ABOUT US
Radley Video is supported by and operated within Radley College. We are based in the theatre and will film many of the plays, shows and concerts in the theatre and Silk Hall. Money to buy and service equipment. will be raised through sales of DVDs. We will also offer support, such as converting filmed rugby matches to DVD and flash video for use on the intranet. We also film for outside organisations and other schools. View details.
Radley Video (previously Radley College Video Unit) began in 1989, though it was then called ‘The Film Production Society’. Video provided the ease of use and flexibility necessary for school productions, and we bought an S-VHS camcorder for £2000, followed a few months later with a video editing suite at a cost of £12,000.
Today, we use 3 video editing computers, and costing £1,800 each, are vastly superior. We produce broadcast quality pictures in High Definition on Blu-ray if required.
Our first production – the "Carol Service & Christmas Concert" which became known as "Radley at Christmas"- proved to be an instant hit with parents, and the "Radley at Christmas" VHS tape became our main source of income for many years. The 2004 edition – released on DVD for the first time – sold over 100 copies.
During the early 90’s we installed a cable network in Chapel so that several cameras could be connected to a mixing unit housed upstairs in the Vestry. We fitted a similar system to connect the Old Gym to the Electronics lab so that plays could be filmed and edited ‘on-line’ i.e. as they happened. When the New Theatre was constructed we ensured that it was fully cabled for video!
In 1991 we produced a film called “Glimpses of Radley”. Virtually all aspects of Radley life were included and the film was an instant success. This was followed in 1995 by “Royal Glimpses” featuring the Queen’s visit to the school to open Queen’s Court. In 2004 the first two Glimpses films were digitally remastered and produced on DVD.
“A Medley of Glimpses” was released in 2003 and with over 300 copies sold, remains our most popular production ever. It was the first Glimpses film to feature music entirely performed by Radley students.
The fourth Glimpses of Radley - which features "The Beauchamp Era" reveals how Radley has changed during the past 18 years during the time of Bursar Richard Beauchamp. The main feature runs for 38 minutes, though with all the bonus features the total running time is over 3 hours, spread across 2 discs.
The arrival of DVD has made our productions much more attractive to the boys, and we now film most of the Social Cultural Evenings, in addition to other plays and shows and sporting events. The purchase of 4 High Definition cameras enabled us to produce "Radley at Christmas 2008" in High Definition on Blu-ray disc. Although most people will still be using standard DVDs, they will still notice the superior image quality when given the Hi-Def treatment.
We also encourage students to produce mini feature films, and pop videos.