Interview with filmmakerJames Peakman from Bader Media
Josh Bird spoke to local filmmaker James Peakman about his new feature Operation War Thunder as it releases on Amazon Prime and discussed the challenges of making an indie film with the limitations a restricted budget brings.
Josh Bird: First off, just wanted to say a massive congratulations on getting the project on Amazon Prime because the project was made for around £1000 right?
James Peakman: Yes, only around a grand!
JB: You also set up a profit share system with 50% of profits going to The Bader Heritage Band, how much does that mean to you?
JP: It means so much, just for the fact it did have such a little budget and there were so few people involved in the making of the film itself. I think 90%-95% was shot by just the three of us, we didn’t have the resources or finances but we had an idea and just thought, why not? To set up a profit share with The Bader Heritage Band, the UK's first big band made up from disabled musicians, is what Bader Media CIC is all about.
JB: Was there anything that particularly inspired you while you were in production as I felt felt editing was inspired by Spaced and early Edgar Wright?
JP: We watched old 50s & 60s low-budget sci-fi and Hammer Horror films also. And yes, there’s a bit of Edgar Wright there, we’re all fans of his Cornetto trilogy, and we did actually watch Spaced prior to making the movie. We like spoofs like Naked Gun and Airplane! and wanted to bring a bit of that humour into it but keep it very British as well.
JB: How did your techniques achieve the incredible cinematic scope that replicate those films that were inspirations?
JP: It’s very important in taking the time to think about what your putting in front of the camera and sometimes it takes that extra effort to travel around somewhere that has what you want in your vision. Finding a great location was the same with Operation War Thunder. We knew the Cottage in the film had a quirkiness and looked very cinematic anyway. We didn’t have a big lighting crew so used a lot of natural light as much as possible.
JB: Given it was the three of you, how difficult was it to jump from in front of the camera then behind it to behind it?
JP: It wasn’t easy! It was time-consuming because we had to set up the scene, stand in, then do a take then pause, watch it on the monitor and decide if something was working or not. We delegated certain roles, so Andrew concentrated more on sound whereas my job was more on lighting and the filming aspect along with Danyan. Danyan is part of the Bader Media team but we very briefly trained her on how the camera worked and what she needed to be looking for, she just went straight in for it and did really well.
JB: Was having fun on the set something that was dear to you going into the project?
JP: Yeah, we kind of share the same sense of humour. There are a lot of outtakes of us laughing and breaking down because we’re not used to being on camera so it did get funny at times. It is important that you have that sort of good relationship beforehand, and I think that’s how we were able to portray that on film because of our sort of limited acting ability and experience.
JB: The comic delivery strong but you also tackle quite serious themes so did you feel you had to tap into something a little bit different?
JP: No, we were very serious during some scenes. We called one the “heart-to-heart” scene where it’s the first time two characters have the opportunity express their feelings to each other about their past . Although we didn’t do much rehearsing overall, we did spend more time on that scene because we knew it had to be convincing and added more depth.
JB: Regarding the writing, was the script locked down or was there a bit of improvising?
JP: Yes, I do like a little bit of improv from the actors on films I make because the actors know the characters more than me by the time we’ve arrived on set. So I like to give freedom on a group project and different ideas can come from anywhere.
JB: Your mission statement talks about a “can do” attitude, and you even named the company after Sir Douglas Bader, and I wondered if you think that is the greatest asset when making a film?
JP: All the time. A lot of it is problem-solving and there’s a lot of people that really want to make movies but just don’t get around to doing it or something gets in the way. It’s not their fault but I think our team just find a way of doing it. So we cracked on and got it done. When people told Bader, “You’ve got no legs to fly a plane”, he said “We’ll see about that”. He ended up being a fighter ace in the Battle of Britain. So, that was something we’ve always done.
JB: So you were able to get on with it, was everything a bit smoother?
JP: Yeah it was definitely a bit smoother. The more people involved the more technical and complicated it has been. We did a horror film in 2022 called The Shimian (MM review here) and 20 people were involved so organising everybody at the same time was problematic. It was tougher in some aspects but easier in others but is something we’re going to try and do again for our next project.
JB: Do your new projects have a similar sort of tone as Operation War Thunder?
JP: No, it’s going to be a drama-thriller, so rather than going back into another comedy, we’ll do something different and test ourselves by doing another Western. We’re currently writing it but hope to go to Spain again for a part of it with the rest done in the Midlands.
JB: Speaking of, do you think the Midlands is an untapped area with its own voice?
JP: Absolutely, but it’s starting to be tapped. Areas like Digbeth in Birmingham, especially since Peaky Blinders is filming the movie there, can draw more and more productions to the region. This is a fantastic place to make movies, with some wonderful locations around, including Sutton Park as well as industrial locations in the cities. It’s a small community of filmmakers but it’s a talented one and I think the more that we grow around the Midlands, it proves we can do it here and I think in years to come it’s only going to get better.
JB: When Steven Spielberg part-filmed Ready Player One that was an eye opener to a lot of people in the area and showed there was potential to grow?
JP: Yeah, it also helps with publications like Midlands Movies and your awards. Publications supporting Midlands films always gives an opportunity to get reviews and more of these things are a great help for the filmmakers themselves so it’s a great platform.
JB: Thank you so much for chatting to us James
JP: Thank you.
Find out more about Bader Media on their website
www.badermediacic.com
JOSH BIRD
Instagram @birdy9136
