好色先生TV

Casting agents

My editor was probably hoping I鈥檇 look back to find a pithy piece on shoddy housebuilding, industry fat cats or collapsed contractors. Instead, this archivist has decided to go on a journey with plasterers Mark Buck and Alex Taylor to a more glamorous place where the most unlikely things can happen 鈥� and yes, I mean good things. 

It鈥檚 not strictly a geographical location, although Buck and Taylor do refer it as 鈥渋nside鈥�. They were referring to the world of movie making. The plasterers had created the arrows in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, the captain鈥檚 chair in Lost in Space and a glass fibre tank for a James Bond movie, as well as countless other props.

Other work included making streets of buildings, plaster body moulds of actors for make-up artists to test special effects on and anything that gets broken in a fight scene. 鈥漈he banter is great,鈥� said Buck, although he mentions the long hours.

But like everyone in showbusiness there could be periods of 鈥渞esting鈥�, which often involved work 鈥渙utside鈥� on construction sites. 鈥淚t鈥檚 harder to earn a living outside,鈥� said Taylor sadly. 鈥淵ou just have to get your head down and work.鈥�

To read the full article from 30 January 1998, click on the pdf below.