York Conferences welcomes Hollywood Star Ashley Judd
August 2011
Over the past 12 months York Conferences have welcomed film crews from an eclectic selection of productions to our diverse range of facilities. These include USA TV giants: NBC, UK production company Shine TV (formerly owned and run by Rebecca Murdoch) and local independent film makers: Monster Island Films.
When NBCs US version of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?' required a beautiful historic setting for their production, they found an ideal home for the day at our King`s Manor venue in the 17th century Huntingdon and Ante rooms. The subject was American actress Ashley Judd (star of Tooth Fairy, Heat and Kiss the Girls), who enjoyed her 48 hours in the charming city of York, taking the chance between filming to walk the adjacent City walls and visit such attractions as the nearby York Minster. Judd and the production team travelled to York in search of information on her great grandfather's ancestor William Brewster, who emigrated to Massachusetts in 1620 on the Mayflower, which carried the first European settlers to the USA. The show screened in the UK in July.
Shine TV who make such popular shows as Merlin, MasterChef and Gladiators, needed backdrops for an episode on the history of York for the BBC show History Cold Case. They opted on using the classic Elizabethan exterior of Heslington Hall and utilising the exterior and interior of King`s Manor to provide an authentic historical backdrop in which to film historians consulting a number of medieval documents. The show attempts to trace two brothers` story, one of whom was disabled, and how they ended up in a mass grave outside the City of York walls. It opens up a new personalised vantage point on the events surrounding the English Civil War and also gives us a perspective on disability during this period.
Contrasting with those was a request from Monster Island Films, who for their new film Kenneth required a room that they could convert into a stereo-typical 1970s office! This was more than just a small stretch as our on-going refurbishments has made our facilities look a million miles from that. But a bit of rustling around at the back of our stores unearthed some long forgotten "period pieces" including an old clock, carpet and desk that hadn`t seen the light of day since the requested time-frame along with some creative camera angles and suddenly the room looked just right. Look out for the touching story of love, life and ear goblins! http://www.kennethmovie.com/
Just a little more evidence of York Conferences commitment to providing a friendly, flexible environment and service for just about anything!
