A big thank you to UK writer, director and editor Simon Cox for taking the time to answer some questions about Invasion Planet Earth which recently had a digital release in Australia and New Zealand

What are some of the other projects that you have been involved with?

I started as a film editor in Children’s TV here in the UK back in the late 80’s, on shows like, The Wombles, Astro Farm, Treasure Island etc. These were all shot and edited on 35mm and 16mm film, so it was a fantastic experience and really taught me how to put films together and tell visual stories. This gave me a great grounding and knowing how to edit really helped me when I made my first feature film, Written in Blood, and has helped ever since. I’ve also worked on a quite a few indie horror movies including, Cold Earth and Urban Ghost Story.

What are some of your favourite Science Fiction Movies, TV Series or Books? Did any of them influence you in the production of Invasion Planet Earth?

I’m a pretty serious sci-fi geek, so Invasion Planet Earth has been inspired by so many great sci-fi shows, books and movies. Classic TV shows like; Six Million Dollar Man, Buck Rogers, Battlestar Galactica (1970’s version), Dr Who, The Invaders and even The Incredible Hulk. When it comes to movies, the original Planet of the Apes film series, old classic sci-fi films like, Earth vs The Flying Saucers, The Incredible Shrinking Man, This Island Earth, The Day the Earth Stood Still and the original, War of the Worlds had a huge impact on me as a child. However, when I saw the original Star Wars, it just blew me away, and from that moment, I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker and make films that I hoped, would move and inspire people in the same way Star Wars had moved me. When you see the film, try and spot some of the hidden sci-fi references. There are loads of them!

What can audiences expect from Invasion Planet Earth?

Firstly, its important NOT to compare Invasion Planet Earth with any modern movie you see coming out of Hollywood. This is a micro budget, indie sci-fi movie made with dedication, love and passion. You probably won’t know any of the actors apart from UK pop Princess, Toyah Willcox, who appears in movies like, Jubilee and Quadrophenia. It’s a powerful story that will make you think and as it slowly unravels it takes you on a ride with many unexpected twists and turns. It’s exciting, nostalgic and full of emotion that I hope will have you on the edge of your seats. It is a lot of fun too!

What was your favourite scene from the movie?

Ever since I first saw the original, Day the Earth Stood Still, I had wanted to do a scene like the one in Central Park, where an alien ship arrives and then gets caught up in a battle with the military. In Invasion Planet Earth, we have a very spectacular scene where fleets of spaceship arrive and gather in our cities. Tanks and soldiers take up positions before a massive battle takes place and crowds of people flee for their lives. Shooting here in the UK (with very little money), I was extremely lucky as our second largest city, Birmingham, allowed me to bring in tanks, 45 soldiers and around 900 extras to shoot some very spectacular scenes, similar to War of The Worlds and Godzilla. You’ll see people running for cover and getting blasted by alien firepower and soldiers and tanks fighting the attacking ships. It took a long time to shoot these scenes, but I am so proud of what we did. I think you guys are going to absolutely love it.

Had you worked with anybody involved with the production before?
Yes, Gordon Hickie, our Director of Photography shot my first feature film, Written in Blood. Gordon is a veteran TV cameraman and has shot many classic UK TV series like, Holby City and The Inspector Lyndley Mysteries.

From what I have been told you had a long path to secure funding for the movie, I have to ask the French Bar incident, Is it true?

Yes, unfortunately it is true! I found raising money for this film hard, and there were a lot of promises of financing that never materialised. I ended up crowdfunding the first third of the movie which took me around two years. During that time, I received a strange call from a man in France and was told that he would be happy to fund the movie for me. All I had to do was take a package of money from Paris to another part of Europe! He was very persuasive but thankfully, I turned down his kind offer and continued with the crowdfunding until some genuine investors came onboard and helped me to finish the film.

When I embarked on making a feature film of this scale, so many people supported me and there were lots of fantastic experiences. It has been an incredibly life changing for me and I would recommend to anyone with a passion for making films to take on a challenge like this as now, for the first time in film history, anyone can make a movie. We all have access to cameras and editing, and the demand and opportunities for creative people has never been better. So, pick up your camera and get shooting – because if I can do it, anyone can!