'Theatrical' Registration Plates

[M7BNM]

Hello all,

Not posted on here for some time!


The plate itself isn't an issue (order a show-plate) but I just wondered if the DVLA have a list of registration plates for theatrical use that are reserved and clearly don't link to anything, much like BT 'issued' 01623 area code for theatrical, mock-up and other use so that the numbers would never connect or those stateside have 555 telephone numbers for television and film use.

I had some vehicles on these registrations I personally scrapped so happy to use one of those, but out of interest I just wondered if such a thing exist as I've drawn a blank.

Obviously this is solely for use on my own property for theatrical purposes and won't be used on the road etc...

Would have posted in the legal section but I can't post there (also as a metrologist I have some input on the recent speedo' calibration thread if I could be allowed access mods?)

Thanks in advance,
Andy

[Big Al.]

Access granted.

Enjoy.

[pip t]

Not to my knowledge, I’ve certainly never come across any issues with putting a VRM on stage.

Vehicles used in film and TV are usually provided by specialist suppliers (in which case the VRM leads back to a hire or production company, not an individual, or people making money out of their car collections. No idea if they take any precautions against being identified through the reg of their car being shown.

I’d imagine very few audience members are likely to come out of the theatre thinking about looking up the reg shown on stage anyway.....!

[M7BNM]

pip t said:

Not to my knowledge, I’ve certainly never come across any issues with putting a VRM on stage.

Vehicles used in film and TV are usually provided by specialist suppliers (in which case the VRM leads back to a hire or production company, not an individual, or people making money out of their car collections. No idea if they take any precautions against being identified through the reg of their car being shown.

I’d imagine very few audience members are likely to come out of the theatre thinking about looking up the reg shown on stage anyway.....!

Thanks Pip, I guess my question is slightly different as I need to 'make up' up a registration rather than using the one issued to the vehicle.

I'm happy to plough ahead with one of my own imagination (unless I can find evidence it exists on a registered vehicle) but, more out of interest than anything I wonder if there is a list of deliberately voided plates.

Thanks for your help though, it's still interesting.
Andy

[pip t]

No worries!

If I need to put a fictional plate on stage I’d pretty much just be making one up and using it. If I was feeling particularly diligent I might do a search to see if my febrile imagination had come up with something that would link to anything.....but it wouldn’t be very high up my to do list....!

To be honest it’s not something that comes up regularly in theatre land...very few productions require a vehicle on stage....!

Out of interest, what’s it for?

[QBee]

01623 is Mansfield, I believe.
Not well known for it's theatres

[pip t]

QBee said:

01623 is Mansfield, I believe.
Not well known for it's theatres

Mansfield Palace is a lovely wee venue!

I didn’t even register that in the initial post - yes it is Mansfield.

01632 is the recommended ‘dramatic’ area code from Ofcom.

For accuracy in realistic scripts, they also provide numbers in geographic area codes.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-inter...

Generally for for film/tv use, though the same could apply to theatre. I’ve never known a scripted number to be an issue though.

[iDrive]

Hi

Yes, DVLA do have a Reserve of unissued plates for film use - I was advised that they were an option when working with them on another issue, though I have to be honest and say I couldn't see the point...

M7BNM said:

Hello all,

Not posted on here for some time!


The plate itself isn't an issue (order a show-plate) but I just wondered if the DVLA have a list of registration plates for theatrical use that are reserved and clearly don't link to anything, much like BT 'issued' 01623 area code for theatrical, mock-up and other use so that the numbers would never connect or those stateside have 555 telephone numbers for television and film use.

I had some vehicles on these registrations I personally scrapped so happy to use one of those, but out of interest I just wondered if such a thing exist as I've drawn a blank.

Obviously this is solely for use on my own property for theatrical purposes and won't be used on the road etc...

Would have posted in the legal section but I can't post there (also as a metrologist I have some input on the recent speedo' calibration thread if I could be allowed access mods?)

Thanks in advance,
Andy

[bigandclever]

The DVLA can provide 'ghost plates' for use for film and TV purposes. Under these circumstances, the DVLA assign ownership of the number plates to the production company for the duration of filming.

[M7BNM]

Cheers all, and well spotted on my typo.

My apologies to the good folk of Mansfield.

It's for a YouTube video, it's some 'found footage' style comedy regarding 1990s self help videos.

The video is called 'Stride With Confidence'.

It'll be posted to later in the summer. Might spot a few 1990s classics in it too.

Thanks again for the help.

[pip t]

iDrive said:

Yes, DVLA do have a Reserve of unissued plates for film use - I was advised that they were an option when working with them on another issue, though I have to be honest and say I couldn't see the point...

bigandclever said:

The DVLA can provide 'ghost plates' for use for film and TV purposes. Under these circumstances, the DVLA assign ownership of the number plates to the production company for the duration of filming.

I stand corrected! Never come across that before.

[bigandclever]

pip t said:

I stand corrected! Never come across that before.

Stolen shamelessly from this doc...

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/safety/documents/genera...

[M7BNM]

bigandclever said:

pip t said:

I stand corrected! Never come across that before.

Stolen shamelessly from this doc...

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/safety/documents/genera...

Well found, interesting document that.

Not sure it's the best use of taxpayer funds to constantly have the 5-0 involved in TV production though, that said, the BBC might not be the best use of taxpayer funds either..


I'll stop before I start ranting!

Cheers again,
Andy

[codenamecueball]

Most new-ish cars belong to the manufacturers hire fleet or press office and are provided directly for filming. Hence why everyone "normal" in a BBC drama drives a K-plated Audi. Line of Duty for example used to do this, except for the last season when they invented plates based on a hybrid of NI and mainland plates with banned letters so they could never really exist. For a saddo like me, seeing a 2005 X5 on a 67 plate made me a little twitchy. Generally it's my understanding that there's no risk to a plate being shown on screen in a drama so you may as well just use the one assigned..

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

M7BNM said:

Hello all,

01623 area code for theatrical,

There has always been plenty of drama in Mansfield.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Yes. A lot of modern dramas have number plates with a slightly different font. If you check them out with is my car taxed or the like they are ficticious.

Drives my other half mad when I point them out!

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

QBee said:

01623 is Mansfield, I believe.
Not well known for it's theatres

Ahhh. you've never been to the Palace then.

[Durzel]

There are variations of existing plates that aren’t legitimate. Pre-current format - I, O, Q, U or Z couldn’t exist as a prefix. Not 100% on current format but I believe I, Q and Z can’t be used in the prefix part.

You could make a “looks right” plate using one of these illegitimate prefix letters.

[silverfoxcc]

pip t said:

QBee said:

01623 is Mansfield, I believe.
Not well known for it's theatres

Mansfield Palace is a lovely wee venue!

I didn’t even register that in the initial post - yes it is Mansfield.

01632 is the recommended ‘dramatic’ area code from Ofcom.

For accuracy in realistic scripts, they also provide numbers in geographic area codes.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-inter...

Generally for for film/tv use, though the same could apply to theatre. I’ve never known a scripted number to be an issue though.

When i was working for Post Office Telephones At North Area HO in Crouch End I dealt with the Tudor and Highgate Wood Exchange sales ( Highgate Wood Was notorious as being the first Electronic Exchange in London that opened and closed the same day as it blew up!!) When it reopened it was only in the 8000-9999 level of numbers

I was watching a play on the TV and a HIGhgate Wood number was quoted outside the sequence. Next day,i had a chat0 with the Traffic Division ( they deal with the commission of exchanges and giving us in Sales the number lists to allocate to people), if there was a new number range coming out. They explained that it was one of the ghost numbers that they keep on the system, well book, no computers in those days, to give out if any TV or Film company wanted a number
To digress ,back in those dark days, waiting lists were not uncommon due to the lack of exchange equipment and a wait of a year for a phone was sometimes known
In 1968 1 was working on Stamford Hill exchange and we had 1700+ applications waiting for numbers. The Tales we heard of why someone should have a phone were amazing, but we had a strict pecking order 4B was a new customer, 4A a removing customer 3C i cannot remember but £b and £a were new and removing business, 2 and 1 were Govt departments and hospitals doctors etc
If someone didn't like to wait they got onto their MP who passed it on to the PMG (Post Master General)then a cabinet post, it came down and we had to write reports as to why this individual did not qualify. Flag cases they were called.
Anyway this chap, he must be in his 90s so can now reveal his name, a Mr Leary, was on every other day complaining and his file was nearly an inch thick.He was a real PITA But the day came when the new racks were released and we could start issuing the work to the engineers, to prefit the instruments All these were written out and duplicated on a machine that used an alcohol bases fluid, the old girl that operated this went home each day drunk with the fumes 10 pages of'r the O/T racked this up to 62.5 hours Rich beyond avarice for a few weeks All the exchange boys had to do was pull all the tabs out in one go to get the phones live
One night i had got this guys application to process and i asked what range of numbers each of us had Bob was working on 0000-0250 and i asked him if he has used 1230, he hadn't so it i allocated it to this bugger. Once the exchange opened we plagued him for a few weeks,,every time he answered we just asked if that was STAmford Hill 1230 Leary The Des O'Connor song 1.2.3 O Leary was popular at the time and we sang it to him
I got the irate phone call, and was 'very' sympathetic about his problem, we said we would put a trace on it and let him know what happened. He got a few after that and my boss, who was also in on it, as he had to write all the reports eventually told him we had caught the boys doing it . But at the time it was a brilliant pi55 take.

Got some great dits from the days there. I doubt if anything that happened there would be allowed today with all the PC/HR/H+S and snowflake generation Xmas parties were items of legend

Edited by silverfoxcc on Saturday 30th May 19:29

[33q]

QBee said:

01623 is Mansfield, I believe.
Not well known for it's theatres

You learn something everyday....
I have a theatrical phone number....no wonder I don’t get any calls. Thanks for clearing that up.