For as far back as I remember, I’ve always loved films. I've always thought of them as magical gateways into other worlds, worlds where anything and everything is possible and where we can explore and create whole universes! As a child I used to stay awake far past my bedtime to watch whatever horror film that Channel 4 was showing on my tiny black and white TV, huddled under my blankets and taking in every moment in wide-eyed awe at the sheer inventiveness of the stories that were playing out in front of me; A young Roman Polanski running away from an intimidating vampire but paying absolutely no attention to his route, which leads him in a long circle back in front of the unimpressed monster. Christopher Lee being driven back by the shadow created by the sails of a windmill, formed into a cross. Danny Glick scratching at the window of his old bedroom, enticing his brother to open them and let him inside.
As I grew older, my love of movies blossomed, though I was content to remain a passive viewer. I developed an interest in Psychology and completed a Degree in this field before realising that my true passion was filmmaking, but my Psychological knowledge has been a huge benefit on my journey and I feel has given me a real edge in my writing ability. Understanding the deep psychological perspectives of each of my characters allows me to create a unique voice and sense of identity for them and I feel this makes my scripts much more rounded and interesting.
Once I had studied what path I wanted to take, I completed a Degree in Film Production at Manchester Metropolitan University and then threw myself into the world of no budget short films. I saw this as a real testing ground, having to come up with unique and interesting ideas that I could make with the help of a handful of friends and the spare change I had in my pocket. It was during the making of these films that I learned the most about the process of filmmaking, the importance of understanding everyone’s place on set and how to translate the ideas from my head onto the screen via a multitude of very skilled people. I also came to understand the nature of what a Director really does, being a managerial role, so I thought it was important to gain knowledge on management styles and have gone through various training as a manager in the corporate world to become an effective leader.
My short films have gone on to win a multitude of awards and have been screened at a lot of film festivals such as Cannes, Tribeca and Edinburgh, but just when I thought I had learned enough to take my first steps into the world of feature films, my wife and I had a son who had other ideas! I absolutely love fatherhood though, so putting my career on the back burner for a while wasn’t a big deal for me, it was important that I focus my attentions where they needed to be rather than making a half hearted and unfocussed attempt at trying to be a good father and making a good film at the same time.
But now I have more free time to begin working on films again, and I can honestly say that I still have every ounce of my passion and joy of films that will keep driving me forward until I finally get to make my first feature film!