DYNAMIC DUOS
RUN AND GUN Blakeson (front left) and Blaubach (right) returned to their roots to turn Gunpowder into a high-quality show on a tight budget and schedule
JB: We’re now friends, and it’s nice to work with friends. The basis of our working relationship is that we enjoy it, we have fun and we push each other to do things that are more interesting, that will make the other one smile. At the end of the very long days, still being in love with the magic of making films – capturing a beautiful shot or telling a story really well – and getting to do it in a calm, friendly way where it’s fun, I think that’s so nice. PB: I agree completely. We like to have an intimate set. I always like to operate the camera myself and have that direct communication with J. The actors are in front of us, and we sort of work it out right there on the spot. Whether Alice Creed , which was a small set, or our last project, where we had a whole army of crew, keeping it largely between us and two or three immediate collaborators is fun.
JB: We’ve known each other for such a long time that I can tell when Philipp’s getting a bit frustrated, and Philipp can tell if I’m getting a bit frustrated, so we can manage that well. We are both cheerleaders for each other. DEF: HAVE YOU EVER FACED A MAJOR CREATIVE DIFFERENCE OR DISAGREEMENT, AND HOW DID YOU HANDLE IT? JB: I can’t think of us having any big arguments. The only thing is that I’m more responsible for justifying decisions to the producers. Not that it’s an argument – usually it’s Philipp saying, ‘Can we just do one more take of this?’ and me replying, ‘We have to move on.’ PB: I can find it hard to compromise sometimes. J sees the bigger picture and how everything comes out in the wash, while I’m more focused on the specific task at hand.
JB: I have to be the buzzkill, but that’s part of the job. But there’s definitely a reason I keep coming back to Philipp, and that’s because we both get excited. When we flip through photography books, we stop at the same photographs because we both like the same kind of thing, and that’s rare. People talk about shorthand too – we haven’t got a code or shorthand, but I have faith that when Philipp is onto something, he’ll find it.
DEF: DO YOU HAVE ANY UPCOMING COLLABS IN
THE WORKS?
JB: We have a few things in various stages, but there’s one
that looks like it might happen, which is a feature I’ve written. It looks like we’ll be shooting it this summer, so I’m excited about that because we haven’t made a film together since Alice Creed . Watch this space; hopefully we’ll be able to tell you more about it soon.
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DEFINITIONMAGS
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