Documentaries are one of my favourite formats to produce. Their deeply personal and observational nature has drawn me in from the start of my career in film.
From getting to know the subjects and earning their trust, to scheduling the filming and mapping out the logistics with an adventure-loving crew, these films are based in the real world and I enjoy every aspect (and challenge) of creating them.
Scroll down to see some of my documentary and branded doc reel highlights.
Fela Kuti: The Legacy
Directed by Kay Thomas
DOP: Lorenzo Sorbini | Client: Partisan Records
One of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Fela Kuti is a household name for many. I was brought in by Creative Director Kay Thomas to run the full production of this documentary to celebrate Fela’s influence on music, fashion and culture.
While the post team got started on making selects from the infinite Fela archive, our pre-prod and shoot’s goal was to find and interview some of his contemporaries and family members. We shot all over London (and online) and got a first hand look into the world of one of the greatest artists to ever exist, through stories and anecdotes from his grandsons, manager, friends and historians.
Breaking Down Barriers in Long Distance Triathlon
Directed by Josh Williams
DOP: Jack Davies | Production Company: Friction Collective
Fullsteam Events are the proud organiser of the Castle to Coast Triathlon in Brighton. How to get it on the map? Show case the incredible people who do it.
Production revolved around the formidable 10IronWomen and their journey to and during the event. Both the training shoot day and the event itself required a tight itinerary, a 2 unit approach, and a very run & gun shooting style, where every available opportunity was grabbed for an interview, check in, drone shot or underwater moment. We covered off some big topics in this documentary, and it then went on to perform brilliantly on the Film Festival circuit, making this is a particularly moving project to be a part of.
The Home Furthest from a Pub
Directed by Meg Wriggles
DOPs: Lee Burnett & Connor Macleod | Production Company: Knock Knock
Ever wondered where the home furthest from a pub in the UK is? Let me tell you - it’s Fair Isle in the middle of the North Sea. And we went there!
After delaying production 3 times due to weather, we found ourselves exploring the spectacular island with our host and subject, Steven. He kindly had our 6 person crew to stay in his house, while we filmed and interviewed some of the island’s 60 residents about this extraordinary life.
Our client being PerfectDraftUK and Stella Artois, this was a semi-scripted docu-style piece where we had a narrative to hit, but the freedom to capture what could elevate the story and bring that authenticity. We also had the added challenge of executing the perfect pint in a place where pints can’t get served. Trust me, I now know all the rules of the Perfect Serve of Stella.
Chasing Tradition
Directed by Ben Lee
DOP: Tom Turley | Production Company: Knock Knock
Part of Ralph Lauren’s 20 year celebration of tailoring Wimbledon, this short documentary about the selection process and training of 3 Ball Boys and Girls was fascinating. Shot over a month, we visited them during indoor, outdoor and court-side training, as well as personal locations according to their hobbies. We also shot a day in the studio for garment-led B-roll using parts models.
Sensitivity to the subject was required across the whole production: they weren’t guaranteed to be selected as Wimbledon Ball Kids for a start, and as we were working with minors, we had to film and edit with a lot of caution, especially around other kids who weren’t being featured in the film. On top of this, anyone who has shot at Wimbledon knows security is extremely tight and access to the courts and the ball kids is only granted after rigorous checks and accreditation - and limited time periods at that. Fortunately, we had the team of dreams and we shot every possible moment. The resulting edit came out beautifully and this was a hugely enjoyable, not to mention inspiring, film to create.
A Final for the Ages
Directed by: Matt Dodimead
DOP: Sam Riva | Production Company: Knock Knock
The 2001 Wimbledon Mens Singles Final between Pat Rafter and Goran Ivanisevic is widely remembered as one of the most emotional finals of all time. Rafter, a known, seeded 3rd, Australian tennis player, was going into his 2nd Wimbledon final in 2 years up against Ivanisevic, the wildcard Croatian seeded 125th…
We were thrilled to have the opportunity to interview them both on Centre Court for Ralph Lauren’s annual suite of social content. With access to the grounds strictly limited to only a few essential crew, and time with the talent capped at 2.5 hours, we had our work cut out in accessing each of their recounts of the epic final, as well as capturing their natural friendship with each other and their relationship with the historic grounds. To add to the pressure of telling such an iconic story, we were asked to deliver the final film 3 days after filming - cue some late nights in the edit suite!
On the Road to Goodwood Revival
Directed by Stu McCardle
DOP: Matt Gentleman | Production Company: Knock Knock
Goodwood Revival appeals to all car lovers, and car influencer Callum Mullin is no exception. Over the course of 2 days, we filmed him and his best friend Reuben driving to the festival in a Jaguar E-Type for Ralph Lauren, making several stops to truly enjoy the journey.
Pre-Production focused on identifying the route to Goodwood, and the (brand appropriate) scenic stop offs that would allow our talent to enjoy themselves naturally on camera. Out on the shoot, attention then turned to the difficulty of rigging a camera onto this classic car, and working around a few splashes of rain…
AI & Us
Directed by: Rich Butterworth
Production Company: Fortemus Films
In 2023, AI was moving at speeds within the US Pharmaceutical Industry few could wrap their head around. At the same time, Dataiku, an AI software platform, were considering the subject of their 2nd series of ‘AI & Us’. Cue a 3 week multi-city shoot across the North East of the United States, interviewing over 20 business leaders, scientists and journalists in Pharma.
Working with NYC based Director and DOP Rich Butterworth, I was the only UK team member to travel to the US to run the shoot and work with the client and series host, Kelci Miclaus. Pre-Production in the UK revolved around identifying the interview subjects, booking and scheduling their involvement, and remotely reviewing numerous locations across US cities to film in. The shoot was then scheduled around these interviews, with additional B-roll requirements visiting offices, interviewing the public, and shooting procedures in science labs. Post Production was a whole new world entirely: on top of making narrative selects from 3 weeks of footage, we wanted to utilise AI in the films (given the subject), and so used AI footage generation on Runway to create branded introduction sequences for each episode.
The Grace of Glaze
Directed by: Laurie Barraclough
DOP: Guy Francis | Production Company: Fortemus Films
Simone Doesburg is a ceramicist and designer based in Utrecht, The Netherlands. For the upcoming sale of her pieces in the Homage project for Masterly , we were asked by Catawiki to visit her in her studio just outside of Utrecht and document the fragile steps of her creative process.
With meetings with Simone beforehand to understand her approach to ceramics and the processes we would film, our visit to her hometown was brief. During the 1 day shoot, we had to capture every step of her week long ceramic process, as well as an interview that contextualised the pieces and helped the potential buyers understand just how special these items were. Lucky for us, Simone loves food analogies, which accompanied this delicious footage perfectly.
Looking for a producer for your documentary? Whether it’s short or long, local or abroad, I’d love to work on it!