I am devastated to share the news of Paul Welsh MBE’s passing.
Our project co-founder, and lead interviewer, Paul’s knowledge and range of friends in the industry were the very basis for the founding of The Elstree Project in 2010.
After having already filmed 10 interviews with Paul as expert interviewer, in 2011 we turned the cameras around and filmed Paul’s story and connection to the studios of Borehamwood so that his contribution would be recorded in his own words. Below, I would like to share stories from his life, which include his own words from this interview.
Paul’s father worked in the industry in Borehamwood, as a foley artist at the Gate Studios in 1956. He described how his father’s work encroached into the family’s home life:
In December, there were two events to launch the new book by Lee Unkrich and JW Rinzler - “Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining”.
The new book - the most in-depth and thoroughly researched book of its kind about The Shining - is the product of over a decade of dedication and hard work by the authors. Lee Unkrich has gathered together an amazing resource of behind the scenes photos from the sets at EMI Elstree Studios and the former MGM British Studios in Borehamwood; and the authors interviewed, or gathered interviews, with every person who worked on the film.
The book was launched at the BFI with a Q&A with Lee and a screening of the US cut of the film. The following evening a private launch took place at the Kubrick estate, Childwickbury Manor, with Taschen and a second Q&A with Lee and Jan Harlan, hosted by Richard Ayoade.
On Thursday 30th June, the new Platinum Stages at Elstree Studios were launched, with a tour for invited guests provided - including a climb to the very top of the lighting grid.
Hosted by Chris Denmead MD of Elstree Studios, and Morris Bright MBE Chairman of the studios, both Paul Welsh MBE and Howard Berry from The Elstree Project were delighted to be among the invited guests who got to be among the very first to see the new stages.
Each stage is 16000 sq ft, and they can also be opened up to each other through a specially designed interior wall which still allows for soundproofing.
The new stages were built during the pandemic years, and installed during full studio operations, with the backlot...
New exhibition opens celebrating people from the studios
On Tuesday 28th June, a new exhibition opened at Elstree Screen Arts (esa) to celebrate the people involved in the British Hollywood at Borehamwood and Elstree's studios. Led in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery, and featuring new portraits by artist Marysa Dowling; Howard from The Elstree Project was involved in helping train students from esa in oral history interviewing and also provided contacts with Louise Gold and Jenny Hanley to be among the contributors.
The exhibition is available to be viewed Monday - Wednesday each week until the end of August, in the entrance foyer of esa.
More information can be found on the NPG website: https://www.npg.org.uk/visit/inspiring-people-across-the-uk/people-powered/elstree-behind-the-scenes-of-the-british-hollywood/
...40 Years of The Shining
On May 23rd, it was the 40th anniversary of the release of The Shining. To celebrate the official Stanley Kubrick social media pages (on instagram, twitter and facebook) released a new video with various crew and cast, plus super-fan Lee Unkrich, talking about their favourite scene or moment.
The Elstree Project were proud to have aided in the production of this video, arranging contributions - recorded during Covid-19 lockdown - from Dan Lloyd (Danny), Lisa and Louise Burns (The Grady Twins), Garrett Brown (Steadicam Operator), Gordon Stainforth (Assistant Editor, Soundtrack Editor), Jan Harlan (Executive Producer) and Lee Unkrich (Pixar film director and world expert in The Shining).
The video can be viewed at any of the links above.
...Staircases to Nowhere makes official debut
Our acclaimed 2013 oral history film about the making of The Shining, Staircases to Nowhere, is receiving it's official Warner Bros. debut by being screened on the official Stanley Kubrick facebook account.
The film will be screened on Thursday 7th May, at 1700 BST (GMT+1), and will be followed by a pre-recorded Q&A with project leader and filmmaker Howard Berry.
To see the stream, tune in live on the day at this link: https://www.facebook.com/StanleyKubrick/
...Howard Gives Annual Kubrick Lecture
Howard Berry, leader of The Elstree Project, was invited by the Design Museum and University of the Arts London, to give the second annual Stanley Kubrick Lecture at the Design Museum on Friday 13th September 2019.
Howard's lecture - entitled Surviving The Shining, or: “This guy should be sued!” How The Shining was filmed at Elstree and Changed the Studio Forever… and ever… and ever… - gave the comprehensive story of how production of The Shining utilised the space at EMI Elstree Studios, from soundstages and backlot, to workshops and offices.
...Terry Rawlings, Obituary
Today we were very sad to learn of the passing of Terry Rawlings, film editor and post-production supervisor on some of the most well known and recognised films of the latter half of the 20th Century.
Terry was born in London in 1933, he started working in the industry in 1955 when he joined Rank Screen Services.
After leaving Rank, and with a union card, he went to Shepperton to work as an assistant editor on Town on Trial (1957) starring John Mills. Following this, he became a trainee at Elstree Studios (ABPC) in Borehamwood, where he worked in the cutting rooms on various films as an assistant sound editor until 1961.
"I [...] became an apprentice in the film business because I loved what I was doing. And every time we worked with a different editor you learnt something new. And the thing...
The Elstree Project on the BBC One Show
In April 2018, I received a phone call from an insert producer for BBC's The One Show. Katharina Kubrick had been approached by them to participate in a special report to mark the 50th anniversary of the brilliant 2001: A Space Odyssey. Along with an interview featuring Katharina at the Kubrick Archive at LCC, they wanted to include a section in which the effects were recreated. Katharina was kind enough to recommend me, and I was happy to accept.
The brief was to recreate the slit-scan effect used in the famous Stargate sequence from the film, using similar techniques to the original and not CG.
My first thought was to use the TV Studio at work - the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, UK - to have as a base for the...
Ray Merrin Passes Away
