Category Archives: News

Howard Gives Annual Kubrick Lecture

Posted on by in Events, News  |  Comments are closed

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.

...
Read more

Terry Rawlings, Obituary

Posted on by in News  |  Comments are closed

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...

Read more

The Elstree Project on the BBC One Show

Posted on by in News  |  Comments are closed

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.

The Challenge!

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...

Read more

Ray Merrin Passes Away

Posted on by in News  |  Comments are closed
It is with a heavy heart that we pass on the news of Ray Merrin’s passing. A wonderful sound re-recording mixer and supervising sound mixer of many features, including the Oscar winning film The Last Emperor. Ray was a sound editor on The Shining, and worked under the brilliant Bill Rowe at Elstree for many years, including being one of the first people to ever work with Dolby sound on the sound mix for A Clockwork Orange. Ray was a very warm, kind and generous man, who took the time on several occasions in his later years to share his memories with our project and with the film undergraduate students at the University of Hertfordshire. Our thanks go to Paul Welsh and Elstree Screen Heritage for facilitating these meetings and for introducing Ray to the project. We last saw Ray when we invited him to a special crew screening of Return to Oz, at Elstree Studios, in celebration of...
Read more

The Elstree Project featured in the news

Posted on by in News  |  Comments are closed
The past month has been busy for our project!  We have made the cover story of Hertfordshire Life magazine with a story about the centenary, and an interview with Howard Berry about our forthcoming documentary. Newsquest, publishers of the Elstree and Borehamwood Times, have produced a fantastic souvenir publication called Screen 100.  The booklet contains the story of the studios and the town, and features a profile of The Elstree Project, with quotes from some of our interviewees. The October 1st edition of the Welwyn Hatfield Times features an article on page 38 devoted to the documentary. The BFI presented a special screening of Blackmail, for the centenary, and Elstree Studios donated a bust of Alfred Hitchcock to the BFI. This was followed by a presentation by Howard about the 100 years of the studios, and featured project interview clips. BBC Arts have posted a clip online from our documentary, with an article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p027vf9p On Friday at 18:35, Howard will be interviewing Sir Roger...
Read more

Interview 55: Meeting Louise Gold, British Muppeteer and actress

Posted on by in Filming, News, TEP  |  Comments are closed
On Sunday 7th, Bob and I travelled into London to record our 55th interview as a project! We are so lucky to have had the opportunity to film with Louise Gold.  We spent just over two hours with her, and asked her about her time working at ATV Studios in Borehamwood when she worked on The Muppet Show.  Louise told us about Jim Henson and how he encouraged his whole crew to do well, and getting to sing with Jerry Nelson, as well as when she met Danny Kaye. After The Muppet Show ended, Louise continued with the production team across the road to EMI Elstree Studios, where they made The Great Muppet Caper and The Dark Crystal back-to-back.  ...
Read more

35th Anniversary Crew reunion of The Shining at Elstree Studios

Posted on by in Events, News  |  Comments are closed
THE ELSTREE PROJECT REUNITES THE SHINING CREW TO CELEBRATE 35 YEARS OF KUBRICK’S HORROR CLASSIC “Come play with us. Forever… and ever… and ever…” When the Grady Twins said those words at Elstree Studios 35 years ago, they really meant it. And to prove it, they are returning - by invitation of The Elstree Project - on 23 May 2015 to celebrate the original release of The Shining. Supported by the Kubrick family, Warner Brothers and Elstree Studios, “Forever and Ever: 35 Years of The Shining” will bring back many of the original crew and cast of the film to the very studio where the film was made. Already confirmed guests are Stanley Kubrick’s wife Christiane, and: Assistant director Brian W Cook Camera assistant Doug Milsome Steadicam inventor and operator Garrett Brown Assistant editor Gordon Stainforth Executive producer Jan Harlan "Lloyd, the barman" Joe Turkel Location researcher Katharina Kubrick Camera operator Kelvin Pike “The Grady Twins” Lisa and Louise Burns Camera technician Mick Mason Steadicam operator Ray Andrew Post-production sound editor Ray Merrin Scenic artist...
Read more

The Elstree Project to present their work to the BECTU History Project

Posted on by in FBTH, Filming, News, TEP USA  |  Comments are closed
Tomorrow morning Bob Redman, Howard Berry and University of Hertfordshire student George Nicholls are attending a meeting of the BECTU History Project.  BECTU (the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union) runs the largest oral history project in the world related to film and television production and post-production, with over 650 interviews recorded since the History Project began. The trio will be talking about the recent interview recordings conducted by The Elstree Project, including our trip to California in December last year, the ongoing centenary celebrations, and the forthcoming documentary.  They also hope to share information about the way in which the interviews are conducted and the recent collaboration with the Google Cultural Institute. After the meeting, Howard and George are to visit the BFI to meet and film an interview with Senior Curator of Silent Film, Bryony Dixon.  Bryony has researched the Neptune Film company, which opened the first studio in Borehamwood in 1914....
Read more

The Elstree Project interviews film star Simon Pegg at Elstree Studios

Posted on by in Filming, News, TEP  |  Comments are closed
Yesterday we visited Elstree Studios to record an interview with actor Simon Pegg - star of the Star Trek and Mission: Impossible franchises. We had a great time talking about the filming of The World's End - the final film in the unofficial "Cornetto trilogy" - which was made locally in Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City, and used Elstree Studios for the studio based filming.  Three pub interiors were recreated on the stages at Elstree, including the titular pub at the climax of the film. Simon also worked on a new film, still yet to be released, called Man Up at the studios.  A recurring theme for Simon appears to be the filming of scenes set in toilets at Elstree - he's filmed three so far!  We joked that he should convince JJ Abrams to film a Death Star toilet scene at Elstree with Simon as the Stormtrooper attendant - after all, it wouldn't be a "true" Star Wars film if it didn't have at least...
Read more

From Borehamwood to Hollywood film trailer now online, cast and crew, topics

Posted on by in FBTH, News, TEP  |  Comments are closed
This week the trailer for Howard Berry's documentary for the centenary of filmmaking in Borehamwood and Elstree went online.  From Borehamwood to Hollywood: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Elstree tells the story of the studios in the two towns from the opening of Neptune Studios in 1914 right through to the present day success stories of the BBC Elstree Centre and Elstree Studios. Topics include the silent film era, Hitchcock's "Blackmail", the fires at British and Dominions and EMI Elstree Studios, the arrival of commercial television, Lew Grade's ATV and ITC Entertainment, ABPC, Stanley Kubrick, EMI Films, Danziger's New Elstree Studios, The Gate Studios, MGM-British Studios, the financial slump of the early 1970s, the arrival of LucasFilm, The Muppet Show, Star Wars, the BBC and EastEnders, the closure of Elstree Studios and the S.O.S. campaign and the rescue by Hertsmere Borough Council, recent successes including Big Brother, The Worlds End and Strictly Come Dancing. Interviewees include cast, crew...
Read more