Mat Irvine : Biography

WHO IS THIS MAT IRVINE?

Biography and CV : sort of updated OCTOBER 2005

Mat at the 2005 Astronomy Festival, Herstmonceux Mat at 2005 Astronomy Festival, Herstmonceux

Mat Irvine at the Astronomy Festival, Herstmonceux Science Centre, September 2005

Left : a talk on the first 'space' flight of SpaceShipOne, June 2004 , with two models of the craft - the 1:72 scale model of the whole craft, White Knight and SpaceShipOne from Unicraft on the table, while he is holding the semi-scale SpaceShipOne - a flying model from Estes. The image on the screen shows the pilot, Mike Mevill after his record-breaking flight - part of a film Mat shot at the time.
(And see the photo on the Home Page)
Left : during the talk on 'Space - As It Should Have Been', which discusses the various space designs that were around in the 1950s which - if built - could have got us permanently into space 30 years ago! (And which forms Chapter 3 in Creating Space)

Mat Irvine with his Scimitar SE5a Mat Irvine with K-9

Left : with his largest 'plastic model', Reliant Scimitar GTE, during the making of TECHNO,
(pictured at the Reliant factory in Two Gates, Staffordshire, with new SE6 bodies in the background)

Right : using a convenient foot-rest during a break in the filming of the Doctor Who 3D charity special

TELEVISION : I have spent most of a varied life associated with many aspects of the media. I was for many years with the BBC, the majority of the time as a Visual Effects Designer, working on programmes as diverse as Doctor Who and Blake's 7 to Tomorrow's World, QED, Horizon and The Sky at Night. Also many of the 'science specials' - The Comet is Coming; Origins and the three-part Spaceships of the Mind. Children's programmes included : Think of a Number and Think Again; Rent-a-Ghost; Galloping Galaxies and Space Vets - plus the series that arguable started all these 'challenge-type' programmes - The Adventure Game. Comedies from Dave Allen at Large to Are You Being Served, the odd Casualty and Bergerac, and the BAFTA Award-winning dramas The Singing Detective and Edge of Darkness (aka MAGNOX). The last recently released as newly re-mastered DVD, with all the extras.
[The Blake's 7 Second Season boxed DVD set also has extras in the form of three other programmes on which Mat appeared and which have mentions of B-7.]

I appeared regularly in such Saturday morning programmes as Multi Coloured Swap Shop and Saturday Super Store and have done over the years many one-offs, including: Pebble Mill at One; Small World; The Great Egg Race; Top Ten Sci-Fi and Channel 4 News for the 25th Apollo 11 Anniversary.

I co-presented and co-produced the ten-part series TECHNO, (RTS Award winner), the first specific programmes on design and technology, for BBC Education. I also complied and directed many in-house videos for the Design Group.

I returned temporarily to the BBC and as one of the producers on the Future Fantastic series (as introduced by Gillian - X-Files - Anderson), and directed the episode titled Starman - on space, and time, travel.

I was one of three that created the BAFTA-nominated ROBOT WARS in the UK, acting as one of the main Technical Consultants over the first few series, (below left) . Later I was 'laterally transferred' to the Judging panel (right).

Derek Foxwell and Mat Irvine Robot Wars - Judges

Left : Mat with his fellow Technical Consultant in crime for Seasons 1 through 5 of Robot Wars, Derek Foxwell.
Right : the Judges on Robot Wars, seasons 6 and 7 - [l-r] Martin Smith, Noel Sharkey and Mat Irvine
(comments such as 'The Chuckle Brothers' or 'Three Wise Monkeys', will be ignored...)

The same situation applied to the Robot Wars' spin-off TECHNO GAMES - devising and working on the first three series, although I wasn't part of the fourth (and last) one......

I currently still work freelance in the media industry on all aspects to do with programme making - producing, directing, writing, consultation, the odd special effect and even odder occasional bit of presenting. There are a number of projects currently being worked upon and up-dates will hopefully appear here, if and when....

Oh, and I still occasionally run The Dog as I'm seeming the only one who knows how his insides work....

Unfortunately the BBC Visual Effects Department closed in April 2003.

It almost made 50 years.

The fully illustrated book on the (almost) half century, by myself and Mike Tucker is still on the cards.

WRITING : The majority model writing was for Scale Models International, (in its original MAP/ Argus/Nexus days), and also over the years I have had articles in : The Airfix Magazine; Model Cars Plus; New Scientist; Model and Collectors Mart; Tamiya Model Magazine International; Collecting Scale Models; Motor Sport Collector; Collectors Gazette and the American magazines : Model Car Journal; Kit Collectors Clearinghouse, Scale Auto and Fine Scale Modeler.

For SMI, I compiled a column on model cars, Freewheelin', that started in 1986 (originally called Off the Road) and ran until 2001. Other articles that regularly appeared were on space and science fiction in Fact and Fiction; Starbound and Rocketry Round-Up.

I have written specific reports for Titan Magazines' Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5 and Robot Wars magazines and for two years supplied model car articles to the 'full-size' car magazine, Classic Cars, (aka Thoroughbred & Classic Cars).

BOOKS : To date I have written nine books - three on technological topics (one pictured below, right); one on a kids' introduction to Space; one on Doctor Who Special Effects (below, left), two on model cars and Creating Space - on all space-related kits ever made. Plus I've acted as a consultant on a number of others. Most recent is a new one on actually building spacecraft models - due next year. (Watch for more details.)

Details of the car modelling books can be found on The Car Page, and CREATING SPACE, on The Space Page.

Doctor Who -Special Effects The Science of the Cosmos

MODEL MAKING : I've also been associated for many years with model making both professionally - as part of the effects work - and in the amateur sense. I've written many articles, and the odd book, on many aspects of the hobby for various magazines. I've also set up several model displays for such as the Model Engineer Exhibition and The International Model Show. More recently larger scale models have been produced. See the Smallspace Model Services page.

TECHNICAL ADVICE : Advice on astronautical, astronomical and space in general topics has also been given to various organisations, from what the surface of Mars looks like, to comments on the accuracy of (mock up) Apollo space suits!

EXHIBITIONS : There was my own exhibition in the Space Gallery of the Science Museum in London, called Creative Space that ran for six months, (below).

Creative Space Exhibition at the London Science Museum

CREATIVE SPACE at the London Science Museum

Then I was one of the organisers for the visionary Sir Arthur C. Clarke Eye to the Future display (directly below) at the Museum, which included several models illustrating his visions and craft from his books. This was followed by a display on the Search for Life, that included building a full size model of the Mars rover - Sojourner, (below).

Eye to the Future Exhibition

EYE TO THE FUTURE - the Life and Times of Sir Arthur C. Clarke
(left) models representing the 'Visions' of Sir Arthur as depicted in his various novels.
(right) The copy of The Fountains of Paradise as flown on board the Space Shuttle.

The 1:1 scale model of Mars Rover Sojourner built for the London Science Museum

Also built was a 1:48 scalemodel of Mir for the Museum. When the Space Gallery itself was re-designed
(early 2000) I added three more displays, including the very popular 'Rocket Park'.

Displays have also recently been on exhibition at the Oxford City Museum and Abingdon Museum

Part of the display set up for the Abingdon Museum, Oxfordshire

Mat by part of the display at the Abingdon Museum, Oxfordshire.
In the case is an Ariane 5 launcher and Space Shuttle Full Stack (top), the International Space Station (centre) and Galileo and Voyager space probes (bottom)

More on these on the SPACE MODELS and SMALLSPACE MODEL SERVICES pages.

VIDEO : In 2000, for some reason (presumably known only unto itself?), the specialist video production company REELTIME PICTURES decided to add me to its MYTH MAKER series of videos. These started as a celebration of the actors behind Doctor Who, and later branched out to include Blake's 7, then some of us 'behind the scenes'. I think I'm number 49 in the series?

DVD versions are now available.

Even more recently a video of that most self-opinionated of mechanical dogs - K-9 - has been made, with an interview with myself along with many others associated with the making of Doctor Who - and its only (broadcasted) spin-off - K-9 and Company.

For details check Reeltime Pictures, or send an SAE (inland UK only) to :
Reeltime Pictures Ltd,
PO Box 23435,
London SE26 5WU, UK

TRAVELS : Having worked on many television programmes over the years that dealt with astronomy and space subjects, it got me intrigued as to what these sites actually looked like 'for real'.

More photographs of these visits are on the SPACE SITES page

By the monument to Robert Goddard - who launched the world's first liquid fuelled rocket in 1926 at Auburn, Massachusetts. The site is now the municipal golf course, though this still involves missiles going in various directions...

Waving from the platform overlooking Meteor Crater - Arizona's biggest hole in the ground

at the McDonald Observatory, TX

And checking the new sundial at the McDonald Observatory, Davis Mountains, Texas - it was a bit slow...

SOCIETIES :

Very young crescent Moon

A less-than-a-day-old Moon

I am a founder member of the Astronomical Society of Haringey, a Society who can boast connection with not only the night sky, but two Knights of the Realm. The Society came out of a suggestion from Sir Patrick Moore, and has Sir Arthur C. Clarke as Patron.
For the Society I co-organised many of their well-known Space Age exhibitions, have been Secretary and Chairman, and I'm currently Editor for the ASH magazine 2002.

The ASH exhibition 'Space Age 4' of 1974, with the Baader Planetarium
One of the regular display items at the ASH exhibitions was the Baader Planetarium, seen here [left] at 'Space Age 4' - organised by the ASH in 1974.
However the years took their toll and the main drive motor ceased operation. However with thanks to Thomas Baader at the Baader Planetarium Company, a new motor was located.This then allowed me to re-built the planetarium back to operational status [right].
Click on the right-hand picture to find out more about Baader products.

I am also a Fellow of The British Interplanetary Society.

Mat Irvine can be contacted at : <mat@smallspace.demon.co.uk>

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