A deep dive into our culture and entertainment video production for the Historic Houses Association and Saga. A three-part documentary busting the myth that life in a manor house or castle is one of ease, and telling the story of how the Historic Houses Association supports owners to protect these properties for future generations.
The trailer for our three-part documentary series for the Historic Houses Association and Saga. Busting the myth that life in a manor house or castle is one of leisure, and revealing the monumental challenges of running and living in Britain's historic properties. Produced and directed by Indigo, with expert and owner contributors prepared through our research-led approach.
Living in a manor house or castle must mean you're wealthy, waited on hand and foot and have an easy life, right? Wrong. The Historic Houses Association is the membership body for the owners of Britain's historic houses, castles and gardens, and life inside those walls is the opposite of the assumption. Saga, as part of a wider audience programme, commissioned a three-part documentary film series to bust the myth honestly: to reveal the monumental challenges of running and living in these properties, and to tell the story of the Historic Houses Association's vital role in supporting owners to protect these special places for future generations.
A large part of what we do is not the filming and editing. It's the preparation. We worked closely with Saga to identify the right subject matter, the right locations and the right people to interview. We listen and we learn until we know our subject inside out, so when the cameras roll the interviews are natural and bring out the best in the people in front of them. Norman Hudson OBE on the history of the Historic Houses Association. Lucy Arthurs at Leighton Hall in Lancashire on the trials and tribulations of running a historic house. Danielle Rolfe at Penton Park in Hampshire on running one for the benefit of the public. Three episodes, one narrative thread.
Saga had planned to launch the films at a live screening, inviting guests from their community. Then COVID-19 made face-to-face screenings impossible. 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. The films found their audience by a different route. They now sit as a permanent piece of audience-facing work for both organisations, introducing Saga's community to the realities of historic-house ownership and to the work of the Historic Houses Association.
