Grant's Move in the Right Direction

THERE’S no doubting Grant Armstrong’s calibre. Indeed, his feature film credits appear to be endless, and impressive. The Bourne Ultimatum, Miss Potter and Calendar Girls are just three of the big money movies he’s Art Directed.

Understandably, Grant is proud of his past. But it’s his current, micro-budget project, which he thinks will help develop his future even further. For Grant is the Production Designer of Starstruck, a low-budget feature film currently shooting in Liverpool.

“In the 16 years I’ve worked in the industry I’ve worked my way up the ranks of the Art Department, and I’ve managed to work on some very high profile projects. But with Starstruck this is my first job as Production Designer on a feature film, so it’s great to be able to really put my experience and knowledge to the test,” says Grant, who is originally from Liverpool, but now lives in Anderton, Cheshire.

Grant is also making his mark at regional screen agency, Northwest Vision and Media, which works on behalf of the Northwest film, TV and digital content industries, and which this month has awarded Grant the accolade of being named Crew of the Month.

It’s Grant’s pre-occupation with the finer details which sets him apart from his counterparts. “Although I’ve always had an interest in art, it was always set design I was particularly keen to develop. The whole visual aspect of a film is something that fascinates me,” explains Grant, who studied TV and Film Design at Manchester Metropolitan University.

His current project, Starstruck, is one of three micro-budget feature films being made in Liverpool by Vision and Media’s Digital Departures initiative. With a total production budget of just £250,000 Grant has had to make full use of his creative skills in order to make a little go a very long way.

“I’m doing the job of about five people, from prop buyer to set dresser to designer, it’s all hands on deck, but I’m having a great time,” he says. “It may be being produced on a low budget, but the production values are still very high, although I couldn’t have done it without Ebay, car boot sales or charity shops!

“I’m trying my best not to go over budget - £50 on a production like this is a lot of money – so it’s been quite a challenge and there’s been a lot of calling in favours, but I hope everyone will love what they will eventually see on screen.”

Luckily for Grant, his reputation ensures there’s always someone he can call on for help. “There’s a whole network of people that you get to know as a designer, so you often tend to work with people that you’ve worked with in the past,” he explains. “Most of the jobs I’ve taken have come about via word-of-mouth, although obviously, the quality of your work and your background does have a big part to play, too.”

Grant’s background has been nurtured on films such as Notes On A Scandal, Closer and Chasing Liberty, and his TV credits range from David Copperfield to Brookside.

“My first big break came working on a project in Liverpool called Demob. I was art department assistant and the designer, who was from London, was asked to design a film called Funny Bones, which was due to shoot in Blackpool. She asked me to and continue to work with her, and luckily the work has kept coming since then.”

Unfortunately for Cheshire-based Grant, much of that work tends to be based in the south. “The last time I worked on a feature in Liverpool was 51st State in 2000. I’d love more work up north, it’s a real shame there’s not more feature film production here because the locations and the talent are second to none,” he adds.

Although Grant does have another project in the pipeline once the Starstruck shoot is over, he’s staying tight-lipped for now. “It’s such an unpredictable job, but that’s the nature of the beast. You just have to have confidence in yourself that you’ll get another job.”

For now, though, Grant’s enjoying his time being Starstruck. “This is a great opportunity for me to put 16 years of experience into a film. It doesn’t matter that it’s micro-budget, it’s all about the amount of creative input I’m able to have, to make it as visually interesting as possible. That’s what really excites me, and that’s what keeps driving me on.”