When Hollywood Came To Dinorwig

Clash of the Titans, due to be released next month, was the third Hollywood epic to shoot key sequences in Wales last summer, alongside Robin Hood and the latest Harry Potter instalment.
The Wales Screen Commission first became involved with the project in November 2008 when the film’s location manager was seeking woodland locations in north Wales. He was aware of Newborough forest, having visited there previously. He had also visited Dinorwig Quarry as part of a recce hosted by the Wales Screen Commission in 2003, for the monastery scene in Batman Begins (which was eventually filmed in Iceland).
By January 2009 another location manager had taken over the north Wales location search. However there remained great interest in the disused Dinorwig Quarry and other locations in the region. The large slate quarry is privately owned but a public footpath runs through it, meaning that numerous health and safety issues had to be discussed with Gwynedd Council. As a result the footpath was closed for a total of four weeks, and the Commission worked hard, along with Council representatives to minimise disruption.
The quarry had been redundant since 1969 but some areas had been given scheduled monument status by CADW, the Welsh Assembly Government’s historic environment service. As the Wales Screen Commission is also part of the Welsh Assembly Government, the North Wales officer was able to facilitate discussions between CADW and the location manager to ensure filming could go ahead with the proper safeguards in place.
Facilities at the quarry location unit base, including portacabins, generators, lighting and security, were all sourced locally with all relevant supplier information provided by the Commission.
The production was also looking for a beach location, and after the Commission had shown them images of several options, they chose Llanddwyn Beach, which had been used previously during the filming of the Demi Moore film Half Light in 2004. The beach is an environmentally sensitive site, managed by the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW). Having worked with CCW previously, the Commission was able to secure easy access to the site for the two days of filming, without causing any significant disruption to the public or the site itself. A day’s filming was also done in the woods near the beach, and the Forestry Commission assisted in providing access.
A spokesman for the Commission said: "It was a pleasure working with the Clash of the Titans production due to the professionalism and respect shown by the location manager towards the area, prior to, during and after filming."
Skillset Screen Academy Wales were also involved with the production, securing five exciting work placements on set as part of an ongoing programme of placements and enhancements for its students and graduates. Screen Academy Wales Placements Coordinator, Alex Leadley explained:
"We were delighted when the decision was made to shoot part of the film in Wales and immediately took the opportunity to approach Warner Bros and explain the advantages of using Screen Academy Wales students on the crew. Terry Blyther the Locations Manager happily agreed that four film students and one trainee from our Post-Gradation Facility scheme could work as locations runners for the duration of the Welsh shoot. This was an incredible opportunity for our students to learn about the operation of feature films and they made some amazing contacts."
There were 300 crew working on the feature at the height of filming, and several local hotels in the region were used to accommodate all the crew. Despite the inevitable disruption a production of this scale is likely to cause, this was kept to a minimum, partly due to the diligence of the Wales Screen Commission’s Film Officer in north Wales.
Phil Hounam, Location Manager on the film said: "Working in Wales is always a pleasure, the help received from Wales Screen Commission, Welsh Assembly Government, local authorities and commissions is amongst the best I have found in the British Isles. Coupling this with the warmth, humour and helpfulness of the people makes filming a very pleasant experience. The shooting of Clash of the Titans in Gwynedd and Anglesey was certainly challenging at times but when all around you remain positive it certainly makes life easier. I'll be back."
The filming created a substantial impact in the local economy, and following the film’s theatrical release on April 2nd, the region’s tourism industry has the potential to capitalise further on this success.
(BMcN/BMcC)