Onedin line - terrible filming of ships

[snowleopard]

Watching the series again I am reminded of how often I used to want to throw things at the TV. Sails flapping idly while there is supposed to be a gale blowing etc.

The worst bit yet was a recent episode where a dumpy little schooner was supposed to overtake a clipper under full sail. In between shots of impressive bow waves we had shots of sea like a millpond and the ultimate - the square rigger was at anchor with all its sails aback. In several shots you could clearly see the anchor cable!

Then there are the shots of ships entering and leaving harbour with no sails, no sign of warping or tugs but making good way through the water.

I guess it was all down to a nautically ignorant director overruling the sailors and schedules that wouldn't wait for vaguely suitable weather but for me and, I suspect, most people with a slight knowledge of sailing it destroys the credibility.

When films about the sea get things seriously wrong, are you able to 'suspend disbelief' or does it spoil the story for you?

 

[CoVianna]

I'll see your "Onedin Line" and raise you a "Howards Way"!

 

[snowleopard]

I'll see your "Onedin Line" and raise you a "Howards Way"!

I fold.

 

[bendyone]

Oneden Line was a fake, they didn't have cameras then but Howard's Way was real life, I've sailed on a Spring

 

[dukes4monny]

SWMBO was watching it earlier, and they had an 'onboard' scene where a lamp hanging from the ceiling was rocking back and forth.........you could clearly see the fishing line that was 'tugging it' move in and out of shot.......quality

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I'll see your "Onedin Line" and raise you a "Howards Way"!

I'll raise you a bodice-ripping maiden , a dashing hero, and an out and out cad !

 

[CoVianna]

I'll raise you a bodice-ripping maiden , a dashing hero, and an out and out cad !

I raise you an aircraft designer who designs a world beating yacht at his first go, an unfulfilled wife who discovers she is a natural world class business woman, a sexy young daughter who can sail the Atlantic solo without any practice and a wimp of a son!

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Triangle, if you want quality.

 

[craigsmith]

Master & Commander is the only "sailing" film I've seen which is fairly accurate and even that has a few serious errors in it. If a big budget movie like that can't get it 100% right, where most of the relevent bits are SFX and the director by all accounts did care about things, then forget about TV and the rest.

 

[spannerman]

My pet hate is aircraft scenes, i.e engine failue in a turbine helicopter accompanied by sounds of a coughing misfiring piston engine.
Or jets that drone to the sound of 4 synchronised radial engines.
And the famous crash scene where a plane or helicopter is spiralling down with a sound like a Stuka dive bomber!

 

[Major Catastrophe]

My pet hate is aircraft scenes, i.e engine failue in a turbine helicopter accompanied by sounds of a coughing misfiring piston engine.
Or jets that drone to the sound of 4 synchronised radial engines.
And the famous crash scene where a plane or helocopter is spiralling down with a sound like a Stuka dive bomber!

You mean like at the end of this clip?

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Be fair, the Onedin Line was made a long time ago and quite possibly without the benefit of a technical advisor on the actual floaty stuff.

 

[snowleopard]

They chartered the Charlotte Rhodes with a professional crew so there were certainly plenty of people around who knew what was what.

 

[Cornishman]

Be fair, the Onedin Line was made a long time ago and quite possibly without the benefit of a technical advisor on the actual floaty stuff.

Many years ago I had the pleasure of the company of Captain Baines (Howard Lang) for a day sailing in Plymouth Sound on Jolie Brise, and I was interested to see that he was wearing an Ocean Cruising Club pin. Cyril Abraham, author of The Onedin Line, is an Old Conway so there was plenty of technical advice available so my guess is that it was the director who couldn't be bothered about getting it right.

 

[saltwater_gypsy]

The Onedin Line started in 1970 so don't be too critical.
It was the best thing on TV at the time but that was 40years ago and filming technology has moved on several miles since then.

 

[snowleopard]

The Onedin Line started in 1970 so don't be too critical.
It was the best thing on TV at the time but that was 40years ago and filming technology has moved on several miles since then.

Even in those prehistoric days the directors had a choice of whether to film a boat with its sails full or with sails flapping under motor. It annoyed me just as much at the time.

It was the arrogance of the director's attitude that either it didn't matter or the punters wouldn't notice.

 

[gregmlucas]

And then...

...there is the film where Kevin Costner plays a builder of very pretty wooden boats and is eventually lost at sea in a storm in one of his own boats - but then keeping full sail in gale will tend to do that...

 

[KenMcCulloch]

Master & Commander is the only "sailing" film I've seen which is fairly accurate and even that has a few serious errors in it. If a big budget movie like that can't get it 100% right, where most of the relevent bits are SFX and the director by all accounts did care about things, then forget about TV and the rest.

You're right, I can never believe they actually decided to include the shot - I think it's leaving Galapogos - where Captain Aubrey has clearly issued the order 'Mr Pullings, fire up the diesels'.

 

[chinita]

Watching 'Jaws' last night.

"Five degrees to Starboard" was the order.

Guy at the wheel promptly spun the wheel about eight revolutions to Port.

 

[dt4134]

Watching 'Jaws' last night.

"Five degrees to Starboard" was the order.

Guy at the wheel promptly spun the wheel about eight revolutions to Port.

I think I've raced with that owner.