Filmmaker Brad stays upbeat despite further delays to costume drama

Brad James began work on the short film Redcoat, an elegant costume drama, in summer 2019 and intended it to have its premiere at Blackpool's Winter Gardens Film Festival back in May.

But he did not reckon with the coronavirus pandemic, which wreaked havoc across the globe and impacted on almost every aspect of life in 2020.

Brad, 29, of Neville Avenue, was ready to shoot the final scenes of his drama Redcoat in March but filming was delayed until September and another premiere date in November came and went.

But Brad, who is hoping to work his way up in the national industry after making a series of successful short films, has had to be patient, with plans to go ahead this year instead.

The film is a dramatic love story, set against the upheaval of the Napoleonic wars, with the main character being a vulnerable British soldier, played by professional actor Paul Eryk Atlas.

Brad admits: "The delays have been very frustrating because my plans have been set back a year.

"Due to the second lockdown I had to reschedule the remainder of filming to the end of November and beginning of December.

"But luckily I have now finished filming and I'm currently editing the trailer.

"There's always the potential for something to slow things down so you just have to stay positive.

"The trailer is scheduled to be released online in the first half of January with the premiere of the film rescheduled for February at a cinema on the Fylde coast, which has still to be confirmed."

The budget for Redcoat was £2,000 and the profit expected from monthly Amazon Prime revenue means Brad can recuperate the budget within a year which will then take the film into profit.

Brad, who trained at the Westminster Film School in London, used stately Lytham Hall as a stand-in for a French chateau and the lavish costumes were loaned to him by Blackpool business the Old Time Portrait Studio on Central Pier.

He has been working with local young people whom he hopes to give vital experience in films for their CV, via his company, Lyceum Entertainment.

It's very much a labour of love for Brad, as he is both the director and producer of the film and he even writes and performs his own music for some of his films.

At the premiere Brad has planned for a red carpet, event photographers, the showcase of the film, and a live band performing the soundtrack single for the film.

Once Redcoat has received its premiere, Brad intends it to be released via Amazon Prime.

And them it's onto his next project, which he is already planning for.