November 2002
One For The Road - Chris Cooke interview | |
|  | | Chris Cooke on the set of his first full feature One For The Road |
| | Is Chris Cooke Nottingham's next big director? Can he go one step further than Shane Meadows? |
| | | Chris Cooke is currently editing his first feature film One For The Road. He used to be a familiar sight at the BBC in Nottingham where he was a studio cameraman for East Midlands Today. But his first love is films. Cooke's been working with DV technology for the last 10 years and makes full use of crew and cast from the region. He took time out to talk to us about his first major feature. | Chris Cooke - Film Director | How did you get started in film making?
I was taking a fine arts course in Stoke. A friend was doing a degree at Nottingham Trent University, film making. I got fed up with my course and thought I'd hang out in Nottingham. I ended up doing lots of camerawork. | What's the history behind One For The Road?
I've been working on it for quite a while. Two years of writing. Film 4 are behind the project and are honouring the deal despite their problems. I had a five week shoot. | Is that different to how you normally operate?
I'm used to filming shorts over 5-10 days. With a full feature the number of crew increases, you have to manage people. I've always done single character lead pieces, now it's an ensemble. | Has that meant you compromising your film style?
I tend to experiment. I'm still doing it but I have to adapt now. | But it won't be a straightforward film?
It'll be a story told from three perspectives - straight, different and experimental. So on the one level there'll be a straight narrative. But this is almost an anti-story; there'll be no beginning, no end. It'll be a mix of drama and improvisation. | Sounds a bit heavy?
I don't want you to just sit back and let it wash over you. It's comic and engaging. It's not cynical but satirical. All foibles of humanity are on display in the four drunks. | What about the cast?
I like to work with local cast members and it's been good having people like Greg Chisholm on board, he's destined for great things. Having said that Hywel Bennett taught me a lot. He brings a different dynamic. | What techniques do you use in your film making?
Most of the filming is hand held with little lighting. I like to let the camera go everywhere, let it move. If you've seen 28 Days Later you'll have an idea, although I'm less slick and like my actors to improvise more. | How soon before we see One For The Road?
I should finish the edit by February/March 2003. I want to take it out to the festivals, certainly Edinburgh, who knows, maybe Cannes. It should be out before the summer although I still need a distributor. It'll definitely be on Film 4 though. | What next?
I hope I'll be able to follow this up but I'll probably make another short next. We'll just see how this goes. |
Read more about One For The Road. See production shots from Chris Cooke's One For The Road >> | | | |
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