Behind the Scenes at Downton Abbey (9 page)

The look for series four is ‘even more luscious’, with greater contrast and gloss, he promises. Technically, that means pushing light sources out to the edges of the set. ‘We have big lights outside the windows, and in the wide shots that’s all there is; there are no lamps on set. This year the lighting is designed to look even more cinematic.’

Like any stately home, Downton Abbey is full of nooks and crannies. Happily for the production team, that means they can introduce new rooms if the plot so demands, such as the boot room, which makes its first appearance in series four.

To create each new set, Donal Woods initially draws it on paper, then he makes a little cardboard model of the design, which he talks through with the construction team. Once the design has been agreed, the team will hammer and saw away to build the structure at Ealing. The lighting department are also consulted, because it is they who will decide how to light the set. ‘I talk with the director of photography and he might say, “Can this window be a little bigger?” so it is very much a collaboration,’ says Woods. ‘All in all, building a set takes a week or two from us agreeing a drawing.’

The props department, meanwhile, are busy sourcing items to dress the set, such as the worn leather riding boots, shoe polish and brushes. As always, Alastair Bruce is on the alert for anything incongruous. ‘To me, everything must be practical,’ says Bruce, ‘If there are items positioned in working areas that are there to make them look pretty, then that’s not right. The rooms are not display cases – they must be practical.’ Nevertheless, as well as being functional, the boot room also provides a discreet corner where the staff can share a private word – while keeping an ear out for the approach of Mr Carson or Mrs Hughes, of course.

The servants’ hall is dominated by a board of gleaming bells. Their ring is the cue for a footman or ladies’ maid to attend to a member of the family in one of the house’s many impressively named rooms, such as ‘Grantham’, ‘Stanhope’ or ‘East Anglia’. During filming, a crew member stands on the other side of the wall, pulling hidden strings to sound the required bell.

For the cast, this set frequently signals a big group scene, as this is also where their characters gather to eat. Often lengthy to film, these scenes offer a chance for the actors to catch up between takes. ‘The servants’ hall scenes are really fun to do,’ says Joanne Froggatt (Anna). ‘We have quite a giggle.’