Jan 30, 2024HTBS

The Boys On The Set

At the Cotswold Water Park near Swindon in southwest England, The Boys in the Boat actors’ rowing doubles try out Old Nero, the modern copy of the 16-oar training punt used by the Washington Crew in the 1930s. At the same time, a following camera boat (“Charlie Lima”) experiments with filming such a craft in action.

30 January 2024

Text by Tim Koch
Photos by Malcolm Knight

Malcolm Knight is now able to share some photographs that he took behind the scenes on the set of The Boys in the Boat.

Malcolm Knight pictured in 2016 when he umpired the Oxbridge Gigs in their very own Boat Race. He is in the credits of The Boys in the Boat as “Boat Driver”. He says that it was “a pleasure and honour” to have been a part of the Livett’s team that supplied most of the “marine services” to the film.

After Malcolm Knight retired from a career in the Metropolitan Police Force in 1998, he did not choose the quiet life. He went on to work in TV as a script and locations adviser on the television drama, The Bill. Between 1988 and 2005, Malcolm got five World Records for distance rowing. He has a talent for “making things happen on the river” and these include involvement in organising The Tudor Pull, The Admiral of the Port Challenge, The Port of London Challenge, The Lord Mayor’s Show Flotilla, the Magna Carta 800th River Relay and the Diamond Jubilee Pageant flotilla manpowered section. Malcolm is or has been a Director of Team Thames Alive, Secretary of the Thames Traditional Rowing Association, Events Manager for The Queen’s Row Barge, Gloriana and boatman for Marine Film Services, assisting film and television productions filming afloat. 

The actors getting to grips with the 1936 replica Pocock VIII.
The interior of the specially built eight.
An important detail.
The completed copy of the Boys’ Seattle shellhouse. It was a steel frame covered in timber and the landing stage was supported by a huge scaffolding frame. It all had to be removed at the end of filming as the lake is a nature reserve. Radley College wanted the building, but it was too big for their land and they could not get planning permission.
The interior of the boathouse. George Pocock’s workshop was upstairs at the back.
The Boys boating from the shellhouse.
Marine Coordinator, Ed Livett, with one of the early onboard camera rigs – it didn’t work as it was far too heavy.
This picture includes many modern “Wintech” boats painted to look as if made of wood and then fitted with 1930s riggers, gates, rudders and seats. Only two “real” wooden boats were made for the film.
One of the boat stores with some of the 175 pencil blades made by Collars (the extras kept snapping them). On racks are some of the boats used as “set dressing” and some of the many original Macon blades sourced from all over the country.
Partly built boats used in the scenes in George Pocock’s workshop.
An early effort to make a cradle to hold the boat while the actors sat in it for close up shots. It was too light and moved when the crew “rowed”.
The successful final version of the boat cradle, now on a very heavy steel girder frame with one ton water containers either end to keep it in place. It is in front of a blue screen so computer generated backgrounds can be added in post-production.
Old Nero ready and waiting for a crew.
Preparing for one of the early outings in Old Nero – the actors’ skills were being honed at this point, working with their rowing doubles. It was crude but they did eventually get some speed out of it. Old Nero is now back in Richmond, south-west London, where it was built.
One of the fleet of drones with a very expensive gimballed camera slung below it. It did not look quite the same after the operator accidentally dunked it in the lake.
A street in Pennsylvania. Actually, it is near Swindon and is all wood on scaffold frames painted to look like bricks – even the sidewalk.
A vegetable stall. All the produce came from a local supplier whose entire stock was purchased.
The cafe from which Joe saw his father for the first time since he abandoned him. All plywood of course.
Filming a seven-lane race on the Queen Elizabeth Reservoir, Staines, using three camera boats, a sound boat, safety boats, stake boats and seven crews. It took five days to film the scene. The view of Windsor Castle was removed in post-production.
The Olympic final start. The pontoon was a plastic one dressed with plywood and was not very stable.
The Olympic finish line was mounted on a floating pontoon and was very unstable when the wash from the big camera boat hit it. In front is one of the fleet of real vintage slipper launches sourced for the filming.
The location set up at the Queen Elizabeth Reservoir, Staines. Everything had to be craned in, including the ten dressing launches which are hardly seen in the movie and the OUBC slipper launch, Bosporos, that was used for the umpire.
Directors’ chairs for producer/director, George Clooney, producer/second unit director, Grant Heslov, and director of photography, Martin Ruhe. A short video on the problems of filming the rowing scenes is on YouTube. Malcolm says “I don’t think I saw (the chairs) being used! George and Grant were happy to sit and chat with the Marine Team and rowers between takes – all very civilised!”
One of the wooden eights under construction in the Richmond workshop of Mark Edwards. A short interview with boatbuilder Bill Colley is on YouTube. 

3 comments

  1. This is a really nice article and excellent background on the film and on Malcolm’s role. These photographs add depth to what I saw at the cinema ;last weekend! Peter

    Reply

  3. Who were the actual oarsmen rowing for the film? All one team, or acquired individually to match actors? British or American? Who coached from the launch? Inquiring rowers want to know 😉

    Reply

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