Went to Pakistan and Afghanistan in 1988 aged 16 with a Minolta 7000 SLR. Used the shots from that to get a place on the TV and Broadcasting course run by Jeremy Barr at Ravensbourne Film College. I learned a lot from him and after graduating I started at MTV in Camden. New horizons were beckoning and soon I moved to Orbit Television in Rome which was a wonderful place to live and work for a year. Then back to CITV in foggy, rainy Birmingham - Piazza Narrvona to Ladywood well….. that took a bit of adjusting to. But after that came many years with MTV productions Europe. After countless tours with DJ’s and bands in some truly unforgettable settings – I will never forget the happiness of the Chinese people during Paul Oakenfold’s set on the Great Wall of China – over the moon yes, at the excitement of the very first dance event allowed by the authorities, but as the rain fell in sheets upon us, they celebrated the assured success of their rice harvest. A night I will never forget, particularly as the only camera remaining functional during the deluge, was the Nizo super 8.
But still there was something nagging at me – I couldn’t feel really settled in a corporate environment. Tried acting in features but was shocking and Ridley Scott directed me out of a scene with Russell Crowe because my limping was too silly. So began and ended my career on the other side of the lens.
I have always been a keen chef and am really enjoying the cookery shows I’ve been directing, filming and editing for some time now. All in all, it’s a fantastic time to be involved in this creative industry with the amazing diversity of the work, coupled with the fantastic advancements in equipment.
I am also a proud operational member of Buxton Mountain Rescue Team and a qualified drone pilot.