A few seconds go by. I assume Peter is checking the shot. He gets on the loud speaker. “Um could you tell the gentleman in the basket to raise his head out a bit higher?” I’m a bit nervous now as my arms are fully extended. I look around the set in quiet desperation looking for something that will help. I don’t want to lose this opportunity because my arms were shorter than Sir Peter Jackson’s. Nearby is a pile of firewood stacked up as a prop. “Dave!” I whisper. Get me two bits of wood over there that are about the same thickness. I can use those.” Dave quickly goes over and picks out two bits of wood and shoves them under the basket. I take them and place them on top of the steel frame. Peter calls for another rehearsal.
On action, I pop up balanced on the firewood which is on top of the frame and do my thing. This time he is happy. Now back down in the basket, I wait as they prep the cameras for filming. It takes several minutes. I am nervous and uncomfortable. My legs are beginning to cramp up. It’s so hot in here. I feel like I’m going to melt. Dave quietly calls in and asks me if I’m OK. Lying, I announce to him that I’m fine.
Down below, we hear Peter. “OK we’re shooting this one. Let’s go.” Then a few seconds later, another voice hollers. “Rolling!” And yet another voice. “Sound speed!” Then Peter. “And… action!”
I pop up out of the basket smoking and squawking with eyes furiously darting. I pop down again. “Well that wasn’t too bad.” I thought to myself. But Dave has just been on the R.T. He tells me that we are doing a rolling reset. This means that there is no cut in between takes. All the actors simply go back to their first positions and we do it again. The down side for me, is that my new number one position is with head outside of the basket, which means that I am balanced on the metal frame on two bits of very roughly cut firewood. I cannot relax my arms and sit on the floor in between actions.
Thirty seconds go by. My arms are really starting to feel it. And my legs? Forget it. I can’t feel them anymore. Finally they are ready. Peter calls action. I smoke and squawk and dart. Peter calls for another reset. And then another. And then another. Everything down below me has to look just right and we have to reset for a variety of reasons.
After several more resets which my mind equates as a thousand years, there is a twenty second silence. Then Peter on the loud speaker announces “Thank you very much everyone, that’s a wrap.” The cast and crew numbering about one-hundred applaud and cheer loudly. As for me, I more or less collapse in my basket/torture machine. I have to lie on the floor for a couple of minutes before I can stand. Dave has to help me down the stairs to Lake-town ground zero.
Once at the bottom he turns to me smiling and excited. He realizes the rarity of what just took place over the last hour. “You and I,” he said, “will be stuck with this memory for the rest of our lives!” Well he’s right about that. It was all up perhaps one of the most bizarre things that I am ever likely to film in my entire career. But in retrospect, I do believe that to date I am the only person on the planet that can have bragging rights to being Sir Peter Jackson’s cameo double. And do you know what? I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Thank you P.J.
Epilogue: Jeff Slaven’s arms and legs were just fine after a few minutes of rest, and he was in no way harmed during the making of this film. You can follow Jeff at @jeff_slaven on Twitter.
Join us in Los Angeles in February at The One Last Party
We’re hosting a Party of Special Magnificence next February — a toast to all SIX movies, both LOTR trilogy and The Hobbit.
