In this exclusive interview, BritFlicks chats with Martin Law, the director of the upcoming indie crime drama 'REPUTATION'. Set to premiere at the Spirit of Independence Film Festival, 'REPUTATION' offers a raw, character-driven exploration of moral conflict within the world of low-level criminals. With the film still seeking distribution, Martin Law takes us behind the scenes to discuss the creative process, the hurdles of working with a limited budget, and the challenges of independent filmmaking.
As 'REPUTATION' prepares for its festival run, Law shares his vision for the film and his hopes for reaching a wider audience. If you're a fan of gritty dramas and indie films, this is a must-read!
LR: Ross Thompson, James Nelson-Joyce & Kyle Rowe
Martin Law, could you summarize the film in your own words and tell us what themes you wanted to explore?
I would describe the film as a character study; a psychological crime drama that’s stripped back and slow cooked with gritty realism. It’s a film about a drug dealer questioning his own morals.
Was there a particular event or experience that sparked the idea for 'REPUTATION'?
Some aspects of the film are loosely based on real events. Co-writer Dean Gregson pitched the idea of a "Northern gangster" film to me back in 2007. He originally wanted to do a typical "rise and fall" type narrative, but I saw it differently and wanted it to be more of a stripped back character study about low-level criminals. More Shane Meadows than Nick Love.
Did you encounter any significant challenges during the funding process, and how did you overcome them?
I always knew that this was going to be a totally independent project. There’s very limited funding for films in the UK, so the plan was to make it for as little as possible. One of the reasons the script took so long to fine tune was because it needed to be made filmable on an ultra low-budget. Lots of locations had to be cut out, and some characters were combined into one. You've got to be realistic with what you can achieve, so it’s important to embrace the limitations. I managed to find a few private investors, as well as a donation from a Lancashire-based charity, but I also had to dip into my own savings and sell my car during post-production!
Kyle Rowe as Tommy and James Nelson-Joyce as Wes
What were some of the biggest challenges during the shoot, considering it was a low-budget project?
We shot the film in 9.5 days, shooting 10 pages a day, which is no easy task. Amazingly though, only one of those days was 11 hours from start to finish, with the rest being between 9 and 10hrs (with breaks). I like to shoot fast anyway, but the budget forced us to shoot even faster.
What qualities were you looking for in your actors, and how did you know they were the right fit for their roles?
This is a gritty Northern film, and I always wanted Northern actors for the roles. There are a few famous examples of middle-class Southern actors playing Northern roles, but I’m a believer in authenticity. And I’m a believer in talent. Talent is out there; sometimes people just haven’t been given an opportunity to show it off yet. I tried to make the casting as open as possible. I posted on a few casting sites, and I also got an article written in the local paper, so technically anyone could apply. I just wanted actors who would get stuck in and could give a naturalistic performance. Actors were cast based on self-tapes. I think it was gut feeling as to who would be the right fit.
Was there a particular scene that pushed you or the cast to the edge creatively or technically?
We filmed 3 scenes in a café on a rough council estate. One of the scenes starts in the café and then spills out to the outside. A bunch of youths got wind of us filming and turned up, making quite a lot of noise. That became a nightmare for continuity. I managed to get them on board with it all though and some of them even helped stop traffic so that cars driving past wouldn’t impact the sound. These lads are in the background of one of the scenes and I think it adds authenticity to the scene, so it all turned out great. That was actually day one of the shoot, so it was certainly added stress for our tiny crew and it was probably a bit of a shock to some of the actors who have worked on bigger productions before.
Olivia Frances Brown, Kyle Rowe & Ross Thompson
Is there a scene that turned out differently or better than you had initially imagined?
There’s a scene late in the film where Tommy (Kyle Rowe) and Grayson (Ross Thompson) threaten Zoe (Olivia Frances Brown) while she’s out with her baby. To me, this scene has been massively elevated from just words on a page. From the stunning cinematography, to the brilliant performances, to the amazing music, this scene is a real showcase for everyone involved.
How much freedom did the actors have to improvise, and how did that impact the final product?
The shoot came together so quickly because we had a window where James Nelson-Joyce was free. It's truly amazing how good the actors are in this film given how little time they had to prepare. Kyle Rowe was literally cast a few days before we started shooting because someone else couldn’t make the dates work. We did quick rehearsals before each scene and I did encourage improv, but I wouldn’t say the final film is too much different from the script. Some scenes have more improv than others, such as the scene with the baby near the beginning. The Script Supervisor (Verity Platt) and I fed actors their lines when they needed them, but they definitely made the dialogue sound more natural with slight tweaks
Where can we see the film?
The film was completed at the end of June. Sales agents and distributors have very recently been contacted and we are waiting to hear back; it is still early days. With further festival selections and potential awards, along with lead actor James Nelson Joyce's profile rising with upcoming projects, I am confident that the film will be distributed. In terms of festivals, 'Reputation' will be premiering at the BIFA-qualifying Spirit of Independence Film Festival on Sunday 29th September 2024 and we’re still waiting to hear back from many others.
Has the experience of making 'REPUTATION' influenced your approach to your next project?
Amazingly, we didn’t create a storyboard or shot list before the shoot. Daniel Llobera is a great DoP and he took on-board the visual references I gave him, such as Dead Man’s Shoes, Shifty and Shooters. I know some directors know exactly what shots they want, but I believe in collaboration and talking through ideas together. Some of the scenes were more specifically written than others – such as the sex scene – but other scenes were like a blank canvas where we figured it out on the day. I think Spielberg often does the same thing, but obviously he has much more time than we did to figure it out. So, time is the one thing I would want more of really moving forward. But time costs money. I’m of the mindset that I would rather make a film than not. Some filmmakers are holding out for millions from the BFI. I’d rather just make the film and embrace the limitations.
Andrew Purcell as Aidan
We at BritFlicks give REPUTATION by Martin Law a solid 5 stars. Premiering at the BIFA-qualifying Spirit of Independence Film Festival, this gripping indie drama is currently seeking distribution. Keep an eye out for it – we highly recommend it!
