Tapestry Talks - Interview with Steve Conway, writer and director of Electrician (2020). # T A P E S T R Y T A L K S (2020) Thanks for taking the time busters’, completely zoned an independent filmmaker, to speak with us Steve. out watching it on television I think I have always had an I guess we should dive while all this mayhem goes affinity to similar filmmakers straight in! So, where did it on around me. In a way I and films, but it is definitely a all begin - when did you first think that kind of sums me mixed bag to say the least. become interested in film- up. The first two films I can making? I never went to college remember seeing when I or university to study film- was younger which sparked From as young as I can re- making; I tried a few very the notion of ‘I’d love to do member I have always been short courses when I was this’ are on completely dif- obsessed with films. The younger, but I didn’t particu- ferent ends of the spectrum storytelling, imagination and larly enjoy them. I found what - the first being ‘Withnail & I’ escapism of it all, I just loved worked for me best was to and the second being ‘Termi- it. How you can be totally get a camera and to just be nator 2’. transported and immersed constantly filming and ed- Both of those films I am into another world for two iting stuff, literally all of the totally obsessed with but for hours. time and study films by reli- completely different film- We have a family home giously watching them which making reasons. I have also video somewhere, proba- I do anyway. always been massively into bly taken around 1992, I was films from the 60s and 70s, I eight years old and it’s of my Being self-taught, you must love how they were crafted. In his first interview, graded the film, so we Steve came across younger brother and sister have had a lot of inspira- Films like ‘The French Con- we sit down with Steve were eager to sit down in production, things chasing and play fighting tion, right? Are there any nection’, ‘Dog Day Afternoon’, Conway and discuss with him and pick his such as the entire cast, each other in the living room, specific films that spring to ‘The Ipcress File’, ‘Taxi Driver’, his award winning brains over the film except for one, being causing havoc and perform- mind that you particularly ‘Bullitt’, ‘Get Carter’, ‘Mean debut feature length which was five years made up of people ing for the camera basically. admire? Streets’… I could go on and film, ‘Electrician’. in the making. We get who are not actors by In the background I am sat on. Tapestry are very the lowdown on the trade. Electrician totally engrossed and mes- Well coming from a working proud to have colour unique challenges merised watching ‘Ghost- class background and being #2 Tapestry Talks Steve Conway Interview #3 # T A P E S T R Y T A L K S I’ll have to put a few of been a fan of the work of ferences, such as the short derstandably, most people those on my list to watch, Christopher Nolan, Shane film concentrating on race not connected to the film in that’s for sure. Moving to Meadows and Ben Wheatley. related issues, overall the some personal way would directors, are there any that I followed their careers care- idea was mostly the same, not be interested. really influence you and fully and while they are all about a lonely electrician your style of work? Or just quite different types of film- called ‘Mark’ living in London The film took five years to directors in general that you makers, the one thing they all consumed by city life and complete. Did you always look up to? had in common was at some trying to reconnect with his know it would be a long pro- point early on in their careers estranged family. In-fact, four ject, or were there certain I am admirer of the work of they decided to just make of the original cast from the unexpected obstacles that directors such as John Car- a feature film, to just get on short film including Rory Far- lengthened the process? penter, William Friedkin, Ken and do it. That very much relly, who plays the lead, and Loach, Alan Parker, Michael inspired me. Gary Oldman’s Peter Clarke, who plays oppo- The feature film script was Mann, Sidney Lumet and ob- ‘Nil by Mouth’ was also a big site him, go on to appear in written in 2015 along with viously Kubrick, Scorsese and inspiration for Electrician in the feature film all reprising the start of pre-production, Hitchcock to name but a few. the sense of the world he the same roles. principle filming finished in Although it isn’t just directors created. Once I decided I was 2018 and the film itself was that I feel have influenced going to make a feature film completed and signed off me as a filmmaker. The work Speaking of inspirations for and in the manner of which I at the beginning of 2020. of cinematographers, film Electrician, where did the was going to make it, I knew Naturally I had no idea at score composers, film edi- idea for the film originally I had to write something that the start of it all that the film tors, documentary filmmak- come from? was feasible for me to actu- would take me five years to ers and stills photographers ally execute. First of all, there make. Three years of filming have also. Well the idea of Electrician, was no budget. It had to be wasn’t because the film itself However, it was the work the feature film, came from a film that I could make with consists of any dramatic car of some home-grown British the short film version of the whatever I had around me chases or lots of technically directors that inspired me to same film I wrote and made at the time, the filmmaking involved scenes, it was purely push on and actually make back in 2010. Whilst there tools I had, locations available because we were fitting it in a feature film. I have always were a few slight plot dif- to me and people to appear and around every day life and could only get shots done in people’s spare time outside of their paid jobs. It then took another two years to com- plete in the edit and post. Initially I did look into the options of trying to source and apply for funding/ film- in it etc. Whilst writing Elec- heighten the sense of realism making grants etc and put a trician I was always bearing I wanted to create and so it proper crew together. This is these things in mind, so my made sense to base a film 100% a good option to look circumstances very much around that. into if you are a filmmaker, dictated how the film was I knew there would be and I am not saying that the written. no clear end date to when way I went about making a Another main reason the filming side of it all would feature film is the best way why the film was based even be finished let alone for everyone. Yes, if given any around an electrician is be- a completed film, so trying cause I happen to know that to convince outside world very well, I grew up crew members or “I GREW UP KNOWING A knowing a lot of electricians professional actors to LOT OF ELECTRICIANS AND and could easily tap into it. be a part of it would So I knew this could help be a hard sale. Un- COULD EASILY TAP INTO IT.” #4 Tapestry Talks Steve Conway Interview #5 DID YOU KNOW? To earn an income during the period of making the film Steve worked with real electricians, assisting them on construction sites. funding it may have helped the lead role ‘Mark’. I have It goes back to what I was speed things up and light- known Rory for the best saying earlier about having ened the load and essential- part of 20 years and he has your circumstances dictate ly it would have maybe been always been very encourag- what you write and there the “proper” way of going ing to me and my filmmak- were obvious pros and cons about it, but the more I ing and he has appeared in to using non-actors. I knew looked into it the more I just a lot of stuff I have filmed the script could not be dia- felt it wasn’t for me. Looking over the years including the logue heavy, but the story back now I feel that was still short film version of Electri- still had to go from A to B via the right decision for me cian. Whilst he is the first to dialogue. There were times personally and the film. Yes, say it is not his chosen it took longer than anticipat- field, I can tell you he “...THERE WERE OBVIOUS ed, but one of the reasons is a very talented actor. why Electrician works in my I knew from the off PROS AND CONS TO USING opinion is actually because that Rory had to be NON ACTORS.” of the somewhat unconven- involved and play the tional way it was made.