What’s it like directing a Steven Seagal movie?

Hes just written and directed a VOD action film calledCode Of Honour.

Its got Steven Seagal in it playing a vigilante on a brutal killing spree.

I think Michael Winnick has some interesting insights into the challenges of making a film.

A very open, funny and friendly man, Michael Winnick was a real pleasure to talk to.

Heres how our interview went.

What inspiredCode Of Honour?

Like, we were all happy to hear it.

And it got me thinking, how far could that go before people stopped cheering?

And what about rapists?

How far down could that go before youd start going is this really ok?

And when would you really stop cheering or being happy about it?

When would it start to become more grey?

That was the original thought that sort of inspired where the film was going.

And also to try and make aFirst BloodmeetsDeath Wishtype of feel.

That was the original concept.

How long did it take to write the script?

I actually wrote the script some years back.

Its gone through a few different versions.

It started as a larger movie and was almost made as a much larger level film.

He actually ended up reading that script and said Id like to do this.

When hes involved, we went through another process and we ended up making the movie.

And how many days did you get to shoot?

Well, I ended up getting only twenty days to shoot this movie.

I shot the whole film in twenty days.

Originally, like I said, it was a larger thing and I had a lot more days.

Actually, pretty darn fast for any film.

But we attempted to still pull it off.

It was very ambitious.

How long were the days?

On an independent movie we had twelve hour days.

It was pretty intense.

But you do what needs to happen.

Thankfully I had a really good cast that was down to go wherever I needed them to go.

With that tight shooting schedule, I noticed, particularly some of the early sequences, theyre stylishly shot.

You have a lot of moving camera.

Obviously you want to stamp your style on the film.

How much pressure does that put on you when things are tight like this?

You dont have that kind of time.

Youre always pushing it as far as it will go and keep going.

But I have a go at keep a really positive, enthusiastic atmosphere on set.

But it was definitely very intense and ambitious to shoot an action film in twenty days.

What was your favourite thing to shoot?

I dont care if its been done, I was like This is the coolest thing ever!

Thats a real explosion, thats him walking.

You have a longer lens, so hes not quite as close as it appears.

But hes really close.

That explosion is really blasting behind him.

Of course its not all fire, its a special effect explosion.

But make no mistake; its loud, its big, its dangerous, but he does it.

And the craziest thing is, what I couldnt believe, theres no flinching or blinking when it happened.

Its like oh my gosh.

Needless to say, you only get one take at that.

And he did it.

That would terrify me.

And Im guessing hes not someone you might ask Hey, youre not gonna flinch, yeah?

No, you dont really say that to him.

You tell him what youre doing, hes like I know what you need, Ill do it.

You try and use that.

I was like Oh boy, Im glad I moved him up.

How long did you get to edit the film?

You dont get a lot of time.

That was one of my regrets on this, that post-production got scrapped for budget and time.

Because it was a small film and it had a window when it had to be released.

So then how long is there between having a cut film and it being released?

Well this one, we shot this last year and its released now.

So not a long period of time.

Months, or less.

That actually came into impact with our post schedule, believe it or not.

That was one of the things.

And we were the first one out, and then right after ours, he shot multiple films.

Suddenly that was another thing on the schedule, weve got to be done now.

We have to get it out.

It became a race; everyone was trying to release theirs first.

That, of course, as a filmmaker, is not always on my side.

Getting rushed is not always desirable, Ill leave it at that.

Yeah, well they have to release it.

What are the challenges that people dont always anticipate?

Theres a lot of time in that.

Well those are not always twelve hours days!

laughs Sometimes one of those is a lot longer than the other.

Or vice versa if youre shooting at a different time of year.

Thats an element that people probably dont think about.

Its a cruel master.

At times the character almost feels like a straight up villain.

Was there ever a version of the script where the character was more of a standard villain?

Would the audience turn on him and when would they turn on him?

Because its Steven Seagal.

But the character was never written as a straight out villain, especially when Steven was involved.

How did you find working with him?

Well, hes definitely the real deal, so to say.

In that, he really knows his guns, his Aikido, his martial arts, his fighting skills.

You know, hes teaching you weapons, hes teaching you moves.

Hes been around a long time, but his arms, his hands, theyre still lightning fast.

And he says what if I do something like this?

and it was so fast the camera wasnt even set up right for it.

It was like, umm, were gonna need to do that one more time!

That was quite an interesting experience.

Ive probably learned more about guns and fighting while being with on that film than Ive learned previously.

Okay, so this will definitely be spoiler time.

Below Seagaphne the spoiler squirrel lie, well, spoilers.

If you want to avoid them, skip straight to the Statham question.

Obviously thats a twist that doesnt usually happen.

I can only think ofExecutive DecisionandMachetewhere that has previously happened.

He was happy to die?

And if you ask him, he didnt.

That said, the implication, the way the film is structured, is that he does.

And thats kind of what hes been saying throughout the film.

Would you give your life to save the world if no one knew you did it?

is the question he keeps posing.

Hes completed his mission and hes even made the other character take the fall for it.

Thats it for the spoilers.What is your favourite Jason Statham film?

Im actually a big fan.

My favourite Jason Statham film would probably beTransporter, but he goes all the way back toSnatch.

But I wouldnt call the Guy Ritchie ones Jason Statham films, so Im gonna go withTransporter.

So I really enjoyed the early ones of his, but hes actually made a few interesting ones recently.

Michael Winnick, thank you very much!

Code Of Honour, starring Steven Seagal, is out digitally and on DVD right now.