As if our lockdown hasn’t been busy enough, we’ve also found time to contribute to an international documentary series called “A Toy Store Near You”.
Since 2018 we’ve been working with Joseph Hand at Leicester Vintage Toy & Old Toy Shop making a film about his quest for the legendary buried Palitoy Star Wars Figures. Not long into lockdown, Joseph contacted us to say he’d been asked to contribute to a docuseries by the team that produced “The Toys that Made Us” for Netflix. Restrictions meant contributing toy stores across the world were going to have to film their episode themselves in lockdown before sending the footage to Nacelle’s production team in California, where it would be assembled and finally streamed on Amazon Prime and Youtube.
Leicester Vintage Toy Shop Owner, Joseph Hand
Are you taking this seriously??
Working with Joseph on In a Landfill Far, Far Away hasn’t been what you would call a ‘serious’ documentary. After all, we’re dealing with grown adults looking for toys, so we knew we could make an entertaining episode. As the only UK shop asked to contribute, we wanted to make it a true reflection of what we’re going through too.
Camerman and Director, Matt Holt, staying safe on location
Filmmaking in a shop can be tricky at the best of times, but social distancing adds another layer of problems with sanitising of kit, Face-timing interviewees and generally being mindful of the ever present hazard of COVID-19. It’s fun filming in a toy shop, though. Everywhere you look in Leicester Vintage Toys you’re confronted by nostalgia and often spot forgotten toy ranges of your childhood that are now worth unbelievable sums of money.
Just some of the incredible toys on display in Joe’s shop
Capturing the moment . . .
This is the kind of project you know will encapsulate a unique moment in time where everyone is trying their best to carry on as normal; Joseph selling toys to his customers to give them something to look forward to, and us as filmmakers helping to communicate the situation in the UK to the rest of the world. We’re also taking the audience behind the shutters to show how Joseph keeps the shop afloat one sale at a time.
Ours was episode 3 in a series of 40, covering shops around the globe. We were really happy with the final edit from Brian Volk-Wiess and the team at Nacelle. It was a quintessentially quirky British take on a toy store during the pandemic; not taking itself too seriously and trying to entertain the toy community while keeping a stiff upper lip and some bulldog spirit. Joseph came out with some very funny lines and comic asides.
Thinking outside the (toy) box . . .
It’s been tough out there for many toy shops but with so much invested, shop owners like Joe have adapted and survived in the face of a really tricky situation. It also shows how TV production can continue using new working methods with teams working remotely in different countries. Proceeds from the show will go back to help the toy shops featured and keep these passionate pioneers doing what they love best. But what about you? Do you have a favourite toy from yester-year? Let us know in the comments and check out Joe’s Facebook page for more information and fun facts.