Documenting Britain's Historic Houses

Documenting Britain’s Historic Houses

Living in a manor house or castle must mean you are wealthy, waited on hand and foot and have an easy life, right? Wrong. In a three-part documentary, produced and directed by Indigo for the Historic Houses Association in collaboration with Saga, we bust this myth and reveal the monumental challenges of running and living in these properties. Our documentary details the birth of the Historic Houses Association and its vital role in supporting property owners to protect these special places for future generations to enjoy.

Research

The documentary was commissioned by Saga as part of a wider project to engage, educate and entertain its audiences. At Indigo, we worked hard with Saga to identify the right subject matter, locations and people to talk to. A large part of our job is not just the filming and editing but preparation and research. We listen and we learn, so we know our subject matter inside out. Our interviews are always natural and bring out the very best in people.

Hybrid Events

Saga planned to launch these films at a live screening and invite guests from their community. However, COVID-19 restrictions made this face-to-face event impossible. So, in a change of plans, we supported Saga in running virtual screenings and live Q&A sessions with the experts and owners featured in the documentary.

Project Details

Client: Historic Houses

Services Provided:
Research
Logistics
Production
Filming
Editing

Historic Houses - Episode 1

A Short History of Historic Houses, with Norman Hudson OBE

Historic Houses - Episode 2

With Lucy Arthurs, Leighton Hall, Carnforth

Historic Houses - Episode 3

With Danielle Rolfe, Penton Park, Andover

Getting Social

Detailed documentaries don’t always lend themselves to the short, disposable platform of social media. But we shoot with social in mind. We capture those important sound bites that will work on social platforms and our photographic work can be adapted for all formats.

Our social media films are formatted in either 1:1 or 9:16 and edited down to under 60 seconds to ensure maximum engagement.