BECTU on Bodyguard - Carl "Lump" Dunn

The final interview in our series celebrating BECTU members who worked on Bodyguard is with Carl “Lump” Dunn, who worked as an additional grip on the show.

Dunn tells us here what it’s like to work on high octane action sequences and why he feels our campaign against long hours is so important. You can sign the Eyes Half Shut petition to stop long hours in film and TV here.

Carl "Lump" Dunn

"Working on a high-profile show like this people are all on the top of their game, which has its positives but also its challenges. The day runs smoother, and time is given to the right departments so you never feel overly rushed when you need the time you need. But it also means that coming in, especially as a daily worker [providing additional support], you feel like you have to be at the top of your game yourself, you don't want to be the weak link in the chain. And being a daily has its challenges because you're coming into a crew that's already been working together, so sometimes you feel out of place or your thoughts are not as important, but the crew on Bodyguard were great so those thoughts quickly went away. And they kept asking me back, so I can't have been that bad.

"One of the most memorable moments on Bodyguard for me was when I was operating a crane on a tracking vehicle to shoot some car moments on public roads in London. Not only does standing on the back of a moving truck operating a crane with police bikes whizzing around please my inner child, but also it was mid-December so I remember the cold very well because you have no cover or windshield while standing on the back of a tracking vehicle.

"Working in this industry I've done my fair share of 90+ hour weeks, 20+ hour days and missing night's sleep, especially when you first start like I did on very low budget projects. Working long hours just seems to be counterproductive to me because no one is working at 100%, and in the cases of certain departments, lapses in concentration can lead to injuries."

The Eyes Half Shut campaign is necessary because there's a feeling that if you're not willing to work long hours then you won't get hired. This is especially the case for people just getting into the industry and for low budget projects, but if campaigns like this can change that attitude at that level at least then that changes the future of this industry, for the better in my [half shut] eyes.