Oscars: Scots are ghosts in Martin Scorsese machine

WHEN Martin Scorsese’s film, Hugo, won five Oscars, it was cause for celebration for a Scots couple who helped bring the movie to life.

Yesterday, Michael and Maria Start, who run the House of Automata in Kinloss, and who advised on the film, said they were delighted by its runaway success.

Mr Start became a consultant on Hugo and advised on “all things automata”, helping with exact details on the film sets and teaching actors Jude Law and Sir Ben Kingsley the intricate craft of automata.

He even fixed Martin Scorsese’s wristwatch and travel alarm.

Yesterday, he said: “I was woken up at 4:15am by an ecstatic Maria to say Hugo had won. Art direction was the one we were really hoping for, and we are delighted it has been recognised by the Oscars. We are delighted to have played a part in the win. It was such hard work in making all the design and special effects look convincing, so it is great that effort has been rewarded.

“It was quite intense overseeing all the scenes involving clocks and automata.”

He added: “I will need to get Maria to make me a tiny gold-leafed Oscar to display in our shop.”

The film collected a total of five Oscars, equalling that of The Artist, although missed out on the so-called major prizes. As well picking up a gong for best art direction, it also one for visual effects, cinematography, sound editing and sound mixing.

Mr Start said: “We were really rooting for Hugo to win art direction. And it thoroughly deserved the other prizes. We are absolute delighted with the response we have had since working on the film. We are getting 20 e-mails a day from people wanting us to make automata for them.”

The Starts operate the House of Automata, in the Moray village of Kinloss, which is full of painstakingly crafted mechanical objects.