WAG Screen is a prolific Lincoln-based non-profit-making community group led by graduates Nick Loven and Chris Roberts.

Working with a team of sometimes over 100 people they have been able to make a film based on the world famous medieval manuscript the Luttrell Psalter and to follow this with a film (in two parts) of Tennyson’s poem The The Lady of Shalott.

Both of these films were made for The Collection, Lincoln’s museum, and are available on DVD. You can see more of their work here and on a blog by their costumier, Pauline Loven.

WAG Screen have also completed a short film for Church Farm Museum,

Dante Ferrara wrote the music for the Lady of Shalott and here is a music video of Dante playing La Donna di Shalott mixed with footage from the film.

Crow’s Eye Productions

Nick Loven runs his own business, Crow’s Eye Productions. working closely with Chris Roberts. They specialise in heritage and wildlife films and are currently working on a series of comic sketches based on famous paintings, for Imagination Potential

Crow’s Eye Productions have their own costume department, The Orchard House Wardrobe, and Nick and Chris work closely with Pauline Loven (Nick’s mother), who runs the costume creation side of the business. She agreed to answer some more questions about this remarkable family production business:

How long has WAG Screen been going?
Since July 2006: WAG Screen’s agenda is to create films of local stories that have a national and even international importance. It is also our aim to create opportunities for talented local people and to help stimulate the development of a local film industry.

How long has Crow’s Eye been going?
Also since July 2006. Crow’s Eye has handled all the production work for WAG Screen so far. Crow’s Eye is currently doing the famous paintings short sketches for Imagination Potential.

Who are WAG Screen’s clients, apart from The Collection?

In addition to what we have done for the Collection other local museums have also asked us to make films. In the future we will do these through Crow’s Eye Productions directly, so that the community group can concentrate on its own extraordinary, Lincolnshire heritage-based, projects. We have a major project in the pipeline.heritage based, projects. We have a major project in the pipeline.

How are the films funded?

WAG Screen raises funding for its films; funding bodies have included Lincoln City Council and The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. We now sell DVDs of our work which keeps a little money trickling in to the account.

How much use do you make of university student help – any examples?

We would love to have Lincoln media student help – that was one of the reasons we set up the community group, to offer that invaluable experience! So far we have had large numbers of students from Bishop Grosseteste University College (both drama and heritage) and even Retford College (period hair and make-up), but none from the University of Lincoln! However, Lincoln University staff have been fantastic in their continuing support of our work, especially David Sleight, Brian Rudd and Andrew McKay.

How did it all start?

After University Nick did a couple of short contracts with the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol before coming up with such an original idea, The Luttrell Psalter Film, that the community group was set up to make it possible. WAG Screen continues to do short films that could not be achieved commercially. Nick has also worked on the Cinders production, as director of photography with his friend Darren Scales and the rest of the Backyard Productions volunteers
Chris (who is Nick’s uncle) went to university as a mature student and works part time for the probation service – the rest of his time is devoted to filmmaking.