New Australian biker movie Patched is ready to blast down the highways, as writer and producer Colin “Spida” Dixon explains.
“My inspiration came from growing up around bike riders and understanding a little bit of that lifestyle,” screenwriter and producer Colin “Spida” Dixon told FilmInk. “The portrayal of bikers in the media is very misleading. The government has done a good job of blanketing everyone who rides bikes and tarring them with the same brush. Joe Public says everyone who rides a bike is a criminal. And I think he needs to be locked up.”
Colin “Spida” Dixon, a heavily tattooed cyclist and actor, decided to do something about this unfair and baseless attitude by sitting down and writing a screenplay. The result is a tough drama about what happens when strict new laws disrupt the daily life of an outlaw motorcycle club, impacting business operations and disrupting the family lives of its members. It’s “Patched”. The film explores the various family groups involved in the club and how they deal with new laws, and ultimately hinges on the unsolved death of one of the club members.
Colin “Spider” Dixon on the set of Patched.
Dixon’s position as an actor on the fringes of the film industry became the starting point for what would become an independent feature film. When asked by FilmInk about his acting career, Dixon laughed, “I consider myself a featured extra at best.” “I have a lot of tattoos, and a production was looking for someone to play an extra as a prison inmate, so I thought, ‘Why not give it a try?'” I had never seen if they were making a movie or what was involved. Shortly after making my first film, I was asked to be an extra in Chris Sun’s horror film Charlie’s Farm. As they say, I caught the bug and started participating in student films. I was able to get a few bit roles on TV and a few commercials. When I was making films in college, people asked me if I had an idea for a film. I shared my idea and the person said it was a good idea for a movie. That’s when the journey to Patched began…9 years ago. ”
Naturally, it’s been a long and hard journey to get it patched in its current state, in the can, waiting for release, and the recent trailer. “The budget was raised by knocking on a lot of doors,” Dixon explains. “We had an amazing cast and crew who worked tirelessly for very little pay. The journey of this film was a long one for me personally, but many of the cast and crew worked tirelessly to make this film.” I believe that they have helped me realize my dream of creating one.”
About patching sets
As a low-budget director, Dixon cast Australian stalwarts Gary Sweet and Kim Wilson, as well as horror genre favorite Nathan Jones, in key roles, as well as notable character actors Frank McGree, Don Bridges, and Mirko. -Grillini, Steve Nation, Kylie Riddle. Meanwhile, veteran TV director Stephen Mann is at the helm. “I had met a lot of the cast in other projects that I had been a part of, so I just approached them about this project,” Dixon explains. “Gary Sweet and Kim Wilson were a big part of the formula for this movie. I asked Nathan Jones if he could join me for a few days and he said, ‘Sure, buddy.’ I just said. I could tell individual stories about all the actors and how they bought into this project, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the amazing crew that worked so hard to bring this film to life. This means that you are not evaluating it correctly. We shot the feature film in 16 days and it would not have been possible without the hard work of our crew. ”
And working so hard and so quickly created some interesting challenges. “We had members of the local Police Rescue come by to take pictures with some of the cast members, mainly Gary Sweet because he was the lead actor on the show Police Rescue,” Dixon laughs. “Interestingly, one of the people playing the outlaw bike rider is an active duty police officer. We shot the film in Colaki in northern New South Wales and the people were amazing. They helped us whenever we needed it. A local butcher provided us with a building and we were able to convert it into a local police station. The police in town were also very helpful. They were supportive and allowed me to use the local police station for some of the outdoor scenes. This film’s journey is a film in itself…This has been an epic journey for me.”
For more information on Patched, check out the film’s Facebook page.
