A lively and engaging look at how Hollywood filmmakers work with the history community and historical sources when setting movies in the past. This is a pupil resource, and teachers can use it in a range of lessons about historical sources and interpreting the past. Two groups of pupils go on a quest to find out how history gets on the screen. Key contributors include historical consultant Robin Lane-Fox from the Oliver Stone epic 'Alexander', experimental archaeologist Bob Savage from the Royal Armouries and Oscar winning costume designer Jenny Beavan. The programme explores how filmmakers use many of the same techniques and resources as 'proper' historians. In the final part we discover that historians can learn from the filmmakers through the manufacture and testing of arms and costumes that had often only been studied in texts and architectural sources. The pupils can draw their own conclusions about how useful film is for the study of history.

Video Series: KS2 History
Release Date 2006