Sunday 2 July 2023

Mike Tucker VFX Talk


Still on holiday, but I did say I might post something while I was away. This afternoon I attended an excellent talk by Mike Tucker about his VFX work. The venue was Gunnersbury Park Museum in West London. Mike first worked on Doctor Who during Colin Baker's term, but is better known for the McCoy seasons. He returned to the show in 2005 fronting the Model Unit, which he formed after the old BBC VFX dept was axed. (Typical of the Beeb to scrap it just as the programme was coming back). His final piece of work on the programme was the model of the Doctor in diving suit from Thin Ice. After an illustrated talk through his lengthy career, he ran his showreel. He then went through this again, but this time pausing and talking through exactly how the sequences had been achieved. All most enlightening, and I've always thought I knew a lot of this stuff.
One question I asked was about the Worlds of Wonder touring exhibition, which seemed to have ended after Edinburgh. He said that negotiations are underway for a third venue, but couldn't say much more at this time. It is further south than the first two museums, though not London. He also said an overseas venue is planned.
Mike brought a small sample of props along, but the museum is planning a major sci-fi exhibition in October. Below is a Moon buggy from Star Cops.


Currently installed full time in the museum is an original Voc mask from The Robots of Death, alongside Marvin the Paranoid Android from Hitchhikers. This is because Ealing studios are not far away.


The plan had been for Mike to fit two sessions in this afternoon, but the initial one took up the whole two hours, such was the interest from the 30 or so in his audience, asking lots of questions. A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 
I might be back again tomorrow with a Dalek and other non Who sci-fi stuff...

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