Bath Film Office’s behind-the-scenes role in mega-successful TV period drama Bridgerton has been recognised by being shortlisted in major industry award.
The small team in the office, which is run by Bath & North East Somerset Council, worked with the Bridgerton production crew on road closures, street furniture removal, street lighting removal and parking to enable filming, as well as the facilitating the use of the Assembly Rooms and rooms at the Guildhall.
Bridgerton, described as a witty, romantic, emotional and thoroughly modern take on the Regency era, was an instant hit when it was screened over eight episodes on Netflix last year.
It was filmed in four blocks in Bath between August and November 2019 – and with 70-plus scenes brought television filming on a scale not seen before to a citywell used to being acting as a backdrop for so-called bonnet-buster historical dramas.
Most of these were exterior street scenes but there were also big ballroom sequences filmed at the Assembly Rooms and the Guildhall.
Two shops were converted into the Modiste dress shop and Gunter’s Tea Rooms in the drama, with the Holburne Museum also used extensively for filming.
As a result of its efforts in supporting filming, Bath Film Office is in the running for a Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) award. Celebrating the outstanding contributions of location professionals in feature film, TV and commercial advertising, the awards also spotlight creative use of filming locations that set the tone, enrich the character and inspire the storytelling narrative.
Council cabinet member for children and young people, communities and culture, Dine Romero, said: “It’s a well-deserved honour for our Film Office team to have been nominated for this prestigious award.
“The team is very small compared to other organisations, yet it enabled the filming of Bridgerton across large parts of Bath with the scope of a feature film on the schedule of a television drama.
“It’s testament to their dedication, skill and hard work and that of supporting council teams that the requirements of the production company were successfully fulfilled.
“Bridgerton has enabled more people around the world to see what Bath has to offer and will contribute to attracting more visitors to our World Heritage city.”
Bath Film Office is up against five other film offices including Liverpool and Queensland, Australia, for the Outstanding Film Commission award.
The eighth annual LMGI Awards take place on October 23.
