Spencer & Fry

With filming in the UK on the rise, so too is the requirement for unique locations to stage a wide range of film and TV productions. As part of this, the demand for historic venues remains high and can be an attractive proposition for locations to help generate valuable publicity and revenue. 

However, getting involved in any production can seem a daunting prospect for many locations, who can be concerned about what’s involved and specifically how to manage the needs of a film crew against potential associated risks.  

This is where Spencer & Fry step in. Our Team of ten highly knowledgeable preventive conservators based across the UK, all have extensive experience providing filming advice and supervision in historic locations. We bring invaluable expertise and reassurance to all parties, mitigating risk for the location whilst also providing pragmatic advice and solutions to yield maximum creative result for the production. 

Frequently the cost of filming supervision is covered by the production itself, but we can be employed by organisations and locations like National Trust and Hatfield House or by the production company direct. In any scenario we operate as a key liaison to all parties, advising in the planning phase, installing protection, assisting through prep, supervising the filming itself and finally overseeing strike. 

The scale of our organisation means we have the ability to tailor our team according to requirements whether that be single or multiple team members, on some or all phases and in one or multiple locations. To date Spencer & Fry have been involved in more than 70 film and high-end TV productions, many with large scale and complex requirements. 

A carefully considered and rigorous emergency and salvage plan is an invaluable tool in aiding historic venues to respond quickly and effectively to potentially devastating unexpected incidents, such as fire or flood. Without such plans in place, response to emergency situations can be less efficient and therefore potentially more damaging to important historic objects. 

Spencer & Fry work with our Clients and key organisations such as the Fire and Rescue Service, to consider collections, potential emergency situations and to create bespoke plans to limit damage in such an event.

As part of this service, we write or give advice on writing emergency and salvage plans, help specify appropriate salvage equipment, advise on first-aid treatment of damaged objects and provide valuable staff training to deal with emergency situations. 

Spencer & Fry recognise the responsibility of housing and caring for historic collections can be a daunting one and with a range of objects, materials and environmental factors to consider, we understand it can also be a challenge. Our highly experienced team specialise in assisting Clients in this task, producing Collections Management Plans, Collections Care Plans, Collections Conservation Management Plans, Preventive Conservation Audits and storage reviews to identify potential risks and prioritise solutions.

Whether our Clients require formal reports for HMRC (for objects given in lieu of tax), for the National Heritage Lottery Fund  or tailored pragmatic solutions and plans for the care of their collections our team have full understanding and extensive experience of meeting all these requirements.  

One of the challenges in caring for historic objects and collections can often be found in the environment they are housed in but at Spencer & Fry we understand that improving conditions in historic buildings can also be a considerable challenge.

Our team focus on assessing and monitoring environments, understanding current conditions and restrictions and working on pragmatic and workable solutions to help create the optimum conditions for objects and collections contained in those environments. Specifically, we assess variables like temperature, humidity, light and UV and look to monitor, regulate and control these to maximise the conditions for preservation.

Insects such as moths and wood-boring beetles can cause damage to historic objects and collections so tackling any sign of a problem or infestation as early as possible can be critical.

At Spencer & Fry we work with our Clients to identify the pest, the source, what has been or is likely to be affected and to subsequently provide targeted solutions to eradicate the problem and further prevent any ongoing issues. Frequently solutions can be as simple as a thorough clean with ongoing monitoring although we can advise on suitable targeted treatment options when necessary. Our knowledge in this area is extensive and Spencer & Fry have worked with a number of Clients to identify, treat and control any insect issues preventing ongoing damage to historic objects.