Looking Back, Looking Forward

Gabby: James and I have had our differences along the way- but considering a lot of the situations, not half as many as others would have had. Throughout the process of making Peppermint I think we have both learnt so much about ourselves and each other.

I suppose I can't speak for James, but for me, even after everything we have gone through, the huge highs and enormous lows, there was nothing that has happened that has made me think anything other than, I want to keep going, work harder, and improve as a film maker. James is an awkward b*gger at times but there are not many other people in my life that I can think of, that I trust as much, and artistically, have as much faith in. I start to look forward to working on Boy Who Collected Sound with both him, Larry and Spence, three fantastically creative, talented individuals.

James: I guess what I take from it is slightly despairing. You look at the start of the project and never think that it will take two years of your time and energy. Even now, I'm entering it for festivals and trying to get it seen. It is very hard.

But it is simultaneously rewarding. I can't stand those who have a privileged life complaining about it. We made a film with our disposable cash! I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the experience. And ultimately that is what life is about isn't it??? "The experience"!

PREMIERE SCREENING - Worcester

Gabby: I am feeling nervous and I have only just opened my eyes. Its been so much work to get to this point that you want to just sit back and enjoy it, but there’s no hope of that. James and I have a conversation about how much easier it would be to just make a film, brag about it and then never have to show it.

My house is starting to fill up with people and there is no space to breathe or just be in a quiet space. James has a fantastic suggestion of taking the hurling stick down to the park and letting off a bit of steam. We then run into town to grab James something to wear.

I am full of nervous energy and feel like the only person who I want to speak to is James because he is the only person who really knows how I am feeling.

More people start descending on my home, and we are late down to the screening venue. Its 20 to 7 and there are three people here. Shit! This is my nightmare. I quickly turn around and walk out of the building before I throw up.

Suddenly people arrive and there are random groups of people who I know from work, school, the gym, plus family, family friends, friends of friends. It overwhelming to say the least. What will they think of it?

We show a slideshow of production stills before hand and then we are ready to start the screening. James and I walk out to the front and there must be about 100 people here looking at us. I hate talking in front of people and I make James do most of the talking.

I can’t sit and watch the beginning, I hate it, so I go outside for some fresh air and find Phyllis (who plays Nan) wondering around lost in the car park, I usher her in and then join James in the projection room.

We finally pluck up the courage to sit in the screening room at the front, and spend a torturous hour wondering what the people behind us are thinking about peppermint and more dauntingly about us. People laugh at some points, and gasp at others, I can’t be that bad then?!



The film finishes we make a quick apology to the audience and make a swift exit to collect donations to cover the screening. We get a really good response from everyone, and suddenly the high hits me and I remember why I went through all of the torture in the first place.
We have a fantastic night chatting to the crew, actors, friends and family. This screening was terrifying and that was just people who know and love us. I start to wonder what a slightly more objective audience will have to say about it.

James: Yeah I felt kind of pukey all day. I don't know about Gab but I don't really like these kind of events as they involve being social, and I'm quite misanthropic normally! It doesn't help that I'm bunking work, which always makes me feel dodgy. This of course is about a year after we made the decision to make the film, so by this stage we're pretty tired of the project and thinking about other things, but to everyone else it is new and shiny and you have to feel all excited again. Which in fairness, I think we were.

We Watch The Final Film

Gabby: We have put one of James songs on the end, which is an amazing song but very close to the bone for me. It feel weird listening to it but I am glad we have put it on there, it deserves to do well.


James: So, we watch it for the first time completely coloured and finished. I’m excited and proud of Gabs and myself. Spense does such fine work.

Colouring & Finishing The Film

James: My favourite person is Gareth Spensely. Gabby and myself hold this man so dear as the man who saved “Nightshift” for us. I’m actually surprised that he will work with us again. It is always such a great time working with this guy as you know that he shares the same level of commitment to your project as you do. He is a consummate professional, and is doing really well for himself as a result of his hard work.

Gabby: Yeah, for some reason Spense manages to always managed to sustain this immense optimism even in the darkest hours. To be fair he saves my arse and does an amazing job on the colour correction, you look back at the rushes and think – ‘What was Gabby thinking?’ The continuity of colour starts to make the individual scenes feel like a film.

James: I get a break to buy tapes from the other side of London. I feel like a runner again, and I have little moment whereby I realise that I’m on the same streets that I ran on three years ago.

Once again, Spense does wonders for our film, and Gab and I start to feel a strange sensation surrounding our film – pride. It has literally joined us this late. Up to this point I know I certainly hated the little bastard, as it represented £1880 of my cash and so much of my time. Now though, I might actually like it.

That night we joined some friends for a meal in Islington, and I felt strange. This is largely due to the fact that I hadn’t seen them in ages, and that I was tired, but something dawned on me: they were all in London working fantastically hard in their media jobs and were making headway, and there was Gab and I, in our other cities, chipping away in a different fashion, and it didn’t feel wrong. I truly believe that there are no rules that apply to making it in media; you just have to chuck everything at it and see what happens.

Sound Mix begins

James: Three years ago, when I was a student, I would have relished the opportunity to do the post-production mix on a feature, as it was my speciality! Having had three stressful days collecting sounds this was the last thing I wanted to be doing. However, time has moved on so magnificently technology wise, and what used to take up a dark room at University with a rack mount hard drive now sits neatly in my 12” Powerbook and I dabble on the mix over the next few days quite comfortably.

It isn’t too hard, although patches are a little loosely miked for my liking, but I remember the difficulty of the shoot and would forgive the lads.

Gabby: I have issues with the soundtrack. I don’t think it is real enough. I want more atmos, more noise to give it that real edge. James disagrees, it isn’t done. Another instance where his word goes.

James: We also see Kings School theatre and book it for February 4th. The film has a deadline.

Gabby: Yeah that was nerve racking – looking around that 300 seater, realising that this many people will be watching our film. The only way I can describe the feeling is it like the thought of hanging out your soul for everyone to see and criticise. Gut wrenching.

Getting Wildtracks

James: This is a really difficult day, and probably where Gabby and I have the worst argument of the project. Over lunch my building frustration snaps. I complain that I shouldn’t be back in England finishing this film off, and that it should have been done ages ago by her. I’m particularly aggrieved at having to record the wild tracks, which I thought were recorded already. I think in retrospect this outburst at Gab was a bit harsh, but I felt it was necessary in order to accelerate the project towards completion whilst I was around. I was back in my ‘Gab is shit’ mode.

Gabby: Yeah this was a bad argument and we were having it whilst I was at work. I wasn’t happy. James was completely unable to see what my life had been like the past few months and just pounced on my inadequacies. I have my faults, a lot of them, but this time I genuinely couldn’t have done more, there were other things that were more important than a film.

We argue, I get upset, we make up and suddenly the air is clearer than it has been for a long time. We really needed to get that off both of our chests.

James; I want to point out that I’m being candid. The pressure upon the two of us when you consider the scale of the project is hideously large. It becomes increasingly obvious that finishing the edit won’t be the end of Peppermint, there’ll then be screenings and festivals and press kits and websites and all sorts of other shit. This pressure is enormous when you are sat there (with your other stressful job as well) and you think, ‘Christ, we’re gonna have to do all that too’.

James Comes Back To England

James: I leave Dublin without a problem and land back in England for the first time since I left and have to wait a couple of hours for train in Birmingham. I’m only back minutes and I immediately remember why I struggle in the UK. I am staying at Gabby’s for the next few days whilst we finish the final edit of the film and I am eager to get it done and get on to London where we are to do the post production colouring and credits. Whatever happens, it all ends in the next few days.