Balagan Productions

29/12/2022

Plenty is about to be written about Vivienne Westwood, her achievements and her place in history. This is our story.

I was about 25 or 26 years old and I got a random call to help out on a fashion shoot. I explained I only did movies and commercials and they said they needed someone who could set up and run a shoot and it was only a weeks work.

Turns out if was for Vivienne Westwood and it was filming her show. We had five S16mm cameras (3 covering the runway and 2 roaming around) and we had to work seamlessly with their lighting and not interfere with the show itself.

Coming from movies it was a doddle to set up and run and it went like a Swiss watch.

This was my first experience of a major catwalk show and I remember how manic and nuts everyone was and how calm me and my team were.

There was a party after and a middle aged lady (this was a long time ago) started chatting to me and complimented how calm and smooth the filming went. I realised I was Vivienne talking to me. She kinda alluded that I could work well in the fashion world and I brushed the comment aside as I had a movie starting prep soon after. However I wonder what would have happened if I had said yes and joined her team.

We have lost a major icon today and one of the cultural pioneers of the 20th Century.

RIP Vivienne

13/04/2022

Just wrapped a fantastic few weeks shooting a Commercial for Schweppes.

02/08/2021

Fantastic news for the British Film Industry. We desperately need more stages.

Equally, no-one can get crew, equipment or facilities as everyone is booked up so we hope there is a significantly training for the next generation of filmmakers as England continues to be the dominant and preferred place to make movies in the world.

https://deadline.com/2021/08/californias-sunset-studios-expanding-uk-hertfordshire-1bn-film-tv-facility-1234807372/

Institutional investment firm Blackstone and real estate outfit Hudson Pacific Properties are planning a $1BN film and TV studio development in the UK’s Hertfordshire. The project is an expansion o…

02/07/2021

A year ago hardly anyone was filming, many in our industry were out of work and the future looked terrible.

Now mid summer 2021, as the world now have vaccines and have learnt to live with Covid our industry has NEVER been so busy.

Actors are fully booked. Crews are fully booked. Even cameras and catering trucks are in short supply! We know one movie right now using a wedding caterer to feed 250 people every day.

What an exciting time to be making movies.

31/12/2020

On a cold winters day we found some photos from some fun we had in the hot Negev Desert in 2005.

Blowing Up Tanks, stuntmen on fire, the occasional snake and scorpion gatecrashing our set and all sorts of fun in the desert.

We had 120 degree heat, it was often over 100 by 10.30am during the hottest months and we had many days with over 1,000 extras and 150 horses!

We very much look forward to the time after Covid where we can travel the world and mount challenging shoots with ease.

Happy New Year!!!

18/06/2020

While it's so sad to see our Studios empty and crews at out of work things WILL return to normal.

Commercials have started filming again,, abet with stringent social distancing measures and hygiene and UK crews are now planning shoots in Ukraine, Spain and Denmark in the coming weeks.

However we need to be realistic that no matter how much testing you do every day 50% of all people infected with Covid don't know they have it, are not sick but are still highly contagious.

Ultimately it will take a Vaccine to let things fully return to normal and we are hopeful for that next Spring.

21/12/2019

16/05/2019

Everything is shaping up to be a fantastic summer.

06/06/2018

Shooting Commercials in 2018...

30/07/2017

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Behold, the most expensive music video of all time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo

Rest in peace, Starman. Rare Earth Playlist (New Series!): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPfak9ofGSn9sWgKrHrXrxQXXxwhCblaT A revised version of Davi...

06/06/2017

We are so pleased to announce our new film "The Painful and Endless Death of Samuel Clark,”

Based on the true story of Hiroshi Ouchi, a Nuclear scientist who was exposed to a fatal dose of radiation. The film tells the story from his exposure, his relentless treatments through to his inevitable death 83 days later.

In the age where so many people talk about Nuclear Power and Bombs so frivolously, this film will offer a sombre and stark reminder to the dangers of this nuclear age.

17/05/2017

Shooting commercials with the brilliant, legendary and relentless Mr Tony Kaye.

29/04/2017

We've always enjoyed Pinewood Studios at the weekend.

Aside from their Front of House security which is a combination Dumb and Dumber meets the Gestapo it's still the best place to make movies in England.

12/04/2017

Great to be back at Twickenham Studios - home of the best Post Production in the UK.

Lots of friends are working on movies here and the new Private Members bar is a nice touch.

14/03/2017

In the next 4 days we have 11 Pitch Meetings, 3 New Writer meetings and 5 meetings with writers with Scripts that really interest us.

The Spec Market has never looked so good.

24/02/2017

Last day filming our Huawei Mobile Phone Commercial in London.

Our Production Manager's choice of breakfast always astounds us - Bacon Roll and Grapes!!!

02/01/2017

Wishing everyone a great start to 2017 and may it be full of Success, Adventures and Love.

In the meantime, here is a picture of Elizabeth Windsor (and number 1 benefits scrounger) firing a machine gun.

08/11/2016

When the First AD asks for another week on the schedule and the Line Producer wants to cut scenes…

https://vimeo.com/180016993

"You wanna hear a good joke?" CAST: Igor Tsyshkevich / USA Ian Bailey / UK Vika Akentyeva / Portugal Vladimir Arhipov / Germany Anna…

13/10/2016

Our Location Scouting took us to glamerous Enfield today.

When we realised we were close to theinfamous 284 Green Street we new we had to visit.

That was the location for one of the most famous and documented paranormal events in history and recently made as The Enfield Poltergeist with our friend Timothy Spall and The Conjuring 2 which just grossed $320m in cinemas worldwide.

There was a broken chair blocking the gate and a sign in the window saying Jesus House!

We didnt have the time, but wished we knocked on the door...

30/08/2016

As a company that do High End Commercials as well as Feature Films we are so impressed with Spike Jonze’s new Commercial for Kenzo.

It brilliantly blurs the line between narrative and content all while showing off Spike’s natural flair and style.

This Commercial is going to live for a long, long time...

https://vimeo.com/180668935

Written & Directed by: Spike Jonze Costumes: Heidi Bivens Song: Mutant Brain (feat. Assassin) by Sam Spiegel & Ape Drums Production Design: KK Barrett

29/08/2016

Shocked to hear that Gene Wilder, one of the all time greats has passed away.

The face of a 1000 meme's and also 5 of the best comedies of all time.

R.I.P

12/08/2016

09/08/2016

This is the level of commitment we expect from our Production Staff.

https://media.giphy.com/media/3o72FkSt5k8myBMDXa/giphy-downsized-large.gif

06/08/2016

Dear Filmmakers

We are looking for London based Script Readers and Interns for our busy Production Company.

Please email your details to [email protected]

21/07/2016

The best way to discribe the Film Development process is this picture below... its always what you want to see...

17/05/2016

We have just wrapped a commercial for Huawei P9 Mobile Phones starring the beautiful Gal Gadot (aka Wonder Woman)

Alongside the other shoots starring Scarlett Johansson and Henry Cavill Huawei have a dominating campaign this summer with the biggest stars in the world.

Well done to our amazing Cast & Crew.

31/03/2016

In our eternal search for amazing scripts we have found TWO world class scripts that have us and our financiers exited for the films they will be.

Financing and Casting are well underway.

Big announcements coming.

10/12/2015

Thank you to everyone who came to our 2015 Christmas Party!
We had 187 guests including many of our favourite filmmakers, actors and collaborators!

478 glasses of Champagne were drunk and hundreds more cocktails and whiskies!!

Thanks everyone for being part of this great year and we look forward to an amazing 2016.

30/11/2015

Invites for our Christmas Party have been send out! Now to think about the logistics of 300 drunk filmmakers in the same room!

10/08/2015

Just wrapped a stunning and successful shoot in Devon with legendary director Tony Kaye.

Spectacular scenery, perfect weather and some great VFX sequences all shot by a world class cast & crew.

Back in London and Editing at Pinewood Studios for the rest of the month.