Welcome to the third instalment of our Bringing Back GoldenEye blog series! In this entry, I delve into the post-production process of my first feature-length film as a director, Bringing Back Golden Eye, and share my perspective on the post-production journey. If you missed the previous parts, you can read part 1 here (origins) and part 2 here (production process).
Bringing Back Golden Eye was released online on 25th August 2021 and is available to watch now for free. Here’s a brief synopsis of the film:
"Bringing Back Golden Eye is the sequel to the first-ever video game mockumentary, 'Going for Golden Eye', released in 2017. After watching 'Going for Golden Eye', video game enthusiast and GoldenEye 007 fanboy Glenn (Gabe Cagan) embarks on a mission to uncover more about the infamous GoldenEye World Championships and its notorious 19-time champion, Ethan Bellénd (Dan Bruce). However, the championships have ended, and Ethan has vanished. Glenn must now go on an epic, unnerving journey to bring back GoldenEye."
Golden Eye Post-Production Crew, Assemble!
The post-production journey for Bringing Back Golden Eye began long before the cameras started rolling. Back in the writing phase, Jim—our writer and producer—was already building the team, having discussions with animator Yoshi Vu in the USA about creating animated sequences. He also reached out to none other than Grant Kirkhope, the legendary composer behind the music of the original GoldenEye video game from 1997! (More on those later.) Jim had also lined up sound designer Sam at Hebden Bridge Studios, thanks to their prior collaboration.
Film Editing with Lucas Roche (2020–2021)
We were thrilled to bring on board Lucas Roche, the editor of Shane Meadows' acclaimed Dead Man’s Shoes. Lucas’s expertise and understanding of our vision elevated the film immensely. Collaborating with him was a delight—his professionalism, creativity, and openness made it easy for me as a director to discuss ideas and refine edits.
Editing During the Covid Lockdown
Our plans to edit together in person were derailed by the UK’s March 2020 Covid lockdown. We had initially hoped Lucas could spend time in the north of England or that I could visit his studio, but we quickly had to pivot. Thankfully, Lucas’s advanced home setup and my reliable high-speed internet allowed us to work remotely via Zoom. We could share screens and collaborate as if we were in the same room—a testament to modern technology!
Evolving the Narrative
The editing process is where a film truly comes to life, and sometimes that means making tough calls. Scenes that worked on paper didn’t always translate well on screen. As the narrative took shape, we had to make adjustments, which led to a fair number of deleted scenes:
Deleted Scenes:
Ethan and his brothers in a media interview about Ethan’s new single
A backstage interview featuring Ethan as a wrestler
Glenn’s piece-to-camera with the ‘GoldenEye cardboard cutout’
Glenn and Steve discussing Clive’s imprisonment (from the previous film)
Glenn chatting with Barry in his office
An extended version of Barry revealing the ‘Lone Wolf’ jacket to Tom
Ethan’s backstage plan with his brothers during the Championships
Ethan prank-calling Sean Bean
Ethan stubbing his toe at home and angrily addressing the camera
Alternate ending: Glenn visiting Ethan and Sam three months later
Some scenes were cut because they didn’t serve the narrative, while others were trimmed for runtime. One significant change was reworking the opening sequence. Initially, Glenn’s whiteboard and a stylized credit sequence were central, but they didn’t quite gel. Instead, we created a montage introducing GoldenEye’s legacy and recapping characters from Going for GoldenEye. This flowed naturally into a revised version of the original whiteboard concept.
Another major change was the ending. Lucas pointed out that Glenn, our lead character, didn’t have a proper resolution. We also realized we had unintentionally suggested a connection between Glenn and Sam. Shifting the focus to Glenn and Sam’s relationship—and reworking Ethan’s arc to focus on friendship rather than romance—created a more cohesive and authentic conclusion.
However, this new material required additional filming in October 2020, leading to conversations about a fourth block of production (read about that in Part 2). While it meant more costs, the improvements made it worthwhile.
Music Composition with Grant Kirkhope (2020–2021)
Collaborating with Grant Kirkhope, the composer behind GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64, was an absolute honor. I grew up listening to his iconic scores, and to have him contribute to our film was surreal. As well as GoldenEye, his extensive library of work includes; Perfect Dark, Donkey Kong, Banjo-Kazooie and the Mario & Rabbids series.
Despite working remotely (Grant was in the USA), the process was seamless. I provided notes on musical cues, temp tracks for inspiration, and detailed video breakdowns of each scene. Grant would then create incredible pieces that often exceeded expectations.
For the GoldenEye Championships, we tasked Grant with creating music that felt like it belonged in the original game but with a modern, cinematic edge. His work captured the tone perfectly. He also collaborated with rock legend Toby Jepson to craft the original song “Golden Eye”, which embodies the film’s spirit. Though the soundtrack and song are no longer on Spotify, you can still watch the music video here.
Animations with Yoshi Vu (2020)
Animator Yoshi Vu, who had been in talks with Jim before I joined, was another invaluable contributor. Based in the USA and experienced in Hollywood projects, Yoshi brought our vision for animated sequences to life.
These animations told backstories, such as Kelvin’s trauma and the infamous sandwich incident with Todd and Ethan, in a playful, 64-bit style inspired by the original GoldenEye game. It was a painstaking process, with Yoshi building everything from scratch, but the result was worth it. He even created playable character models of Ethan, his brothers, Todd, and Martin, which appear briefly in the film’s final scene.
Poster Design (2021)
Finally, I can’t forget to mention the stunning posters designed by Scott Woolston. His work captured the essence of the film perfectly—truly fantastic stuff!
To Be Continued…!
With the final cut complete, it was time to release the film. But was the journey smooth from here? What challenges did we face with marketing? Did the film achieve the success we dreamed of? And what’s next for these characters? Stay tuned for the fourth and final part of this blog series!
Also, check out the Bringing Back Golden Eye YouTube channel for more content including GoldenEye Let’s Plays, music videos and trailer.
Dan Guest
Director
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