INTERVIEW: DANIEL MCNICOLL, DIRECTOR OF RECLAIMING THE BLADE

Through an interview with writer/film director Daniel McNicoll, SHARP OBJEX gets a cutting edge, behind-the-scenes look at this year’s most-talked-about historical documentary, Reclaiming the Blade.

Brittany Baugher: As a director, what do you think is the most difficult aspect of your position?

Daniel McNicoll: All of it. Really being a first time filmmaker there was a lot I had to learn, so pretty much the whole process was difficult. Fortunately, I love a challenge and nothing worth doing is really easy.

BB: Any sneak peeks into future projects?

DM: See below.

BB: I’ve heard you’re working with the New York Jedi on a future project. Can you tell our readers anything about this?

DM: Top secret at the moment I’m afraid.

BB: How did the core concept for Reclaiming the Blade come about? Is the subject and history of swordplay/martial arts something that has always fascinated you, or was it more of a revelation?

DM: Actually, I first learned of historical European martial arts while doing a bit of research for another film I was developing at the time. This was a sword and sandal epic and the script called for a lot of sword fighting action, thus I went online to begin researching to find out what was available out there. Once online, I noticed there were a ton of different groups that were all practicing this new form of martial arts. I was fascinated by what they were doing in reviving this lost art, so I set out to make a movie about it.

BB: How do you feel about the success of Reclaiming the Blade?

DM: It’s been great. By far, the best thing about it is the doors that RTB has opened up for us with regards to other projects. By finishing the film and having the audience for the most part enjoy it, this has helped our other film projects.

BB: I’ve heard that David Mickey Evans is directing the next project. Do you plan on directing any more Galatia Films movies, or will you be more involved in the writing and behind-the-scenes work?

DM: Yes, David Mickey Evans will direct our new film, Glastonbury: Isle of Light. David is great and he has a lot of experience. Also, on this film we will be working with famed illustrator John Howe and Weta Workshop, not to mention Hollywood producer, Ned Dowd, who produced the Count of Monte Cristo and King Arthur among many other big films. The next few movies I will be directing are a couple of documentaries, one on castles and the other on the Keysi Fighting Method as seen in Batman Begins and Dark Knight with Christian Bale and Liam Neeson. My company, Galatia Films, is really getting more and more into the distribution business. We are partnering with one of the major LA agencies and another distributor, and [we] are now handling a very big catalog of films for home video, many with major awards and a-list talent.

Someday I hope to direct a family drama right here in Clemson as well. This will be a small budget feature narrative. A friend of mine in LA is writing a script called You Are Here, I hope to shoot that in Clemson.

BB: Do you have a favorite scene or interview in RTB?

DM: I’d say working with Bob Anderson was most likely my favorite. Bob is a wonderful man. He was very generous with his time and over all I had a good time while we were there.

BB: Did you find that the subject of sword fighting drew you all together and made it easier to relate to each other on that level?

DM: Sure.

BB: Was it a kind of common ground?

DM: Well, the sword was really; that is what brought us all together. That was the one thing that tied all the various groups together. We really interviewed a wide variety of folks, form historians to actors, from stage performers to serious martial artists, from Hollywood prop makers to real life modern day sword smiths. But their love of the sword—yes, that was what brought them all together.

BB: What went through your mind as you saw the film you helped to create from beginning to end on screen for the first time?

DM: You know it’s a strange thing, working on a film as the writer/director you are so immersed in the filmmaking process for so long, sometimes even years, that it is really hard to objectively step back and look at the film. I’ve seen it so many times and even did a bit of the editing, so I was so close to it, it’s hard to say. But, yeah, seeing it on the big screen does give you a sense of accomplishment. But I won’t say that it is something that directors really enjoying doing—that is, watching their own films. You always see those little mistakes you made that really stand out in your mind but may not be as noticeable to the audience.

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