a talking computer called CAARN, and I happen to think that talking computers are cool...

We filmed this in the Spring of 2010, over the course of six or seven weeks, inside a derelict church in the centre of Leeds. But you wouldn't know this to look at the film, which has every appearance of being shot in a professional studio. And this recording space served us so faithfully, realising everything from Zepethar's quarters on the Leviathan to the barren wastelands of Theta-25L. Our director, 'Captain' Kenneth D. Barker, put his colour key skills to good use by shooting many of these impressive vistas against a green screen, allowing for many of the breathtaking visuals to be painted in later.

So it had been two years since I last donned Navvy Hyatt's Doc Martens, but I was chuffed and excited when Kenneth asked me to return to the role in February to record some extra voices for the project. And as if that wasn't exciting enough, I soon discovered that Hannah Rosbon, Vicki Glover and Waleed Khalid - actors from my upcoming film Life on Earth Retold - had also been offered voice-over roles! Brilliant! (See the video below.)

On the Shoulders of Giants is due for release in the Summer of 2012 via www.wotr.co.uk. Everybody involved in the project worked with relentless friendliness and enthusiasm, and if only 1% of that love ends up on screen, it'll still be one of the finest and most honest features out there.

*Hyatt over and out*