Lights Camera Action! MOD provides movie backdrops

For Tony Burlton and Caren Armstrong in the MOD's Wider Markets Team this type of query is normal. The team has recently taken on the role of co-ordinating and marketing the use of MOD land and facilities to film and TV production companies. New pages are about to appear on the MOD website. The MOD Film Location Website, which details some of the huge variety of sites and facilities available for filming, is also to be revised.

The MOD estate provides a rich resource for commercial film companies - there's at least one or two programmes or movies being filmed somewhere on the estate at any given time.

Films including The Da Vinci Code, Stormbreaker, James Bond, and Evita have all used MOD land or buildings, as well as TV programmes such as Top Gear, Silent Witness and Holby City. Hotel Babylon is being filmed at RAF Halton as this article is being written; next month Catherine Zeta Jones will be there filming a new movie about escape artist Houdini called 'Death Defying Acts'.

However, it's not all glamour and mingling with the stars for the Wider Markets Team; the actual film work takes up roughly, just 20% of their time.

Set up by the Treasury, the Wider Markets Initiative encourages Government Departments to seek opportunities to generate income through the use of spare capacity.

"MOD is good at spotting wider markets opportunities and generating income from them," says Tony. "But we have more assets than most Government Departments so we have plenty of opportunities available to us.

"We have lots of sites that aren't fully used all the time; we can't get rid of them, so need to think of ways to use them to generate income. For example, an RAF base may have six warehouses but is only using three; we might rent them out to B & Q for their extra Christmas storage needs."

Some of the bigger income generating schemes include leasing out surplus oil storage facilities in Scotland, which generates some £2 million for MOD, and renting out space on the network of' 'Boxer' communication towers dotted across the country. Tony explains:

"Although the MOD anticipated a future need for the towers they could not afford to maintain them until someone had the bright idea of renting them out to mobile phone companies. With a private partner, we now have a 20 year contract which is on target to generate income of £18 million for MOD."

In comparison, renting out locations to film companies generates relatively low levels of income:

"But it's the more glamorous side of our work," jokes Caren, "and it is a fascinating area of work."

One of the most interesting aspects is coming across all the weird and wonderful variety of MOD sites and facilities. One of the UK's largest landowners, the MOD estate consists of some 600,000 acres, with more than 45,000 buildings. There are barracks, bunkers, naval bases, hospitals, and plenty of fields and countryside to blow up a caravan or seven:

"We found a castle the other day in Cornwall that I had no idea existed on our estate," Caren says, incredulously. "You can't believe some of the sites we own."

The fees charged to a film company for using an MOD location are negotiable but a feature film might earn a location £1500 – £2000 a day. There are also PR opportunities to be taken advantage of, like co-operating with documentary makers whose programmes have good messages about the MOD. Many historical shows and, recently, the BBC series'Coast', have used a lot of MOD land.

The team work closely with Defence Public Relations as well; to make sure a story line isn't likely to show the military in a bad light:

"Any request for filming that has a military story line is referred to Defence Publicity for clearance. We are not in the business of supporting anything that may result in adverse publicity for the MOD."

Contracts and licenses to film on MOD sites have to be drawn up, and approval is obviously needed from Commanding Officers. Tony explains some of the film companies' frustrations:

"Some of them ring up and want to film tomorrow! But we don't work like that. It's also hard to get the balance right between marketing our sites and facilities whilst balancing this against current operational requirements. Our key priority at the end of the day is defending the realm."

Film Location Manager, James Grant, said:

"There's a lot of red tape when using MOD sites and it's not good for turning things around quickly. But the MOD does have some fantastic locations and once you get through the bureaucracy there's some fantastic people in the field. The Army are a pretty helpful bunch."

One of the MOD's most popular sites is RAF Halton. One hour from London it's a Location Manager's 'cloud nine', with barracks, a parade ground, wooded areas, and even a 1930's cinema. Nearby, the Officers' Mess is housed at Halton House, a mansion built in the style of a French Chateau.

But film crews can be massive, with crew and cast often numbering hundreds. Along with trucks, equipment and catering vehicles, a crew can almost take over a site. Colin Baker, Media Officer at RAF Halton, says:

"We have been used for masses of stuff, but people do live here so it can be quite difficult. There can be a lot of disruption, so we normally limit productions to two a year. The money we earn from filming goes back into the Mess, and helps maintain the building."

Minley Manor, an MOD listed country manor house currently used as a Royal Engineer officers' mess is also a popular location. It was recently used for 'Stardust', a Victorian Fantasy movie starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer. Ali James, the Assistant Location Manager explains:

"Minley was one giant playground. We had horses and carriages and a lot of stunt work. There were big open fields for us to use and woods too. We had a lot of variables, and needed the odd tree taken down. It's a great playground to go and do stunts in."

Ali appreciates the value of MOD locations:

"MOD sites are the most flexible, you have a lot of countryside we know we can use and we also know you will close your doors for us; the sites are private. I'd be keen to go back to use Minley, and the MOD engineers on hand were a very willing work force."

If you are trying to spot MOD sites in the movies or on TV, don't always look for the obvious. Hankley Dropping Zone in Surrey has been used as a Scottish Landscape. Hawley Bear Pit, part of the Minley Training Area, doubled as the North-South Korean border in James Bond's Die Another Day, whilst Halton House was used a casino in the same film and also as an Indian Palace in Bride and Prejudice. Now if that doesn't shake you, it should certainly stir you!