Hogfather (2006) (TV)

Director:

Vadim Jean

Writers:

Vadim Jean (adaptation)
Terry Pratchett (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

25 November 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Thriller

Plot:

It's Hogswatch (equivalent to Christmas) on the Discworld and the Hogfather has gone missing, requiring Death to take his place while his granddaughter Susan endeavors to find out what has happened. |

Plot Keywords:

Death | Discworld | Christmas | Christmas Spirit | Wizard

Awards:

3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

David Jason	...	Albert
Marc Warren	...	Teatime
Michelle Dockery	...	Susan / Death of Rats
David Warner	...	Lord Downey
Tony Robinson	...	Vernon Crumley
Nigel Planer	...	Mr. Sideney
Peter Guinness	...	Medium Dave
Stephen Marcus	...	Banjo
Craig Conway	...	Chickenwire
Rhodri Meilir	...	Bilious
Sinead Matthews	...	Violet
Ian Richardson	...	Death / Narrator (voice)
Neil Pearson	...	Quoth the Raven (voice)
Nicholas Tennant	...	Corporal Nobbs
Richard Katz	...	Constable Visit
Ed Coleman	...	Ponder Stibbons
Geoffrey Hutchings	...	Mr. Brown
John Franklyn-Robbins	...	The Dean
Roger Frost	...	The Bursar
Timothy Bateson	...	Lecturer in Recent Runes
John Boswall	...	Chair of Indefinite Studies
Marnix Van Den Broeke	...	Death
Arthur White	...	Ernie the Cart Driver
Robert Portal	...	Mr. Gaiter
Deborah Winckles	...	Mrs. Gaiter
Madeleine Rakic-Platt	...	Twyla
Hugo Altman	...	Gawain
Bridget Turner	...	Tooth Fairy / Bogey Man
Gregor Henderson-Begg	...	Pixie Helper
Trevor Jones	...	Modo
James Mellor	...	Student Wizard
Martha Katz	...	Bobble Hat Child
Rachel Edward	...	Bobble Hat Child's Mother (as Rachel Edwards)
Dominic Borrelli	...	Grotto Hogfather
Jon Ridgeon	...	Guest 1
Shend	...	Hogfather
Fox Jackson-Keen	...	Young Albert
Don Wetherhead	...	Slimazel the Bogeyman
John Cartier	...	Carter
John Warman	...	Toothguard 1
Tim Plester	...	Toothguard 7
Peter Holdway	...	Auditor 1
Andre LaMotte	...	Auditor 2
Adam Marvel	...	Auditor 3
Andrew Swain	...	Auditor 4
Andy Robb	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Danny Da Costa	...	Verruca Gnome / Hair Loss Fairy
Maggie McCarthy	...	Ma Lillywhite
Aaron Barker	...	Small Boy
Lydia Altman	...	Small Boy's Sister
Terry Pratchett	...	The Toymaker
Joss Ackland	...	Mustrum Ridcully
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Diane Leach	...	Washer Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Vadim Jean

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sarah Conroy		script consultant
Vadim Jean		adaptation
Terry Pratchett		novel

Produced by
Rod Brown	....	producer
Sean Glynn	....	line producer
Robert Halmi Jr.	....	executive producer
Robert Halmi Sr.	....	executive producer
Shaun Nickless	....	post-production producer
Elaine Pyke	....	executive producer
Ian Sharples	....	producer

Original Music by
David A. Hughes

Cinematography by
Gavin Finney

Film Editing by
Joe McNally

Casting by
Emma Style

Production Design by
Ricky Eyres

Art Direction by
Michael Kelm

Set Decoration by
Lee Gordon

Costume Design by
Jane Spicer

Makeup Department
Chris Lyons	....	special effects teeth
Kristyan Mallett	....	prosthetics technician
Robin Pritchard	....	special makeup effects artist
Simon Webber	....	prosthetic makeup artist

Production Management
Sophie Inman	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Amy Coop	....	assistant director: second unit (as Adam Coop)
Peter Freeman	....	assistant director
Alex Kaye-Besley	....	additional third assistant director
Paul Morris	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Sav Akyüz	....	storyboard artist
David Allcock	....	storyboard artist
John Allen	....	carpenter
Stephen Conway	....	stand-by props
Darren Fitzsimons	....	sculptor
Warren Flanagan	....	illustrator
Simon Gosling	....	prop modeller
Claire Grainger	....	prop buyer
Chris Hawkins	....	standby rigger
Stuart Headley-Read	....	stand-by props (as Stuart Read)
Ray McNeill	....	property master
Brian Neighbour	....	construction manager
Mark Reynolds	....	chargehand dressing prop
Jo Sansom	....	art department
Adrian Start	....	hod painter
Keith Stevenson	....	props
Milena Zdravkovic	....	illustrator

Sound Department
Tilo Alpermann	....	sound re-recordist
Chris MacLean	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nigel Manington	....	foley artist
Richard Miller	....	boom operator
Henry Milliner	....	sound recordist
Chris Southwell	....	sound editor
Tom Turner	....	sound trainee

Special Effects by
Alistair Anderson	....	special effects technician
Alexander Gunn	....	special effects floor supervisor
Oliver Guy-Watkins	....	snow effects technician
David Johns	....	snow effects technician
Clive R. Kay	....	special effects contact lenses
Paul McGuinness	....	special effects makeup
Martin 'Marty' McLaughlin	....	snow effects floor supervisor
David Payne	....	special effects supervisor
James Payton	....	snow technician
Jody Taylor	....	special effects senior technician

Visual Effects by
Kamilla Bak	....	digital compositor
Reuben Barkataki	....	digital compositor
David Basalla	....	texture artist: MPC
Anthony Bloor	....	digital artist
Joel Bodin	....	digital artist
Steve James Brown	....	animator
Loraine Cooper	....	senior digital compositor
Paula Da Costa	....	visual effects assistant producer
Christophe Damiano	....	lighting supervisor
Luan Davis	....	roto/prep artist: MPC
Amit Desai	....	render wrangler
Dan Duran	....	digital artist (as Daniel Walton)
Jonathan East	....	render wrangler: MPC
Max Horton	....	visual effects colourist
Viv Jim	....	digital compositor: MPC
Stephen Jolley	....	senior animation supervisor
Owen Jones	....	matchmove artist
Peng Ke	....	visual effects
Angela Magrath	....	character technical director
Greg Massie	....	simulation technical director
Alan McCabe	....	render wrangler: MPC
Marlin McGlone	....	data operative
Joseph McLamb	....	matte painter
Paul McWilliams	....	digital artist
Oliver Money	....	visual effects producer
Rob Pizzey	....	digital colourist
Becky Porter	....	digital compositor
Sagar Rathod	....	character technical director: MPC
Becky Roberts	....	matchmove coordinator
Becky Roberts	....	roto/prep
James Russell	....	digital compositor: MPC
Laurel A. Smith	....	character technical director: MPC
Kim Stevenson	....	digital compositing supervisor
Giuseppe Tagliavini	....	digital compositor: MPC
Kim Taylor	....	lead texture artist
Kim Taylor	....	matte painter
Simon Thomas	....	visual effects supervisor
Shanaullah Umerji	....	visual effects coordinator
Chris Wilson	....	render wrangler: MPC
Oliver Winwood	....	assistant digital resource manager: MPC
Anna Yamazoe	....	matchmove Artist: MPC
Martyn Drake	....	systems: MPC (uncredited)
Stuart Messinger	....	asset department manager: MPC (uncredited)
Dan Warder	....	data operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Andy Butcher	....	stunts
Abbi Collins	....	stunt coordinator
Paul Kennington	....	stunt performer
Alex Campbell	....	stunt coordinator assistant (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark Barrs	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Emmet Cahill	....	trainee grip
Wailoon Chung	....	electrician
Pat Garrett	....	key grip
Brian Greenway	....	camera trainee
Alice Hobden	....	assistant camera
Bill Kaye	....	still photographer
Vince McGahon	....	camera operator
Mark Nutkins	....	second camera assistant: "b" camera, second unit
Terry Robb	....	best boy floor
Sean Savage	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Iain Struthers	....	focus puller: "a" camera and Steadicam
Thomas Thomas	....	electrician
David Toft	....	video assist operator
Jaimz Williams	....	camera trainee: "b" camera
Peter Hodgson	....	video assist: dailies (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Samantha Cousins	....	daily costume assistant
Marco de Magalhães	....	costume assistant
Yvonne Duckett	....	costume assistant
Louise Egan	....	costume supervisor
John Jones	....	costume fabricator
Amanda Keable	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Matt Adams	....	digital intermediate director of production
Rob Gordon	....	senior digital film editor
Paul Jones	....	digital intermediate manager
Doug Newman	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Paul E. Francis	....	composed by

Transportation Department
Lucy Eldridge	....	runner driver

Other crew
Alex Chapman	....	post-production accountant
Graham Cox	....	key floor runner
Amanda Lean	....	script supervisor
Helene Lenszner	....	location manager
Amy McCombe	....	assistant location manager
Jessica Read	....	production secretary
Rachel Quigley Smith	....	production accountant
Andy Stephens	....	aerial operations manager

Production Companies

• Mob Film Company, The
• RHI Entertainment
• British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB)
• Moving Picture Company (MPC)

Distributors

• Sky One (2006) (UK) (TV)
• Sonar Entertainment (II) (2005 -) (worldwide) (all media)
• RHI Entertainment (2006) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• ION Television (2008) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Nikkatsu (2007) (Japan) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Moving Picture Company (MPC) (computer generated effects)
• Snow Business International (snow effects)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting
• ARRI Media  Arriflex D-20 camera provided by
• Blowup  stills processing
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Flying Pictures  aerial filming services provided by
• Marmalade Studios  sound post-production (part of the Jungle Group)
• One Post  digital intermediate
• Three Mills Island Studios  studios

Also Known As:

"Nightmare of Christmas" - Japan (English title)

Runtime:

185 min (2 parts) (DVD version) | 189 min (2 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

UK:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Cluney Castle, Balgowan, Highland, Scotland, UK

Company:

Mob Film Company, The

Trivia:

Shown in two 90-minute episodes, both on TV (Sky One) and at the cinema.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Death and Albert are walking through the streets only one of Death's eyes has its blue glow.

Quotes:

Teatime:It's pronounced Teh-ah-tim-eh, sir.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Movie Connections: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (#1.4)" (2007)

An impossible task

Converting anything of Terry Pratchett's to film was always going to be difficult. Getting it right for everyone, impossible. However I was pleased to give this, made for TV, movie 8 of 10 for a sterling effort. The effects were a little crummy at times, Death's face was just a mask and the monster under the bed was just a bloke. Some liberties were taken with the plot, but overall the story was given the care it deserved and the the acting was solid. I liked Michelle Dochery as the singularly stolid Susan. It's hard to be that beautiful and still get Susan's character right and Marc Warren as Teatime was excellent for the job, possessing just the right amount of menace without overplaying it. Nicholas Tennant as Nobby, too, was brilliantly cast.

There were some scenes, particularly those with Death in them, where a little more care would have been good. The Hogfather's Grotto scene and the little dead girl scenes among them, but it's hard to act in an inflexible mask (Unless you're Darth Vader).

I know that there will be millions who will disagree with me because you just can't do justice to Pratchett's imagination in a movie, but I still think this movie made an excellent stab at it.