Film London

	FILM LONDON
	london-footprints.co.uk

Look familar? then perhaps you've watched 'Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason'

London is often used for filming. If you are familar with the city you can 'location spot' when you are watching things if not it is possible to search them out. Have a look at www.filmlondon.org.uk where the News & Features section has movie maps which you can download. Films currently available besides Bridget Jones are Closer, Thunderbirds, Love Actually and The Mother. Printed versions can also be picked up at some Visitor Information Centres. Besides the maps the site has News, Events Courses & Talks and Guided Walks. You can also sign up for e-bulletins.

FILM LONDON is the agency for film and media in the capital. It sustains, promotes and develops London as a major international film making and film cultural capital.

Some places seem to be particularly popular with film makers - perhaps because they make special efforts to attract the industry.

WILTON'S MUSIC HALL Graces Alley

The interior of this is quite distinctive with its balconies on twisted columns. It was used in the Chaplin film and TVs Bramwell for instance. The shabby exterior served as an opium den in the Sherlock Holmes screened over Christmas.

SOMERSET HOUSE The Strand

This has an upstairs/downstairs quality. The buildings around the courtyard can be made to look like elegant streetscapes whilst the lightwells (look down near the buildings) serve as unsavoury slum alleys!

GREENWICH

This World Heritage Site welcomes film makers. I saw the area under the Queen's House (pictured left) used for street scenes in Sense & Sensibility. On one occasion the area around the Cutty Sark (pictured right) was dressed as a busy quayside for the film 'Four Feathers'. They added the water digitally afterwards!

Other film hotspots include St Pancras, the Old Operating Theatre, Queens Walk (Southbank riverside) and the area around Borough Market. The disused Aldwych Station is useful to save disruption on the working underground.

Pictures at the top of the page are: Chiswick Business Park, the Italian Gardens in Kensington Gardens and Tower Bridge (of course).