An in-depth exclusive conversation with the always insightful and passionate director JAMES BAMFORD discussing UTOPIA.
SYNOPSIS: A soldier searching for his missing wife breaks into a high-tech facility, believing she’s been caught in a human trafficking ring. But beyond its walls, he finds a surreal, futuristic fantasy park where reality and illusion blur. As he navigates this seductive and dangerous world, a shocking truth pulls him deeper into a deadly game where nothing is as it seems.
Directed by JAMES BAMFORD with screenplay by Ian Neligh based on a story by Steven Paul, UTOPIA boasts a cast of, among others: Moe Dunford, Charlotte Vega, Jason Flemyng, Daniel Bernhardt, Alix Villaret, Wanda Banda, Michael D. Xavier, Lucy Akhurst, Maddy Ambus, Jade Coatsworth, Sean Sutton, Joe Carmichael, Mercer Boffey, and Philipp Boos.
I have long admired the work of stuntman turned director JAMES BAMFORD, going back to his early days as a stuntman, moving into stunt coordination, and now directing. He brings his decades of skills and experience into every project he now directs, be it episodic television or narrative features, but it’s with the narrative features such as “Air Force One Down”, “Shadowland”, and now UTOPIA where James truly shines with standout action and visuals that embrace and enhance solid stories and characters.
Always fun and enlightening to speak with James, our recent conversation about UTOPIA was no different, as we scrutinized and broke down all of the elements that bring UTOPIA to life, including the use of the Sony Venice for the action scenes and Cooke anamorphic lenses. And how about some beautiful use of atmospheric smoke? A diehard believer in practical sets, practical stunts, and practical effects, a big revelation in this exclusive interview was James’ view on shooting the complex action, much of it in small spaces with big movements and complex stunts and lots of people high up on a 60-foot-high catwalk; he had his fight choreographer Radoslav Parvanov shoot those scenes, something that has garnered lots of discussion within the film community weighing the pros and cons of such a move, particularly when it comes to camera operators and cinematographers. ( It’s a fascinating debate that I will delve into again in the future with James and other action directors.)
As we discussed, much of the real beauty of UTOPIA comes with the fantasy of different worlds from Ancient Rome to the American Old West and WWII Paris, all with built-from-scratch sets with extensive detail and stunning set dress. Compounding the immersiveness of the crafted physical realities is impeccable costuming from the various periods and worlds.
Digging in deeper, we discussed, among others:
- key challenges in designing the different worlds and maintaining a cohesive visual style
- creating distinct visual tones for each world which involved cinematographer Frank Meyer using anamorphic lenses, atmospheric smoke, and specific color palettes to give each setting – the high-tech sterility, the Old West, 1920s, and World War II – a unique surrealist feel
- ensuring continuity and control as UTOPIA is a theme park-like environment and James wanted the visual style to feel “completely subterranean and controlled,” with even the exterior World War II scenes appearing staged, like a theme park ride
- leveraging practical elements with existing sets, props, and practical lighting at the Nu Boyana studio in Bulgaria to building sets like the rich, detailed Ancient Rome environment, thus allowing them to layer in elements to create the desired look
- navigating confined spaces for action such as the 60-foot high narrow catwalk and tiny bathroom sets which presented challenges for the camera work during the intense action sequences, resulting in James’ preference for having stunt performers operate the camera which allowed for more efficient and dynamic coverage of the intricate choreography
- combining stylized visual design, practical in-camera elements, and an action-oriented approach allowed the team to create a cohesive, immersive experience across UTOPIA’s diverse settings
- lengthy discussions on his preference to have fight choreographers (in this case, Radoslav Parvanov, operate the camera during action scenes, as they understand the fight choreography better than traditional camera operators which allows for more precise and dynamic camerawork that is in sync with the intricate stunt work
- using the compact Sony Venice camera with a backpack rig also enabled faster and more efficient shooting in confined spaces, such as the narrow catwalk and tiny bathroom sets. This practical approach allowed James and his team to capture the action in a way that felt authentic and immersive, without the limitations of a larger, less maneuverable camera setup
- embracing a Hong Kong-style action shooting approach, with each piece of the choreography captured in its own shot, thus achieving a level of intricacy and dynamism that translated well to the screen. This practical, stunt-driven methodology was a key factor in making the action sequences in UTOPIA feel visceral and true to life.
- collaborating with cinematographer Frank Meyer whom he worked with on “Shadowland” and “Hard Home” to create a surrealist visual style for UTOPIA; anamorphic lenses and atmospheric smoke to give the film a softer, more unrealistic look
- each distinct world within the film had its own design with the appropriate color palette, lighting, and practical elements to make each environment feel authentic and immersive. For example, the nightclub scenes were designed to be darker with more contrast, while the Western scenes used controlled artificial lighting to create a subterranean, staged feel
- making each setting feel like a carefully curated, Disney-esque theme park environment where the visuals were tightly controlled by the “puppeteers” behind Utopia. This helped establish the heightened, almost dreamlike quality that permeates the film.
- collaborating with production designer Ivan Ranghelov whom he worked with on “Air Force One Down”, “Shadowland” and “Hard Home” to create distinct environments
- building sets from scratch and even leveraging resources from their previous film, allowing them to maintain a cohesive crew
- for each world careful consideration was given to color, lighting, and practical elements to make them feel authentic and immersive
- utilizing practical lights and existing elements, like the underground burlesque club in Bulgaria, to ground the settings. The Ancient Rome set in particular was packed with intricate details, as the team was able to draw from the extensive resources at the Boyana studio
- the main goal was to transport the audience to these distinct eras and locations through thoughtful visual cues and practical, on-set elements
- the editing process and collaborating with editor Trevor Mirosh who James worked with on “Air Force One Down”
- maintaining the story and pacing across the different worlds and time periods depicted in the film
- editing the action was “easy” on UTOPIA compared to his prior films thanks to have Trevor and his core team in place
- biggest editing challenge was finding the right tone and musical choices to match the various scenes, whether they were party sequences, fight scenes, sex scenes, or others; experimenting with different score and needle drop options to establish the appropriate mood and feel.
- the musical score and soundtrack; primarily handled by composer for Utopia was primarily handled by composer Rich Walters (who was composer on “Air Force One Down” and “Hard Home” with James)
- goal was to find the right musical tone to complement the different moods and environments throughout the film
- collaborative process between director, writer, and composer focused on finding the right “musical identity” to support the diverse range of scenes and settings depicted in UTOPIA
- some hints about James’ upcoming films – “Man With No Past” releasing late December, followed by “The Internship” which he is currently shooting and features 43 locations, an “international espionage theme” and a “spy/Bourne Identity feel to it.” with “a lot more action” like UTOPIA, indicating he plans to continue his innovative approach to filming practical, intricate action sequences
- and more!
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 12/4/2024
UTOPIA is now streaming on Prime Video, AppleTV, and other digital platforms.
