For ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ (2022) we created a logo that could be used on various props throughout the film. British Lion Film Corp Logo was featured on the film truck, business cards, and script pages. We chose a lion as they long have held significant symbolism and have been prominently featured in British logos. With a rich history dating back to medieval times, lions have been associated with the strength and courage of the British monarchy. The lion symbolizes power, nobility, and majesty, making it a fitting emblem for organizations seeking to convey a sense of authority and heritage. From the regal lion in the Royal Arms of England to the iconic emblem of the football club Aston Villa, the presence of lions in British logos evokes a sense of national pride and tradition. The use of lions not only adds a touch of grandeur but also reflects a deep-seated connection to the nation's history and values.
When a film or television show is set in a particular historical period, we are tasked with researching and recreating emblems from that time. In Downton Abbey: A New Era, some of the family travel to France. During this time the Southern was the natural carrier for passengers and freight to the continent. The below 1928 advert by T D Kerr describes Southern Railway as ‘The Gateway to the Continent'. From 1923 to 1948, after which the Railways were nationalised, Southern Railway was formed by grouping existing railways such as London and South Western Railway, The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the combined systems of the South Eastern Railway and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, under the South Eastern & Chatham Railways' Managing Committee, etc... This was reflected in the Southern Railway coat of arms which incorporated heraldic elements from the main constituent companies, such as the two dolphins from the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway.
Photoshop
‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ (2022)
For this magazine, we created the outer cover and an inner spread. We had a full photo shoot with the actors in costume and makeup. There was a tight round around for cover design as the original idea had been to use a painted image as accurate for the time. However the director was so in love with the photographs, he wanted one on the cover also. As the film was set in the 1920s, I chose to turn the cover image black and white and recolour it by hand to give a soft vintage look.
Documents and Reports
For ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ (2022) we created a logo that could be used on various props throughout the film. British Lion Film Corp Logo was featured on the film truck, business cards, and script pages. The 1920s marked a transformative era for the world of cinema, and film scripts from this period reflected the dynamic changes in storytelling and cinematic techniques. Silent films dominated the screen, relying heavily on visual storytelling to convey narratives without the aid of synchronized sound. Scripts were often sparse in dialogue, emphasizing the power of expressive visuals and relying on intertitles to convey essential information. Genres like melodrama, comedy, and romance flourished, and filmmakers began experimenting with innovative narrative structures.
Downton Medical Reports. In the 1920s, the methods for detecting and diagnosing illnesses significantly differed from contemporary approaches. For Cora, her exam would have been, primarily, an examination of the abdomen for any palpable masses, checking for changes in bowel habits, and inquiring about symptoms such as rectal bleeding or abdominal pain. Physicians in the 1920s may have performed general blood tests to assess overall health and look for signs of anemia or other abnormalities. Anemia, for example, might be associated with gastrointestinal bleeding.
