AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

Filming on location provides a fantastic backdrop for our favourite film and TV programmes and a much-needed injection of funds for conservation projects at our treasured heritage sites. It also introduces risks of damage both to the built heritage and historic interiors and collections. Filming conservators specialise in managing the risks of damage when production companies use heritage venues as locations. Conservator input is critical during feasibility and planning stages as well as when supervising filming activities on site and evaluating lessons learned to share best practices and inform future projects.

Change is a permanent feature of the film industry in the UK. The growth in demand from streaming services means the industry is expanding rapidly, developments in technology have transformed the filmmaking process, introducing new equipment with new risks and progress in social safeguards prompted by ‘me too’ and union action have made positive strides in reforming the working environment. In response filming conservators have developed skills and resilience to cope with the increased and changing demand.

The purpose of planning is to avoid surprises on the day. The National Trust Filming & Locations Office handles four major film projects per month on average across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and much effort is spent on capturing intentions, consulting the relevant expert disciplines, checking risk assessments and method statements, and ensuring that the right information is specified in the filming agreement. However, making TV dramas and feature films is a creative process and inevitably there will be some changes of plan when the cast and crew are filming.

Past surprises have included last-minute requests for fire, food fights and fake blood, each presenting a myriad of additional, unforeseen risks to the built heritage, historic interiors and collections. The need for conservators on the ground who can manage these risks in a high-pressured environment has instigated the emergence of the filming conservator as a specialism in the UK. The filming conservator shares the knowledge and skills of a preventive conservator but thrives on working in a fast paced, everchanging environment, facilitating communication between the production company and the location and developing innovative solutions to reduce risk and facilitate filming in sensitive and challenging heritage sites. Filming conservators, such as Spencer & Fry, supervise the production prep, shoot and strike are expert in coping with surprises and managing the risks on the ground.

As an emerging specialism, the work of a filming conservator is an underrepresented topic in the conservation world. Whilst in the UK the specialism is becoming more recognised, it is unknown if this is the case worldwide. Filming projects in heritage locations can be intensive and overwhelming without the right support. A specialist filming conservator, with preventive conservation knowledge and experience of working with productions in a fast-paced environment can provide the right support to manage the risks to collections, reduce the pressure on site staff and react to any last-minute surprises to facilitate a successful shoot.