Peter Cooper - Credits Ben Smith

After a bit of small talk, and an introduction as to what Operation Chastity is all about, we got down to learning more about the film. Past the break is a transcript of the interview or you can listen to it below. We learn from Peter how and when he started this film project to the latest news about it.  Oh and btw.  Yes, I sound like I just woke up in the beginning because, yes.  I did just wake up at 9am Sunday for this interview.

i7: How and when did you start this project?

PC: It was actually around June or July 2008. That was when I took out a medium sized loan to get some camera equipment. It was actually going to be a project based on the Doom comic. I’m not sure if you have ever seen that, but it’s absolutely hilarious. But then we ended up scrapping that project because it wasn’t going anywhere.

But for the past 3 years, I’ve been visiting Dragon Con to hang out with my buddies and over a quiet a few beers, I was sat there with lots and lots of napkins and started drawing out Halo Warthogs. I thought, how can I build one?

So, really this whole thing started as an excuse for a really, really cool car.

I came back from America still wanting this Warthog and contacted a few engineers to figure out how to get this made. Everyone at the special effects studio I was working at was wondering “why are you doing this?” and “what purpose is this going to serve?”

i7: Well it’s because you wanted you’re own warthog.

Transcript continues past the break with 2 exclusive photos straight from Peter.

PC: Well that would have been a good enough answer for any normal rational person, but these people I was talking to were very artsy fartsy people. Then I thought, well… how about I make a movie with it because I was going to anyway.

The thought started out as a fun, crazy 5 minute short or something with a bunch of marines riding around in their Warthog getting really intense and just ending up parking next to a supermarket.

It was going to be really silly. Just a bit of fun.

i7: That has to be in the film somewhere, if you can do it.

PC: Well, we are thinking of doing some sort of spoof trailer in time for April Fools day. About 2 or 3 months ago, we heard that song “I’m on a boat,” so we might be toying with that. It may be a bit of fun.

i7 & PC: I’m on hog! I’m on hog! Take a good hard look I’m on a motherfuck’n hog!

PC: But yea, that will be a fun little project, fun little short. (Back on the film) So, my friends start telling me, “you’re spending all this time and money making all this armor and making all these guns. Let alone the vehicle,” they thought “why not make a full feature?”

I responded “Well, I’ll think about a short, like a half-hour maybe, do a little story there. But then that developed more and more and more. As time went on, and as people kept telling me that a project like this, the sky the limit. I guess I just listened to them too much. Far, far too much.

And that’s how we ended up with a massive feature film project.

i7: So, back to the topic of the London MCM Expo.  What was the response like from the unveiling of the Halo Warthog from the fans around the world or around the car at that time?

PC: Well, around the car at the time, I was thrown a bit because, not many people could hear me because of the noise was so loud in the expo.  I’m not sure if you could see that from the (YouTube) video.  There was about 200 people waiting around the car to see it.

That was a bit scary.

I did a little spiel and did it completely on the fly.  I wasn’t prepared for it. I may have made myself look like a dofus. After the spiel I yanked the sheet off then see a flurry of camera flashes and I couldn’t see what was going on.

I made out a slight “ooooo” from some of the people. There wasn’t very much clapping or I couldn’t hear any because of all the noise. So I asked the crowd, “well, is it cool?”

i7: *chuckle* I think the response is yes.

PC: Yea. I was so blinded by all those flashes and drowned all the sound of the “ooo”s. I didn’t realize that everyone was too busy taking photos to clap. But the people that did respond was drown out by all the generators and other noise in the building.

So, yea.  The reaction at the event was absolutely brilliant. People kept coming up to me saying “the Warthog is brilliant.”  They weren’t saying this is “a Warthog” or “this is a Warthog replica.” No, they were saying “this is the Warthog.”

With that being said, there were still some negative feedback about it on the internet. I wish those people could appreciate the difficulty in making something like this–

i7: Well, it’s the internet.  There’s one thing I learned from a friend of mine, Joe The Peacock.  If 50% of the people hate what you’re doing and 50% of the people love what you are doing, you’re doing something right. So, don’t worry about all the negativity.

One of the wow negative comments I’ve heard or read on the internet, though, was “why is the steering wheel on the wrong side?” I was like “oh, come on. Really?”

PC: Yea, that’s the one negative comment that’s starting to get to me now. But, it’s like “come on!” We live in the United Kingdom.  We can’t just go to France and get a Land Rover. I mean, PLEASE.  Give us a chance!

i7: Yea. It’s the internet. What are you going to do. *Turns towards “the internet”* Hey, internet? Lay off. This is a totally awesome project so far. Just…just…throw him a fricken bone. *Turns back to Peter*

PC: Ya, ya. I know. It’s ok. All the criticisms about the vehicle, I actually agree with.  It’s just that I knew what our means were and those people don’t.

i7: So, back on the film project, how far along is it? Also, can you give us an estimated release date for it?

PC: Well, as far as pre-production goes, we’ve been in pre-production for full on year since the 31st of October last year.  It’s been a hard year.  I won’t lie.  This is my first ever film.  It’s been very hard at times convincing people that this grand plan we’ve got, this big script, this big story, lots of effects, it’s absolutely mental that something like this could ever get made. But, things are starting to get real now and getting really exciting.  We’ve now reached a point where things are developing at such a rate that I don’t think anyone of us (the crew) could have foreseen.

Because of this, hopefully, we’ll start filming in 2010.

Also, we are pushing for a sneak peak trailer just in time for the release of Halo Reach. If all goes according to plan, we could be finishing up filming after March, and release in November. This would give us enough time for post production with special effects, editing , sound, and soundtrack.

i7: Oh, ow have your own soundtrack and composer?

PC: Yea. This guy is brilliant. He just signed on.

i7: This is way more than just “a fan film” already.

PC: Yes.  But it still is a fan film.

i7: Ok, next question.  Did you ever consider a short film web series rather than a full length feature film?

PC: I’m going to put another “cog” in this question.  Why not a TV series? Like Battlestar Galactica?  I think, if one can make a feature film, why can’t it turn into a TV series?  The plot could be completely independent of the games, do your own thing.

i7: So, congratulations on your progress so far and your Warthog. So awesome to see the photos of it.  I wish I was there to actually touch it and say “ooo, it’s real.”

PC: It does have a slightly electric feel. Especially because of it’s steel frame.

i7: One last question, have you had a chance to drive it around?

PC: We took the frame around, very quickly.  It’s not as stable as I would like.  It’s a bit scary.  Another thing is that you don’t truly understand until you are sat in the driver’s side or even in the passenger seat, the bonnet (car hood) is so long and the dashboard is so long, that you can’t even see the road for about 10 or 15 meters ahead of you. It’s the scariest experience ever.

If you take a look at the behind the scenes photos from the Landfall series that Neil Blomkamp created.  You can see this at work.  Because the ODST drivers, they only drove with their heads stuck out the side. They couldn’t see out of the windscreen.  Take a look at those photos because It’s quite enlightening.

i7: Wow, that is not good.  So, the Halo Warthog. Fun to sit in, not fun to drive.

PC: It’s a death trap. An absolute death trap.  But it’s an awesome death trap and I love it, with all my heart. But, I would never take that on the road. It would just scare the crap out of me.

i7: I think with a big gun strapped to the back of it, if would just scare everyone else though.

PC: Yea. I wouldn’t mess with a Warthog if I saw it on the motorway (freeway).  That would scare the living hell out of me!

i7: *chuckles* imagine seeing that in your rear-view mirror. Ok, Peter, before we go, can you give us ways to follow your project online?

PC: Sure. My twitter is @opchastity and aside from that you can visit www.OperationChastity.com. Yea, just follow the project, I hope you guys like it.

i7: Yup.  Can’t wait for it.  Thanks again for your time and we’ll keep following up with you.

PC: No problem. Thank you so much.