Havoc Director On Shooting The Film’s Wildest Action Setpieces [Exclusive Interview]

How has your approach to visual effects changed since the early days of your career?

It’s been interesting because when I first did “Merantau,” I had no idea the level at which VFX could be applied. That was my first sort of experience with it. And I remember there was one shot in “Merantau” where my VFX guy, Andi Novianto from Clay Studios in Indonesia, he put in a digital wall for us because we couldn’t afford to build one. And I remember being blown away that was possible. I don’t know why I didn’t think it was possible, because I’d seen a plethora of sci-fi films that did far more crazy things with VFX, but for whatever reason, it never applied to my work. Maybe because I was working at a low budget level, I just didn’t think it was attainable.

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And gradually over time, then, the more experience I’ve had, the more times I’ve worked with VFX supervisors on the floor and learned about what it is they need, what they want for them to be able to bed in VFX better, the more I’ve understood what the limitations are but also how we can help in terms of world build, in terms of action design. Because we did a lot practical. There’s an awful lot of VFX helping us out in places. Andi’s one of the best there is in the industry, I feel, at doing blood and debris hits and muzzle flashes. I just think his attention to detail is exceptional.

But then we had incredible work from all of our other vendors, One of Us and Troll and Dupe, who did incredible world-building work for us because obviously we were shooting a film that set in an amalgamation of different East Coast cities around America, but shooting it fundamentally in Wales. So it was always with one eye on looking at “Can I fill half my frame with enough real architecture, so that when we bed in the rest of it and augment it, that there’s a frame of reference to try to make it feel more cohesive so that you don’t become aware of the artifice of it?” So yeah, it’s a game changer for me, but it’s how to use it judiciously and how to use it in the right way is always my preference for it.

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Cool. So I only have a couple more minutes with you. I just wanted to ask if you have a favorite shot in this movie. You were talking about your inner geek earlier. Is there one thing that you were really pleased with that you were able to accomplish in this film?

Oh, man. I love the introduction of the assassin prior to the Laurence ambush. That big crane down coming in, and then with the motorbike coming in, I’ve always loved that. But then I also equally love the rhythm — shortly after that, there’s a shot that goes from our guy with the gun up, the bodyguard with the gun up, that travels out through the car into the street literally as the assassin’s gun comes back down in the opposite direction. Things like that, they’re only small moments, but it’s like things like that, the symmetry of it and the rhythms of it and the percussive elements of it, that really excites me. When that works out perfect, there’s a dance between camera and performer, that makes me really excited. If I give her some more thought, I’d probably come up with 15 other shots that I’d really love. Though I should give credit to Matt Flannery for being able to execute them all the time, but yeah.

Last question: Do you have your next project lined up as a director?

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If you’d asked me in about two, three weeks time, I’d probably give you a much more informed answer. I have something that we’re planning to shoot in the summer. I’m just shy of being able to announce it just yet.

Well, I’m glad to hear that. Selfishly, I hope that it won’t take as long between movies this time around, so I’m just glad to hear you’ve got something cooking.

Oh, no, it’ll probably be a much quicker process. And obviously, naturally, it’s another rom-com.

“Havoc” is now streaming on Netflix.