Specialist Factual Producer/Director working in arts, music, history, gardening, travelogue and religion seeking roles in factual television. Experienced in both development and production, with over 30 credits, and two original documentaries developed in my spare time commissioned by the BBC.
Key skills: Shaping narratives, designing sequences, scripting, writing beat sheets, conducting interviews, edit producing, casting, producing, rigorous and well-footnoted research, gaining trust of diverse communities, sustaining co-operation in access-based documentaries, working with fixers, scheduling, sourcing and clearing cost-effective archive, developing ideas and writing treatments, producing talent and expert contributors.
Working with Talent - Zaha Hadid, Alexei Sayle, Tom Dyckhoff, Peter Doig, Kirsty Wark, David Olusoga, Tristram Hunt, Ian Hislop, Katie Derham, Michael Portillo, Bobby Friction.
International Filming: Valid 5-year iVisa. O2 visa for America also.
Filmed in Ghana, South Africa, Botswana, India, Canada, USA, Uruguay. Have set up filming in Greece and Croatia.
Development & Commissions: Two original documentaries that I developed in my spare time were commissioned by the BBC, which I went on to work on.
For the six years it took me to break into the TV industry, I worked in television subtitling - The first person that hired me in television said I seemed to have a natural televisual and storytelling instinct, and speculated I had learnt structure and narrative by watching and subtitling television for a living. The legacy of my former career in data-heavy subtitling means that I combine the efficient sensibility of spreadsheets with creativity. There’s no better example of the tenacity required in this industry than the 6 years I fought to get in. And once I was finally in, my career has flourished beyond my greatest aspirations.
My TV researcher break came finally in 2013 when I had the opportunity to apply my specialist knowledge of religion (gained through a 5-year post as a Trustee of the Interfaith Network) on a production for BBC Religion and Ethics. My subsequent projects in Arts, Music, Religion & Ethics and History have enabled me to channel my experiences playing in orchestras, promoting interfaith dialogue, gardening, drawing henna art and exploring how history has forged my own identity.
I enjoy working across both development and production. My magpie-like curiosity ensures I quickly understand big concepts and granular detail and can draw out interesting connections between ideas. I have an instinct for finding good stories that come together to make a great narrative. 2017 saw two documentaries that I developed in my spare time come on air.
The urgency of capturing testimony and telling stories before it’s too late is what drives me above all else. Giving dignity to the people whose stories we tell is a responsibility I take very seriously. At the same time, I relish any opportunity to celebrate the quirks that make each person unique.
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