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My day on Viltvodle

On Monday 7th June 2004, I was fortunate enough to spend some time on the set of the Hitchhiker’s Guide movie. This is an edited version of my set report, published in full in issue 93 of Mostly Harmless, the magazine of ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha.


The key to the designs in this film is: forget your preconceptions. We have already seen a version of Marvin that knocked us sideways and I think the Heart of Gold will do the same. It doesn't look like the versions in the TV series or the Illustrated Guide. It certainly doesn't look like a running shoe, as described in the book. What it does look like is… a really, real cool spaceship that any President in their right minds would definitely want to steal.

The Heart of Gold bridge set was big and fully-enclosed (some of the walls could be moved – 'flown away' – to get certain shots) and was on several levels with windows looking out into space. Everything, down to the mugs in the galley, has been specially designed to fit in with and reflect the ship's overall aesthetic. I was in awe.

In another building I saw a whole squad of Vogon costumes, created by Hensons, as well as some utterly extraordinary aliens. But the real action was happening inside a large soundstage, where dozens of weirdly costumed and oddly made-up background artists were standing around. Aliens of all shapes and sizes were in evidence – this is a very good film to be on if you’re particularly tall, short, fat or skinny or have an unusually large number of limbs.

Through the smoke we saw… the planet Viltvodle, home of the Jatravartids and evidently now a thriving society bristling with aliens from all over the galaxy, some of whom are followers of the missionary Humma Kavula (they’re easily identified, though I won’t say how). The scene was simply our four heroes (Marvin’s not here for some reason) making their way through the crowds, but you can’t just say: ‘Right, everybody walk around a bit!’ Each background artist needs to know their ‘mark’ where they start from, at what point they start walking, where the lead actors and the camera are, and whether they have to stop, turn round or carry on off-set.

During a break between takes I was introduced to Zooey, Martin, Sam and Mos, all of whom are thoroughly nice and friendly people. And on the basis of this scene, all of them are fantastic actors and brilliant casting decisions who fit their roles to a T.

Going into my day on set I thought that the movie looked good, that it looked promising. But coming away, I was enthused to a level I never even expected. I didn’t see or hear one thing that made me think anything other than, at least, wow. And some of the stuff I saw and heard will make your eyes stand out on stalks.

And yet, everything is in keeping with the Hitchhiker’s Guide that we know and love. It feels like Hitchhiker’s Guide. It’s a story which is in some parts familiar, in some parts new (that’s right: brand new, unseen Douglas Adams material - who thought we would ever see that?), and in some parts familiar-but-in-a-different order.

Some people on the web have been wondering: does the film cover the first book, first two books, or what? The thing is, it’s not accurate to measure it like that. It’s like asking whether the computer game covers the first book only. Sure, it starts with Arthur’s house being knocked down but then it goes off on its own path. Which is a very Hitchhiker-y thing to do. Robbie Stamp came up with a very suitable motto: ‘every version of Hitchhiker’s Guide has been different and the movie is no different’. That seemed to sum it up pretty well.

Folks, take it from me: this movie is going to rock.