Elstree – Behind the Scenes of the British Hollywood
People Powered: stories from film and screen 2021-22
The film and TV studios of Elstree and Borehamwood are known worldwide for glamorous actors, superstar directors and a legacy of TV and film hits – from Star Wars to The Crown. These names are prominent in the National Portrait Gallery Collection and form the basis of The Elstree Project – an oral history archive, at the University of Hertfordshire. Working with this archive, artist Marysa Dowling and students from Elstree Screen Arts Academy have built on this collection of stories to tell the experiences of those who worked in front of the camera and behind the scenes to make the industry a success. With thanks to the sitters Andy Miller, Louise Gold, Marcus Bentley, Sue Harper and Jenny Hanley.
Red Curtain portraits
This series of portraits is a celebration of those who are behind the-scenes and in front of the camera. They include large-format portraits of the subjects in connection to their work at Elstree, and a closer look at their making, creating, gesturing and performing hands.
Taking cues from Elstree productions such as Hammer Horror and The Muppet Show, portraits were taken against a red velvet backdrop. Another set of portraits includes props, settings and clues that help tell the story of the work each person did in their roles, such as tools and film locations. Our hands are remarkable and vital to how we communicate, make, create, craft, share, work and perform. Marysa’s work often focuses on how we use our hands to communicate so being able to look closely and talk with each person about the subtlety of their hand movements and gestures was important.
Text by Emily Stone