Neal Ward Discusses Working on 24 Little Hours

I had met Paul Knight a few years back through a mutual friend and knew that he was making films. I’d always expressed an interest in being involved in anything he was directing in the future. When I found out that Paul was directing 24 Little Hours, I contacted him and suggested we catch up.

So we had a coffee in central London and Paul continued to tell me about a road he thought I’d be perfect for in the film. Paul had seen some work I had done previously and the work that I was currently doing and offered me the role of Jack. It’s always great not to have to audition for parts and the people will trust your ability based on previous work and your showreel.

indieactivity: As one of the main cast on the project, how did this ‘choice’ work for you?
Neal Ward (NW): Choosing to work with Paul had always been on my agenda for quite some time and being a part of his cast for 24 was a privilege and an honor as I also knew a few other people working on the project were of  great calibre too.

Neal Ward Showreel

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What part of the story challenged you when you read it? What drove you to get on the project?
Neal Ward (NW): It’s quite a nice easy story line for Jack. There didn’t seem to be anything too challenging in the Script within his scenes. I think the most challenging thing about Jack was to not make him too much like a typical gangster but also make him larger than life.

You’re not new to indie films. What do you enjoy about the work that keeps you working?
Neal Ward (NW): Indie films of a true Testament in the UK to the hard work and dedication of directors actors and producers for anyone undertaking the challenge of making an indie film for minimal budgets always face scrutiny as to the quality of their work. With 24 little hours, the team that Paul put together and the task in hand, it was a no brainer for me!

Give an example of a direction you received from the director during the production?
Neal Ward (NW): Paul had pretty much given me free reign over my choices within the film but at several points he had asked for certain things which I’d instantly agree on. Jack isn’t too much of an emotional fella but there were a few moments when you realize he is human in which Paul brought out the best!

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How did you create your character from ground up?
Neal Ward (NW): I had always wanted to create a gangster read kind of character and had been heavily influenced by Guy Ritchie films in the past so I automatically wanted to create a character of a similar calibre.

I always like to add something different to myself to each character I play and instantly thought that this kind of wide boy character would like to show off with certain things. I decided that he would have had silver teeth as a kind of status thing. Then it all became built up around that.

As the main cast in the film, describe the feeling of responsibility that you shouldered. Were you scared? Or did it fire you up? What scenes were difficult to shoot?
NW: I think the challenge of filming a feature film in 8 days instantly got all the cast and crew Fired Up. I also think that running on adrenaline of having to film things quite quickly because of time restraints made each day of filming exciting.

It’s always difficult filming on Mass scenes such as the club scenes or the warehouse scenes because we were working around choreography and firearms which is always fun. These were the hardest scenes purely because of the amount of people and the technical aspects of filming each scene.

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Explain one creative choice you made on set during production?
NW: I think the choice to have silver teeth was quite an interesting choice as it also provided me with a slight speech impediment which added more to the character. At times it made the character quite sinister but also quite comedic which is an interesting juxtaposition.

What did you take away from the film production?
NW: Anything is possible in this industry when you’re surrounded by creative people with a passion and a goal that seems to others as quite impossible but when you reach the end and realise what you’ve achieved it’s something quite special! The team are fantastic and I’d work with them all again in a heartbeat!

What do you like most about the director, and his/her collaboration with his/her team?
NW: Paul is an incredible director and producer and writer because of all the previous Productions he has worked on he has always been faced with obstacles and situations that require a level head clear thinking and problem solving.

He is one of the very few out there in the industry that knows what is required when making a film and always looks at things with a realistic approach without Pipe dreaming. He is extremely talented in bringing people together and the support he has for the cast and crew is phenomenal! There aren’t enough people like Paul in the industry!

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What is next for you?
NW: I have a few other feature films which I am attached to and I also have a feature film called ‘Two Graves’ from writer Gary Young who penned ‘Harry Brown’ which has just been picked up by Netflix. I also have an absolute gem of a production I’m working on called ‘Dirge’ which I believe is a career changer for me and the team behind it.

What advice do you give actors regarding what you learnt on the project?
NW: Do what you do and have faith in your cast and crew and you will achieve anything!

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