I produced this feature-length documentary for BBC Radio 4
A Thankful Village is a place where every soldier returned alive from World War One. Songwriter Darren Hayman is visiting all fifty-four of them in search of a second story.
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What can a steam-powered brass band teach us about our place in an ever expanding universe? This film shoot saw us repeat a historic experiment, using trumpets and trains to shed light on how waves work, why sirens sound weird when they speed past us, and how we know that stars are moving away from us.
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I was a serial herb killer, until I learned these great tips from the Gardener's Question Time team. Turns out, it's not that complicated... With these simple tips you'll have beautiful fresh herbs that last with minimal effort.
Dancing in public can be scary, but letting go, and busting moves is a great release. Working with my pal and ace movement choreographer Polly Bennett, we made a film to get people dancing in that most intimidating environment... the wedding disco! Thanks to an ace group of fake wedding attendees, who brought their dancing A-Game in the sober light of day.
I wanted to dig into some of the structures of storytelling and show how everyone has a story they can share. We used the excellent BBC Radio4 programme 'Short Cuts' as a starting point to pick great story segments, then link them with key advice on storytelling from Josie Long. All mixed within the pages of an animated book. It was a really fun one to work on and hopefully will contribute to more people spinning yarns.
I was asked to make a short film about conversation for Radio 4. I chose to focus on 'The Listening Project'. An inspiring programme where ordinary people interview their friends, and loved ones. It's quite a unique form of media and can create some very inspiring, real, moments. I'm fascinated by layering visual elements on audio stories, and wanted to create an animation made from audio wave forms. For me this represents how we all have these conversations inside us. Hopefully this film celebrates the act of sharing. So go on, give it a share! It's good to talk, and even better to listen.
I was really inspired by the work of the Paper Cinema and their amazing production of the Odyssey. I went to a workshop to learn some of their live animation techniques, and combined them with stop motion in this piece. I wanted to use the medium of anxious doodling to tell this story, and collaborated with the awesomely talented artist Alice Clarke. We spent a lot of time cutting drawings out, gluing them onto cardboard and patiently moving things around. Extra thanks to Gavin Farlie of GJF Productions who did some excellent puppetry.
Watch the film on the Radio4 website here
The second of my 'how to' films for BBC Radio4 is now live. It's been going down really well on Facebook and was one of the most popular on the Radio4 website in it's first week. It was a fun one to direct, talented bunch of actors, and I'm really pleased with how it's come out.
Go and watch some Passion in Practice Shakespeare if you get a chance, it's really cool.
"Thou weedy, fat-kidneyed, bug bear..."
Posted by BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday, 1 March 2016
I made a couple of short films for The Human Zoo on Radio4. One was the most viewed feature on the website that week. The plan was to make a 1 minute concept explainer/teaser for the radio show. It did really well on Facebook and hopefully brought in a different audience to enjoy this ace social psychology radio programme. I had to star in this video as well as direct, as the turnaround time was so tight. A lot of people thought my shirt was irritating, one guy said I looked like Stephen Merchant. I have a strange job sometimes.
How irritated do you get when somebody reads over your shoulder on public transport? Enjoy this short video of life's unwritten rules being broken...
Posted by BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday, 24 June 2015