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Elstree Studios Heritage BBC Doco - Help Needed! Pic inc

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Hi all,

It looks like I am involved in a BBC documentary about the Heritage of Elstree Studios and I need your help guys.

http://www.zen67493.zen.co.uk/bectu_elstree.jpg

There are many photos and footage snippets in the docos we all know and love, but I need your help to catalogue them (and uncover new bits!)

If you have any material showing the studios I would be grateful if you could post here. I am particularly interested in any footage showing the exterior but any interior shots would also be of interest. Also any photos and/or articles would also be appreciated. I'll start the list:

Empire of Dreams - Numerous internal and external shots (inc helicopter shots)
Making of Star Wars - Interior shots of sets.
[Lost} Makinf of The Empire Strikes Back (DarthNeo)
Star Wars to Jedi - Interior shots of sets.
The Risk Business - Interior shots of ESB sets
Jim'll Fix It - ESB Dagobah Set
Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (VHS) - External and internal (anyone got a decent rip of this???)
Making of The Temple of Doom (Thanks S7ven)
Making of Indy docos on Official DVD - Many internal and some external shots of Elstree including water tank and H.Ford practicing with bull-whip.
Return of the Ewok (anyone got Warwick's contact details??)
Making of the Shining - Many internal and external shots
Making of Dark Crystal & Labyrinth (suggested by SilverWook - thanks!)
2001 Making of the Myth (James Cameron) - (suggested by Jonno - thanks!)
The Making of the Myth (Star Wars)
ATV The Elstree Story
UFO Episode A Question of Priorities
Movietone.com
Pathe News

Any help appreciated.
Thanks
JD

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

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The Making of the Shining is an extra on all currently available discs of the movie.

I think the documentaries on The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth may also show bits of Elstree.

The old Gerry Anderson series UFO was shot at Elstree. Since the secret organization S.H.A.D.O. used a movie studio to conceal their base, you probably would find a lot of interesting footage in various episodes.
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Thanks mate! I have just bagged the SE discs of DC and L from £5.00 each!

And you're right the Making of the Shining is on my DVD!

JD

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

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BUMP

I am sure we can do better than this guys!

I need your help to find more Elstree photos and footage please.

Thanks
JD

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

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I'm thinking there must be some usable stuff in the various documentaries about 2001 - I only have the James Cameron doc myself (and haven't checked it yet) but didn't someone here do a compilation of some sort?
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Thanks Jonno!

I've not seen any of the 2001 docos. The only one I have is the 'How to Film the Impossible' Horizon doco. But that deals only with effects.

I will take a look.

UPDATE: Just looked. The James Cameron Doco is on youtube and I've already found a great clip of Elstree! Thanks Jonno!
Thanks
JD

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

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No worries! You're welcome to copy of my VHS > DVD transfer if nothing better comes to light (though since it's a fairly official production you're working on, presumably you have the resources to source the original footage from that doc's production company?)
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Its going to be on the 2001 SE DVD released on 03/03/08 so that should be a good enough source for us to work with.

Thanks again mate.
JD

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

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I saw this on ebay:
DVD: ITV-ATV (Associated Television) The Elstree Story

Not sure how useful it'd be, it's hard to tell if it will have any footage of Elstree studios, or just clips of programs made there.


If it's stills you're after, I assume you're already familiar these Elstree websites.

http://www.elstreefilmstudios.co.uk/
http://www.elstree.co.uk/index.php?page=history
Elstree Calling
That last one has a good page on the George Lucas Stage with a couple of construction photos.
And this page has some good exterior shots of the site in its heyday before Tescos got built on it.



As for footage - off hand I know 'Return of the Ewok' has some shots of the studio (presumably Elstree) - both exteriors and interiors (e.g. star dressing rooms).
And the 'Risk Business' program on Babyhum's BH018 Making of the Myth DVD has lots of interior set shots from Empire. It also has some nice exterior shots but they're of Bray Studios. Shame.



'The Making of Temple of Doom' has some interior set shots, and guessing 'Great Movie Stunts: Raiders of the Lost Ark' also has some set shots. Those two and the 'Making of Raiders' were preserved by DigitalfreakNYC and upped to the spleen a while back (as were the above star wars docs), along with similar preservations by THE ARCHIVIST. The Raiders docs were Laserdisc > DVD transfers, and either of these preservations will probably be the best quality you're going to get, this side of an official release.

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Thanks S. I already have a copy of the ATV doco on the way. They already have a copy but this may be better quality.

I'm across all of the websites and simply forgot to list those docos on my list. I've done some grabs already and they are happy with what they've seen. I guess LFL and Mr Davis will need to be on the list of contacts.

Making of TTOD was new to me though. I have it on DVD somewhere. Will have to check it out.

Anyone in the States got the new SE's of 2001 and The Shining? Are the extras good?

JD

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

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A brief external shot of the current George Lucas stage appeared while my wife was watching "Dancing on Ice" last night.

Not much help, I know, but it made me think of this thread...

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Originally posted by: Moth3r
A brief external shot of the current George Lucas stage appeared while my wife was watching "Dancing on Ice" last night.

Not much help, I know, but it made me think of this thread...


My wife was watching that too and i thought the same thing.

I came across this website earlier. not sure if you've already seen it or that it would be any help .

elstree calling

ANH:REVISITED
ESB:REVISITED

DONATIONS TOWARDS MATERIALS FOR THE REVISITED SAGA

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Thanks lads. We have full access to shooting at the studios, so thats not a problem. The Elstree Heritage are involved.

I am really looking out for photos that show people in or outside of the studios. Particularly those showing Lucas, Spielberg and Hitchcock or anything related to the Hammer films shot there.

Thanks for you help.
JD


Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/