TOBY'S BLOG: VAMPIRE PHOTOS EXPLAINED
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New to BH? Watch out, this post contains spoilers from series one...
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Toby Whithouse, the creator of Being Human is back to answer more of your queries.Ìý If you missed previous blogs, check them out here or here.Ìý But this week, it's that pesky subject of vampire ID badges.Ìý Over to Toby for more...
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Ok, so a mixed bag of notes and queries this week...
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PriorMarcus asked about vampires on cameras. I think this raises a bigger point about the world of Being Human...
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Firstly, some eagle eyed viewers might have noticed that Mitchell actually wears a photo ID at the hospital. What the
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As for the CCTV, I think it's only an issue if someone is looking directly at him and directly at a corridor or room that he's actually in, at the same time. It wouldn't necessarily occur to anyone watching the footage that they've never seen a specific cleaner on there.
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But yes, with Herrick it's much more difficult. Obviously security camera footage is a relatively new invention, but as Mitchell says in episode 1, vampires have existed for tens of thousand of years, they've become supremely skilled at covering their tracks. There are vampires strategically placed in all jobs and institutions. Consequently Herrick is never acting on his own. Using the example of CCTV footage being used in a court case, it would be the easiest thing in the world for them to arrange for the footage to go missing, a witness to be intimidated or for the case to collapse before it went to court.
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One thing I've always insisted on with this show is that it's taking place in our world. I absolutely adore Doctor Who, but one thing I specifically wanted to do to contrast with that show was to keep this very much our world. In the Doctor Who world, the population know aliens exist. They get invaded every Christmas. But in the Being Human world very few people know of the existence of these creatures. Consequently, when people see someone not appearing on a CCTV camera, their first thought wouldn't necessarily be "He must be a vampire". And if they did think that, they wouldn't necessarily tell anyone. One of the many tools vampire's employ to stay hidden, is people's scepticism.
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PsionicP3 asked how much time I spent on set.
Not as much as I wanted. But I was still writing the scripts while they were filming. But I'd be sent a DVD every day of the previous day's filming. It was such a joy watch the show gradually take shape. The advantage of this is summed up by Sinead Keenan, who plays Nina. I was never really sure what to do with that character and we were contemplating writing her out by the end of the series. But watching Sinead's terrific performance take shape every day made us realise we'd be crazy to let her go, and because I was still writing the last episodes meant I still had time to shift the climax accordingly.
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Right, that's your lot for this week. Next week... Why can't Annie change her clothes, and what does Mitchell have on his Ipod.
Comment number 1.
At 14th Feb 2009, bumpkin wrote:Thank you..again :-)
Goes along with what some of the fans suspected, so good to get your clarification.
Thank goodness you didn't write Nina out..Sinead Keenan is fab! Her and Russell Tovy work together perfectly...any thoughts on what could result from George and Nina'a 'moment' together in episode 3? I wondered if it was poss for her to concieve and if the child would be affected etc and another fan wondered whether Nina herself would become infected with the werewolf curse. Or do these issues come up later?
I think it's clever to say vamps take advantage of human scepticism; it's very plausible that, even if a person suspected something, they wouldn't say anything. It will be interesting to see how this changes in tonight's episode.
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Comment number 2.
At 14th Feb 2009, mcgel321 wrote:Thanks for that explanation as it answered a few questions I had.
One thing im still curious about is how the ghosts in the series are more solid then you would expect them to be as they can pick up objects and touch people when you would expect them to pass through them.
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Comment number 3.
At 14th Feb 2009, loopymowse wrote:The photo ID matter didn't occur to my mind! I was preoccupied with the house instead; I like the look of it and props in the rooms match what the characters are like in natures.
That must be a fun job to decorate the character's rooms and the house in general; choosing what kind of props match what character. Clothing choices are interesting too.
I can't wait to find out what your 'grand design' or 'master plan' is for our three - are they supposed to help each other for managing conditions (I thought each seemed to go through bad spells aka relapses whenever they're apart from the other two) as necessary companions?
If you have finished series 1 you'll be working on series 2 now, this is a plea to the broadcasters don't make the gap between series 1 and 2 airing really long especially if series 1 ends with a cliffhanger. I can barely wait a week between eps as it is and we're only in series 1.
I'm *that* curious what's going to happen to M, A, and G next!
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Comment number 4.
At 15th Feb 2009, bumpkin wrote:I've just thought of a question, which was prompted by Mitchell turning the boy in episode 4...does the character of the vamp who does the recruiting affect the character of the one they recruit? I know the one recruiting can nurture certain things themselves, as with Herrick, but is anything transfered from one to the other in the process itself? Or does it all depend on the human's character beforehand?
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Comment number 5.
At 16th Feb 2009, BeingHumanFan84 wrote:Brilliant thanks so much Toby! And I was right about the Photo thing - yay either that means I'm quite intuitive and observant or I spend far too long thinking about a TV show lol this really is the highlight of my week though - I've never looked forward to sunday nights until now and yeah I'll second what loopymowse said...please dont leave it too long til airing series 2 and pleaaaaaaase release series 1 on dvd as soon as possible.
My main question and please answer me is the process of becoming a vampire - Lauren says "just let her drink from you" suggesting that to become a vampire the victim has to drink from the vampire? but Lauren died - completely died died didnt she lol she looked dead so had she already become a vampire and left and that was just the body? and Mitchell - he woke up alone amongst the other dead bodies so if that was the vampire him where was his body? I really cant get my head around this! Please explain ta :-)
keep up the good work loving the show just please explain for me!
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Comment number 6.
At 16th Feb 2009, mcgel321 wrote:One other question I've thought of, how do the vampires decide what roles they get when they're living amoung humanity, I mean for WWI it must be pretty simple but what about the normanl day-to-day jobs they have now.
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Comment number 7.
At 16th Feb 2009, DirtStar wrote:A lot is cleared up there but I am confused by one thing. Do I hear correctly Mitchell claim he was in a film then within 2 minutes of this say Vampires cannot be captured on camera? Or is this me mixing things up? I'd watch again but I have a very slow computer and if I have messed things up could someone please clarify this
Thankyou
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Comment number 8.
At 17th Feb 2009, BeingHumanProduction wrote:Hi 'Dirtstar',
Really sorry to hear about the slow computer. To clear things up for you I will explain about Mitchell being in a film...
In Episode 2 Mitchell tells Annie and George that he is in Casablanca.
He then goes on to say that although he can't be 'seen' (because Vampires can't be captured on film) he is there as an extra, where he knocks over a chair.
So when he says 'I'm in the film', he's merely referring to his excellent chair-knocking-over-skills.
Makes you wonder whether there actually is a chair that is knocked over by some invisible force within Casablanca...
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Comment number 9.
At 21st Feb 2009, Oh_Suzi wrote:Annie's and Gilbert's clothes...
some one asked why Gilbert should have his walkman? technically it's something you can wear and as ghosts in BH wear what they died in why not.
More interestingly, has he been listening to the same soundtrack since 1985? Or can he put real casettes in his ghost walkman.
Also if ghosts have no need for sleep, drink or food, how come Gilbert smokes? Or again is it such a strong part of his persona and whilst biologically it has no affect on him he just does it out of habit?
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Comment number 10.
At 21st Feb 2009, Oh_Suzi wrote:Also Annies clothes - if ghosts only wear what they die in, how come she wears gilberts headphones - and if the answer is because he's a ghost too, how come she wore Tully's hat in episode 2.
If she can wear hats why can't she change her clothes & or is it she can have extra clothes, but she can't ever take off her own clothes - which is going to make any impending sex scenes (hopefully between her and Mitchell) tricky.
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Comment number 11.
At 21st Feb 2009, Oh_Suzi wrote:People also have commented on Annie touching/moving solid objects.
1.As no one has proved that ghosts exist and there are hundreds of stories about them over hundreds of years, who is to say what the hard and fast rules of being a ghost is. It has aready been stated on a previous blog that elements were chosen by how much they would help move the story along/affect the filming.
2.Ghosts often have a 'learn to move objects' montage in other films ie. Ghost and Beetlejuice. Annie's been a ghost for two years already, a montage seems cheesey and uneccessary it doesn't really help the story.
3. Whilst I can accept that Annie and Gilbert can pick up and move objects unnoticed and can dissappear and reappear and maybe even walk through walls - How did she get the solid Key Bowl and the Casserole Dish into Owens locked house???
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Comment number 12.
At 21st Feb 2009, Oh_Suzi wrote:Sorry for being anal I don't want to pick the show apart - I just find these things interesting.
Even if these little things have been overlooked I am willing to suspend my belief for such a great show! Brilliant stories, well acted characters, Brilliant commedy,drama, music, sets, effects, costumes, EVERYTHING!!! I really look forward to every episode - so sad that there's only two left!
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