To mark the centenary of WWI, Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, has produced an acclaimed documentary, They Shall Not Grow Old. Using the latest cutting edge production techniques to restore and colourise original footage from the Imperial War Museum, alongside interviews with servicemen, the film brings to life the soldiers' experiences in unprecedented detail. To accompany the film's BBC broadcast, this special episode of What Do Artists Do All Day follows Jackson at work on the documentary, discussing his motivations for making the film and revealing his own deep personal connection to the war, through his British grandfather who fought at the Somme.

1927年，乔治·瓦伦丁是默片的最佳男主角。每次他在舞台上，都会逗得观众捧腹大笑。爱犬是他的黄金配角，其他女演员只有靠边站的份。一次，面对媒体采访，他无意中邂逅了一位表现欲超强的女子佩皮·米勒，尽管后者抢镜出风头，但是他还是儒雅以待。不过，这则头条新闻却压过了他的新戏，老板极为不满，老婆也醋性大发。后来，佩皮闯荡好莱坞，恰好与乔治重逢，这令他心神不宁，演戏频频NG。后来，与老板闹僵的乔治，决定自立门户，自编自导自演。与此同时，佩皮却借助有声电影的契机迅速蹿红，成为了首屈一指的明星。最终，他的默片与她的有声片档期撞车，一场在新与旧、情感与票房的争夺战拉开序幕……