We were there when the London Eye was erected

I could write about the adventures of working on 101 and 102 Dalmatians every day. The most exciting and rewarding experiences. Just fantastic experiences.

101 Dalmatians 2nd Unit started work in 1995 and completed in 1996. We shot for 101 Days

102 Dalmatians 2nd Unit started work in 1999 and completed in 2000. We shot for 102 Days.

Kenny Atherfold was Entertainments Manager for both films and during 102 we would have Supper parties on the last day of the week where we would give out the Crew Weekly awards, watch a show put on by various crew members and not want to go home!! We had awards for The Crew member of the week, The Best Creep of the Week, The Paolo Wanchope Useless Git of the week (awarded for an outstanding act of stupidity). Paolo Wanchope was a gifted footballer who could do amazing things and then fall over his boot lace!

There was the Pink Tutu Most amazing achievement of the week award but the funniest was the Alice Evans “I don’t want to be here anymore award”. This was created after the lovely Alice had had enough of the Stevie Foster and Stevie Roberts attempts at light changes (This was before Dimmer boards). We had tried for about an hour to make it work before Alice had had enough. Funnily enough one of the first winners of the prize was the Unit Toaster which some said was stolen but I think it had had enough of  over 100 people thrusting over sized bread doorstops into it.

The word “legend” is so over used nowadays but Micky Moore represented everything that a legend should be.

I am beginning to take the trials and tribulations of life quite personally now. My Sat Nav on the iphone (Google maps) this morning wanted to me to take the route with the most number of Speed traps and cameras. This must be a conspiracy because every other day it takes me via the by-pass. I read a lot about how our lives are monitored and being on the internet opens us to all sorts of spyware. I can see it now. The Sat Nav sets me up to get caught speeding because my records show that with my early morning starts i often stray just about the 30mph limit, this in turn creates revenue for the local councils and my Insurance Premium is increased every time 3 points are added to my licence. The resulting depression means i have to visit the Doctor who will prescribe some soppy tablet at a ridiculously inflated price to keep me calm. The trouble is the tablets only work if I indulge in large volumes of Malibu (which at the moment cost a small fortune) and this leads to crates of Diet coke to clear my head enough ready for work.

The amount of money made out of me for straying 3mph over the allowed margin for error on roads that are deserted, apart from lost late night hedgehogs, is an unbelievable boost to the UK economy. Will I get thanks for this? Will I get an OBE or a Knighthood? No!! if i keep rushing nowhere i will end up banned from driving and then the Government and the country will make a fortune out of me trying to navigate the rail and bus network.

Worse still, I might have to bring my bicycle out of retirement!! And i look awful in Lycra and hate Helmet hair.

A good Production Manager will always surround him/herself with Experts. I remember once trying to order some film stock for a Training film. We had Studio Interiors, Exterior locations, both day and night scenes. I wanted to impress the Producer so i obtained the Kodak Stock Guide and studiously pored over all the confusing numbers. I phoned Hugh Whittaker, convinced I had all the correct facts. “Hello, Mr Whittaker, Sir. I’d like to order some Super 16mm Film stock for our Rank Training Film please. I reeled off a load of quite meaningless numbers that i had learned parrot fashion.

There was a long, long pause. “Terence, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Why don’t you wait until the Director of Photography starts and let him tell you the stock he wants to use. You can then ring me back to negotiate as good a deal as possible to suit your budget.”

There is no such thing as a stupid question. If you do not know what something means ASK!!

Another little point today. If you working a  Production Manager as part of your ambition to become a Producer make sure you are nice to the people you meet on the way up as you may need the same people to be nice to you on your way back down.

I think it is imperative that the Production Manager goes through the time sheets with a representative of each department ‘face to face’ to discuss any discrepancies or issues that may arise. I don’t think it is good enough just to go through the sheets and ‘scrub’ out any overtime that might not seem correct with the Daily Wrap logs etc.

Hopefully all the overtime claimed will have be been properly sanctioned ahead of time but sometimes crew members have to work beyond the agreed period.

This can sometimes lead to lively (and sometimes, raucous) debate but in the long run it shows the human side of the Production Office and proper respect for the work that ALL Crew provide to make a film/ TV/ Short/ etc etc.

My second tip with regard to this policy is have a large baseball bat and protective head gear.

In my search for a new career I am going to try and keep a better blog of the ins and outs of being a Bamber in this wonderful world.

I am hoping that the “After Effect, The Comeback Tour” show will take place on or around 23rd April, 2017. It is vital that this show is well rehearsed, well researched and well, just better than the first effort of 2014.

I hope to book The John Barry Theatre, Pinewood Studios again.

Suggested Running Order

1. Q the music to play intro music from The Persuaders.
2. On screen – Playback the interview at Derby University.
3. TB to enter from the back of the Theatre. Music to accompany the entry.
4. Good evening. Thank you very much for giving me another chance to showcase my abilities as an Honorary Professor in Films and TV, an Assistant Director/Production Manager and, most contentious of all, as an Actor. I want to take you on a journey through time and space. From the time I was born and to explore the space between my ears. I have had a career and life that has taken me from Southall Gas works to the wonderful Water Tank at Rosarito, Baja California and to the beautiful Fijian islands. Let me paint you a picture of the 1950s.
5. CUE PHOTO of Dad holding a few months old Terence Richard Bamber. As you can see I was quite an acquisition. Some might say an advert for Contraception.
6. I was born on the 3rd June, 1956. It was a sunday and I arrived at 7.00pm in the evening. Dad had been working at Shepperton Studios that day on the Charlie Chaplin film “A King in New York”. I often wondered if it was due to this that I have such a funny little walk. Let me demonstrate.
7. On screen – Playback the Rissington airfield James Bond opening sequence we shot for the Golf video. (check copyright etc). Q the Music to play the Bond theme.
8. Tell the story of the Suit, the John Barry tribute at Stoke Poges, the auction, the cost.

More to follow: