Scene 13: ‘Car Chase’ production info
Location: Leeway Retail Estate Car Park; Newport

The mother of all scenes, 3 successive Sunday nights from 8:00pm to around 6:00am in a car park. This scene posed a number of problems, firstly, we needed the college van, and if they suspected that we were using it for a car chase then they wouldn’t have been too pleased. Secondly, Darren Jamieson, playing Jake Cop, can’t drive. So Leigh Thomas had to double as him for the driving shots, with Nick Murray then doubling as Leigh when Leigh doubling as Jake drove off in Leigh’s car. Make sense? No, good. The third problem was a simple one, if we were to film a car chase scene where Jake Cop has to ride on the top of a van, then swing down on the side of it, where the hell can we do it without getting arrested? A retail car park in the middle of the night proved the ideal spot, yet the security guards took some convincing, but eventually agreed to let us do it (It probably provided a welcome bit of excitement in their otherwise tedious lives).

It must be pointed out, because I want to, that Darren Jamieson did all his own stunts here (except for driving of course), even when it was required to swing down from the side of the van and open the door, wow. Admittedly the van wasn’t travelling very fast at all, but the principle was the same. It should also be pointed out (like you couldn’t notice) but the car chase was pretty much made up on the spot. The only constant was Daz’ desire to ride on top of the moving van… why? This of course required to Nick to do the same with the camera, HA!