cars, airports and the russian general: shooting ‘fifth gear’
My directorial spell on shooting Fifth Gear for Channel Five on UK TV has come to an end for the second time. A few years ago - looking for a change from the politics of directing commercials - I came across a job post for a new director for the popular motoring show. Okay, it’s not Top Gear but, as I came to realise quickly, neither were they trying to be. I applied, met with the series director and exec producer and they gave me a job after completing a few trial items. My first item can be seen on YouTube.
This was Series 10 (and part of series 11) back in 2006. I’d not directed television before or shot any cars or even really had a strong interest in the motor world but I had strong commercials reel (i.e., I could make things look pretty) and emphasized my talent in storytelling and working on performances. I think they liked that. I came to quite technical items as an average audience member… someone who wasn’t a “car geek” like the rest of the team. I basically went in thinking if I could understand what the presenters were on about, and be entertained at the same time, I wasn’t doing a bad job. I directed some of the strongest items that series and it was great fun - my favourite involved shooting a “drama sequence” and making Vicky Butler-Henderson act.
You can take a look at that on philm > television.
I had several calls after that asking whether I could come back to do more Fifth Gear. Because of other commitments - especially The Butterfly Tattoo - I always had to turn the offer down. In July 2008 I received another call to see whether I could come back for Series 14 and also direct the new spin-off series for Discovery Fifth Gear Europe. This would be the same format as the UK television series (but shot with a few new presenters) and all in continental Europe. How could I resist?
The first shoot for FGE involved a shoot in central France - a “shootout” between two cars; the new (bright orange) Audi TTS and a (pristine white) Porsche Cayman. (Un)fortunately the cars had to be driven to the location from the offices in Birmingham. Now, I mentioned I’m not a car geek but I appreciate a fast car convoy (left) driving through France. (My flatmate became a little too turned on when I pulled up outside our flat in this bright orange machine… I can’t stress the orange enough!) It was good fun and probably the longest drive I’ve ever been on (760 miles in a day) involving the consumption of too many packets of Lays, Fox’s Glaciar Mints, Golden Virginia and (on the car’s behalf) unleaded fuel. That car could drink! I returned it quickly after I actually started to like the colour…
I don’t think the crew in the Vauxhall Zafira hire car appreciated the pace being set by two cars that have a max speed of around 155mph (…but obviously we’re law abiding drivers. Honest!)
Shooting FGE took me to France (four times), Slovakia, Germany, Holland (twice) and Russia and involved shooting/driving a TTS, Porsche, Golf GTI, Evo, numerous Citroens, a presidential Russian Zil Limousine, new Twingo, new BMW 7-Series, the Bond 2CV from “For Your Eyes Only” (and others I can’t quite remember) over just three months. It was three months of living in foreign hotels and airports. I think I went home about twice. My cat didn’t starve much!
We’d be here all week if I went into every single item I shot for the series (you’ll just have to watch the show!) but there were a few things which I just have to mention.
Moscow. Russia. We were going to shoot the Zil Limousine - a presidential car of which only around four are made a year and are so expensive that only presidents can own them. Well, Yeltson and the man we were going to visit. I fear to mention his real name (you’ll find out why later) but lets just call him Bob. After spending hours in customs trying to get our camera equipment into the country and unsuccessfully trying to cause a bomb scare at the airport after a random bloke left a bag next to us and ran (the Russian Police didn’t care), we finally arrived.
Bob kindly let us roll up to his home in the outskirts of Moscow to look at his Zil. Let me just clarify this - the Zil is as iconic to the Russian people as that car the Queen is driven around in like a mobile exhibit is to the British public. For a private collector to own one was a huge deal.
But not only did he have this one. He had four and all of which were owned by former presidents which were all one of a kind. They were securely locked away in his garage and he proudly lead us, past his tank, over to film his collection.
I had the bright idea to film “the pretties” of the Zil next to the Kremlin and St. Basils in Red Square. What a perfect place to film this iconic vehicle? Our fixer and guide just laughed at the idea and told me not to be silly. Go and film unannounced outside the Russian President’s house? It’d be like driving up to the White House and starting to film. You’d be moved on in seconds.
Undeterred (and not really liking being told “No” without even trying) we drove up to Red Square with our crew bus, fixer, presenter Jonny Smith, the Zil, Bob and his family. Before I could get carried away thinking this would be the greatest car sequence I’d ever shot we were immediately told to move along by a Russian Soldier. He look like a bloke we shouldn’t mess with. So, hoping my cameraman had maybe just got a sneaky shot, I stalled for time. That didn’t work either. Feeling defeated (but feeling like I’d had a good try) we started to leave.
But then, Bob happened. Now, I can’t speak Russian and our fixer was reluctant to translate what they were talking about so I tried to make sense of what was going on. Bob was talking to the soldier with a calm and an authority that the average person wouldn’t even attempt. The soldier then went back towards the Kremlin and Bob was on the phone.
Minutes later, the soldier was back and he must have left his cockiness behind. After taking details of our Visas we were allowed to film. All from the result of a phone call! We quickly went to work; setting up track, shooting pieces to camera, pretties of the limo and other establishing shots before our luck ran out. It was a great sequence.
…and the phone call? Apparently, Bob called a Russian General he knew - who was on holiday at the time - and got us the permission. Anyone with a Russian General in their phonebook who they can interrupt on holiday for a favour to film at the most secure place in Moscow deserves not to be mentioned by name in a blog. That’d just be stupid.
I have him in my phone on speed-dial. You never know when, eh?
