We have received the following update from Rod Brown at Mob Films;

Dear Rob & Terry,

I want to give you and the Discworld fans, many who have written to me, an update as to our filming plans for Going Postal.

We are planning to commence filming in Budapest at the beginning of May 2009. The shoot will last 9 weeks, which will take us into July.

The day-to-day filming schedule will be issued much nearer the shoot, probably in mid April. This will follow the recces and planning in Budapest that is currently taking place.

When the schedule is issued, I will advise you of the days we are planning to shoot crowd scenes.

I should stress that we will have plenty of Hungarian extras to complete scenes on these crowd days however, if a limited number of invited fans are interested to make their own way to Hungary and accommodate themselves in Budapest, we would be very pleased to welcome them on set. The current plan is to have one central Budapest pick up point, and at an allocated time we would pick them up and  transport them to the set.

There are a few notes of caution, which people should bear in mind if contemplating the trip:

We have to reserve the right not to film the crowd scenes on the days which are scheduled. To explain; most of the crowd scenes are filmed outdoors and if the weather is bad, we may not film in the open on that selected day and we would have to cancel the crowd scenes to film other scenes inside a studio (weather cover scenes). However, we would still pick up the fans that have made the effort to travel and bring them to set for a tour and meet with the producers, which will probably last about an hour or so, but we would have to reschedule the scenes to another day.

Once we announce the day when people are welcome to join us in Budapest, please do not just turn up on spec as access to the set will be by invitation only. There will only be a limited number of allocated coach seats and the studios are in the countryside well outside of Budapest

The other issue that I should point out at this time is that we are not in a position to guarantee “Premiere screening tickets” to anyone at present, whether you have joined us on set or not.

As to what you will receive from us in the form of recompense; everybody who does don a costume and is involved in the filming will receive the same fee as a Hungarian extra, which is about £25UKP.

Sorry to throw out some negatives here, but I want people to fully realise what we can offer to you in Budapest if you are planning to travel.

We really do appreciate people’s support of our filming, especially on set, where the fans who made the trips to Horsley Towers and Pinewood, were a fantastic addition to the atmosphere of the movie.

I will supply more information right here as we get nearer to filming.

Thanks and all best wishes.

Rod Brown – Producer
The Mob Film Company

-o-

IN BRIEF, THE IMPORTANT BITS FROM TERRY

To be invited to the set of Going Postal, this is what you have to do:

Firstly, wait for the announcement here on www.pjsmprints.com/news confirming applications are open.

Applications will only be accepted by email to a specific address that we will give you once applications go live.  Please do not contact Mob Films or PJSM Prints directly.

If you have already been an extra, then we know who you are and then, as old hands, you don’t have to send us a photo.  If it’s your first time then a photograph should be included in your application.  You do not have to be in costume, but we do need to see what you look like (“This is a picture of me at my sister’s wedding and that’s me in the third row” really does not cut it.)

Please note that this is open to fandom at large, not only UK fans, but we really must reiterate that access onto set is strictly by INVITATION ONLY.

We will announce dates, progress and updates on this page (www.pjsmprints.com/news) as regularly as necessary.

As we have said, ever since this was first mooted, we will welcome invited fans to the set of Going Postal, but we cannot possibly pay for their travel or accommodation or ancillary expenses.  We expect that there will be a high take up on this, since indeed it is not just open to UK fans, and so ALL applications will go into the proverbial hat.  We will make the draw one week after the date the fan day has been announced on this page and let successful applicants know as soon as possible.  In other words, there will be a one week window in which to apply.

A FINAL NOTE FROM TERRY & ROB

Fans who have taken part with Mob Films before know that they do this sort of thing out of an inexplicable fondness for fandom.  They’re doing it because fans would like to be there, not because they are actually necessary for the making of the film.  It’s a gift, in other words, and it’s unfortunate that there’s no possible way of selecting everybody, but the lucky ones who do actually make it onto the screen will be paid the local going rate for, lets face it, something that they really, really want to do in any case.  Grumble by all means about the shortage of numbers, but this is filmmaking.  You could try and get a better deal from George Lucas.  We don’t think you will, because Rob has tried fifteen times already 🙂

IN BRIEF, THE VERY IMPORTANT BITS TO REMEMBER

DO be patient.

DO NOT CONTACT Mob Films directly.  They’re very busy planning a movie.

DO NOT CONTACT US regarding applications until applications are open.

DO NOT CONTACT US regarding travel.

DO NOT CONTACT US regarding accomodations.

DO NOT CONTACT US regarding places to eat.

DO NOT CONTACT US for the location of the studio.

FINALLY, if you are successful in your application it is for YOU ONLY.  It does not include your boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, wife, husband, mum, dad, sister, brother, children, nan, grandad, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, neighbour or your special friend.  Or your cat *