Q and A with Writer and Executive Producer of Poldark Debbie Horsfield - Part 1

So many questions were submitted that Debbie won’t be able to answer them all at once (she’s still busy with her day job!) . But she’s been working her way through them and here’s the first instalment. More to follow!

1] Can you tell us some of the things which are in store for us in Series 2?

A: We’ve had lots of questions asking about several key events in Jeremy Poldark and Warleggan and how they’ll depicted. But equally lots of people have been saying “don’t tell me, I don’t want to know!” So as a production we’ve taken the decision that, to avoid spoilers for those who haven’t read the books, we won’t be revealing or commenting on any plot points in any way which might spoil them for the new viewer. Apologies. We’re sorry to keep you waiting but hope it will be worth the wait!

2] Q: Has this year’s filming in Cornwall been different to last year’s?

A: Yes. This year, in order to maximise our time in Cornwall, and take advantage of the remains of the good weather, we filmed for 4 weeks in September, using two directors (Will Sinclair and Charles Palmer), two directors of photography (Cinders Forshawe and Sergio Delgado) and two film crews. We filmed material for the first 8 episodes, doing what’s known as “double-banking” - which meant that we got twice the amount of material in one month, which would normally have taken two! Needless to say, it was pretty hectic. Fortunately , with a couple of exceptions (on one day the wind was so strong it nearly blew Wheal Leisure into the sea!!) the weather was kind to us.

3] Q: Is all of book 4 was included in season 2 as I've read articles saying that it would only include #3 and part of #4.

A: Yes. Series 2 covers all of Jeremy Poldark and all of Warleggan.

4] Q: How about a cameo from yourself in series 2? The adapter a star on-screen instead of off-screen for a change!

A: No, that’s definitely not going to happen! I‘m very happy being behind the camera and have no desire to have an onscreen presence!

5] It seems to me that it's almost as important, and difficult, to decide what NOT to include in the scripts, but I've always wondered how this process works. For example, with scenes such as the birth of Julia, I've always wondered why your choice to depict the scene in this way, rather than following Winston's original story?

A: There are many and various reasons why we're not always able to depict a scene exactly as it’s written. Some are to do with time constraints. The birth of Julia for instance - the thunderstorm, Dr Choake’s to-ing and fro-ing, Ross going to fetch him, etc - all these wonderful details take up a lot of time and in an already-packed episode, an extended sequence involving a subsidiary character was felt to be a luxury we (sadly) couldn’t afford. Many decisions are to do with what we can and can’t afford or realistically achieve. So for instance, one of my favourite chapters from Ross Poldark is the wonderful pilchard fishing sequence – and I did write a version of it where Ross and Demelza row out to sea, as in the book, to watch the catch being brought in. But we soon realised the cost would be prohibitive. If you think about it, how could you guarantee a flat calm sea on a bright moonlit night – on the north coast of Cornwall! – with hundreds of small boats and a cast of thousands! The Health & Safety issues alone would be a nightmare! Let alone the damage to the budget! Maybe in Hollywood… We tried really hard to make it work and even went as far as storyboarding that version, but in the end we had to concede defeat. But the essence of that part of the story - Ross first having an inkling of his feelings for Demelza - I felt was vital to Ross and Demelza’s journey. So I wrote a different version of the pilchard harvest, which still involved Ross and Demelza and still included Ross’s moment of realisation. And for those who don’t know the books (so have nothing to compare it to), I think in the end it worked well. A further factor, in the decision about what to include or omit, hinges on whether and to what extent a story or incident impacts on the central narratives (of Ross, Demelza, Elizabeth, George, Francis). If we had 20 episodes a series we could explore all those marvellous subsidiary characters (Reuben Clemmow, anyone?) Sadly, even with 10 episodes in Series 2, some things have had to go.

6] Q: I would love to read the SCRIPT for season one; is there a possibility that copies of the would someday (soon) be available for purchase, just like as a book for purchase?

A: Yes, the scripts for Series One have been prepared for publication and will be available from Pan Macmillan in February 2016.

7] Will Garrick be back for Series 2?

Garrick is a key part of Series 2 - and has a particularly important role in Episode 10 - for which he may well be up for a canine BAFTA!

8] Q: I would like to know when your job is actually finished? When you end up writing or you do corrections later?

A: I don’t think my job ever finishes. It certainly hasn’t for the past 3 years! And writing is only a part of it! Even when I’ve handed in the final version of any given episode (and there are usually several drafts before it gets to that stage), there’s always the possibility that amendments will be needed for reasons of scheduling or budget. As I’m also an Executive Producer, I’m involved in every step of the process – from the casting, to discussing the tone, the look, the costumes, make-up, design, locations; also watching each day’s rushes (dailies); being on set when required; being involved in every stage of post-production; and also doing press interviews in the run-up to transmission. No complaints from me, though! I think I have the best job ever!

A day in the Life of a Poldark Extra

On Wednesday the PoldarkTV team decided to give you an exclusive insight into the life of a Supporting Artist in a period drama by going under cover! Our cover was, however, quickly blown as we were papped on our way to set.

With our scene scheduled to be the first of the day, it was an early rise for us and our first stop was the Costume truck. Even as maids we were required to wear authentic, tight-fitting corsets, petticoats and full length dresses (with an added apron) – clothing which acted as a small reminder of the inconvenience and discomfort many women would have experienced when performing their chores in this era! It was, for a day, however, exceptionally fun to try.

The second stage was to move next door to the Makeup truck, or should we say lack of makeup! As lowly maids we were stripped of any small residue of makeup that may have left its mark on our faces and our hair was tied back, plaited and pinned into a bun according to 18th Century fashion –

Bonnets on, hair and faces prepped and ready to go – we were escorted very carefully via minibus to the set in order to minimise the potential for weather damage to our wonderful costumes. Our dresses had to be carefully pinned up so that there was no danger of them dragging through the mud –

Once we were finally in position in a specified waiting room in the grounds of an incredible manor house, the only thing to do was to wait. Anyone working on a set will tell you that there are huge amounts of waiting time. Sets need to be prepared and altered, camera angles need changing, props may need adding here and there, or the weather may be hindering progress – there are endless reasons why a scene may take longer to capture than first anticipated, and so patience, a positive attitude and a warm blanket are key!

Throughout the waiting time we were not always simply left to our devices. Constant checks on our costumes were required to maintain the pristine standard. These little tweaks included having extra pins fitted to ensure our sleeves were properly secured and symmetrical – attention to detail is crucial!

As well as ironing out any visible creases…

Our scene ended up being shot in the afternoon and so a number of these maintenance checks were carried out throughout the day.

When our scene was ready to be shot a team of Makeup and Costume were on-hand once again to ensure that we were camera-ready. We then received instructions via the Assistant Director on exactly what our role was to be within the scene and ran through a couple of rehearsals prior to recording accordingly. The actual filming of the scene was over in no time, as the Director was happy with what he had after a few takes, and that was our day an as extra done!

It was an amazing experience to be a part of the whole process, and to get an inside look on what the making of such a series actually entails. It certainly requires an acute attention to detail, teamwork, hard work and patience! But on top of that it requires that everyone performs their role to the best of their ability. Not just the key cast but indeed, all members of the team ranging from the Writer, the Director, the main actors and actresses, costume and makeup, the set designers and builders, and right down to the small part we played as Supporting Artists, are all crucial elements of Poldark and what makes it so entertaining, real and loveable – if we do say so ourselves! ☺

Interview with Poldark’s Food Stylist, Katharine Tidy.

“My name is Katharine Tidy and I was the food stylist on Mammoth Screen’s adaptation of Poldark.

Basically, my job entails preparing and dressing on set in vision food for films and television.  In the case of Poldark that was various dining room scenes primarily at Trenwith. These included an engagement dinner and a Christmas meal, amongst others.

After leaving cookery school my first job in the film industry was feeding film crews for a location catering company where I met a food stylist named Debbie Brodie, I worked as her assistant before she retired several years ago.

It's hard to say what my favourite part of my job is, I like so much of it.  There’s the variety - I work on lots of different kinds of films from contemporary restaurant scenes to medieval banquets. Then the research for different periods is lots of fun, as well trying to come up with the most visually and interesting menu designs for every food scene, and recreating them on a set.  That's also one of the most challenging aspects.

Working on Poldark was a lovely experience, Georgian food is one of my favourite periods to recreate and it was a really nice friendly crew.  As you can gather this is not my first period drama I've been a food stylist for over 15 years and in that time I've worked on a lot of different projects, from ancient Greece on Clash of the Titans and Alexander to alien prison food on Guardians of the Galaxy.

My advice to young food stylists is sometimes it can be very hard work, the hours can be long but if you have a passion for what you do and work hard at it you'll succeed.” 

Interview with Block Two Poldark Director, William McGregor.

Name: William McGregor

How did you become a Director?

I definitely had an over active imagination as a child. I remember working on the farm where I grew up, coiling up fence lines. I'd just spend the entire time day dreaming.

I loved to draw, take pictures and write stories. But it wasn't until I watched the behind the scenes of The Lord of The Rings that I realised that filmmaking was something I could actually pursue.

Initially I wanted to be a Production Designer; I'd copy the illustrations of Alan Lee and make up my own. But eventually I realised that the story was the bit I was really interested in and I made my first film, about a litter of piglets on the farm in 2005.

In 2007 I went to The University for Creative Arts where one of my student films won a Royal Television Society award (Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?, a dark fairy tale inspired by the Slovenian landscape) and another screened at the Berlin Film Festival (Bovine, a short film about Bovine TB set on a Devonshire farm).

I graduated in 2010 where of off the back of my short films I began directing commercials. In 2014 I directed Pepsi's Super Bowl half time commercial and won two Cannes Lions awards for my Google+ commercial.

Thanks to a combination of TV commercials and my short films I directed my first TV drama MisFits in 2013.

I'm still inspired by landscape; folk stories and the country side very much inform my work. This is one of the reasons I was so excited to be involved in the new adaptation of Poldark.

What's your favourite part of your job?

The best part of my job is that I get to work with a raft of brilliantly talented people to tell a story, from actors to gaffers, from editors to costume designers. And I don't know what we will uncover, what exciting new moment we will unearth in our endeavour to tell our story. Sometimes it's planned, sometimes it's completely serendipitous.

What's the biggest challenge you face in your role?

There's a vision and expectation you have for your work, staying true to that whilst navigating a mine field of compromises and obstacles can be challenging. If you get it right then often the compromise produces something more interesting, something organic. You just have to find a solution to tell your story no matter what obstacles you face. A TV drama schedule is relentless so you can be hugely up against it in that respect. 

What has been the highlight of your Poldark filming/experience?

I loved filming in the Cornish landscape; it's such a beautiful and dramatic world for a story to be set in. I particularly enjoyed shooting the ship wreck sequence at Jangye Ryn. A series of epic night shoots on a spectacular beach with hundreds of crew and extras illuminated by the glowing blaze of our wreck.

Is this your first period drama? How are you finding it?

The feature film I'm currently developing 'The Rising' is set in the industrial revolution and I've directed short films set in WWII and medieval times, I've also directed an epic computer game trailer for SEGA set in the Roman Empire. But this is my first proper period drama.

I've always gravitated towards the fantastical and the sublime, so period dramas have an allure to me. I've always enjoyed watching them and I've always wanted to direct them. So this is something of a dream come true.

What advice would you give to other young aspiring Directors?

Be brave. No one ever achieved anything interesting without taking a few risks.

Interview with Art Director, Bex Harvey.

Name:  Bex Harvey

What is the role of the Art Director and what does it entail?

I work closely with the designer taking their ideas, visuals, drawings and references and turn them into sets and location builds. I liaise with our construction team, props team production and locations to come up with a workable schedule and manage the construction budget. I help run our team and making sure that information from the designer gets passed on to right people to carry out.

How did you first get into this field?  

Through art college then a training course at the BBC

What's your favourite part of your job?

There's never a dull day in the art department, every day is different, one day you can be on the roof of the home office, gathering references for a BBC film the next day you can be measuring up the interior of a 747 jumbo.

What's the biggest challenge you face in your role?

Pretty much the same as any industry, budgets are getting tighter and the schedules are getting shorter.

What was the highlight of your Poldark experience?

Seeing the sets we had drawn up and built come to life when they had been dressed and lit. Walking through them and feeling, even if only for a moment as if you have gone back in time.

For me it was seeing the "horse whim" working at our Wheal Leisure location on the Cornish cliffs. I had worked out how the original "whims" worked in principal and produced the technical drawings but it was Dave our construction manager and his brilliant team who worked out the fine detail and got the beast working.

What was your first period drama?

Ivanhoe for BBC TV back in the 90's

How did you find it?

It's has a different set of challenges to a contemporary drama, on location you have so much work to do covering up the modern world before you can even start to create your period world everything has to be considered and researched.

What advice would you give to other young aspiring Art Directors?

Practice your drawing, it's still the simplest way to express an idea to a director or production. Learn CAD sketch up and Photoshop or their equivalents as they are your next set of tool to express ideas. Get as much experience as you can but don't sell yourself short, there are many people out there who will be happy to use your skills for little or no money, it should be the exception and not the norm.

Pressing Thoughts...

Here are some of the press reviews for last night's first episode of #Poldark

(9pm Sunday's. BBC One.) 

Reviews:

The Times - Alex Hardy (March 9th)

"I don't know if "swoon" was in the 18th Cornish vernacular, but it will have had an airing in millions of watching households as Aidan Turner muscled his way into the role, convincingly broken, compellingly hunky. Thankfully the drama is more than just a nationwide hot flush."

"It's a beautifully filmed Sunday night romp with a nice bit of substance and plenty to power it over another seven episodes."

Daily Mail - Jan Moir (March 9th)

"If the BBC are looking to find a Sunday night hit that’s as big as Downton Abbey, perhaps they’ve found it here in this seagull-squawking tale of mining folk by the sea. The scenery is peerless, the costumes divine and the script by Debbie Horsfield sticks closely to the novels."

"Turner is more than just a pretty boy and imbues the lovelorn captain with the right amount of gravitas and authority."

Independent - Ellen E Jones (March 9th)

"Screenwriter Debbie Horsfield has been open about her hope that the new Poldark might run and run (there are 12 novels in total) and there’s no reason why a straightforwardly enjoyable romantic romp like this shouldn’t capture a loyal audience."

Metro - Keith Watson (March 9th)

"Poldark proves you can't beat a dashing chap on horseback, a flighty damsel and a spot of period fisticuffs to get the dramatic juices pumping.

"...the choice of Aidan Turner to play put-upon hero Ross is right on the money."

The Guardian - Sam Wollaston (March 9th)    

"New Poldark is pacier and racier than the old, then, but built on the same chassis."

Telegraph - Jasper Res (March 9th)

" The A30 may need widening to accommodate the deluge of visitors."

"It’s a rattling teatime yarn to the tips of its ringlets."

Interview with 18th Century Historical Adviser, Hannah Greig.

Name: Dr Hannah Greig

What is a historical adviser and what do you do?

It is not unknown for historical advisers to be called ‘hysterical advisers’ given our annoying obsession with obscure details. The precise role differs enormously across productions. Sometimes I’ve simply supported the final editing of a script. In other cases, I’ve been attached to a production for well over a year offering historical advice at every stage. For Poldark, I’ve been on board since April. I had the incredible privilege of reading the scripts while they were being finalized, joined the cast in rehearsals and have been available to all members of the production to answer any questions or help check historical details. Regrettably I haven’t been on set this time because I had a baby just as the cameras started rolling. There were a few scenes I really wanted to see being filmed but the eighteenth century was not a good time to give birth (no antibiotics, no epidural and a high death rate) so I thought it would be safer to stay at home! Thanks to Twitter and the Poldark fans I’ve been able to keep up with all the on set excitement anyway.

How did you become an 18th-century historical adviser?

I am often asked this (lots of people seem to want my job!). I’m really an academic who got lucky. I have a PhD in eighteenth-century history and have written a book and various articles on the subject. By day, I’m a history lecturer at the University of York where I teach undergraduates and postgraduates. In 2007 I worked as an adviser to the film ‘The Duchess’ (a film based on a best-selling biography by the historian Amanda Foreman about the Duchess of Devonshire, a famous eighteenth-century aristocrat played in the film by Keira Knightley). Since then I’ve worked on a number of period productions, including theatre and television as well as film.

What particularly interested you about this period?

2014 is the tricentenary of the accession of George I, so the ‘gorgeous Georgians’ (as they are often dubbed) are getting a lot more press coverage at the moment than is generally the case. Because the eighteenth century is not taught very widely in schools, much popular knowledge about the period comes from films and fiction. There is more to the Georgians, however, than the flirtations of Austen novels and glamorous clothes (brilliant though those are!). The eighteenth century was a time of profound social, economic and cultural change. It witnessed major revolutions that changed the nature of politics in Britain, established an independent America and saw aristocrats lose their heads in France. And although these changes took place centuries ago, there seems to be an affinity between the Georgians and today’s society. The media, for example, was a powerful force with newspapers giving a voice to public opinion and also driving a Georgian celebrity culture. It was a time of social unrest but also of social opportunity that allowed a middle class to thrive on the basis of individual ability and achievement. One of the many things I love about the Poldark novels and this adaptation is the way in which Ross Poldark’s world reflects so much of this real historical drama.

Who specifically from the production came to you with questions & what did they ask?

To be honest I’ve lost track. The production has been so focused on getting historical details as correct as possible that I’ve been fielding enquiries from all quarters. Of course, Winston Graham’s books are themselves remarkable historical texts, and so the adaptation is based on solid and scholarly foundations. But I think I’ve discussed everything from politics and turnpikes to tattoos, jewellery, kissing and kitchens with various members of the production over the last few months. Being at rehearsals felt like a strange academic viva or a warped episode of University Challenge, with a roomful of people putting me on the spot with incredibly varied historical queries. I love the challenge, though, of trying to deliver useful historical detail and information that can translate easily to the screen.

How important do you think historical accuracy is in a period drama?

I think it very much depends on the topic. Period dramas dealing with real historical characters and events perhaps need to be more respectful of accuracy at every level than period dramas that are drawing on novels. In the latter case, though, I’d argue that a visual drama should accurately reflect and respect the original text. Fortunately with Poldark, because the novels themselves are so historically precise, it is possible to do justice to both the historical reality of the 1780s and the fictional world of Ross Poldark that Graham created.

What areas do you think are the hardest to keep accurate?

I think characters are sometimes the hardest to capture in an ‘accurate’ sense. Our idea of what constitutes a particular period of history is often very visual and as a result the notion of historical accuracy can sometimes extend only to the look of a production (the set and costumes). But how people felt, what they thought, what motivated them and what frightened them, how they spoke and what they sounded like can be very difficult to capture.

What is the worst historical inaccuracy you've ever seen in a period drama?

This is hard for me to answer because I love film and television. I love to get lost in a drama and I’ve actually become a much more accepting viewer the longer I’ve worked on productions myself. I’m quite sympathetic now to the challenges of creating a historic past on screen and understand the complex decisions that sometimes have to be made. It is rarely the case that productions ignore the history. All productions I’ve been involved with have cared deeply about the work that they are doing and would love every element of their art to be as ‘accurate’ as possible. If I do shout at the telly it is more likely to be because a drama has taken too much of a liberty with a real historical figure than because I spotted the wrong kind of fork.

Do you think viewers notice or care about inaccuracies in general?

People certainly notice. There’s usually widespread discussion of a drama’s perceived historical accuracy in reviews and more immediately on twitter whilst a production is being screened. Sometimes, though, we can be easily mistaken in our presumptions about what is or is not accurate. For example, for dramas set in the eighteenth century, viewers sometimes complain if words sound too modern. But what we think might be modern can often be historically correct. It would be a mistake to think that in the past people always used long sentences and pronounced every syllable. In the 1700s people at every social level used conversational language (‘I’ll’ instead of ‘I will’, ‘you’ll’ instead of ‘you will’ etc). Such is the concern with accuracy that sometimes productions are criticized for inaccuracies that were never made. Last year, for example, lots of newspapers ran stories about the ‘shock’ of seeing modern zips in dresses in the BBC’s production ‘The White Queen’, an adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s historical novels set during the Wars of the Roses. But there weren’t any zips, it was just a story that appeared and then gained its own traction. It is a shame when that happens. It might not always be possible to get every detail perfect, but most period dramas genuinely try to get the best result they can.

How difficult do you think it is to remain faithful to certain historical periods - considering the influence and demands of our modern society and audience expectations? - for example physical contact between protagonists.

  It can be difficult to show certain aspects of history if there is not a widespread general knowledge about the event or period. But I don’t think the challenge is meeting modern expectations as such because period dramas can often provide a fantasy escape from our world. I’m not sure we want our past to look just like the present. People in the past were not necessarily just like us and it wouldn’t make for good drama if they were. Would we want Ross Poldark to marry a sensible girl he met through some friends, to buy a semi-detached house in the suburbs, and to have two children who performed in the local school nativity play - even if that was all done in perfectly reconstructed period dress? I don’t think revealing what makes the past different is necessarily a problem for a drama or for an audience.