A four-part BBC One and iPlayer series, Boiling Point picks up six months on from the action in the feature film of the same name, exploring the lives of the staff at new restaurant Point North as they battle to impress their investors and chaos reigns in the kitchen.
We spoke to director Philip Barantini about how he created the frenetic energy of a professional kitchen on screen, plus how he tackled the shift from directing for feature film to for a TV series.
Philip Barantini; image credit: Alex Fountain
You have directed the first two episodes of the new BBC One series, Boiling Point. How did you approach adapting your idea from film to TV series, and how did you see the narrative and characters evolving over a longer story arc?
It was a really organic process. James Cummings and I, who I co-wrote the feature with, went from a single take, twenty-minute short film, to the feature film, and when we wrote the feature, we had a whiteboard where we would share different anecdotes that we had experienced or seen when we both worked in hospitality. We couldn’t fit all these stories into the feature, but afterwards, James and I had a lot of people saying, “I wish I knew what happened to that person” or “I wish you would have spent a little bit more time with that character”, so we had been thinking about how we could potentially expand on the narrative. We wanted to leave it open to the audience’s imagination when it came to the feature, especially with Andy (Stephen Graham’s character) and what happened to him. However, when the BBC approached us and asked if he was alive, I said, “Yes”, which led to us being asked to write a script and come back with ideas for a series.
Stephen Graham had been involved from day one, and I wanted him to be part of the creative process for the TV series as well. He was incredible in bringing Andy to life, and both he and his wife, Hannah Walters (Emily in the feature and the series), had been really helpful, so I wanted to bring them on board for a behind-the-scenes perspective.
Once Stephen came on board as a co-creator, he, James and I got together to chat about the characters we were keen to bring back, and the story we wanted to follow. The idea was that it would be a glimpse into people’s lives. We didn’t want it to be too neat or polished; I wanted to depict real life and how chaotic and hectic it can be.
It was also really important that we maintained the integrity of the feature. For obvious reasons, we couldn’t film the series in one take, because it would be far too complicated and, to build the narrative, you need to spend more time outside the restaurant with the characters and filming in one take wouldn’t allow sufficient time for this.
We also chatted to the actors who appeared in the feature to see if they were up for being part of the TV series and, amazingly, they jumped at the chance. From there, we worked collaboratively, the creative team and the actors, so that we could talk about their characters – they had been part of the feature and had already developed their characters and back stories, so it made sense to include them in this process and workshop ideas to make sure everything felt very organic and real when we started filming.
The series takes place six months after the film leaves off; how did you approach picking up with those “familiar” characters whilst also establishing a new narrative for the series?
We started by reaching out to the actors that we were keen to bring back; we spoke about their characters and the actors were able to get involved in building some of the narrative. I wanted to have a conversation with the actors and see if they were up for revisiting their characters after appearing in the feature.
When we were casting new actors for the series, I wanted them to bring something to the table - I think it’s important to work with people who can draw on their life experiences, their own ideas or feelings. It was a tricky process; for me personally as a director and as a wider creative team with James, Stephen and Hannah, we wanted actors who were able to improvise and be comfortable working in this way. I also like to champion new talent, in front of the camera and behind it. I understand that for broadcasters, it’s important to bring some “names” on board but, for the newer or younger characters, I wanted to use some new faces. Shaun Fagan who plays Bolton, for example, I had cast him a tiny role in Malpractice (my previous TV series), and I thought he was phenomenal, so it was great to use him again here.
When it came to the narrative, the idea was to get a snapshot of what was going on in everyone’s lives outside the restaurant. For example, at the beginning of episode one, we see Bolton talking about going on a date that night and the fact he has a girl coming over, but at the end of the episode we see that he’s on his own, playing video games. We see the truth of his character and that he’s putting a mask on, which is something everybody does - they have a “social” mask around friends or colleagues, and when they get home, they take it off and we see the real person.
We had a lot of fun finding and creating the new characters as well as revisiting the characters we met in the feature; it felt like a family reunion.
Image credit: Boiling Point TV Limited; photographer James Stack
Did you and the production team have a specific vision for your episodes before you started filming?
From the get-go, it was very important to maintain the integrity of the show; not just in terms of the actors improvising and exploring how they interacted with each other, but also in the look and feel for the show. To achieve this, I wanted to work with Matt Lewis again, who was my cinematographer for the short and the feature.
It was also about finding a balance between the feature and the TV series in the look and feel. For example, we used an eleven-minute one take shot at the beginning of episode one which we thought could tie the two pieces together, almost shifting seamlessly from the feature into the series. We also wanted it to feel natural, and for the camera movements to be very organic, so that it felt like the audience’s eyes. It’s a bit voyeur-like, almost. It was also essential that it was quite visceral at times - when the pace and the story was more hectic, the camera movements were equally hectic.
There was an element of anxiety threaded all the way through the feature, which we wanted to keep here. However, to be able to sustain this, you also need to have dips in energy or a slower pace at times. You can’t stay turned up to eleven, it’s not sustainable. Again, it was about finding a balance.
When it came to the look, we wanted quite a bold grade. To do this, we used similar lenses and a similar grade to those used to film the feature. I think in terms of the feel and the visuals, Boiling Point is a very different show from what BBC has previously commissioned and this, to me, was key. They have a reputation for commissioning amazing crime dramas, for instance, but for this series and these episodes, I wanted it to feel unique and like nothing anyone had seen on the BBC before.
Tell us a little bit about working with the actors on Boiling Point. How did you go about casting for new roles and finding new actors?
I knew the actors who had appeared in the feature could do the semi-improvised approach that I wanted to use, so when it came to casting new actors, the audition process was a little bit different to what they would normally expect. There was a script with dialogue, but I didn’t necessarily want them to learn it, I wanted them to understand it. We would do a couple of takes at most using the script when new actors came into the room and then we got rid of the script and just played, to see if they were comfortable exploring the scene and being in character in this way.
In these auditions, I also wanted to see how the actors reacted to other actors and the scene. For me, acting is about being spontaneous and in the moment, taking the focus away from yourself and putting it on the other person. Instead of focusing on what you’re doing next, because you’ve read the script or the scene directions and made a certain decision, I want actors to forget about that and just feel it to see what happens. This is what we would do when we’re filming, so we did it in the auditions as well - I’d get the actors to truly be in the moment, and that’s when we created magic.
In order for me to be able to work with actors in the way that I prefer to work, I need them to be free and a bit spontaneous. To achieve this, we workshopped a lot and would play and explore on set. I’d also try to shoot rehearsals without telling the actors we were shooting; that’s usually when they’re at their best because they’re much more relaxed. I find that once you start prepping everything to shoot, actors can sometimes get quite tense or start thinking too much about what they’re going to do. I don’t always want this - I’m OK with actors fluffing or muddling their lines because that’s reality, and I wanted it to feel as real as possible, without sounding too scripted.
Image credit: Boiling Point TV Limited; photographer James Stack
Did you discuss ideas for individual performances and characters with the actors beforehand?
I did, yes. We talked about their characters and the characters’ arc as well – looking at where they had been, where they were now, and the actors always brought that energy to the table with them. They would also come to me with ideas, which is great. Shaun Fagan, for instance, would come to me with little details about his past which he would throw into the scene, and it would be magical.
It’s so important to be collaborative as a director, because your actors are the voice - they’re the ones on screen and you need to give them freedom so that they can be creative. I think if you hold an actor back too much, you don’t get the best out of them. There might be ideas that they bring to the table that aren’t feasible within the limited time you have but could work in the future, so it’s essential to collaborate and talk prior to shooting or when you’re workshopping a scene.
As the director, most of my work should be done prior to the shoot when it comes to working with the actors and developing their characters. As soon as we walk on set, I should know every actor’s character, who they are as a person, what their whole life story is, and so should they. That means that when we come to do a scene, I just need to give them one word or one note, rather than giving them extensive, elaborate directions. I don’t think actors need long explanations or justifications for every detail within a scene, I think it’s more interesting to give them some brief direction and see what they create. For me, it's important to talk about everything; all your ideas, the actors’ ideas, character arcs, motivations, back stories... whatever it is, beforehand so that once we come on set, everyone can be in the moment. I think this gives much more organic performances, and it also gives the actors the confidence to play and share ideas and not be embarrassed by making different choices for their performances. We can go again, and we might use it. We might not. Everything is up for grabs and that’s exciting.
How did you settle on finding the visual identity for your episodes, as well as create and maintain that all important accompanying energy?
This was something we discussed really early on. If this series was going to pick up from where the feature left off, it needed to have a similar look and feel. We obviously couldn’t use the same one-take approach for a whole series, but we wanted to use longer takes throughout certain scenes, which were those scenes that are really fast-paced and that use quick cuts.
One of the rules that we gave ourselves early on was that it should always be handheld whenever the action is in the kitchen to give this fast pace, and whenever it’s in the restaurant, it should always be either on a Steadicam or on sticks, anything to make the pace feel slightly smoother. We also did extensive lens testing to find the right finish, and Matt Lewis, our cinematographer and his team were incredible. He understands the world we’ve created in Boiling Point, and we have a great shorthand with each other. I think that specific connection that Matt and I have was integral to our work, as maintaining the same feel that we had created in the feature was essential.
Image credit: Boiling Point TV Limited; photographer James Stack
How did you use sound and score to help create and maintain that all important sense of energy?
When we made the feature, we found that having a score took away from the tension that we were creating, so we didn’t have any music apart from the music playing over the speakers in the restaurant, which was composed by David Ridley and Aaron May, who I’ve worked with on everything I’ve done.
However, for the series, I wanted to explore using score mixed with commercial music. Our idea was to have different “themes” for different characters; Andy’s theme, Carly’s theme, and so on. This was a huge collaborative effort, not just with the composers but also with Tommy and Alex, the editors. Their input was absolutely key.
It also helped that the sound team had worked on the feature so they knew the soundscape and the world we had created. It was essential that everything felt as real as possible. I had specific ideas for moments when we would go into different characters’ heads, but I wanted the world we saw in the kitchen to feel like a real, working kitchen. When it came to the sound, we shot in a studio where we had built the set, so everything had to be created from scratch in post-production by the sound team.
When it came to the commercial music, our music supervisor Mark Kirby came up trumps. He found loads of music that organically allowed the show to develop a real Soul and old school R&B soundtrack, which fits amazingly with the action.
You directed the Boiling Point feature film, which was incredibly well-received, particularly by a lot of people in the hospitality industry. Did you feel any pressure going into this project to replicate that success?
Yes, if I’m honest. We made the short film in 2018 which did really well and gave us the confidence boost to then make the feature. We then made the feature during the Covid pandemic, so it was a struggle to get it finished and released, which I’m sure a lot of directors can relate to. When it eventually came out, I was completely blown away by the response. I never expected it to do so well, or to reach people in the way that it did. But, since the feature was released, a lot of chef or hospitality-themed movies and TV shows have been made, which I think puts a lot of pressure on this series as a result.
Since we made the feature, The Bear has been released and has been an incredible success, for example. Even though it’s very different to what we have created, I think we will inevitably get comparisons between the two, simply because it’s what everyone has been watching. The truth is there’s plenty of room for lots of different hospitality or chef-based films and TV series. As an ex-chef myself, I think that world needs to be explored and there are plenty of stories to go around because it's an interesting place to work.
Image credit: Boiling Point TV Limited; photographer James Stack
What did you find challenging or surprising about adapting a film into a TV series?
One challenge was how to follow on from the feature itself. I think we worked much quicker than you might normally do in the TV world; we were commissioned on a script, which was then greenlit really quickly, meaning we were in pre-production within three months of first writing that script. This encouraged us to share lots of ideas organically and see what worked, rather than deliberating over every tiny detail.
In a way, it almost felt like we were making a second series of a TV show, because we had already established the characters in the film and there’s hopefully an element of recognition for anyone who has seen the film.
I think the biggest challenges were actually more personal. I want these episodes and the TV series as a whole to be perfect, and for audiences to enjoy it as much as they enjoyed the film, if not more. I also wanted to respect the hospitality industry, not just because of my own experience in that industry, but because I also wanted to create something that was about people and their lives, so that hopefully audiences can relate to certain moments or experiences. That’s what I love to make, and it’s what I love to watch.
Finally, what’s next for you?
I recently set up a production company with my business partner, Samantha Beddoe, and Boiling Point is the first TV series we’ve made together. We’re now developing lots of different projects and trying to bring new directing, writing and acting talent for these, rather than just creating projects for me to direct, which is exciting.
I also shot a film called Accused at the beginning of last year, which came out on Netflix at the end of September 2023.
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