Heritage4Media (H4M), which is developing a web-based listing for historic locations to access the filmmaking and media-profiling industries, is offering a 15% pre-launch discount on private and institutional subscriptions for listings of buildings and areas sourced through IHBC members and their networks.
H4M Writes:
April saw the launch of a unique organisation that is now the prime interface between rarely or never seen historic sites and the global film and television industries, Heritage4Media (H4M), Run by architectural historians and conservators with extensive media experience, underpinned by the results of years of exhaustive academic and on-going research, and supported by leading heritage, film and television professionals, the integrity and reputation of this valuable resource is flourishing.
H4M’s expanding portfolio is enormously diverse, which appeals greatly to the creative needs and wants of filmmakers. Hence H4M welcomes buildings of all historic forms, whether domestic, ecclesiastical, commercial, industrial, military, or transport, and, in varying states of repair. H4M’s Senior Architectural and Film Advisor Nancy Sheridan explained, ‘our buildings and complexes are generating a great deal of excitement because they’re fresh and bursting with historic integrity.
Production Designers and Directors are desperate for new challenges to stretch their creative talents, and H4M is giving them what they want. We will shortly be able to illustrate our sites with the launch of our unique and beautiful website resource. No other website offers global film, TV, and broadcasting professionals the opportunity to connect to such an eclectic range of buildings, ‘talk’ directly to the owners and curators, or that provides search options that are powerful enough to locate a finite piece of architecture, or architectural feature, pinpointed within an exact geographic range’. Another crucial reason why H4M is attracting so much interest is that H4M has effectively turned the existing location search business model on its head in a very simple and effective way – by adopting a nominal subscription methodology the service is then free to use by the media sector – this is vital during times of austerity.
Natalie Hill, Churches Officer for the Diocese of Gloucester revealed, ‘we approached H4M to represent several of our properties, and our Cathedral. Parishes face a never ending struggle to fund essential maintenance and repairs, and the potential offered by H4M in putting churches in direct contact with the media is a great opportunity to spread this financial burden as well as showcasing their buildings. Indeed a recent BBC project at St Peter & St Paul’s Church in Blockley raised several thousand pounds for the church’s fabric fund from only a few days filming. Without guidance and intervention from H4M we would have received far less.’
Sarah Tibbetts, an independent RICS Surveyor representing a Napoleonic munitions depot added, ‘the ability for historic buildings to produce income is terribly important and is becoming increasingly difficult to source whether it be through actual occupation of buildings or grants to fund their restoration. Our connection to the media world through H4M is an exciting way to potentially create income for the fabulous historic site I represent.’
Using the Website to Broadcast Conservation Messages to Half a Million Users
The H4M website is truly groundbreaking – not only can historic sites subscribe, but so too can heritage institutions, trusts, bodies, and individuals. It will provide the first ever platform for all those working within the extended historic property sector to spread news stories and perspectives across the heritage and media sectors, and to an international audience.
Dr Sheridan further explained, ‘joining the H4M community allows groups and individuals the opportunity to use multiple pages and multi-media tools to promote their campaigns, fundraising initiatives, policies, philosophies, events, career biographies, and news updates to a potential combined heritage and media audience of over 500,000 operatives. Research proved that media professionals are equally interested in the welfare of the historic environment, and so the potential to raise awareness to a huge audience is limitless. This isn’t just about reaching out to heritage and media professionals, it’s about their friends, their families, and their extended network of contacts.’
The research which brought H4M’s objectives to life was recently presented to DCMS and met with great positivity and support. Extracts of this research and relevant case studies will be published in Context shortly.
With no external funding the website has to be run on a self-sustaining basis. Nevertheless subscription rates are very low, and, H4M is offering IHBC members the opportunity to submit their sites, or those they represent, or their organisations, trusts, groups and bodies, for inclusion on the H4M website with a 15% pre-launch discount. For further information, contact Heritage4Media on: 01666 822547, 07736 364722 or email directly to nancy.sheridan@heritage4media.com quoting ‘IHBC Offer’.
