Cameras rolling for Batley film maker Danny

From shooting locations to cast selection, cinematography to background music, a finished film has many layers and can take months, even years, of hard work.

And for filmmaker Danny Lacey, a new project can take flight from just an opening sequence.

“I think of the genre I want then I pick a scene,” he said.

“I just have an opening sequence in mind and it builds and develops from there.”

Batley-based Danny is hard at work on the script for his latest short film, Walk Away.

The project is his fifth, and the largest yet – as he writes in his blog: “I have every intention on reaching epic proportions with this film.”

It’s a musical, but not in the jazz-hands, song-driven style of films such as Chicago or Les Miserables.

“Music is a running theme in the film, but it’s not all-singing, all-dancing.” Danny said.

“It’s based on two brothers, the main theme is bullying.

“It’s quite a dark tale and we’re using music that’s being written for the film.”

Danny is working with composer Julian Kershaw, known for his work on films including Stardust and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and songwriter Ollie Knights of folk duo Turin Brakes.

And the big names don’t end there – Les Miserables poster designer Steve Simmons has signed up to work on the conceptual drawings, storyboards and poster for the project.

The 36-year-old hopes to start work on filming Walk Away at the end of the year or early in 2014.

Viewers may well spot local landmarks in the finished product, as Danny hopes to shoot the film not too far from his home in Grosvenor Road, Batley.

“I’m hoping to shoot in West Yorkshire and attract some big name actors,” he said.

“I would prefer to shoot in Yorkshire and Walk Away will be a Yorkshire film.”

And when it comes to filming equipment, Danny is following in the footsteps of heavyweight directors Martin Scorcese, Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino by shooting in 35mm film.

“Cold film is on its way out, most filmmakers shoot digitally,” he said.

“I’m going in the opposite direction.”

For more information about Walk Away and Danny’s other films, visit dannylaceyfilm.co.uk.