Posted by I just wanted to tell you about the Craig that I know. I have a great job! I have been a Sound Technician / Boom Operator for 34 years and in that time I have met many lovely people both behind and in front of the camera. I’ll tell you something that you already know….Craig was the cherry on the top of this large collection of “loveliness”!
Craig has a reputation here for being very funny, friendly and highly professional….and its all true. We first met , Series 1 of the Dr. Blake Mysteries….I was filling in for an absent crew member for the day , it would have been around 2013. I remember Craig being warm, friendly and making me feel welcome….which I can say, was extremely appreciated as stepping on to an established film set is often a bit daunting.
After that day, I did not get to work on Dr. Blake until 2016 when I was offered the position of full time Boom Operator. I held this position for series 4 and series 5….and honestly, would have been happy to continue this job forever! The vibe on set was the best you could wish for…there wasn’t a bad egg…the production team, cast and crew all got along famously. Craig was so happy on this set. He enjoyed everyone’s company and in turn we all enjoyed his. It was a blissful time. We would laugh and joke and all tell “fabulous showbiz stories”….but as soon as the cameras were rolling it was serious business and the actors would work their magic.
It never ceased to amaze me how Craig would remember those incredibly wordy monologues….it was a very very rare occasion that he would make a mistake. In between scenes, he would be happy to hang out with the crew…often, I am happy to say, with the sound department as we had a small collection of musical instruments with us…and Craig has such a strong passion for music. He, and my boss, would talk endlessly about obscure musicians and bands that I had never heard of. In the Blake house set, you may have noticed a piano…well, Craig would play this while we’d be setting up for the next scene. You were always welcome to sing along with him if you had the time.
The best was when someone had a birthday. Craig would have penned some witty ditty …and our wonderful caterer, Riz, would have whipped up a delicious cake. At the end of lunch, Craig would command our attention, make a birthday announcement and come up with some hilarious , poetic tribute to the birthday boy or girl ( often accompanied by the pink uke ) I always lamented the fact that my birthday fell outside filming schedules! One year, when it was Craig’s birthday, Riz ordered a Mariachi band and one of his magnificent sweet treats. I think Craig nearly cried !!
When we would film in Ballarat or “The Rat”, as we liked to call it, we usually had alot of the locals come out and watch us. It was so heartwarming to see Craig take the time to have a little chat to these people. He was always happy to do this…it was lovely to see.
As public a personality as Craig seems to be, I believe he is actually a rather private person. He is not a party-boy…and from what I’ve seen he is very health conscious. At our series 4 wrap party ( end of filming party ), Craig ( and Vanessa ) turned up to hand out t-shirts that he had made up for everyone. He didn’t stay long ( as I said…not a party boy )…but stayed long enough to thank the rest of the cast crew for their contribution to the show.
I certainly feel fortunate to have worked with Craig , certainly a career highlight…….as I said…he’s the cherry on top !!
Jenny Pearson 27/10/2020
Craig McLachlan Fan Site 