Starting somewhere …
I started off playing music with friends in bedrooms in Airdrie and Bellshill in the 1980s. There was a lot of teenage obsessing; a ton of songwriting and a smattering of recording; too little rehearsing and no masterplanning whatsoever. A couple of record releases, a few dozen gigs across the UK and some long standing friendships made - that was it for me. But it was a creative start, an introduction to making things up and connecting with people in the next town or city who were doing the same.
Stories
I became a documentary maker via investigative journalism and I am still drawn to the stories of underdogs and outsiders; to people who have - or who started out with - less of a voice in society. This has often led me into biography and to stories of figures such as Muhammad Ali, Robert Burns and Billy Connolly. But I’m interested also in exploring power in politics, finance and science - and in holding it up to scrutiny.
Beyond that investigative grounding, my practice has evolved to embrace all aspects of writing and shooting, with an emphasis on creative story telling. From conducting intimate, self operated single-camera interviews to directing scripted dramatic reconstruction; from running multi-unit, remote-location shoots with high profile talent to managing fixed rig teams, I am eternally stuck on the power of images to inspire us to tell stories in new ways.
Directing
I direct both personal projects and those for broadcasters in mainstream TV in the UK and around the world, and I bring the same curiosity and commitment regardless of budget or profile. I’ve learned that directing means different things at different times and sometimes all at once. Establishing relationships. Collaborating. Leading. Encouraging. Challenging. Persevering. More and more I think it’s about listening and communicating and supporting the people you’re working with to do their best work. It’s not that grand a vision, but it’s at the heart of everything I do.