James Hyde – The Very Thought of You Takes Flight at HollyShorts

Key Takeaways

James Hyde - The Very Thought of You features a world-first in immersive filmmaking, capturing a one-take performance in a real WWII Spitfire.
Trust was the most essential resource on this shoot, enabling a unique narrative and technical feat without the safety net of playback or reshoots.
Independent filmmaking allows for forging new paths; Benjamin Uttley embraced this by creating a film no one else could make.

In this special feature, we spotlight Benjamin Uttley, a former actor turned director, making his narrative debut at this year's HollyShorts Film Festival with James Hyde - The Very Thought of You. This WWII romantic thriller showcases a groundbreaking approach to filmmaking, shot in a real 1944 Spitfire.

With a talented team including BAFTA-winning actor David Jonsson, editor Col Goudie BFE, and co-writer Simon Uttley, Benjamin brings a deeply personal and technically ambitious story to life.

Film still from *James Hyde - The Very Thought of You*

What drew you to make this film? Why this story, and why now?

In 2019, I was part of a world-record-breaking flight around the globe in a vintage WWII Spitfire. One of the men who flew that aircraft decades earlier was a pilot from Trinidad named James Hyde. What I learned about him moved me to my core. He had volunteered to fight for Britain — and fallen in love with an English woman.

I’d never seen a story like his told on screen. And no one had ever placed an audience inside a real WWII fighter — with a world-class actor flying at 400mph. In a time when the world feels increasingly divided, this quiet act of courage — and the love that came with it — felt more vital than ever.

BTS Shot from *James Hyde - The Very Thought of You*

What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time?

What surprised me most was how emotional it became — for all of us. We set out to achieve something technically ambitious: a one-take scene in a real Spitfire, no playback, no reshoots. But when we landed and watched the footage for the first time, the crew was silent. What we’d captured wasn’t just cinematic — it felt raw and human.

Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you?

The aerial sequence, captured in one take inside a real 1944 Spitfire, is the moment that feels most like me. It was a cinematographer’s high-wire act. At 5,000 feet and 400mph, I had to anticipate how light, gravity, airspeed, and motion would interact — not just to make something look beautiful, but to make it feel truthful and safe.

"No monitors. No playback. No second chances. Only precise engineering, trust in the team, and a commitment to storytelling."

What was the hardest creative decision you made while making this film?

We had planned everything to be real — a genuine dogfight in the sky. But on the morning of the shoot, the devastating news came through: the Messerschmitt 109 was grounded. No enemy aircraft. No dogfight. We had to make a brutal call: delay, abandon, or adapt. We kept flying.

What do you hope audiences take away from your film?

I hope they take love. Hope. And the thought of a man who volunteered to fight against tyranny, so we could be free.

How has this film shaped the kind of stories you want to tell next?

This story moved me deeply. I hope it moves others. It reminded me what cinema can do — when light, sound, performance, and real teamwork come together. That’s the kind of filmmaking I want to keep doing.

What’s a tool, technique, or resource that really helped you during production?

Trust. That was the most essential resource on this shoot. Technically, the Sony Venice II and Cooke lenses gave us the cinematic depth and intimacy we needed. But it was the human trust, built through weeks of collaboration, that made the impossible possible.

"Every frame was built on trust, love, and shared purpose. That’s the superpower of working independently."

What does it mean to you to have your film selected for HollyShorts?

It means the world. In 2019, we flew (and filmed) the very Spitfire James Hyde piloted in WWII past the Hollywood sign. Now, his story returns to Hollywood in the form of this film. To be selected for HollyShorts is more than an honour, it’s the first step in fulfilling a dream I’ve carried my whole life.