How did your journey into filmmaking begin?
I always wanted to break into the advertising industry as a creative and I thought that I could use this path as a way to become a director, unfortunately, I graduated from University around the time of the 2008 recession and this brought with it a whole host of issues. Most of the advertising agencies I was approaching could only offer unpaid placements and this was something that I could not afford to do, so I started reaching out to production companies and ended up becoming a runner on commercial sets in Manchester. Fortunately, the day-rate wasn’t too bad and I managed to save some cash that helped fund some creative placements, including one as far as Singapore and I used the rest of the money to work on personal projects and music videos.
Once the job at ITV Creative came along, I had experience from two backgrounds (Production Companies and Advertising Agencies) and the two were the perfect mix to land me the job at an in-house agency at a television channel.
What are your primary duties as Creative at ITV?
My primary duties are to turn around concepts that launch ITV shows. These can range from a ‘General Election’ campaign to a ‘Love Island’ campaign (as I work across all genres and channels). There’s not a day goes by where I’m not either pitching ideas or writing scripts. Not all the ITV programs require a bespoke shoot so it’s not 100% directing work, I also edit offline cuts for promos and work on scamps for the off-air content too. No two days are the same and it is a very fast-paced environment which I thrive off of.
What is a project you’re particularly proud of and why?
I wrote and directed an idea a few years ago for the launch of The Only Way is Essex. It was for the launch of the 21st season (or something like that) and there was not much about the show that people didn’t already know. I had scribbled down a line in my Moleskin a few months prior to being attached to the project, the line was ‘Towie or Not Towie’ (“Towie” being the abbreviated name for the show amongst its fans) and I thought it would be an interesting juxtaposition to get the cast to recite Shakespeare lines that have some sort of relation to their current storylines on the show. I never in a million years thought the idea would get signed off and it wasn’t exactly what the commissioners had asked for on the brief, but with only two weeks to turn it around we managed to pull it off. I think I’m particularly proud of this project because I really had to fight for the idea at the start and there were so many barriers along the way - not to mention getting 15 cast members (including Gemma Collins) to show up and agree to wear the costumes. It’s still one of my favourite pieces of work and there were hardly any changes along the way from the initial concept.
Find the commerical at the top right of this page.
What challenges do you face in your role?
I would say my biggest challenge day-to-day is pitching an original idea and trying to successfully get it on TV the way it was initially intended. There are so many people involved in making a television program and this comes with many layers of feedback and sign off.
How is lockdown changing the way you’re working?
The most obvious thing is not being able to shoot anything. Every shoot that I was attached to has grounded to a halt and most of the TV programs we were promoting have been rescheduled until next year, other than that all the other aspects of the job have remained the same. I’ve found it remarkable how many things I can actually get done from home and I always get a buzz when I see something on TV that I’ve created from my tiny little home office.
Who or what is currently inspiring you?
The Netflix series ‘The Last Dance’ which is all about Michael Jordan and The Chicago Bulls basketball team in the nineties. Jordan’s mindset and his winning mentality is really giving me the motivation I need whilst staring at the same four walls every day in lockdown. It’s also like reliving my youth all over again with the 90’s soundtrack and all the pop culture references – I’m obsessed.
Which part of the creative process do you enjoy most?
Everything but the actual shoot day. All the lead up to a shoot is really exciting, those early days where you are writing ideas with no boundaries and when you’re crafting a director’s treatment and letting thoughts run wild. I also enjoy the editing and post-production phases and seeing the project finally come to life, but when the shoot day comes around it’s like an out of body experience, there’s so much running through your mind, the clock is ticking and there are a million different things that could go wrong, I sometimes leave the set at the end of the day and it all feels like a daydream.
What considerations are made when choosing the music for promotional content at ITV?
Many TV programs already set the tone for the music in their content so you have to be very specific in what you chose. The creative needs to land with the audience in a very short space of time (usually between 20 to 30 seconds). If you pull this off successfully a viewer doesn’t even have to lift their head to watch the visuals they will already know what you’re trying to promote from listening to the track.
What is on your personal and professional bucket list? What do you hope to achieve in the future?
In the future, I would eventually love to write/direct long-form content and I’ve always really wanted to start my own agency or production company where we work on a combination of commercial and passion projects.
Favourite film score/soundtrack?
Anything by John Williams. His music is like the soundtrack to my life. If I had to choose a favourite it would have to be the Jurassic Park Soundtrack as I remember getting goosebumps for the first time when I went to see that film at the cinema as a young kid.
What do you like to do when you’re not working? Any guilty pleasures?
I really love going to theme parks. I was born in Blackpool and grew up going to the ‘Pleasure Beach’ at the weekends with my mates and it really has engraved something in me. I don’t get the chance as much as I would like but I’ve got a two-year-old daughter and she’s getting to an age where I’m going to start using her as an excuse to get on some rides.
What’s coming up next for you?
I’ve been writing a short film for a little while now called ‘Still. In Love’ and I’m dying to get it made. I’m using all my free time in lockdown to get all the pre-production ready so when all this hopefully blows over I can hit the ground running (fingers crossed).
