After Image

After Image was a 2|entertain DVD documentary about the making of the Doctor Who serial Image of the Fendahl.
It opened with Anthony Read recalling how he was contacted by BBC Head of Serials, Graeme MacDonald, about becoming a producer. He was resistant, so he was offered the position of script editor. As this was a lower position, he again refused. However, when he learnt it was on Doctor Who, he accepted.

Louise Jameson explains how she thoroughly enjoyed playing Leela throughout her run and had a continual interest in the character. Wanda Ventham discusses how she enjoyed working with the cast.

Edward Arthur recalled Leela kissed him on the cheek, despite no such action appearing in the script. Jameson thought it was Leela expressing affection for the character. She also expressed a love of rehearsals as they allowed specific moments to develop.

Read claimed to have no conflict with Tom Baker but was slightly bothered by his additions to the script. He recalled that they were occasionally favourable.

Colin Mapson went through his work on the serial, explaining the effects he used for the skull, in particular for the scene in which the Fourth Doctor lifts it as a different light source had to be used.

Jameson commented on her character's clothing, explaining that she had a part in choosing the new outfit. Jameson favoured the outfits which suited the character's primitive nature. Ventham also enjoyed her costume as the Fendahl Core; she had previously missed out on being painted gold when she failed an audition for a Bond film.

Mapson explained how the Fendahl was created. With John Nathan-Turner, they decided on a worm-like shape. Mapson wanted some animation of the mouth so he used compressed air to wave pieces of polythene from it. Jameson recalled she was so amused by the Fendahl as it came down the corridor that she could not act for "about fifteen minutes". Mapson's original concept was only the tube, with the wing-like protrusions added at Nathan-Turner's behest. It took about a month to finish the prop and Mapson elected for Peter Wragg to go inside it.

Read recalled the problems they faced in avoiding violence in the program. It was McDonald who had the final say on each script. He was worried about the scene in this serial where Maximillian Stael shot himself. It was eventually agreed that the death had to take place off camera.

Edward Arthur suggested the story could have worked away from Doctor Who and might have been more popular with general drama viewers than fans of the show.

The documentary ended with Jameson remembering that she was offered the role of Portia in The Merchant of Venice when this story was being filmed and chose to leave. Looking back, she was unsure if it was the right decision.

Original to DVD
Image of the Fendahl

Anthony Read (Script Editor) and Colin Mapson (Visual Effects Designer) join actors Louise Jameson, Edward Arthur and Wanda Ventham in their analysis of the story (Image of the Fendahl). (20 April 2009 - BBC DVD)

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