Services
Directing
I came into filmmaking later than most, which means I didn’t arrive with nothing but theory and a showreel. I’d already spent years in the military, worked with prisoners, trained in psychotherapy, and had a fair bit of life thrown at me before I ever started directing.
That probably explains why I’m far more interested in people, behaviour, and what’s actually happening underneath a scene than in making something look clever for its own sake.
Most of my work has leaned towards horror, dark comedy and character-driven material, but I’m not interested in boxing myself into one genre. If you’ve got a short film, music video, promo or other project that needs somebody to take the idea, actors and practical realities and turn them into something that actually works on screen, that’s where I come in.
If you’ve got something in mind and think I might be the right fit, get in touch.
That probably explains why I’m far more interested in people, behaviour, and what’s actually happening underneath a scene than in making something look clever for its own sake.
Most of my work has leaned towards horror, dark comedy and character-driven material, but I’m not interested in boxing myself into one genre. If you’ve got a short film, music video, promo or other project that needs somebody to take the idea, actors and practical realities and turn them into something that actually works on screen, that’s where I come in.
If you’ve got something in mind and think I might be the right fit, get in touch.
Script Diagnosis
Got a script that’s nearly there, but something about it isn’t quite working?
What I’m offering is a little different from traditional or academic screenplay coverage. I’ll look at your script from both a director’s and an actor’s point of view. Does the story move? Do the characters behave like actual people? Is the dialogue playable? Are there scenes doing the same job twice? Are you explaining something the audience already understands? And, perhaps most importantly, is there a good film hiding in there that could be sharper once some of the clutter is stripped away?
I’m not interested in rewriting your script in my voice or telling you that everything has to follow some sacred formula. The aim is to give you another pair of experienced eyes, point out what I think is working, what might be getting in the way, and give you practical notes you can actually use when you go back to the next draft.
Exactly what you get will depend on the length of the script and how much input you want, but that can include notes directly on the script, a written diagnosis covering story, character, dialogue, pacing and practical filmmaking considerations, plus clear priorities for what I’d tackle first.
If you’ve been staring at the same pages for so long that you can no longer tell whether they’re brilliant or complete bollocks, get in touch.
What I’m offering is a little different from traditional or academic screenplay coverage. I’ll look at your script from both a director’s and an actor’s point of view. Does the story move? Do the characters behave like actual people? Is the dialogue playable? Are there scenes doing the same job twice? Are you explaining something the audience already understands? And, perhaps most importantly, is there a good film hiding in there that could be sharper once some of the clutter is stripped away?
I’m not interested in rewriting your script in my voice or telling you that everything has to follow some sacred formula. The aim is to give you another pair of experienced eyes, point out what I think is working, what might be getting in the way, and give you practical notes you can actually use when you go back to the next draft.
Exactly what you get will depend on the length of the script and how much input you want, but that can include notes directly on the script, a written diagnosis covering story, character, dialogue, pacing and practical filmmaking considerations, plus clear priorities for what I’d tackle first.
If you’ve been staring at the same pages for so long that you can no longer tell whether they’re brilliant or complete bollocks, get in touch.
Pre-Production Consultation
A lot of expensive problems can be spotted before anyone turns a camera on.
If you’ve got a script or project that’s getting close to production, I can look at it from the practical filmmaking side and help work out how to get more on screen without automatically throwing more money at it.
That might mean finding a simpler way to stage something, rethinking a location, cutting something that’s going to cost a fortune for very little return, or finding a way to create scale, tension or atmosphere without relying on loads of VFX.
I’ve spent years making things work with limited resources, finding locations, adapting ideas and working around the fact that what looks easy on the page can suddenly become a complete pain in the arse once you try to shoot it.
The aim is simple: keep the bits that matter, lose the unnecessary expense, and help you get as much production value as possible out of the budget you’ve actually got.
If you’re getting close to shooting and want another pair of eyes on the practical side, get in touch.
If you’ve got a script or project that’s getting close to production, I can look at it from the practical filmmaking side and help work out how to get more on screen without automatically throwing more money at it.
That might mean finding a simpler way to stage something, rethinking a location, cutting something that’s going to cost a fortune for very little return, or finding a way to create scale, tension or atmosphere without relying on loads of VFX.
I’ve spent years making things work with limited resources, finding locations, adapting ideas and working around the fact that what looks easy on the page can suddenly become a complete pain in the arse once you try to shoot it.
The aim is simple: keep the bits that matter, lose the unnecessary expense, and help you get as much production value as possible out of the budget you’ve actually got.
If you’re getting close to shooting and want another pair of eyes on the practical side, get in touch.
Post-Production Consultation
Sometimes the edit isn’t technically bad. It just isn’t quite landing.
Maybe the film is running too long. Maybe a scene you loved on the page is now slowing everything down. Maybe there are three versions of the same beat in slightly different clothes. Or maybe you’ve been staring at the timeline for so long that you can’t tell anymore.
That’s where an outside pair of eyes can help.
I’m not offering a full editing service. I’m offering a director’s view on the cut: structure, pacing, performance, shot choice, what can go, what needs breathing room, and whether the film is actually telling the story you think it is.
When you’ve made something yourself, you know what every shot cost you in time, money and effort. That can make you very protective of material that simply isn’t earning its place. I know that feeling very well. I’ve had to learn to be ruthless with my own work too, often reluctantly.
So if you’ve got a rough cut, a near-final cut, or an editor who wants another perspective before picture lock, I can come in, look at it without the emotional baggage, and help you work out what’s serving the film and what isn’t.
If that sounds useful, get in touch.
Maybe the film is running too long. Maybe a scene you loved on the page is now slowing everything down. Maybe there are three versions of the same beat in slightly different clothes. Or maybe you’ve been staring at the timeline for so long that you can’t tell anymore.
That’s where an outside pair of eyes can help.
I’m not offering a full editing service. I’m offering a director’s view on the cut: structure, pacing, performance, shot choice, what can go, what needs breathing room, and whether the film is actually telling the story you think it is.
When you’ve made something yourself, you know what every shot cost you in time, money and effort. That can make you very protective of material that simply isn’t earning its place. I know that feeling very well. I’ve had to learn to be ruthless with my own work too, often reluctantly.
So if you’ve got a rough cut, a near-final cut, or an editor who wants another perspective before picture lock, I can come in, look at it without the emotional baggage, and help you work out what’s serving the film and what isn’t.
If that sounds useful, get in touch.
Why Work With Me?
I didn’t come into filmmaking straight from school or university. I came to it later, after already having lived a fair bit of life.
I grew up on a council estate, joined the Royal Navy and served for just under eight years. After that I trained in psychotherapy, spent years working with prisoners, drove taxis, worked as a swimming-pool lifeguard, performed as a mentalist, worked as a children’s entertainer, and generally ended up meeting people from pretty much every walk of life.
That matters to me because filmmaking is about people. Behaviour. Motivation. Conflict. What someone says, what they don’t say, and whether any of it feels believable.
I’ve worked with, lived around, or socialised with people from very different backgrounds, from people with very little to people with a lot, from respectable professionals to some decidedly less respectable characters.
So when I look at a script, a performance, a scene or a cut, I’m not only looking at structure or technique. I’m also asking whether the people in it feel real.
I came to filmmaking late, but I came to it with something useful already in the bag: life experience.
That, for me, is the bit you can’t teach on a weekend course.
I grew up on a council estate, joined the Royal Navy and served for just under eight years. After that I trained in psychotherapy, spent years working with prisoners, drove taxis, worked as a swimming-pool lifeguard, performed as a mentalist, worked as a children’s entertainer, and generally ended up meeting people from pretty much every walk of life.
That matters to me because filmmaking is about people. Behaviour. Motivation. Conflict. What someone says, what they don’t say, and whether any of it feels believable.
I’ve worked with, lived around, or socialised with people from very different backgrounds, from people with very little to people with a lot, from respectable professionals to some decidedly less respectable characters.
So when I look at a script, a performance, a scene or a cut, I’m not only looking at structure or technique. I’m also asking whether the people in it feel real.
I came to filmmaking late, but I came to it with something useful already in the bag: life experience.
That, for me, is the bit you can’t teach on a weekend course.
Get in Touch
If you’ve got a project and think I might be able to help, drop me a message and tell me a bit about it.
You don’t need a perfectly polished pitch. Just tell me what you’re working on, where you’re at, and what you think you need help with. If it sounds like a good fit, we can take it from there.
I haven’t listed fixed prices here because every project is different. Fees are agreed on a project-by-project basis depending on what you need, how much input is involved and the scale of the job.
Get in touch here.
You don’t need a perfectly polished pitch. Just tell me what you’re working on, where you’re at, and what you think you need help with. If it sounds like a good fit, we can take it from there.
I haven’t listed fixed prices here because every project is different. Fees are agreed on a project-by-project basis depending on what you need, how much input is involved and the scale of the job.
Get in touch here.