Next time you’re watching a television drama or a feature film, let your eyes stray to the background. Sadly, you will sometimes find what’s going on in the background more interesting than the actual story being told. There are two things in particular to look out for.
The first is the extras or, as they often prefer to be known, the BAs, or background artists. These lovely people turn out in all weathers, often at ridiculous times of the day or night, wear whatever outlandish costume the wardrobe department has for them and often sit around waiting for hours.
It is perhaps not surprising therefore that their concentration isn’t all it might be. Looking at them will often help you realise just how difficult it is to look natural on screen.
The other thing to look out for is the background detail. It is often taken for granted especially when watching a BBC costume drama, but the props and settings which the designers produce are often nothing short of works of art.
This is where we come into our own as at Keeley Hire we have been supplying prop hire to the film and television industries for more than forty years. In particular, we have some amazing period props which can evoke pretty well any period in history. We have a soft spot for the medieval props which are used to great effect in films like ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’ and the Victorian ones used in TV series like ‘Little Dorritt’.
