The Siege 2 Film Spotlight

Today’s film spotlight focuses on the short film The Siege 2 directed by Mark G Lakatos.

What is the title of your film and what inspired said title?

This probably dates back to the original film. We brainstormed a lot about what to call it, because we really wanted something short and snappy, but also recognisable should we decide to move forward with our planned future instalments. It also had to be a name that sounded good in both English and Hungarian.

Tell us a little bit about the story and origins of your film.

This particular journey started in mid-2020. A small group of instructors from the self-defence system Krav Maga Global Hungary and I partnered for what would be our country’s first action film, short or otherwise. It was a ‘testing the waters’ scenario from so many different perspectives, but by October of that year, we had a finished action project to call our own titled ‘The Siege’ (or ‘Az Ostrom’ in Hungarian). Our story was a simple and straightforward one with a clear-cut villain opposed by two heroes. I started writing this second chapter days after the first one dropped online and implemented very specific ideas of where the story should go next. Like the audience, I wanted to know more about the characters and why they did what they did. Fast-forward to August of 2021 and the cameras were rolling for our aptly named sequel, ‘The Siege 2’. Taking place 10-hours after the original, it finds our protagonists on the run after the events that transpired as countless new threats loom over their heads. Black ops soldiers, a criminal syndicate, vigilantes and a city on the brink of collapse. It was a massive undertaking.

Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?

I definitely owe a lot to directors such as Gareth Evans, Chad Stahelski, Timo Tjahjanto and Sam Hargreave. Their affinity for creating tightly paced but coherent action sequences never fails to inspire me. If I’d have to name a key source (or sources) to satisfy the question, it would be the work of those aforementioned filmmakers for sure. I would also cite the film’s grittier and darker atmosphere as being influenced by the likes of Denis Villeneuve and Netflix’s Daredevil.

What is the goal of the film for you?

The first film was more of a pacesetter, to showcase Krav Maga techniques in a narrative form while hinting at other, larger forces at play outside the confines of an old Soviet compound. With the sequel, it’s all about delivering on that notion by adding a rich variety of new characters, locations and stories. The self-defence element is still very prevalent and Krav Maga is arguably better represented here, but we are trying to make a case for our style of world-building that hopefully ignites the creation of action films here in Hungary.

What has the journey been like getting the film into production?

Rough but extremely rewarding, to say the least. The budget for the first was just shy of $500. This time around, we committed that exact same amount to props and costumes. That brought our total to a little over five times what the original cost to make. The script was constantly being changed around to conform to the leftover COVID regulations and the fact that a lot of the camera crew were still attending high school. Sometimes I could only have certain cast members for half a day or less and because of how hectic that turned being, some of them didn’t even end up meeting each other. The very first day of production was stalled by a massive rainstorm, too.

It would be a real shame to not mention the upsides, though. Each shoot turned out better than the last, and we really had the best people supporting us with our locations and schedules. We filmed all around the town of Szentendre and Budapest with no issues. Conceptualising fight scenes with a larger team was a lot of fun, with most of it being shot Hong Kong-style thanks to the expertise of our fight team. Getting some very talented VFX artists to enhance a handful of our scenes was also a joy to behold. At the end of each day, it truly felt like we were making something that respected our first effort while simultaneously evolving the story into something new and exciting.

One thing you learned from this project?

Trusting my cast and crew, for sure. As I tackle bigger and more complex productions, it has become increasingly clear that I cannot wear every hat. While that has yet to change in the editing room, I have started subconsciously yielding more ground to the crew and cast. Everyone wanted this film just as much as I did, so no task was beneath anyone. It was an all hands on deck situation. Our commandos helped decorate the warehouse, our leads jumped in to play random unnamed thugs or hold a microphone and everyone constantly ran up and down the sets, asking if anyone needed anything. I got the right team and trusted them to do their part.

How can folks find you and your film online?

The film is available to watch on YouTube on our channel, DecentEye Productions. If you want to follow either the production team or myself, look up @decenteyeproductions and @the__mark__l on Instagram respectively.

Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?

This entire The Siege 2 phase instilled in me the fact that filmmakers need to surround themselves with people who care and value each other’s work and theirs. If everyone wants the best, you’ll know it immediately. From then on, it’s entirely on you as the director and organiser to make the right call and make the best of everything laid before you.

For more reviews and content stick with To Tony Productions and don’t forget to subscribe to our blog to stay up to date!