Services
Peter Wagstaff, Managing Director of SceneSpan, has spent years in academia and the arts. A relentless autodidact, Peter makes it his business to be expert in his clients’ projects.
He has studied history, musicology, philosophy, politics, and modern and ancient languages, and specialises in bringing this knowledge and experience to bear in arts and entertainment.
Peter co-ordinates all SceneSpan projects, pulling together his own research with the work of clients, other SceneSpan consultants, and outside experts, to offer a comprehensive portfolio of advice and support.
“SceneSpan is hands down the best idea I’ve ever had. I get to use my passion for historical scholarship to make great programmes better. I love my job!”
The world’s leading consultancy for historical film & TV.
“Just recently I saw tens of thousands of pounds go down the drain on one costume authenticity mistake – the shoot day was lost. If SceneSpan had been consulting (which we weren’t!), the production would have saved all that, as well as offsetting SceneSpan‘s fee in one day. Funny world, TV.” – Peter
Why SceneSpan?
To raise the bar.
To take the hassle out of history. SceneSpan helps you tell your story, and increases productivity, morale and profit to boot.
What’s the value?
- Better, more authentic script
- Better, more authentic costumes
- Better, more authentic sets, props and locations
therefore…
- Happier, more productive team
- higher ratings and better reviews
- Delighted networks that will hire you time and again
and most importantly…
- A great show
“For costume related queries, researching online is such a minefield of resources and it takes weeks to work out the correct answers which we simply never had. You are also constantly worried you may have it wrong. It was incredibly reassuring to have Peter a call away with script on hand to answer any queries and last minute requests from the production. Peter and his team are an absolute delight to work with and oh so knowledgeable. Thank you SceneSpan!“
Anonymous survey feedback from Becoming Elizabeth production team member
Which periods do we cover?
In short, ca.500 BCE to 1901 CE. How do we do that? We are not one academic; we are a team. Whether Ancient Greece & Rome, Tsarist Russia, or Victorian England, we either have an expert on staff for you, or we’ll find one.
What makes SceneSpan unique?
We offer comprehensive support, working closely with the editorial and production teams. We see to all their research needs, allowing them to get on with what they do best.
SceneSpan has an innovative approach to historical consulting. While authenticity is our watch-word, we believe our job is to help our clients tell their story. There must be a balance between authenticity and creative vision. We’re here to strike that balance.
Consulting
Our goal: To help you ‘design the door’. To give you a great drama and a happier team.
DEVELOPMENT
Hours spent researching is not the best use of the writers’ & script editor’s time. We join the editorial team at the development stage to take that work on, and to help shape a story that is authentic and consistent. If you have in-house researchers, we support them and help direct their work.
PRODUCTION
“Just recently I saw tens of thousands of pounds go down the drain on one costume authenticity mistake – the shoot day was lost. If SceneSpan had been consulting (which we weren’t!), the production would have saved all that, as well as offsetting SceneSpan’s fee in one day. Shame.” – Peter
How much valuable time and money is wasted dealing with authenticity questions over costumes, props, sets, locations, music, and much more besides? Nobody on the team is an expert researcher after all. Errors creep in, because nobody knows the right questions to ask. This is what SceneSpan is for. We actively support all production departments with their history issues, freeing them up to do what they do best.
Remember – the earlier in a project a consultant is engaged, the better value they bring. It’s more cost-efficient to consider issues at the start, than fix them later.
On-set support
THERE ON THE DAY
What happens when there’s a question on set, but the academic hired to advise isn’t there because they have a day job on the other side of the country (or the world)? SceneSpan guarantees on-set support, to answer those last-minute questions from cast and crew.
SceneSpan consultants are the expert eyes, helping bring that extra polish and avoid unforeseen errors and inconsistencies.
We’re here to help our clients tell their story, in every facet and from every angle. When there’s a friendly face on set who knows what to do and is happy to help anybody, you’d be amazed at their value.
