Teesside lecturer marks a magical moment in history

The stunning sight of thousands of ceramic poppies outside the Tower of London is a lasting image that people will always remember to mark the centenary of the Great War – and one Teesside University lecturer was lucky enough to capture the whole project on film, from beginning to end.

Peter Wilkinson, a founder of film company Blind Crow Pictures, was asked to record short films about the iconic installation on behalf of the Tower of London.

In fact, he was one of a select number of people who knew about the project from the beginning and was able to film the poppies being carefully crafted in a workshop in Derby.

Peter, who is an Associate Lecturer in Performance for Live and Recorded Media, has made two short films capturing the making and installation of the ceramic poppies.

He described it as the most fulfilling project he has worked on and said that many people he interviewed along the way were reduced to tears by the sheer magnitude of the tribute.

'It was wonderful to watch from the start - to see the poppies being made,' explained Peter.

'Everything was kept secret but there was a feeling from the beginning that it was going to be something quite magical.'

Around four million people visited the installation by Paul Cummins, entitled ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’, which marked the sacrifice made by soldiers in the First World War. The poppies, 888,246 in total, each represent a British or Colonial military fatality during the war and they were carefully placed into a dry moat outside the Tower of London by 8,000 volunteers.

The Queen and Prince Philip, Prime Minister David Cameron and Princes William and Harry were among the many high profile visitors to the display.

Peter added: 'We were there for the Royal visit and on the last day of planting. The world’s media had descended, but the event still maintained its poignancy and intimacy.'

An actor by trade, Peter launched Blind Crow Pictures in 2010 and started off making trailers for theatre companies. Working alongside cinematographer Matt Rozier they filmed and edited the London Poppies films which have been a huge success with the possibility of future films being discussed.

Peter added: 'This has certainly been the most fulfilling project I have been involved with. When you make a film it is because of the art of producing something special, but at the same time you want to create a reaction and you want people to watch your work.

'As a filmmaker you sometimes have to try and tease reactions out of people, but with this project it was not necessary. There were a number of tears shed on camera - people had such an emotional attachment to it. It was such an inspiring project to be involved with.'

You can view Peter’s films here: Making the poppies Poppy installation

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