Denham Studios of London Film Productions Limited

Abstract

The studios occupy 28 acres of a 165-acre estate in Buckinghamshire about 17 miles from the center of London. Fine gardens stretching to the edge of dense woodland provide a natural setting that can be adapted easily for exterior photography. There are seven stages, totalling 120,000 square-feet of floor area. Two stages are 250 by 120 by 45 feet (high); two are 125 by 120 by 45; and three are 120 by 80 by 35. Details of the foundation and wall construction are given. The main reviewing theater is designed for reviews and for scoring; for the latter the reverberation period can be adjusted to 0.8 second and for the former, 1.5 seconds. — A description is included of the various shops that service the studios, not only for set construction but also for equipment. The metal shop, for example, has turned out more than 700 lamps for set lighting, two optical printers, a projection printer, a stop-motion machine, and a rear projector. — In the sound stages, only the dubbing channel is of the permanent type. A brief description is given of the portable sound channels, the camera department, and the processing laboratories. Two automatic developing machines, capable of developing 480 and 1000 feet per hour, are available for film processing. Automatic mixing equipment is used for preparation of solutions. — The electrical power plant is described and details are included on fire protection, water supply, and sewage disposal.