The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin - Week 15 Production Diary

Week 15: Intense Scenes and Hill Folk

• 🎬 Week 15 marks the final two weeks of production for The Pendragon Cycle, focusing on intense action and emotional scenes.
• 🏠 The team shot interior scenes for the Hill Folk raft, a hollowed-out hill dwelling, with art department creating a detailed environment of mud, dirt, and vines.
• 🗣️ The production utilized a second invented language, created by Spencer Claven, to capture the essence of Lawhead's text.
• 🎭 The wrap on Lynn (Granny Fain) and Bailey (Young Merlin) signifies the completion of all Hill Folk scenes.

The Epic Battle of Britain

• ⚔️ The Wolf Unit focused on the Battle of Britain, a massive sequence involving the Saxons against overwhelming odds.
• 🐎 The battle featured numerous horses, Saxons, and Britons in a large field, with intricate choreography to protect key characters.
• 💨 A "dirt cannon" was used to fire peat moss, corkboard, and dust, enhancing the chaotic visual of the battle.
• 🌨️ Filming in December presented significant challenges, including snow, heavy rain, and cold weather, requiring adjustments like bulldozing snow and attempting to melt ice.
• ⚔️ The battle involved over 200 people, with 5 distinct tribes, each equipped with different weapons like bows, axes, swords, and spears, requiring three hours to distribute.

Climax and Emotional Scenes

• 🌃 The final days on the back lot were dedicated to an intensely dramatic outdoor scene, shot at night in the rain, which is considered one of the most important scenes from the novel.
• 🥶 Despite freezing conditions and rain, actors James and Rose delivered powerful performances, described as the best of the series.
• 🎬 The scene is highlighted as a significant achievement, perfectly capturing both the emotion and spirituality of Lawhead's work.
• 👋 The wrap marked the departure of James (Merlin), Paul (Half Risk), and Pandora, concluding their first season under challenging circumstances.

Final Push to Completion

• 🏁 The production is in a "mad dash" to finish all remaining shots before the Christmas break, with all three units working intensely.
• 🤯 The final push is described as emotional, epic, and borderline impossible, aiming to complete the biggest sequence of the show in just nine days.