After detailed discussions with my fellow Producers and the Director of the forthcoming film 'Campbell', I've made the decision that we will be creating the imagery of Bluebird K7 in action in a very similar way to that which we used for HMS Hood. It is the most effective and efficient way to get the results we need. So the plan is to build a fairly large (and very accurate) static model of K7, film it on a Model Mover, and composite the images onto the background film which has already been shot at Coniston. The other 'particle effects' of water spray, jet blast and heat haze will be added with CGI. Since I'm satisfied that we have already proved the concept with the successful Hood tests, I am confident that this is the best way to proceed.
Now we just have to make sure that our model of K7 is precisely the right shape. In the movie it will be juxtaposed with close-up shots of the real restored Bluebird, so it's vital that they match in every respect. However, we checked through the 'blueprints' which are available, but found not only did they all differ from each other, but none of them fully matched the photographs of the boat. None of the kits or scratchbuilt models of K7 look fully accurate either. So we are going to go back to first principles and using a technique called photogrammetry to get it right. This technique 'undoes' any distortion caused by perspective or lens distortion, can produce a three-view or five view drawing to any scale we need, or even output the coordinates directly to a cutting, carving or 3D printing machine. Choosing as many identifiable fixed points on the hull and sponsons as we can, we'll establish their positions in three dimensions from all the clear photographs of the real K7 we can find, then use the data to create an accurate lines drawing, body plan and detail illustrations. We'll be using customised software which we're very familiar with because we use it every day in our main work as architects.
Because Bluebird was a relatively small craft and, on her World Record attempts, was usually filmed from a considerable distance, we may be able to make a relatively small model, say 1:6 scale, and not have depth of field issues. But if the Director wants to have shots of the boat at high speed in close-up, which seems quite likely, it will have to be about 1:3. Still, once we have the accurate shape in the computer, the hard work is done for the Pre-Production phase. Bluebird will be much simpler than Hood to manufacture, and I'm estimating that construction will take about four days in total, once we get cracking.
Anyone who is saddened by the news that we won't be using a real fire-breathing turbojet engine on this project may like to find solace in another Model Boat Mayhem thread that I started yesterday. It's called 'Jetex Rocket Motors' and is looking at the the scary prospect of building a new kind of model boat that could travel much faster than Donald Campbell ever did. Be afraid. Be very afraid...