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them, so no-one in their right mind would come here for a Bond picture or something like Lost In Space. But we obviously get a lot of post production work from films that were not shot on our stages - Superman and Event Horizon were both shot at Pinewood and came here for post production.
“Part of the reason for that, I would say, is that we offer a personal service to filmmakers. We’re small, easy to get at, so if anyone has a grouse they immediately know who to talk to to get it fixed. Little things are important too. Our close proximity to Richmond is good, people can wander into the town at lunchtime for example, or go into shops or a restaurant. Or they can go and sit by the river. That ambience
makes it much nicer.”
Such a charming lack of any airs can make for some unexpect- ed sights in and around Twickenham Studios.
“Mel Gibson came to us to do the post production and final mix on The Man Without A Face here,” Humphreys recalls. “We were all working on Saturday, and when the time came Mel joined us for a pub lunch. He doesn’t drink, mind you, but it was the first time I real- ly appreciated what it is to be a star of his stature, because in the hundred yards it took us to walk across the road he was recognised and a crowd started to gather.”
Just as remarkable perhaps is
the fact that Gibson should have brought his directorial debut - shot entirely in America - to the UK at all, and to Twickenham Studios in particular. But that says something about the appeal of this unpretentious place.
It also says something about the man at the top, and in Humphreys the charm of the studio is reflected in his affable and relaxed manner. Not many other facilities can boast a chief executive who can tackle the filmmaker’s problems from first hand experience on the production floor, but rolling up his sleeves and getting into a dub- bing room is one of the main pleasures of Humphreys’ working life.
“I’ll do two pictures this year,” he explains. “I’ve mixed every one of Dickie Attenborough’s pictures, so I’ll do his new film Grey Owl. The same with Franco Zeffirelli, I’ll be doing his picture called Tea With Mussolini. I must admit it’s nice to get back to that, so refreshing to lock yourself into that dark room again and play about with faders.”
The Attenborough connection has been of mutual benefit, with Humphreys’ Oscar nomina- tions coming for his work on Gandhi and A Chorus Line. Four times nominated for BAFTA awards, he secured a Dickie double with Cry Freedom and A Bridge Too Far.
Humphreys has been at Twickenham since 1964, and was promoted to chief sound mixer on Roman Polanski’s Repulsion, going on to work on a diverse selection of films in the ensuing 30 years. He became a director of Twickenham Studios, before being promoted to his current position as Managing Director and has, of course, seen a great many changes in that time. But it remains an intimate stu- dio where familiar faces lurk on every corner.
“It’s the sort of place which, if you’ve only worked here for ten years, you’re really a new boy. I hope being involved as I am at least lets people know that I know the process and understand what they’re talking about. Hopefully they’ll know
that I’m sympathetic to their needs.” Through the dog days of the mid 70s to the mid 80s, where commercials kept the studio going, Twickenham continued to offer excellent facilities and a pleasant
atmosphere in which to make films When production started to increase again the studio was the base for such films as The Eagle Has Landed, The Wild Geese, Reds and The Bitch. But post-production has dominated in recent years, and aside from such movies as 1984, Madame Sousatzka, A Fish Called Wanda, Shirley Valentine and Dad Savage this remains the beating heart of a studio that holds a very special place
in British film history.
As regards the future, it’s as precarious as it ever was, but things seem pret- ty upbeat all around the lot. From larger scale BBC productions to commer- cials, to the cream of world moviemaking in their always excellent post production facilities, Twickenham continues to be the smile of the face of the British film industry. Part of the reason is the people there, and of
course the enthusiasm of men like Humphreys. “When the lights go down and I start watching a good movie I’m almost embarrassed to say that the adrenaline starts pumping as strong as it ever did,” he smiles. “It’s a great industry that we’re in. There’s a lot of hard work involved, but I still think it’s worth the effort.” By all accounts, those efforts will continue to provide a first class service to
demanding professionals. ■ ANWAR BRETT
TWICKENHAM STUDIOS
Photos: Lord Attenborough’s new film, Grey Owl; A Fish Called Wanda; Shirley Valentine and the poster of Seven Years In Tibet. (Courtesy BFI Stills & Posters)
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