The use of film and media in museums is decidedly on the increase. Recently I worked with the Colchester and Ipswich Museums in the making of a number of films for their permanent exhibition. The films are part of an interactive display located as you walk in the main hall of the newly refurbished Colchester Castle.

The films shot, consist of a number of personal interviews with members of the local community and the military in Colchester, a garrison town with over 2000 years history. The military have always played an active role in the community of Colchester, contributing greatly to the local economy. The films cover a wealth of different topics, from military and family life, to the roots and legacy of living in a garrison town. So if you are ever in Colchester, do pop in and take a look, well worth a visit.

This was an interesting experience, making a total of 174 two-minute films, which can then be played by visitors using a touch screen. Each film has three versions: plain, with subtitles and with a BSL signer. I really enjoy the challenges of working with museums, as a filmmaker I have to work out the best approach by discussing things with, in this case historians and museum staff. In the past, I also worked with Neuroscientist professor Beau Lotto in his popular Lottolab studio at the Science Museum.

Following a major Lottery funded revamp, Colchester Castle offers many displays using a combination of animation, storytelling, the ability to touch artefacts and video projection. This is increasingly common place in other museums across the UK and in my opinion, a great way of revitalising the whole experience. And in the case of Colchester Castle bringing history to life in the present world.

Museums can, with the help of new technologies and the use of media tools, attract a larger spectrum of audiences and making the successful transition from the physical space of the museum onto other spaces, including our homes, through the development of apps and the internet.