Category: Golden Age Diary

It's 3 AM in central London - dark and quiet except for the odd car and the hum of generators huddled round the outside of Westminster Cathedral. But here, inside, light is flooding in through the windows as though it was midday ... And in the minds of the 150 or so people here it [...]

Justin Pollard is a Historian, author, documentary film maker, friend, advisor, and the one friend you would pick to be shipwrecked with. He is a store house of knowledge and researcher and advisor on both Elizabeth and Golden age. He is with me on the shoot all the time, and has agreed to contribute regularily [...]

Golden Age, like Elizabeth, is an interpretation of historical characters and events to tell a story that hopefuly becomes relevant to our lives and times today.. it is not a 'historical' in that sense. I remember running into much criticism over historical liberties in Elizabeth, especially about her Virginity. In our interpretation of that film,' [...]

If I am not struggling, is there no creative process ? If I am not exploring, is there no discovery ? and is it discovery I am looking for or is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow just another deeper, more profound, more relevant question ? If I am not in [...]

In concieving the film, I realize how arrogant I as Director can get. It's all about my shots, my conception, my vision. And then the actor steps on to the set and completely changes everything ... .. what he does with his face, his voice, his walk, his attitude is so fascinating that all I [...]

I tend to get very philosophical when I shoot. Not sure if it denial, where I am trying to ward of any pressures of schedules, budgets or day to day practical problems. All of which feel like bees swarming around my head... ... and I am cocooning myself into a world completely of my own [...]

Dalies for those that are not familiar with film language are prints of some of the film exposed during the day. I had seen some of the dailies on DVD. But today I saw them projected on the big screen, and some of my spirits lifted.. The DVD was a false colour rendition. And I [...]

I walked out of Four Feathers scarred. I am still trying to work out what went wrong, and one day will write about it. But it led me to running away from saying yes to a film. So the first day of the shoot carried a great burden for me.. .. and for others. It [...]

In this film I really want to practice what I preach on my Website ! I want to learn to let go. Not direct as much as allow the film to grow. Like a gardener. For who says I am right, and who says that what happens is what I decide to happen. If I [...]

Kellie asked me if "Elizabeth lives vicariously through Bess, and would that be tittilating. And who was the heroine of the film". Kellie, the film is mainly about Elizabeth and her journey, It is about her journey from apiring to be divine to Divinity. The moral question the film deals with is whether Divinity is [...]