Film Production
Paddy Carpenter is best known as a First Assistant Director although he has occupied most rôles in film production at one time or another. It was while the newly-freelance writer was standing in for a second assistant friend on a fortnight of car commercials that he received advice that changed the course of his life. "Register with the union employment bureau," said one of the camera assistants, "There's so much work about." And there was. Within two days he had been offered three feature films. Picking what sounded the most congenial found him arriving in Castle Coombe, Wiltshire to begin work as third assistant on Richard Fleischer's Doctor Dolittle. Instantly promoted to second assistant when no one qualified was available, he taught himself to do one of the most complex and pressurised jobs in the business while on the location of one of the biggest films of the decade. He never really looked back.
It opened the door to a career that has taken him from the frozen lakes of Finland to the heat of the Saudi Arabian Desert; from the Southern Alps of New Zealand to Sunset Boulevard, by way of the Borneo jungle and the Moscow Underground; from dinner in Seville with Omar Sharif to balancing at night on the top of cars piled three high in a Fulham scrapyard with Elton John.
As a freelance, you don't get much choice as to the type of jobs you get offered, and Paddy feels fortunate that so many that came along aligned with his own interests; the magic of places, particularly remote and spectacular ones, the joy of triumphing over difficult logistics, a love of transport in all its forms – cars and boats and planes, yes, but trucks and trams, buses, trains and helicopters too, and the pleasure of making order from complexity while looking after the interests of those two generally stimulating and rewarding breeds, directors and actors.
Click on links below for further information or here for Film Production Stills Galleries, also for many of Paddy's Credits in the very visual form of production artwork.
Paddy's feature films, mini-series and TV listed.
Paddy's directing and producing credits file.
Some background on the films, TV and mini-series.
Paddy's documentaries - recalled.
Some highlight commercials and promos.
Paddy's feature films, mini-series and TV listed.
Paddy's directing and producing credits file.
Some background on the films, TV and mini-series.
Paddy's documentaries - recalled.
Some highlight commercials and promos.