Journal

‘Lockdown’

Back on location with Brian Hill currently working on a BBC documentary about the ongoing pandemic. Stories, music and dance with poetry by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. It’s proving to be a long slog with difficult shooting conditions due to Covid restrictions.

If You Can Hear Me

This short film was funded by Creative England and The BFI. The director, Jesse Lawrence, is a good friend of mine who wrote this script based on a real life event when he came across a dead body as a young man. The budget was very tight and everybody pulled together brilliantly to make it […]

‘Terms And Conditions: A UK Drill Story’

Working with Director Brian Hill, editor Stuart Briggs and fellow DOP’s Michael Timney and Conor Maloney Hill on a documentary about Drill music. Filming and production has finished on this feature length film for YouTube. Another exciting project with Century Films, working with fascinating characters. Lots of good humour on location and in the studio, […]

Royal Photographic Society – Fellowship Award

Very pleased to announce that I was awarded a Fellowship by The Royal Photographic Society in December 2019 for my work in the moving image. The Royal Photographic Society – Roger Chapman

Death In Bollywood

A three-part BBC Documentary series about a Bollywood actress called Jiah Khan who was found dead in her Mumbai apartment. This was a Grain Media production directed by Marta Shaw & Jasleen Sethi and transmitted in January 2021. My part of the filming was on location in London, Mumbai and Pune. We had a great […]

Maradona In Mexico

A couple of weeks in Mexico with Angus Macqueen to gather some images and shoot some drone footage for his ‘Maradona in Mexico’ series for Netflix. Based in the Sinaloan city of Culiacan in North West Mexico, the home town of Maradona’s football team, Doradas de Sinaloa. It is also the cradle of drug traffickers. […]

Ella Fitzgerald

Once again working with the legendary Leslie Woodhead and Reggie Nadelson on an Eagle Rock Films feature length documentary about the life of Ella Fitzgerald. One of the highlights was filming her adopted son Ray Brown Junior in an emotional interview at Ronnie Scotts followed by a splendid Italian lunch together across the road at […]

Drag SOS

Spent a few days filming the master interviews for the Channel 4 production, Drag SOS, with Sam Whitaker and Lucy Hillman from Summer Films and director Paddy Wivell. Great fun.

Inside The Foreign Office

A fascinating insight to the workings of the Foreign Office, filmed when Boris Johnson was the Foreign Secretary. During the filming, director Michael Waldman and I did a whistle stop tour of Europe with the Foreign Secretary during the Brexit negotiations. One of the many extraordinary scenes we filmed with Boris Johnson was one in […]

Nolan – The Man and The Myth

Received a call from Australia, from long time friend, Lavinia Riachi, asking if I would like to work on a film about the Australian artist Sir Sidney Nolan. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know the life and works of this fascinating man. Filming in London and Rodd in Herefordshire. The studio at […]

Inside North Korea’s Dynasty

Filming in London and South Korea with the talented director, Dan Clifton, on a National Geographic series about the Kim Dynasty. All the interviews were shot with three cameras, which at times made the lighting particularly challenging. We had a lovely local crew in Seoul and enjoyed some great food when we weren’t filming including […]

The Day Britain Cried

Currently shooting with Finestripe Productions on a new documentary to mark the 20th anniversary of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. Working with the wonderful Leslie Woodhead and Lorraine McKechnie on some fascinating interviews including Jonathan Freedland and Trevor McDonald.

Inside Dior

Filming in London, Paris, Blenheim Palace and Provence with director Michael Waldman asking his naughty questions, the lovely producer Lorraine McKechnie keeping the ship sailing in the right direction and Olly Astles-Jones on sound.

Arnhem Veterans

Titus and I completed our whistle stop tour of the UK completing 1000 miles in 4 days, bringing our total number of Arnhem veteran interviews to seventeen. I am still amazed at the spirit, modesty and humour of these amazing men. The excellent editor, Dan Glendenning, is currently viewing the rushes and looking to cut […]

Century Films

Latest filming trip with Brian was to Malaga in Spain. A welcome contrast to the freezing conditions in Sweden.

National Film and Television School

Had a great time with the Second Year Documentary MA students at the National Film and Television School. Our camera workshop this week included filming at a local residential home where the students filmed some wonderfully moving scenes and interviews with some of the residents and staff dealing with dementia. They are about to start […]

Veterans from the battle of Arnhem

My good friend Titus Mills and I are currently pursuing a personal project filming some of the surviving veterans from the battle at Arnhem in 1944 fought during the Second World War. We are planning to film as many interviews as possible this year before the 70th Anniversary Memorial Service weekend in September. I have […]

Century Films

Currently working with Brian Hill on a theatrical release documentary for Film Four and the BFI.

Florin Street

Last shoot of 2013 involved filming in a beautiful 14th century Tithe barn in Englishcombe, just outside Bath. This new Christmas video, written and performed by Leigh Haggerwood, is part of his new Florin Street Christmas musical. Produced and directed by Jackson Kingsley on a modest budget, we were fortunate to have a good sized […]

Aldi commercial

Shot a commercial with fellow DOP Mark Wolf and Director Joe Bullman for Aldi supermarkets. Lots of fun in a street market in Croydon town centre until the heavens opened and everything got very wet. Client – Aldi • Agency – McCann Manchester • Production Company – The Bare Film Company

Sudan

Spent most of October in The Sudan. The North Kordofan region is approximately 300 miles west of Khartoum. I travelled with author and explorer, Michael Asher, as we retraced his footsteps along the Wadi El Malik, a journey he first undertook over 30 years ago. He was relieved to discover that this corner of The […]

Banged up – Manilla

Travelled to Manilla to film a "Banged Up Abroad" episode for Raw Television. Directed by Fergus Colville, produced by Ros Davidson and starring Joy Nash. The Philippines was our location, but the story was actually set in Thailand. Joy Nash was our drug mule and for such a happy, smiley person she spent most of […]

Aung San Suu Kyi: The Choice

Director Angus MacQueen Producer Sue Summers Finestripe productions & Ronachan Films for BBC2 Filming in Burma, The Netherlands and UK Once again, Angus manages to give me another great adventure. This time flying in to Burma to interview Aung San Suu Kyi at her home where she spent many years under house arrest. We had […]

Sonny Rollins: Beyond the Notes

BeBop Productions for BBC Arena series Director: Dick Fontaine Producer: Gugulethu Mseleku Location: New York A rare opportunity to work with the legendary Dick Fontaine who has directed many fine documentaries since the 1960’s. Shortlisted for the Grierson Award in 2012 Sonny Rollins Beyond the Notes Trailer 1’37” on Vimeo

The Victorian Sex Explorer

Lots of fun with Michael Waldman and Rupert Everett looking at the life of the British explorer Sir Richard Burton. Locations where in India, Egypt and the UK. Filming romantic sunset cruises along the Nile, as well as a far less romantic cockroach infested Hamman in Cairo. We also had a fascinating insight in to […]