Background

Mobile was made and broadcast by ITV1 from thier studios in Manchester. Broadcast in March 2007, the three part drama unfolds against the backdrop of the Iraq war and the world of the multi billion pound mobile phone industry, flashing back and forth to retrace events from three very different perspectives: the engineer, the soldier and the boss. Each episode features the same story told from a different viewpoint and only in the final scenes of the third episode is the connection between all three stories made for the first time.

The Requirement

The production was technically demanding, requiring significant crowd scenes, a helicoptor, filming from the air, the trackside and onboard the train, moving and still vehicle scenes and complex shots requiring a safe and secure location.

Facilities

Our Gatwick Express train was used to represent a modern InterCity service from London to Liverpool and the carriages were rebranded and dressed appropriately.

The location used was approximately 1.5 miles south of Wirksworth and benefitted from a combination of privacy and open aspects well-suited to aerial filming.

Over 100 extras were accommodated and the production base was at Wirksworth station, where the yard provided ample capacity to accommodate the film unit.

Filming took place over four days in September 2006 and ITV chose the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway because it could offer an up-to-date InterCity train in an environment that is highly-suited to the requirements of the film and television industry. 

“What surprised us was the sheer professionalism of the setup at Wirksworth” remarked Andy Morgan, Granada’s production director.  “WyvernRail were able to provide us with a high-quality train for several days and gave us the freedom to operate to the standards we require to produce a series of this magnitude”.

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