All in all it’s not a long time in which to shoot a film (Wild Bill had six weeks) and there were a few scenes that we weren’t able to get simply because of the time constraints of a 20-day shoot. But all in all the cast and crew and Jason in particular performed miracles above and beyond the call of duty considering the conditions. The shoot came right in the middle of a cold snap when the temperatures rarely got above 0°C during the day. Then, when the sun went down in the evening, they would plunge into minus figures and a strange red haze would tint the frozen mists that hung over the set (my rear lights as I headed home).
Other than the temperature though, we were pretty lucky with the weather. It didn’t snow, it only rained a couple of times and when it did we were able to film inside and no hurricanes rolled through Hertfordshire to halt production. That’s important on a tight budget. A little luck is always needed and I’m relieved to say we had it on Eat Local. Otherwise it might not have got made. The day before the first day of filming it started snowing and I thought we were buggered. But the snows cleared overnight and never threatened again.
The same thing happened on Wild Bill. The first day of filming went swimmingly (and involved the scenes with Andy Serkis in the cemetery and train) but then the heavens opened on the second day. All the scenes that were scheduled to be shot that day had to be switched inside and a nearby cafe was bunged a couple of grand so that it could close for the day and let Dexter use it as an improvised location. In fact if you watch the cafe scene in which Bill, Terry and Dicky talk you can see it snowing outside. If it hadn’t have been, this scene would’ve taken place at a bus stop (I think). It’s better in a cafe though. I wish I’d thought of that.
No such problems on Eat Local. Other than the cold and a whole lot of mud, production was only threatened by the weather once, on the final Sunday when Eve and Billy filmed the scene in which Vanessa picks Sebastian up from the train station. The winds, the rain and the sleet were atrocious but they got what they needed and no one died in the process – at least no one important.
The main location used throughout the film was Stockers Farm. It’s a working farm with stables and horses but also doubles as a film set and has appeared in a number of movies such as 28 Weeks Later (the opening chase scenes with Robert Carlisle) and Children of Men (Michael Caine’s house). It’s a perfect film location. It looks like a rural idyll and could pass for anywhere – Sussex, Derbyshire or the Highlands – but it is in fact just inside the M25, 5mins from Rickmansworth High Street and within touching distance of The Groucho Club in Soho, an important factor when dealing with actors. In fact, it’s just around the corner from a massive Tesco’s, which provided many of the Ginsters wrappers that could be found in my car during the course of the shoot.
Stockers Farm.
The unit itself was based in a very nice pub on Woodcock Hill, Harefield Road called The Rose & Crown. This doubled as a location and the place where Mackenzie Crook and I locked acting horns and provided some of the soldiers’ name to boot, with Private Rose (Nick Moran), Private Crown (Ben Starr) and Private Woodcock (me). Private Stoker (Dean Kember) was meant to be Private Stocker but I misspelled his name and no one thought to check, so these days I pretend I named him in honour of Bram Stoker, the father of all modern day vampires. But he wasn’t. He was named in honour of my propensity for typos.
While we’re on the subject, Simon Allix was named Private Putney because his scene was shot separately in March on Putney Common, just around the corner from another very nice pub, The Telegraph (see a pattern emerging?) and Nicolas Rowe was named Private Gary because he was meeting his mate Gary and couldn’t stick around for a pint afterwards. Hardly scientific but you try and come up with half a dozen names at short notice and see how you do. Lastly, Rocci Williams was Private Frost for obvious weather-related reasons.
The other key location was Cholsey Railway Station in Oxfordshire. This acted as the location for Sebastian and Vanessa’s first meeting place and our one and only scene with future superstars Kavab Stables and Roman Clark (aka. Mick and Nick). Give us a quid!
The catering was supplied (believe it or not) by Jamie Oliver. Yes, him off the telly. I never saw him frying any eggs in person but he provided all the equipment, the trucks, the food and the personnel in the shape Jai Harrower, Barnaby Benbow and Arron Harrower. More often that not you don’t notice the crews’ names at the end of a film but these guys are well worth pointing out, not only for the amazing grub they provided in difficult conditions but also for not owning a coat between them. In the middle of winter! On a night shoot! They did this fantastic Green curry one night that a posh Thai restaurant could’ve charged top dollar for and had everyone going back for seconds. At least I went back for seconds. And I still managed a Ginsters on the way home. I am a writer not an actor. I can let myself go as much as I like.
Whatever happens with the film now, whether it cleans up at the Oscars or disappears without a trace, that’s very much in the laps of the Gods. Either way, and purely from my own point of view, it was a wonderful experience to be a part of and something I’ll never forget. Nor indeed will my son.
CHARLIE’S BIG DAY OUT
For most of my son’s life, Charlie’s only ever seen me slip off to the spare bedroom to tap on a keyboard. Most dads go to work (some even earn money apparently) but Charlie’s dad just plays with the computer all day long while he’s slogging his guts out at school. It must be hard for him to understand what I do. It’s hard enough for me. So when Eat Local happened I decided to take Charlie along to the set to show him how films are made.
Who knows when I might get another chance?
First thing was first, I had to get him out of school. I sought permission from the Head teacher and dressed it up as work experience but she wasn’t buying it. She said she couldn’t authorise such an absence but agreed it sounded like a worthwhile experience. It would go down in Charlie’s school record as an unauthorised absence but we wouldn’t be fined. Charlie reckoned he could live with that so one cloudy Wednesday in January, while his classmates went to school to sit up straight and stop mucking about, Charlie and me shared a massive bag of fizzy Haribos on our way to see the vampires at Stocker’s Farm.
It was a lovely day. Freezing cold but fun. Charlie got to play with guns and rocket launchers and meet some of the cast and crew who were filming that day, all of whom made him feel very welcome. The only downside was that day’s lunch. Mackerel. It’s a fantastic fish and was done to perfection but it wasn’t to Charlie’s tastes so we shared a Ginsters and another bag of Haribos.
Here’s some pictures I took from that day, one that I hope will live as long with Charlie as it will with me (now I just need to get three more films made in order to wangle my other kids a day off school).
Charlie and director, Jason Flemyng.
Two Charlies together; King and Cox (Henry).
With Billy Cook (Sebastian).
With Tony Curran (Boniface).
Charlie at the Coven’s meeting table.
I’ll give you “unauthorised absence”.
Charlie in the Thatchers’ fridge.
Filming on the hill.
Getting warm.
CAST
Henry Charlie Cox
Angel Freema Agyeman
Boniface Tony Curran
Larousse Mackenzie Crook
Colonel Bingham Robert Portal
Vanessa Eve Myles
Sebastian Billy Cook
Alice Annette Crosbie
Chen Lukaz Leong
The Duke Vince Regan
18 Johnny Palmiero
Mrs Thatcher Ruth Jones
Mr Thatcher Dexter Fletcher
Thomas Jordan Long
Nick Kavab Stables
Mick Roman Clark
Mina Elly Fairman
Lucy Tine Stapelfeldt
Station Master Blain Fairman
Private Putney Simon Allix
Private Rose Nick Moran
&
nbsp; Private Crown Ben Starr
Private Gary Nicholas Rowe
Private Frost Rocci Williams
Private Woodcock Danny King
Soldiers Adam Horton
Adrian Bower
Alan Eisner
Alexander Sagar
Andy Davies
Andy Lister
Asa Sims
Ben Fairman
Brian Court
Charles Albert
David Binnie
David Little
Soldiers (cont.) Gary Toms
George Craggs
Glen Steyn
Hue Wright
Jai Harrower
James Daniel Wilson
James Warren
Joseph Graggs
Judo Jim
Karl Foulkes
Kieran Clarke
Luke Osgrove
Milo Makromallis
Neil Webster
Oliver Leach
Paul Dickinson
Paul Storey
Philip Kemp
Sam Parham
Sergiy Kushayev
Stuart S-Garner
Ted Harrison
Will Sutton
CREW
Director Jason Flemyng
Producer Rod Smith
Producer Jonathan Sothcott
Line Producer Neil Jones
Production Manager Kat Stephens
Production Coordinator Aleisha McLardy
Production Designer Russell DeRozario
Editor Alex Fenn
First Assistant Director Mick Ward
Second Assistant Director Lee Tailor
Third Assistant Director Noel Corbally
Art Director Louise Vogel
Standby Art Director & Graphics Oskar DeRozario
Set Decorator Charlotte Taylor
Props Master George Morris
Construction Manager Danny Brown
Transport & Props Jimmy Edwards
Standby Armourer Rob Armitage
Cinematographer Chas Bain
Camera Operator/Steadicam Sean Savage
First Assistant Camera Simon Heck
Second Assistant Camera Scott Jamison
Camera Trainee Graeme McCormick
Tracking Quad Bike Matt Coulter
DIT Steve Evans
Costume Designer Sophie Canale
Costume Standby Nadia Merabti
Costume Advisor Sammy Sheldon
Costume Assistant Kasenya Dudley
Costume Standby Emma Evans
Costume Trainee Carolina Fernandaz
Post Production Supervisor Ian Grey
Production Sound Mixer John Hayes
First Assistant Sound Andrew Rowe
Second Assistant Sound Peter Allen
Composer James Brett
Supervisor Sound Editor Danny Sheehan
Post Production Audio Gavin Rose
Hair and Makeup Designer Tamara Ramsey-Crockett
Makeup Assistant Nancy Daniell
Makeup Trainee Sarah Wichall
Hair and Makeup Advisor Fae Hammond
Special Effects Makeup Designer Sangeet Prabhaker
Special Effects Makeup Trainee Dana Degan
Hairdresser Keith Beer
Make-up Trainee Daisy Beer
Prosthetics Chris Lyons
Script Supervisor Julia Chiavetta
Special Effects Supervisor David Payne
Special Effects Senior Technician Anthony Auger
Special Effects Senior Technician Karl Openshaw
Special Effects Senior Technician Jody Taylor
Special Effects Technician Alistair Anderson
Special Effects Technician Peter Simons
Stunt Coordinator Steve Dent
Stunt Rigger Will Dent
Bike Stunt Performer Kieran Clarke
Visual Effects Supervisor Theo Albanis
Visual Effects Supervisor Koutsoliotas Kostas
Gaffer Tom Gates
Best Boy/Electrician Adrian Mackay
Best Boy/Electrician Kevin Heathrington
Electrician Camil Liberto
Electrician Niall Crawford
Electrician Paul Synnott
Electrician Ross Lusted
Electrician Terry Roberts
Electrician Tom Tailor
Key Grip Pat Garrett
Rigger John Fenelly
Rigging Consultant Sam Skipper
Fight Director (2nd Unit) Jason Statham
Stunt Action Camera (2nd Unit) Adam Horton
First Assistant Director (2nd Unit) Peter Freeman
Script Supervisor (2nd Unit) Sarah Armstrong
Third Assistant Director (2nd Unit) Faz Buffery
Casting Director Lucinda Syson
Assisting Casting Director Bex Reynolds
Casting Associate Natasha Vincent
Head of Marketing Amanda Kerridge
Unit Publicist Adam Stephen Kelly
EPK/Stills Photographer Joe de Kadt
Artwork Mike Kus
Medic Cheryl Ellen
Head Caterer Jai Harrower
Caterer Barnaby Benbow
Caterer Arron Harrower
Production Accountant Shayne Savill
Key Floor Runner Jack Fontaine
Production Runner/Driver Theodore Hammond
Production Runner/Driver Sophie Yauner
Production Runner/Driver Charlotte Carey
Production Runner/Driver Angelos Talentzakis
Production Runner/Driver Kieran Hayhow
Production Runner/Driver Dennis Boon
Production Runner/Driver Harpal Deol
Trainee Production Runner Marli Hart
Location/Unit Manager John Curtis
Location Assistant Richard Orr
Security Guard Jerry-Lee Mackenzie
Security Guard Mariuse Bednore
Driver Lol Smith
Driver Denis Gilmore
Driver Duncan Bradley
Writer Danny King
BIOGRAPHY
Danny King has written for the page, stage, big and small screens. Born in Slough in 1969, he excelled at underachieving, leaving school with no qualifications to work as a hod carrier throughout the late 1980s housing boom. A couple of brushes with the law forced him to sit up and think, so he enlisted in an Access Course and went on to study journalism at The London College of Printing. He spent the next ten years in the magazine industry on such terrible titles as Model Railway Enthusiast and Stamp Magazine before rising (or sinking, depending on your point of view) to become the Editor of Paul Raymond’s flagship title, Mayfair. His first book, The Burglar Diaries, was published in 2001 to critical acclaim and became the basis of his BBC Three sitcom, Thieves Like Us. Eight more novels followed, together with his debut feature, Wild Bill, for which he and co-writer Dexter Fletcher won a Writers’ Guild of Great Britain award and a BAFTA nomination. He lives in Chichester, West Sussex with his wife Jeannie and four children and is rarely seen out during the hours of daylight.