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BBC COSTUME + WIGS SCOOPS HIGH PROFILE FILM WORK

XX January 2004: BBC Costume + Wigs have secured business with a number of high profile designers working on major films. Recent work include costumes for “Girl With a Pearl Earring”, which tells the story behind the creation of Vermeer's 1665 painting of the same title; and wigs for Cold Mountain, an epic love story that conveys the horrors of the American Civil War. Both films are tipped for wins at this year’s Oscars.

“Girl with a Pearl Earring”, the first feature for director Peter Webber, contains minimal dialogue and focuses on the visual aspect of the film. Each frame is like a painting with careful attention paid to achieving the right colour, light, costume and camera angle. It follows Griet, a young maid in the household of Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth) and his patron, van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson), whose attraction for Griet leads him to commission a painting of her entitled "Girl with a Pearl Earring."
Costume designer, Dien van Straalen studied a number of images from the time and worked closely with BBC Costume + Wigs to source a number of costumes for the film and was keen to accurately capture the look and feel of Dutch life in the 1660’s. She used a number of silk dresses from this period as well as worn down clothes for the crowd and market scenes. Some of the principal actors were also fitted at BBC Costume + Wigs in North Acton.
In addition, BBC Costume + Wigs worked on the film adaptation of "Cold Mountain". Directed by Anthony Minghella, it traces Nicole Kidman as Ada, a well-bred preacher's daughter who falls in love with a simple working man from Cold Mountain, North Carolina, named Inman played by Jude Law. When the Civil War breaks out, Inman joins the Confederate army. Renee Zellweger plays the feisty Ruby, a country woman who helps the sheltered Ada during the war when she almost gives up hope of seeing Inman again.

Wigs supplied for Cold Mountain amounted to the wig store’s largest job in 2003 with a large quantity of wigs being used over a six month period. The make up designer, Ivana Primorac, first approached BBC Costume + Wigs following a recommendation from Nicole Kidman's hairdresser who had previously used the facility and was working with Nicole on Cold Mountain. Again great pains were taken to transport the audience back to the 1860s through the historically accurate wigs.

Alan Godleman, Manager, BBC Costume + Wigs comments: “We are delighted to be working with a number of the most creative designers on these prestigious films. It has helped us to build our business in to a success story. Currently over 60% of our work is coming from the commercial sector - predominately feature films - but we also get quite a lot of work from fashion companies and advertising agencies, which value not only our stock but our expertise on different genres and periods.”

If you are interested in using the service, please call Hilary Swift (costumes) or Philippa Devon (wigs) on +44 (0)20 8576 1761 or email: costume@bbc.co.uk.

-ENDS-
About BBC Costume + Wigs
A collection of a million high quality costumes searchable via computerised database is available to the TV and film industry and are frequently used in hundreds of productions both large and small each year. Skilled and friendly staff are on hand to offer expertise and advice on costumes and wigs. Specialising in contemporary stock, it is a one-stop-shop for any production.
About BBC Resources
BBC Resources is one of the leading broadcast facilities operations in the UK. The company was incorporated in 1998, and was the first of the BBC’s commercial business-to-business subsidiaries to be established. It now forms one of the four businesses within the BBC Ventures Group – alongside BBC Technology, BBC Broadcast and Kingswood Warren Ventures. BBC Resources supplies a comprehensive set of facilities and services including outside broadcasts, studios, post production and costume and wigs, combining extensive experience with a plethora of award-winning talent and expertise. Mike Southgate is its Managing Director. Further information about BBC Resources can be found at: www.bbcresources.com

For further information, please contact:

Georgie Hollett, PR & Comms Exec, BBC Resources
Tel: +44 (0)20 8576 2350
Mobile: +44 (0)7834 845612 (Mobile)
Email: georgie.hollett@bbc.co.uk

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