How much preparation did you have to do before filming took place?
Spencer Hancock: “We were liaising with the production company and location team months ahead of the shoot. We had various meetings with the props and design teams to see what would be possible to do. Their teams also had to meet with our curatorial team as some minor amendments and additions were made to the gallery space. Their entire production team are so well versed in what they do we had to do very little preparation as they covered most bases.”
Dr Amy Frost: “The scale of production was much larger than anything we’d dealt with before. First, we had initial visits from the location scouts, then the core director and production team and an art director. Once they decided they wanted to film with us, it was fast paced. There was a technical recce, which for Bridgerton involved about 45 people from every department, from sound and lighting to makeup and set decorating [this was pre COVID]. They run through what they're thinking and you have the opportunity to say what is and isn’t possible.
The key is to prepare in advance. So, making sure that you've gone through all the details with the location and production teams about what they want to do and how it impacts you. If, for example, they plan to start dressing the set on a Monday morning, you need to know what you have to move and whether you can do that on your own or you need to bring in your handlers.”
What impact does being a recognisable film have on your attraction?
Spencer Hancock: “It’s always fun for a visitor to recognise the building from a show they have seen. We are yet to see the impact of Bridgerton as it was released at the start of a national lockdown however, there has been such a huge buzz on social media we are expecting a lot of fans this summer, which we are really excited about. The Museum has been continuously brought to the public’s attention in a vast number of newspapers, magazine and TV coverage.”
Dr Amy Frost: “We haven't been able to gauge it in terms of visitors yet, but it’s certainly had an impact on digital interest.
Normally after something airs, for the four or five weeks following you see an immediate influx, particularly on documentaries. But then there's a continual return, too. For example, the front door of our house is in one of the versions of Persuasion and every time it's shown on television, we get more people visiting around two weeks later.”
Is it difficult to get access to the cast and crew and relevant images for content for your attraction’s website, press materials and social media?
Spencer Hancock: “It is very difficult to get direct access to the cast. We work solely with the production teams who work for various companies and then contracted by the overall production. All image rights will be owned by the show however the press office will often have images that can be used widely.”
Are there any drawbacks to being strongly associated with such popular shows, such as people queuing up to take selfies with a famous exterior but not engaging with the museum?
Dr Amy Frost: “If that's the only way people want to engage then great. The more people talk about us and share those pictures, the more people might say, ‘Oh, actually, that's somewhere we could go if we ever visit Bath.’
It also builds up an idea of a digital visitor – people that may never come to us and yet they're looking at our website, engaging with our social media. We’re reaching an audience that we would never reach otherwise, which is really important.”
It will be interesting to see what happens when we reopen and particularly when foreign tourists start to return; will this interest actually convert into visitors?
It will also be interesting to see how this affects the type of visitors we get; perhaps a younger audience of 16-24 year olds, which we're already seeing in interaction on social media. If they're getting interested in this period of history and they start to interrogate it beyond what they get through Bridgerton, or they start to visit other places that are connected, hopefully you've then got that interest for life.”
Is the financial compensation worth the upheaval?
Spencer Hancock: “Yes, however this will change depending on the needs of the filming. How do you put a price on 82 million people seeing your building on their TVs?”
Do staff members ever get to be extras on set?
Dr Amy Frost: “No! I tend to get rolled out for a few of the documentaries, but not an extra! It’s funny when you watch a drama and realise you were stood just behind that curtain. And it’s absolutely fascinating to watch the process being done in your property. The sheer amount of work that a crew does is just extraordinary.”
What advice have you got for visitor attractions considering allowing production crews on site?
Spencer Hancock: “At the start of the process there is always a little nervousness due to the size and nature of the production and being a museum; we have so many rules and regulations. Our advice would be to remain open minded and talk through all your concerns. Just make sure you’re happy with everything and keep communicating with your location manager.
The production teams are very experienced and are used to working in all conditions and on many sites that have restrictions. Don’t be afraid to ask silly questions and make sure all parties are happy and comfortable with what will be happening. They work so quickly and efficiently there is not much room for surprises on either side.”
Dr Amy Frost: “Do your homework and look at the guidance available. We found that larger organisations that offer advice for their members were happy to help even though we’re not a member. We refined and took advice on our filming agreement from the Historic Houses Association, and we took advice from the National Trust filming office; they have so much experience.
We’ve recently updated our filming agreement to put in COVID clauses. Excellent guidance for the TV and film industry on safety and making a film set COVID secure was quickly produced. It's a lot of guidance to read but it gives you real confidence in yourself and what to look for from production companies before anyone steps on your property.
We were by no means experts, but asking for all this guidance not only helped us get into a position where we felt confident, but also our Board of Trustees felt confident that it was the right thing to do. That's particularly important when you're looking at closing a property to the public to allow filming. We closed in August, peak season; you need to have the confidence to know that it’s worth closing.”