THE YOUNG VICTORIA PRODUCTION NOTES - Thecia

All the things we wanted in Adelaide. “Harriet’s performance is a real revelation because
she took a part that might have seemed small on the page and she invested it with such
raw emotion and integrity. Adelaide is Victoria’s mentor and you always know she’s got
Victoria’s best interest at heart which is so important as everyone else is pushing and
pulling at Victoria with their own agendas.”
Hagen Bogdanski was recruited to be director of photography. Vallée explains his choice.
“Hagen did such a great job on The Lives of Others which was unique and original. We
had a number of German elements to the film, there was German blood in the monarchy
and we had a number of German actors working on the film and I liked that he was
German, it seemed right. He's also very calm and he was an essential creative
accomplice. He was also able to be edgy, he would often joke, ‘I'm getting out of my
comfort zone for you Jean-Marc.’ He trusted my eye and it was nice of him to be humble
enough to allow me to design shots."
O' Sullivan adds, “We’d all seen The Lives of Others and loved the look of the film. We
met with Hagen and he had a real connection to this story of a young person trying to find
her voice. He was also very interested in the German aspect of the film. The idea that the
British Royal Family had it’s roots in Germany. Hagen is an artist and watching him and
Jean-Marc collaborate every day was a treat.”
Graham King had originally looked at filming in Eastern Europe and Germany, because of
the expense of filming in the UK, but soon decided that it was essential to film in the UK in
order for the film to be as authentic as possible.
Filming took place at 17 locations throughout England including Blenheim Palace,
Hampton Court Palace, Arundel Castle, Lincoln Cathedral, Ham House, Lancaster House,
Belvoir Castle, Wilton House, Ditchley Park and Balls Park.
Graham King explains, "It adds so much to the film to shoot at these beautiful locations.
You look at these places and think how can you not shoot here. Not only does the film
look ravishing, but it's important for everyone especially the cast and director to feel that
authenticity and see that translate onto the screen."
"We had so many locations on this film it was incredible. I believe we were on location for
something like 37 days out of a 50 day shoot," says O'Sullivan. "To have access to all
those wondrous places was so important, because it immediately transports you. I've
seen so many period films where you can tell that the producers have spent money on
one or two beautiful locations and that's it. For an audience to really feel like they're
getting a glimpse into what it was like to be royal it was important to have a big visual
scope to the film."
In order to carry through the accurate recreation of the period, Alastair Bruce acted as
historical advisor to ensure that etiquette and historic details were accurate. His
experience as a broadcaster and his work at the College of Arms assured the filmmakers
they were in good hands. "I'm fascinated about detail," says Bruce. "There is so much to
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