The Elstree Project preserves more than 80 filmed oral-history interviews with the actors, filmmakers, technicians, craftspeople and studio staff who worked across Elstree and Borehamwood’s eight film and television studio sites.
Selections from the collection are available through our documentary films, short films and edited interview collections. The full archive is preserved for research, educational and heritage purposes.
Research access
The complete interview archive is currently available to view by appointment at the University of Hertfordshire’s Film Heritage Practice office in the School of Creative Arts.
The recordings have not yet all been made available online. We are continuing the substantial work of preparing interviews and transcripts for wider public access, and further material will be published through this website as the project develops.
Researchers wishing to consult the archive should email:
Please include:
- your name and organisation, where applicable;
- the subject of your research;
- the interviewees or productions in which you are interested;
- the intended purpose of your research;
- your preferred dates for a visit.
We will then confirm whether relevant material is held and discuss suitable arrangements for viewing it.
Licensing archive footage
Material from The Elstree Project’s interview archive is available to license for commercial and non-commercial use through a partner organisation. The Elstree Project receives no ongoing core funding, and income generated through licensing helps us to preserve the archive, record new interviews and continue making this important heritage publicly accessible.
Archive footage may be licensed for:
- documentary films;
- television and news productions;
- feature films;
- museum and exhibition displays;
- educational projects;
- online and digital productions;
- corporate productions;
- other approved uses.
Licensing is normally charged at a per-second rate, in line with standard archive practice, with a minimum charge equivalent to 60 seconds of footage. Variable licence periods are available according to the nature, territory and intended duration of the use.
Availability, permissions and fees will be confirmed for each individual enquiry.
Making a licensing enquiry
To help us identify suitable material and provide an accurate quotation, please include:
- the name of the production or project;
- the production company or organisation;
- the interviewee, production or subject required;
- a description of the material you are seeking;
- the approximate duration of the extract;
- the intended platforms and media;
- the countries or territories in which it will be used;
- the required licence period;
- your production schedule and deadline.
Please send licensing enquiries to:
Other archive enquiries
We also welcome enquiries from museums, galleries, archives, publishers, broadcasters, researchers and educational organisations interested in collaborating with The Elstree Project or using material from the collection.
Please contact us to discuss the nature of your project and the material you would like to access.