BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Martin's press appearances generally

**Posted by SolarSystem** January 19, 2015 9:07 am

Well. That's what production companies are doing all the time. Of course it's paperwork. But if they feel bothered by hundreds of fans hanging around North Gower Street (or anywhere else while shooting outside), that's the best way to make sure that fans won't come near the set. If however they don't want to go down that road, then they shouldn't complain about Setlock. It's as simple as that.

Last edited by SolarSystem (January 19, 2015 9:08 am)

**Posted by REReader** January 19, 2015 10:30 am

You know, there are movie and tv companies filming in NYC all the time, and while--with permits--they can block a street where their filming, they cannot get permits to block streets for blocks around where they're filming. (Norr can they keep all people off the sidewalks--people live in those homes, and they can't keep them from going in and out!) So even if they've properly blocked off the street where they're filming, they can do nothing about crowds gathering at the corner, which is plenty close enough to be disruptive.

As for having their stars come out and ask people to go away--it would be unfair to ask them to do it and damaging to the actors' reputations if they go along with such acrequedt. By now I'm sure it's in their contacts that they not be even asked.

**Posted by SolarSystem** January 19, 2015 10:37 am

But there is a difference between fans hanging around a nearby corner and fans standing right across the street of Speedy's and the entrance to 221B, even if it's just a slight difference. Apart from the fact that the actors are on show during every step they're taking, it also limits your camera angles, for example.

**Posted by SusiGo** January 19, 2015 10:43 am

May I throw in another observation? The source of the discussion is this article:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/martin-freeman-interview-the-actor-on-hobbits-cumbermania-and-his-nazihounding-role-in-the-eichmann-show-9983829.html

Now what really annoys me is the heading - why Cumbermania? It is not mentioned in the article at all but IMO tries to create the idea that Martin in some way resents Benedict's popularity. Cheap sensationalism, if you ask me.

And then there is this sentence:
"When not being driven to distraction by Sherlock's fans, Martin Freeman is turning into the finest character actor of his generation."

Translation: Martin would be an even better actor if the silly fans (Benedict fans) did not disturb his work. This is as sad as it is ridiculous.

Last edited by SusiGo (January 19, 2015 10:47 am)

**Posted by Vhanja** January 19, 2015 10:45 am

I guess it has to do with Ben being the one screamed at the most from fans visiting the set. And at premieres.

**Posted by gently69** January 19, 2015 11:14 am

And these "silly" fans are holding him off from effecting his best performances???
What a bulls ..
Martin can't be satisfied with reading this.

**Posted by SusiGo** January 19, 2015 11:31 am

Vhanja wrote:
I guess it has to do with Ben being the one screamed at the most from fans visiting the set. And at premieres.

But how dare they imply that this prevents Martin from doing his work? And Martin only? The article tries IMO to hint at a rift between Martin and Benedict which probably is not there. And this is awful journalism.

**Posted by REReader** January 19, 2015 11:34 am

SolarSystem wrote:
But there is a difference between fans hanging around a nearby corner and fans standing right across the street of Speedy's and the entrance to 221B, even if it's just a slight difference. Apart from the fact that the actors are on show during every step they're taking, it also limits your camera angles, for example.

I don't think it would be at all easy--indeed, I don't know that it would be possible--to get permission to block off both sides of a street during the day. (It would be more possible at night.) As I said, people have to be able to get through.

I have to say, I didn't get any implication from the piece about how this was all BC's fault, or that there's any sort of feelings against Benedict because of it--the article seems to put the "fault", if that's the word, on the show's popularity. Remember, headline writers are not the people that write the articles--and a headline with BC in it generates more click-throughs than one with only MF's. Thems the facts.

Last edited by REReader (January 19, 2015 11:38 am)

**Posted by Vhanja** January 19, 2015 11:51 am

SusiGo wrote:
But how dare they imply that this prevents Martin from doing his work? And Martin only? The article tries IMO to hint at a rift between Martin and Benedict which probably is not there. And this is awful journalism.

It does make the work harder, he said so himself. And I didn't read any attempt to create a rift between him and Ben in the article. And it talks about Martin because it's an interview with him.

**Posted by SolarSystem** January 19, 2015 11:54 am

REReader wrote:
SolarSystem wrote:
But there is a difference between fans hanging around a nearby corner and fans standing right across the street of Speedy's and the entrance to 221B, even if it's just a slight difference. Apart from the fact that the actors are on show during every step they're taking, it also limits your camera angles, for example.
I don't think it would be at all easy--indeed, I don't know that it would be possible--to get permission to block off both sides of a street during the day. (It would be more possible at night.) As I said, people have to be able to get through.

Where I live, this more or less happens on a regular basis. Don't know of course how this works in the UK or in London, for that matter. But here you block off a street and when it's "Cut!", people are allowed to go through. And shortly before it's "Action!" again, the street is blocked off again. This works. Surprisingly enough.

**Posted by REReader** January 19, 2015 12:09 pm

How willing a city is to block off streets for filming depends in large part how eager that city is to attract film crews, and how willing the city goverment is to annoy residents to that end. Toronto, for example, is known for being very easy to film in (and relatively cheap as well); New York is middling (and not cheap at all!). I have no idea where London falls on that continuum, but since the Sherlock team isn't blocking off both sides of the street when they film, it seems clear enough that they can't. Mark Gatiss, in recent interviews, has also spoken about the disruption caused by setlock, so I think it's a given that they'd keep fans farther away if they could.

**Posted by SusiGo** January 19, 2015 12:13 pm

Vhanja wrote:
SusiGo wrote:
But how dare they imply that this prevents Martin from doing his work? And Martin only? The article tries IMO to hint at a rift between Martin and Benedict which probably is not there. And this is awful journalism.

It does make the work harder, he said so himself. And I didn't read any attempt to create a rift between him and Ben in the article. And it talks about Martin because it's an interview with him.

Yes, but the article makes it sound as if it was just about Benedict's fans. As far as I know, people also go there to see Martin. And using the word Cumbermania in the heading is quite telling. But this was in no way meant to criticise Martin who has not said a word against Benedict but just the intention behind the article itself.

**Posted by REReader** January 19, 2015 12:38 pm

SusiGo wrote:
Yes, but the article makes it sound as if it was just about Benedict's fans. As far as I know, people also go there to see Martin. And using the word Cumbermania in the heading is quite telling. But this was in no way meant to criticise Martin who has not said a word against Benedict but just the intention behind the article itself.

I just went back and read the article yet again, because I couldn't remember seeing anything like that in the piece. I still don't. There is exactly one mention of Benedict by name: "Not surprisingly, then, he admits the fannish rubberneckers cause problems for him and the equally Facebook-phobic Cumberbatch." If anything, that (I think correctly) suggests that the fans are causing problems for the cast as a whole--more a way of showing that it's not just Martin being whiny.

As for the headline, as I tried to say above, it would have been written by a headline writer, someone entirely different from the journalist who wrote the article. The goal of the headline writer nowadays is to get clicks, which BC does, and very often headlines don't represent the article fairly--but there's nothing the article writer can do about it.

**Posted by Ah-chie** January 19, 2015 1:06 pm

Absolutely correct REReader. The headline writer would be someone completely separate from the writer of the article and has to encourage "clicks" (or eyeballs in the case of the actual newspaper) stopping and reading further.

Sometimes there is a great amount of disconnect between the article and the headline and believe me the journalists are far more upset about this sort of thing than any readers would ever be!

-Val

**Posted by A lovely light** January 19, 2015 6:46 pm

I saw loads of opinions on tumblr and twitter about Martin's opinion, i would like to post these two, with which i agree: http://everyframetellsastory.tumblr.com/post/108553300262/why-is-martin-so-put-out-by-the-applause-and-signs ; http://sussexbound.tumblr.com/post/108559242461/why-is-martin-so-put-out-by-the-applause-and-signs .

Now, is clear that different people on this show will have different relationship with setlock and present publicum. What an DP or an actor might find anoying, another actor or the set designer might don't mind (for example i get the impression that Amanda has no problem, Sue also not). People work different, concentrate on their role and job in a different way. Martin and Benedict are in at least 70% of the scenes and have a lot to do, so they might be more influenced from the work surrounding. I think that Sherlock fans are one of the most clever fandoms, so perhaps it would help for those getting to setlock to make and stick to a "code of conduct" ( for example no clapping, no shouting between the filming).

I find also interesting how from Martin's " i don't like it " in the initial interview, with each article we get, the words are more inflated by the writers. This is showbizz to you ....

**Posted by Vhanja** May 2, 2015 10:51 pm

Sorry if this has been shared before, which it probably has, but I love this interview with Martin. He's so lovely in this one. Looks like he's genuinly having fun.

Last edited by Vhanja (May 2, 2015 10:59 pm)

**Posted by Vhanja** July 20, 2015 7:55 am

A very interesting and fun Q&A with young fans from yesterday. The young kids seem to ask much more interesting questions than most journalists.

I love his view on acting, I think that plays a big role in why he always feels so real. It doesn't feel like acting.

Last edited by Vhanja (July 20, 2015 8:42 am)

**Posted by gently69** July 20, 2015 8:49 am

That could be interesting. Will have a look when I am at home again today.

**Posted by ukaunz** July 21, 2015 11:48 pm

That was wonderful. Some of the questions and his answers made me just want to hug him.

Amazing amount of security escorting him out at the end... Considering it was an audience of kids

**Posted by gateship** July 23, 2015 12:06 am

Thank you! I was looking for this video!!

Last edited by gateship (July 23, 2015 12:10 am)