The BBC is delivering a special Christmas present to the greeting card industry, with a festive episode of its popular Inside the Factory to include extensive coverage on Christmas cards as a result of filming at Woodmansterne Publications’ Watford premises.
The Christmas Special (scheduled to be broadcast on BBC 2 on December 22 at 9pm, and available on Iplayer afterwards) promises to share the nation’s enthusiasm for sending greeting cards, revealing an insight in just what is involved in their production with presenter Gregg Wallace (pictured above with co-presenter Cherry Healey) following the journey of The Red Stag, one of Woodmansterne’s best sellers from design concept with senior designer Amy Eastland right through production to it being shipped to retailers and distributors all over the world.
“We are delighted that the BBC were so excited to capture the work and wonder that goes into making Christmas cards,” commented Seth Woodmansterne, managing director of Woodmansterne Publications. “I’m really proud that the industry is being represented at Christmas (especially in these unusual times) and that the value of people connecting in meaningful ways with loved ones has been reinforced.”
The programme will detail how the process begins with a delivery of 1.2 million sheets of sustainable Italian paper or board. Gregg is then filmed making the printing plates that he will use to transfer his design onto what is described as ‘the Rolls Royce of printing presses’. He likens loading this huge 23 tonne machine with rich vibrant inks to be ‘like spreading jam on toast’ and when it’s fired up, it prints a whopping 10 cards per second. Using blisteringly hot metal dyes, foil is then pressed onto the cards, before they are cut to size by a laser sharp guillotine that terrifies Gregg! The finished cards go to Woodmansterne’s warehouse, described as a “giant Xmas card grotto” which can hold nine million cards.
The idea for the programme was a result of Woodmansterne having been involved in the 2019 Christmas special of Inside the Factory, when they homed in on the making of Caltime Advent calendars. As Kate Leach, Woodmansterne’s head of marketing explained: “The team had a whale of a time and loved the factory, so we agreed to keep in touch with the prospect of future filming. Following many texts and calls between the producer and I over the months (and a short lived plan for 2020 filming!) we were finally able to invite the Voltage TV film crew back to site in early 2021 and the show was commissioned by the BBC in May ready for filming in June. I must admit to being overjoyed at having secured such a great showcase for our greeting cards on BBC2 primetime!”
Amy Eastland, senior designer of Woodmansterne and creator of The Red Stag design which features heavily admits that while delighted, she was also “a little terrified when I learned that my card had been selected for Inside the factory, and as a result I would be responsible for walking Gregg through the design process. To say it was nerve-racking would be an understatement (I’m far more comfortable behind a computer screen,) but Gregg totally put me at ease with many a Deer related joke and the filming flew. I look forward to seeing Christmas cards front and centre on the BBC just before the big day!”
The filming was something of a ‘white knuckle ride’ at times, quite literally. As Seth admits, distilling the multifarious processes involved into a short TV programme with an easy-to-understand story can lead to some interesting versions of reality. “My knuckles have just about recovered from opening the side curtain of a paper delivery lorry 20 times for one scene – not a regular part of my day job!”
The episode is due to be broadcast at 9pm on BBC2 in December.
