Richard III was a bold, highly stylised reimagining of Shakespeare’s play, relocating the story to a fascist vision of 1930s England.

For the Special Effects department, much of the work centred around recreating the violence and destruction of war practically on set. I worked closely with the floor team on period battle effects, controlled destruction, smoke, fire and atmospheric work, helping to give the film its dark, militarised look.

One of the most memorable parts of the production was Battersea Power Station, which we effectively transformed into a war zone. The scale and industrial character of the location gave us a fantastic canvas for practical effects, with debris, atmosphere and controlled destruction used to push the environment much further on camera.

This was also my second time working with John Evans, a genuine legend of the Special Effects industry. Working alongside people like John, and Bob Nugent out on location, was an education in itself and a big part of those early years for me.

And, as was often the case on location jobs in those days, some of the memories were made after we wrapped. There were plenty of evenings with the crew and the inevitable drinking games — which I confidently joined in and fell foul of on more than one occasion.

A distinctive film, a great practical-effects job, and one of those productions where the people, the locations and the stories behind the scenes have stayed with me just as much as the work itself.