Hello, and welcome to my new site! My previous site was victim of a vicious hack, and it never fully recovered. I've stripped everything back to some key details and added interactive content should you wish to explore, and bless you if you do. If you've reached it to this blog section, then you probably know who I am and what I do, so here's what I'm currently working on to fully bring you up to speed (as well as sharing some things I've learned along the way).
WRITING:
Recently, I've been writing for PJ Masks (Disney Jnr) and the all-new Rescue Bots Academy (Hasbro/Transformers). The second series of PJ Masks is currently on-air so look out for my episodes Romeo's Action Toys, Nobody's Sidekick and Romeo's Crystal Clear Plan (with more to come!). Rescue Bots Academy has just started on the Discovery Family channel in America, so should be making its way to the UK soon.
Both these shows are led by very strong creative teams. It's been a real treat learning from the head writers, executives, and other writers. The head writers/executives have an advanced insider knowledge of how their shows tick, and it's no surprise their input has a strong impact on how you shape your story. But it's been humbling and fascinating to see how they can be so generous with their time and knowledge, especially if the head writer does a final polish of your work which really punches up the dialogue and/or action. Or it could be just simplifying or clarifying what you're trying to achieve. On some other shows, this can be upsetting or dispiriting but these particular creatives/execs handle it with style and dignity, giving you all the credit and fully appreciating your efforts. They just want to make the show better, they don't want to undermine your work.
TV/FILMS - NELSON NUTMEG PICTURES
Tim Clague and I continue our nutty live-action endeavours. Our debut feature was the family film Who Killed Nelson Nutmeg? For our second feature, we teamed up with our friends at Templeheart Films to make an ambitious sci-fi adventure for all the family. It's called Future TX, about two kids who get their first mobile phones but receive a call from someone who claims to be from the future and he needs the kids' help if the world is going to survive. It stars Griff Rhys-Jones (comedy legend), Catriona Knox (Bandersnatch) and Christos Lawton (The Terror) alongside our two lead kids Arran Kemp and Adele Congreve. More info via this link!
Tim and I are not just focused on Feature TX. We're also in pre-production on a live-action pre-school dog show (!) called Dog Years. The series follows Dash the dog as he recalls the adventures he had with his child owner Anna and her family. In every episode, there's drama, humour and a lot of heart as Dash learns valuable lessons about growing up, which he shares with his two pups, Milo and Sami. It's been great fun getting this together and we should be ready to shoot in May.
As we produce and direct our own material, I now realise (and appreciate) the difference between 'being precious about your script' versus 'the practicalities of production'. I come from a very script-heavy background, so I place a lot of value in what's on the page, but as a producer/director I now know how you need to be flexible and creative around some story beats that previously you thought were untouchable! I guess if there's a theme to this particular blog post then it's: don't be precious, be constructive and generous.
Right plenty of work to do, best crack on!