WAG Screen

The Luttrell Psalter Film online!

2010-12-31T00:54:00.000-08:00

The Luttrell Psalter Film can now be viewed free online:

Luttrell Psalter Film

Here is an introduction from the Director, Nick Loven:

In 2006 I saw, for the first time, some beautiful images which immediately captured my imagination. Images which showed, in loving detail, everyday scenes from almost 700 years in the past. Looking at these images medieval life seemed more real than it ever had before and it was just a small sampling of images from the Luttrell Psalter. Without thinking I said, 'this would make a really interesting film', and before I knew what was happening, with a tiny budget and many volunteers, we were in the process of making the film!

The film is not a documentary. It is not an attempt to show the whole truth of medieval life. It is a kind of experiment and a tribute to a beautful work of art. By recreating the images from the Psalter directly we hoped to answer some questions about how accurate the illustrations were. We also hoped to capture the mysterious and evocative nature of the source material.

We hope you enjoy the film. We would love to hear your thoughts and observations, so please let us know here or email us at mail@wagscreen.co.uk

It is our intention to create a second film based on the Luttrell Psalter, this time bringing the life of Sir Geoffrey Luttrell and his family to film. Any thoughts and suggestions there would also be welcome. Nick Loven

Luttrell Psalter Instruments

2010-09-30T10:15:00.001-07:00

We are filming a few short segments about the musical instruments illustrated in the Luttrell Psalter. On Tuesday (28-09-2010) we filmed Dante Ferrara (above) demonstrating the Symphonie. Dante contributed to the musical sound track on the Luttrell Psalter Film. His web site can be found here: Dante Ferrara.

The Luttrell Psalter Film Blog

2010-09-12T07:20:00.001-07:00

Because the making of the Luttrell Psalter Film was such an extraordinary journey and because there are so many stories yet to tell, we have started to create a retrospective blog. The blog begins early in 2006 when Nick Loven, the Director (below, with camera), first came up with the idea. Now read on - the making of The Luttrell Psalter Film.

WAG Screen is on Twitter

2010-08-19T09:58:00.001-07:00

You can now follow WAG Screen’s Twitterings

WAG Screen’s new committee

2010-08-13T02:10:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to our outgoing Chair, Steve Turner and our Treasurer, Keith Loven, for all their hard work.

The new committee members are:

Chair: Martha Milne

Treasurer: Sam Laing

Project Manager: Pauline Loven

Secretary: Jo Sullivan

(picture to come)

A Review of the Luttrell Psalter Film:

2010-08-03T14:34:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to Michael Stocking for this review:

‘I suppose I was expecting the standard documentary-style piece, with voiceover, pieces to camera, intercut with a couple of re-creations of medieval life. That's certainly a film they could have made, but instead they've made a deceptively simple 20 minute film recreating scenes from the Luttrell Psalter in an effort to transport us back 600 years. No plot, no narration, not many words at all.

As a result, if you just view the film, it's a very impressionistic experience. Oxen, breath steaming in the cold Lincolnshire air, haul a crude but familiar-looking plough across a field. A young boy vaults up a tree to steal some cherries, narrowly escaping a wrathful farmer. Chickens scratch around a farmyard. A wronged wife belabours her penitent husband with a stick. We're left to have our own opinions on how like these people we are and how unlike. How hard life must have been and how rewarding.

The film took 2 years to make, on a budget that wouldn't normally cover the costumes, and the makers travelled to the North West to film red squirrels, to Wales to find a medieval village, and to London to find a scriptorium. This truly was a labour of love, and it shows on the screen.

For those unfamiliar with the book, the interview with the ever-watchable Michelle Brown is required viewing, and helps relate the book to the film.

So as a piece of film-making, experimental archaeology, pedagogy and indeed art, the film is an unlikely success. I hope the team put a copy online soon and it gets the wider audience it deserves’.

Michael Stocking is the CEO of Armadillo Systems, creators of, amongst other things, the Turning the Pages software that allows libraries to build online collections.

WAG Screen plans to upload the Luttrell Psalter film to Facebook (in HD) when the number of fans on Luttrell Psalter Facebook fan page reaches 1,000! So if you want to see the film - spread the word!

WAG Screen wins an award!

2010-07-22T09:05:00.001-07:00

Nick Loven, Chris Roberts and Pauline Loven with the ‘Special Contributions to Museums’ award from Heritage Lincolnshire and Renaissance East Midlands. The award was given jointly to WAG Screen and Orchard House Wardrobe for the films, costumes and artefacts made for East Midlands museums.

Luttrell Psalter Film exhibition

2010-07-22T08:59:00.001-07:00

MEDIEVAL LIVES ON SHOW

Until 14^th September 2010

The Intriguing world of the Luttrell Psalter

The Luttrell Psalter is a fourteenth century manuscript commissioned by Sir Geoffrey Luttrell, a Lincolnshire landowner and is full of beautifully illuminated images that reveal a wealth of detail about everyday life in medieval Lincolnshire.

Using the Luttrell Psalter film, real and replica medieval artefacts, a ‘turning the page’ kiosk and a facsimile of the document from the British Library, this exhibition explores some of the images from the Luttrell Psalter to discover what the vibrant pictures can tell us about everyday life and the people who lived and worked in medieval Lincolnshire.

Supported by the British Library and WAG Screen and The Collection, Art and Archaeology in Lincolnshire

Admission FREE

St Katherine’s – 900 years of history

Heritage and Cultural Centre, South Park Roundabout', St Katherines, Lincoln LN5 8LN

Open Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 – 4.00pm

Telephone 01522 572778

www.stkatherineslincoln.co.uk

Luttrell Psalter Film

2010-07-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

WAG Screen plans to upload the Luttrell Psalter film to Facebook (in HD) when the number of fans on Luttrell Psalter Facebook fan page reaches 1,000! So if you want to see the film - spread the word!

You can see a review of the film from Michael Stocking (the chap behind the 'Turning the Pages' software from the British Library) at his Turning the Pages - A blog about where emerging technologies meet access and interpretation for libraries and museums: The Luttrell Psalter Film

Thank you for your support!

PS Please do keep buying the DVD as well though (it includes other material such as an interview with Michelle Brown), as all proceeds go towards making a second Luttrell Psalter Film based in the images of Sir Geoffrey, his household and the aristocratic lifestyle: WAG Screen

PPS In the mean time for those in the UK, here is the Time Team episode featuring our plough, our ploughman Neil Parker and Michelle Brown talking about the Luttrell Psalter: TIME TEAM Series 16, episode 2

Filming Victorian dancers waltzing

2010-07-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

As part of the film we are making for Gainsborough Old Hall, we have just filmed dancers waltzing on the Victorian dance floor. None of our cast had danced the waltz before and some had never danced before at all, but thanks to Martha Milne's brilliant coaching they were all fantastic. Martha is better known as an amazingly talented quilter and you can find out more about the Victorian waltz scene and Martha's quilting on her blog: Machine Quilter

Luttrell Psalter film Review

2010-06-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

We have just had this review of the Luttrell Psalter film by Michael Stocking: Turning Pages

BBC Lincolnshire

2010-06-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

Click here for a BBC article on the making of the Gainsborough Old Hall Film

Gainsborough Old Hall

2010-05-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

WAG Screen are currently making a film for Gainsborough Old Hall in which a teenage girl, Violet, has the ability see different things that happened in GOH through its history.
Violet is played by Abigail Griffin, Queen Catherine Howard, by Bryony Roberts, Lady in Waiting Su Toogood and the Medieval characters by Lord Burgh's Retinue.

For more on the making of the Tudor Gown (top picture) see:

http://periodwardrobe.wordpress.com/

Luttrell Psalter Film - Archaeological Field Walk

2010-03-14T03:08:00.000-07:00

As part of the process of making the Luttrell Psalter Film, Washingborough Archaeology Group conducted a field walk of a deserted medieval village. The fragments of pottery that we found helped us in the recreation of the pottery used in the film. The large water jug carried by one of the women in the film was based on the Luttrell Psalter illumination and known archaeological finds from Lincolnshire. The jug handle found in the field (one which is commonly found by WAG) was used for the detail of the handle. We also found a beautiful fragment of a decorated pot, and this was recreated to help furnish our cottage interior (pictured above). See the short WAG Screen film below for some of the finds we made.

Field walk led by archaologist Jo Hambly.

The pots were all made by Andrew MacDonald of the Pot Shop on Steep Hill Lincoln.

Funding News

2010-01-22T04:21:00.000-08:00

Good news, WAG Screen have just received funding for a computer, screen and editing software from Lincolnshire Community Foundation, Grass Roots Grant.

The funding means that we now have a WAG Screen dedicated state-of-the-art computer for editing. This creates opportunities for our volunteers to train in editing as well as camera work.

The Lady of Shalott costume.

2010-01-09T01:28:00.000-08:00

I have written up a blog on the gowns I made for The Lady of Shalott on my Period Wardrobe blog. Above: The Lady of Shalott, played by Victoria Rigby, picture by John Bennet.

Life at Church Farm

2010-01-09T01:22:00.000-08:00

A new film from WAG Screen and Crow's Eye Productions, this time set in the 1900s. View the entire film for free below:

Life at Church Farm

What we're up to now...

2009-09-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

We have been commissioned by local museums to produce two short films.

The first is for Church Farm Museum in Skegness and recreates the life on the farm as it might have been in the 1900s.

The second is for the new St Katherines visitor centre in Lincoln. The film depicts life on the Gilbertine Priory that once existed on the site.

The films will be available to view at their respective museums soon. We'll post details when we know more.

Behind the Scenes of The Lady of Shalott

2009-07-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

On 6th August at 13:15 I shall be giving a free talk about the making of the Lady of Shalott film in the Ondaatje Wing Theatre at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

I shall be talking about where we drew inspiration from and paying tribute to all of the talented people who helped us achieve this film. I'll also be showing loads of behind the scenes images and videos.

Finding the Lady of Shalott

2009-06-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

From the outset of the project it was our intention to find all our stars, cast, locations and craftspeople locally (here in Lincolnshire). However, we feared that our search for an actress to play the Lady of Shalott, who we wanted to look like the model in the famous John William Waterhouse painting, was going almost impossible. We began by getting our local paper, The Lincolnshire Echo, to run the story and started putting up posters. Well, actually, we only put up one poster, in the Ice Cream Parlour on Lincoln’s Bailgate, just before the beautiful and talented Victoria Rigby popped in following rehearsals in Lincoln Cathedral...and the rest is history!

Victoria Rigby

Sometimes we feel as though the gods are on our side!

The Lady of Shalott film on DVD

2009-06-27T02:11:00.000-07:00

The Lady of Shalott DVD is available now in both PAL and NTSC formats. You can purchase it from the WAG Screen web site http://www.wagscreen.co.uk

We will soon have postcards and posters and if there are any special requests we may be able to respond to them too - just let us know.

Apart from being a beautiful and evocative short film in its own right, this is also a great resource for schools. The DVD has two versions; the reading by Tennyson to a Victorian audience allowing you to concentrate on the words and the dramatisation which brings the world of the poem to life.

‘When I was young it took me some time to appreciate this poem, and my dyslexia didn’t help. This DVD would have helped me by illustrating an already great poem.

I’m sure Tennyson himself would be proud.

- Benjamin Zephaniah (2009)

The Lady of Shalott Film Premiere

2009-06-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

Friday the 15^th of May, The Lady of Shalott premiere at Lincoln’s Odeon Cinema.

It had taken us almost exactly a year to complete the film which had began with the casual observation that, 'as we were approaching the bicentenary of Tennyson’s birth perhaps we perhaps do something to mark it’. Two minutes later, a decision had been taken to make a filmed dramatisation of his most famous poem, The Lady of Shalott!

The Premiere was attended by over 250 people and there could have been many more if I hadn’t handled the invitations so cautiously (I was worried that too many would arrive after our last Premiere when about 500 people turned up – twice the number predicted!). Many of the cast came in costume including Victoria Rigby who played the Lady of Shalott and Ben Poole who played Tennyson. The audience were fabulous – crying, cheering and whistling as appropriate throughout the showing. The Odeon management were wonderful and made it a very enjoyable occasion. Afterwards, Gordon Hutchison, the Odeon manager, said: ‘Oh my goodness! Picture perfect! I was extremely impressed by the end result & the excitement it generated for the cast, crew & the audience. Simply to say ... I wish "Wag Screen" all the best for the future!’

The audience taking their seats