Can I take you back to the start, and the inspiration for Silverpoint?
I’ll have to pass you over to our lead writer Lee Walters for this one, who created the show with Steven Andrew.
LEE: Feeling that children have become somewhat disconnected from nature and the natural environment, the initial premise was to juxtapose the woodland of Northern Ireland with something otherworldly. The sci-fi element took inspiration from ‘gravity hills’, supposed pockets of energy that appear across the world. Proven to be an optical illusion, the thought was: what if they were real? What if they were in fact objects of alien origin buried in the woods and four kids dug one up?Emotionally, we wanted it to be about control. Each of these kids is eager to take control of their lives, and what they discover enables them to do that.
Why did you decide to film in Northern Ireland?
First, the talent, passion and skill of the crew are world class. Second, it’s not easy to find a wild deserted beach, a castle (with catacombs), huge woodlands, and a large enough space to build our spaceship set all within easy driving distance of each other. And finally, it’s no understatement to say that without the support of Northern Ireland Screen we simply could not have made the show.
Why did you choose Antrim’s Shane's Castle as the location for the camp?
Shane’s Castle gave us exactly what we needed. Vast amounts of space and privacy to create our detailed summer camp set with views of Lough Neagh, and also other areas of woodland, field and even the castle itself, so we could quickly move the filming unit and feel like we were somewhere completely new.
What other locations are used?
As well as around the Shane's Castle estate, we filmed scenes at Rathsherry Wind Farm and Whiterocks beach in Portrush. For one of director Louise Ní Fhiannachta’s episodes, we also filmed in Belfast - going out of the countryside for the first time.
Where are the indoor scenes filmed in Belfast Studios or where?
To film our indoor scenes for Series 2 we were delighted to return to Silverwood Business Park, close to Ballymena. It used to be a tyre factory, so we had a huge amount of space we needed to build our sets, as well as offices for us to base our production team. We were keen to use as much of the wider site as we were able, which included the atmospheric boiler room seen in episode 12.
What was the biggest challenge to you as a producer?
It’s vital to create the best possible working environment for the cast (many of whom are young and living away from home for the first time), and the crew.
Equally, we know that we’re competing with films and television shows with much bigger budgets, so it’s a constant challenge to try and play to our strengths and get as much value onto the screen as possible.
Do you have to carefully plan sets and scenes with a view to the visual effects that will be added post-production?
Yes, definitely. We learnt a lot of lessons from Series 1 in terms of being mindful of the number of visual effects right from the scripting and planning stages. Parts of the physical set were built to move around and green screens could be put in certain places to allow us to look out of the window, or extend corridors. Equally we had to plan to minimise these VFX shots so that we were only using them when they really counted, but that we didn’t miss them when we had to accomplish this practically.
With the introduction of the 'alien' character, does the series genre in this series make a slight shift from mystery adventure to more sci-fi?
Both series are a real love letter to sci-fi adventures in so many ways - the films and TV shows we all grew up adoring. We’re careful throughout to keep everything grounded for the characters and the mysteries they’re desperate to uncover. It’s certainly not too sci-fi for the sake of being sci-fi. If the first series was more Close Encounters, then the second series is more like The Hunger Games. And who said there’s an alien? You’ll have to watch to find out…
Why do you think Silverpoint resonates with adults as much as their children?
Most of us will have fond memories of watching particular TV shows as children with our families. Silverpoint resonates because it’s safe viewing for younger audiences, without compromising on what makes adult drama work. The scripts are unpredictable, the characters feel real and are acted phenomenally, it’s exciting, it’s complicated, it’s got a spaceship AND a dragon in it. It might even be a little hard to follow at points for a 6-year-old, but I think that’s OK. I’d love their 10-year-old sibling to step in and explain, and for them both to be discussing theories with their parents about what might happen next as their imaginations are sparked.
Have you any behind the scenes antics you can tell us about?
It’s all about the fish flops. Krish Misra, who plays Glen, was obsessed with his character wearing some flip flops that looked like fish (as Glen had briefly imagined that a girl he liked was really a mermaid - it makes sense if you’ve watched series 1,). Egged on by our costume designer (Zjena Glamocanin), these hilarious fish flops just kept on turning up on set.
Are you already planning series 3?
We certainly have more stories that we would love to tell with these characters - I know Lee is already fizzing with ideas.
:: Silverpoint will be aired on CBBC from Wednesday May 17. Also available on BBC iPlayer.
