Not many people know that the company with the largest number of Stunt Action and Camera Tracking Vehicles, used for the film and television industry, is based right here in Suffolk.

Bickers Action was founded in 1976 by motocross champion, Dave Bickers. The company’s roots in motorsport grew into a globally renowned name within the film and television industry.

This year Bickers Action turns 50 and Dave’s legacy thrives today under the steady hands of his children and grandchildren.

Bickers is known for designing and supplying specialist vehicles, stunt systems and camera platforms used on major productions around the world — all from their base in Suffolk. We recently visited the company’s base in Coddenham near Ipswich.

Tucked just off the road behind a traditional farmhouse, there’s a world of wonders to behold. From the actual motorbike and sidecar that was used in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade to countless incredible inventions that ensure that film companies can get just the shots they need for their stunts, car chases and high speed action.

Dave Bickers was a household name in the world of motocross before the business began. A European champion in the early 1960s he graced the covers of motor magazines across the globe and even raced against Steve McQueen. Perhaps these links carried Dave to develop his skills in engineering to film.

Stunts in film require a very specific type of problem solving, you have to get the shot whilst ensuring that the camera remains invisible and the shot remains steady! The skills from the racetrack and the insight were invaluable in developing Bickers Action.

Bickers Action have In excess of over 45 Camera Tracking Vehicles/Insert Cars / Low Loaders / U-Cranes to choose from, making any type of tracking shot achievable.

And while they may not always be credited on screen, their work has contributed to some of the biggest names in film and television — from blockbuster franchises to long-running TV programmes. That might mean adapting a vehicle to carry camera rigs without compromising performance. It might involve creating a bespoke system to achieve a shot that hasn’t been done before. Or it might simply mean delivering something to set at short notice and making sure it works flawlessly.

Today, the company is led by Dave’s son, Paul Bickers, and he gave us the tour of the site. His enthusiasm for film and problem solving is infectious and his team love nothing more than solving a knotty problem behind the camera.  Paul explains:

‘The company thing is to say yes to things and end up working it out afterwards! We are using CAD and things now but most things here are worked out on a workbench with a piece of chalk, it’s an old fashioned way of doing things. We all collaborate to work out a solution to a problem. We have a group of engineers from all different backgrounds, some in motorsports but we all like to solve a problem when it comes up.’

The fact that they’re a small team allows them to be flexible. When we visited we met Paul’s sons, Max and Mason who already contribute to the running of the company ensuring family continuity and the continuation of the incredibly well respected name.

Over the past 50 years the way that film is produced has changed, it’s so much more sophisticated than it used to be and Bickers has had to adapt with it. Hearing from Paul some of the productions the company have supported is truly mindblowing.

From James Bond, Jurassic World, Paddington, Fast and Furious 6 (which filmed at Bentwaters Park in Suffolk), F1, Mission Impossible and the soon to be released The Odyssey, Bickers have supported well over 1000 film and television productions. If you ask anyone who works in film if they’ve heard of Bickers they all have and they all have great things to say about them.

Their work continues from their workshop in Suffolk so the next time you watch a high-speed chase or amazing stunt sequence, the chances are the engineering, planning and expertise have come from there.