filming | The National Archives blog

Posts tagged 'filming'

Tue Nov

2012

Trainee Tuesday: Broadcasting Education!

Posted by Amy Gee in Behind the scenes, Records and research

The Inner London Education Authority Television Service

Over the last six months as a trainee at the London Metropolitan Archives (LMA), I have been absorbing myself in the film and video collection and hosting a monthly Film Club dedicated to the interpretation of the previously little explored moving image archive held here. The Film Club gets together to watch and discuss films within the collection, often focussing on themes that are of particular relevance to events occurring in London within that month, whilst also providing a platform from which to engage our regular archive visitors in a different way of researching and sharing information.

ILEA 4: A teacher working at Battersea Studios

Some of the strangest and most interesting screenings have come courtesy of a collection of educational videos made by the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) in the 1970s and 80s. ILEA was the education authority for the 12 inner London boroughs and the City of London from 1965 until its abolishment in 1990, after which the educational needs of these schools were taken on by the borough in which they were situated, in line with the rest of the country.

Thu Aug

2012

Filming Domesday

Posted by Caroline Heil in Behind the scenes, Records and research

Last night’s episode of Restoration Home featured an unusual reference for the series. It referred to a Domesday entry about a manor in Saham Toney, Norfolk.

Great and Little Domesday Books today bound in five parts: two (above) for Great Domesday and three (below) for Little Domesday; catalogue reference: E 31/2/1-2 and E 31/1/1-3

I hold up my hands to say that while I did a History A level, my specific subject knowledge is a bit hazy. Before I worked here, I only had a vague idea about the history of Domesday.

While we do hold Domesday here at The National Archives, it is too fragile to produce for filming. Luckily we have a few facsimiles.

After some confusion trying to find a facsimile for filming, I realised that I was getting tied up in knots because Domesday is not one document, it is technically two documents in five volumes. There is Great Domesday and Little Domesday and, for conservation reasons, Great Domesday was rebound in two parts, and Little Domesday in three parts.

After I had located a facsimile copy of Domesday, I then needed the help of a colleague who could read Latin to locate Saham Toney. I contacted one of our Medieval Records Specialist and she located and bookmarked the page ready for filming.

If you would like to know more about Domesday you can visit our online exhibition. Domesday has been digitised and you can search for places you know and live in.

Tue Jul

2012

Coming to the big screen

Posted by Caroline Heil in Behind the scenes

Still Life timecode clapper

On Monday 28 May 2012 The National Archives played host to a feature film crew, who had come to shoot a feature film called ‘Still Life.’

It was quite exciting for me because I have never done anything on this scale before - The National Archives exterior was once used as a shopping mall in ‘Spooks’ and we came very close to being part of the movie ‘X-Men: First Class’ as an unnamed government building, but those were both before my time.

Tue Apr

2012

Lights – Camera – Action

Posted by Caroline Heil in Behind the scenes, Records and research

SP 14/216, Guy Fawkes confession 1605

At the end of my last blog post I mentioned that I hadn’t seen one of our treasures – the confession of Guy Fawkes, until I was asked to produce it for a film crew.

This document was broadcast last night on National Geographic Channel in episode one of ’Bloody Tales of the Tower’.

As before, this document (SP 14/216) is available to view at Kew to anyone with a valid reader’s ticket.

So, how does filming work?

Thu Mar

2012

Bringing documents to your living room

Posted by Caroline Heil in Records and research

The book ‘She-Wolves: England’s Early Queens,’ has been made into a three-part television series and the final episode was shown on BBC 4 last night. The series takes a look at the reign of seven queens of medieval and Tudor England and their struggle in a male-dominated monarchy.

In her book, Dr Helen Castor includes an illustration of the rear side of the Great Seal of Philip and Mary I, an original copy of which can be found attached to document DL 10/422. In this final episode Dr Helen Castor made a visit to The National Archives to take a look at this seal as it depicts Mary I in a more authoritative position than Philip.

The term ‘Great Seal’ is given to seals used by monarchs to authorise official documents, which were held in the custody of the Chancellor. A new great seal was made for each reign, with old seals ceremonially broken up once the reign had ended. This particular seal is 454 years old and is available to view at our reading rooms in Kew for any visitor with a valid readers ticket.

DL 10/422, a Great Seal of Philip and Mary I attached to a document annexing lands to the Duchy of Lancaster