Clients

Advertising Association

I produced and directed this video which was screened on the Advertising Association's stand at the political party conferences. It uses humour to describe the benefits advertising brings to our economy. The entire programme was constructed using clips from award-winning TV ads.

Baird Europe Capital Markets

When U.S. investment bank Robert W. Baird bought Granville Bank, they needed to ramp up their personnel quickly and get them in tune with the organisation's objectives for rapid growth. With so many people joining the company they required an induction course to get new recruits up to speed quickly. I devised and staged these one day events with very positive feedback.

Baker Norton Pharmaceuticals

This motiviational event for the UK sales force used an interesting time travel device where senior managers were aged and then appeared on screens during the events looking back to the present day and making various prescient observations about what had gone wrong and the mistakes they should avoid. This went down very well and everyone had a good laugh, especially when they realised the speakers were all piped in live and were able to make comments about individual members of the audience and what they were wearing, sitting next to etc!

Barratt Homes

Dramatised virtual tour of GWQ - the Great West Quarter - Barratt's flagship development on the Great West Road on the site of the former Beecham's HQ, GWQ will provide a mix of residential, retail and office accommodation with large public spaces and even an art gallery. Produced by Glass Canvass which specialises in 3D architectural fly through models. This production is aimed at investors and potential buyers and tenants and allows them to get a very realistic feel for the location and its amenities while work is still ongoing.

Bordeaux and Beyond

Bordeaux and Beyond is an estate agent based in the Gironde and Pyrénées Atlantique in the region known as Aquitaine. I helped to found the company and created the corporate identity including the name, designed the web site. We acheived top ranking from Google and very positive feedback from clients who appreciated the simple layout and clear descriptions. I also managed all B&B marketing communications, in French and English. www.bordeauxbeyond.co.uk.

British Petroleum

I wrote and directed this video about Sensor Netorks. The heart of a sensory network is a mote which incorporates a microprocessor, a power source such as a small battery and a two-way radio, in a package that could some day be as small as a grain of sand or even dust—hence the name mote. One day, motes will be everywhere.

British Transport Police

British Transport Police not only safeguard the travelling public, they also police the areas around our major transport hubs. This video awarded to Jacaranda was aimed at an internal audience to feature some of the challenges presented by policing our transport hubs. Based on Victoria Station, the video follows the policing challenges throughout a day and features interviews with the people who travel though and work in and around the station.

Burger King

When David Kisilevsky was appointed to European Director Marketing of Burger King he knew he had set himself the challenge of a lifetime. The first meeting with the franchisees was bound to be a test so he had to make a good impression and above all reassure them that he had the right strategy to take the business forward. I was called in by Beetlenut Productions to develop a theme and structure for the presentation. By all accounts David got a 'big whopper' of a reception.

Burton Group

Launch video for the Principles fashion store presented by Jane Asher - a day to remember!

Cabinet Office

Recruitment video for the Fast Stream of the Civil Service which picked up a couple of awards here and in the US. Produced by the COI, the video tracked the lives of four young civil servants from different Government departments and showed the variety of work they undertook and the training they received.

Charity Bank

Charity Bank provides deposit accounts that pay interest and benefit society by supporting the work of the voluntary sector and other charitable causes. Charity Bank was launched in 2002, a new type of bank that provides loans to the voluntary sector at reasonable rates. I scripted the launch video which was presented by Martyn Lewis and featured Simon Weston, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Sir Steven Redgrave and Nick Ross. I also helped to write a speech for the Rt Hon Sir Eddie George, then Governor of the Bank of England.

Data Protection Agency

Barry's Bad Data Day was for several years the main public awareness video about the implications of the Data Protection Act for small busienss. This drama uses humour to show how to avoid contravening the Act.

Department of Health

Nursing and Aids was a series of videos produced by the Department of Health when AIDS first became a serious public health problem. In retrospect it offered a rather bleak perspective on the impact of AIDS but then at that time treatment was not as effective as it is now and most people infected were likely to die.

Department for Transport

Children cause millions of pounds of damage to buses and trains every year and put people in fear of using public transport, especially other school children and the elderly, a suitable topic for a teaching resource about citizenship. Vandalism of the transport infrastructure is a nationwide problem. DfT commissioned Merlin Communications to produce a teacher resource pack for primary and secondary schools to as part of the citizenship curriculum. I researched and wrote these videos which included dramas and documentaries about the causes and consequences of vandalism.

DOCET

Communication Skills vdieo for the Directorate of Optometric Continuing Education & Training (DOCET). The video uses humour to emphasise the importance of effective communication to patient care.

Dynamic Solutions

Design & Print project for this training company that stages dramatised audience engagement events. I wrote and produced their first brochure.

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Schools video to promote careers in engineering with commentary by Joanna Lumley and a short presentation but HRH The Prince of Wales scripted by yours truly - does that make me By Appointment?

Ernst & Young

Off-camera interviews are a major ingredient of videos today and it requires experience to squeeze out a good performance. Barford Productions commissioned me to interview CEO Nick Land and the all the Board directors of Ernst & Young for an internal training video.

ENRC

The Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation is one of the worlds leading mining companies and is based in Kazakhstan. With huge, proven reserves of ferroalloy, manganese, iron ore, bauxite and coal ENRC is on a path to substantial and sustained growth in Kazakhstan and across the world. Two videos awarded to Brandcast Media by ENRC's PR company Phoebus are aimed at the financial press and a general audiences. They are designed to through light on one of mining's biggest success stories.

European Climate Foundation

When President Nicholas Sarkosy took over the EU presidency in July 2008, one of his first acts was to bring together the European energy and environment ministers to set the agenda for climate change legislation. Three videos for the event were commissioned from Brandcast Media. Not only did they have to be turned round in just two weeks, they also had to be largely in French. I conducted all the French off-camera interviews and supervised the edit and subtitling.

Ferring Pharmaceuticals

Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a privately owned company with a strong ethos and a very distinctive approach to developing new therapies - medicine on the body's own terms. Ferring specialises in peptide drugs and other specialist medicines. It has also developed a major new treatment for advance prostate cancer, Degarelix. I wrote and co-directed a video about Degarelix which included off-camera interviews and French as well as two editions of their corporate video. (House Media)

First Great Western

FIRST is a UK based leading international passenger transport group with bus and rail operations spanning two continents. They needed a series of management training DVDs for programme called Performance Management. The training modules included Handling Difficult Interviews, Staff Retention and Incident Reporting.

Fire Protection Association

I wrote a number of public safety awareness vides for the FPA covering topics such as the prevention of arson and warehouse fires/

Food Secret

Food Secret is an upmarket Soho lunch and take out eatery on Broadwick Street. As part of a re-branding exercise by the Sandwich Scene, HD flat screens around the seating area will display messages about the health and other benefits of the ingredients they use. My task was to research and write these quirky/informative pieces.

Foster + Partners

Foster and Partners is one of the world's most successful and influential firms of architects. Videos for developments in Kazakhstan and Abu Dhabi were required not just to describe the concepts but actually sell them to those country's leaders. No pressure then! Central Markets Astana. Astana is the new capital of Kazakhstan. Central Markets is a huge residential and retail development designed to accommodate the freezing winters and hot summers and provide a unique environment that reflects local culture and customs. Masdar is a unique walled city planned for Abu Dhabi that will accommodate a community of scientists, technologists and financiers dedicated to finding the sustainable energy solutions of the future. The city will have zero emissions, energy and water consumption - one day all cities will be built like this. Bottom line: Architects are a different breed and it takes a while to understand how they think. They are not interested in the obvious things that one might say about a development, such as its outward appearance. Issues such as experience, landmark status and relationship to the environment are more important. (The Bank)

GE Health Care

High Content Analysis or HCA is the fusion of modern cell biology, automated high resolution microscopy and robotic handling techniques and is central to the activities of a wide variety of academic laboratories and pharmaceutical research groups. This sales promotion for GE Healthcare will be used to promote the technology. (HMX Productions)

GlaxoSmithKline

A single vaccination can protect women against this often fatal disease, but ideally they should receive it before puberty which presents considerable communication challenges. GlaxoSmithKline is launching a vaccine against cervical cancer. This is a radical breakthrough as it is now known that this very common cancer is caused as the result of infection with the human papillomavirus virus. Ideally, women should receive the vaccine before they become sexually active, ie in childhood. This is quite controversial and so GlaxoSmithKline needs to educate people about cervical cancer and to promote discussion around the ethical issues involved. I conducted off-camera interviews with a series of patients and their doctors in France (in French) and Poland as part of a library of VNR (video news reel) footage to be available at the time of the launch.

HBOS

HBOS has a strong tradition of support for the voluntary sector through its charitable Foundation. They also wanted to encourage their staff to get involved in community projects. The HBOS was formed following the merger of Halifax and Bank of Scotland. The HBOS foundation manages the Bank's charitable activities and encourages staff to take part in corporate volunteering activities. The video features a number of existing schemes and demonstrates that there's as much in volunteering for the volunteers as for the charities they support.

Honda (U.K.)

I had a long and enjoyable association with Honda UK until they became too big to employ freelancers to write their videos and marketing communications. I also wrote speeches for many of their senior executives including Ken Kier, the present MD, shortly after his appointment. This seemed to go down very well with the dealers.

I-Coach Academy

i-coach academy specialises in the training and supply of executive coaches. I helped to develop the content for their new website, working with MD Caroline Horner. www.i-coachacademy.com/

International Maritime Organization

Port Security Training Port security became a major challenge post 9/11 and the IMO developed detailed international protocols to improve security and effective training for port security personnel was central to its implementation. This 12 part interactive DVD covers the entire curriculum. A mentor figure takes the trainees through the security challenges for Millennium Port. (Videotel) This DVD won 10 international awards

Janssen-Cilag

Pharma company Janssen Cilag were looking for something different for their sales conference in Disneyland, Paris. Humour was the order of the day and my little play got laughs in all the right places. Janssen-Cilag is a pharmaceutical company with a large sales force. For their sales conference in Disneyland they needed to really get the reps fired up so I wrote a live drama featuring Tim the Target Fairy who helps Samantha become Rep of the Year. This was performed live and went down very well with the reps and product managers.

Knowledge Exchange

The Knowledge Exchange enables health care professionals across the NHS to share their expertise. I re-branded the company and produced a newsletter to build awareness. The company has since undergone a merger and been rebranded again.

KPMG

KPMG needed a high concept, high impact video to promote its tax tools at a major conference in Prague. My script fitted the bill and the budget and the video will now be used to promote the taxation tools after the event. The Producer, Christophe Stourton from Catalysm Purple was very pleased... Jonathan, Just a quick note to thank you for your carefully constructed concepts and words for the Tax Tools Video. The end result is something that we had not planned, but I am convinced that in it's first generation we had answered their brief - and to a certain extent their prayers! What we clearly did was to present them with something that demonstrated that in fact they did have good sounding tax tools - something that they did not believe until we showed it to them. Either way, I was very glad to have you take so much of the burden of research about the products, coaching the individuals about their interviews and seeing it through with Steve on the shoots and edits. Thanks for all and thank you for reacting very quickly when the deadlines shortened considerably. I hope that we can find some more for you to work on sooner rather than later. With kind regards Christophe

Lloyds TSB

Lloyds TSB has an ongoing training programme to make staff aware of financial crime and to encourage them to report anything suspicious. I have written three videos in this series covering topics such as money laundering, identity theft, mortgage and VAT fraud. Powerful dramas bring the issues to life and demonstrate how financial crime is far from victimless as it's often used to fund narco traffic and terrorism. Financial Crime, Stemming the Tide won 8 international awards

M2 Training Ltd

M2 Training specialises in training for the transport sector. I began by scripting all their training and marketing videos and then moved on to work on PR and marketing and developed and now manage their website.

Magex

Magex is payments services company founded by NatWest. I worked with Caroline Horner, the then Head of Communications (now MD of i-coach academy) during and after the launch, writing presentations, web content and a brochure.

Merrill Lynch

Every year kids from state schools in the US and UK are given the opportunity to spend some time in a Merrill Lynch offices on the opposite side of the pond as part of the Atlantic Fellowship. The Atlantic Fellowship is an exchange programme managed by Merrill Lynch and endorsed by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It provides opportunities for young students in their final year of school to experience and learn about the world of investment banking and financial services, whilst further developing relations between the US and UK. I wrote the copy for their latest brochure, produced by Willie Martin Productions.

Metro News International

Metro is a worldwide publishing phenomenon. It is published in over 100 major cities on four continents. The video used a mixture of 3D graphics and live action to promote the advertising opportunities of Metro and to describe its innovative campaigns and street promotions. I was given the edited vision track and asked to pen some punchy commentary. (Grand Visual)

Microsoft

I enjoyed a long and very diverse relationship with Microsoft Europe based in Paris during which time I wrote a number of case study videos for Windows NT and produced a printed quarterly newsletter for the European customer support group. All good things came to an end when my client Chris Atkinson was promoted to VP Asia and I got lost in the wash.

National Remote Sensing Centre

A series of programmes for schools and visitors to the National Remote Sensing Centre in Farnborough which describe the how satellite remote sensing works and its applications in areas such as agriculture, surveying for natural resources and monitoring climate change.

NHS

A team led by Dr Mary Archer, Chairman of Addenbrooks Hospital in Cambridge, and leading consultant urologists commissioned two videos aimed at men recently diagnosed with prostate disease. Prostate cancer and BHP, benign prostatic hyperplasia which is not cancerous, are common afflictions of men of a certain age. I was commissioned by Pukka Films to write the scripts and conduct interviews with doctors and patients. This is one of several videos I have written on these highly complex and challenging conditions.

Nokia UK

The merger between the network operations of Nokia and Siemens is designed to provide the benefits of scale and greater global coverage. However, the merging of all their communications proved a major logistical exercise which was taken on by the Finnish agency Contra. I joined the team of writers and designers to help re-write hundreds of sales presentations. I now have an unhealthy knowledge of the technicalities of mobile network infrastructure and technology.

O2

Conference openers for 02 and a DVD invite to 20K staff for the opening of TheO2 entertainment venue, formerly known as the Dome. Since it was demerged from BT five years ago the 02 mobile company has gone from strength to strength. A bold move was the re-branding of the former Millennium Dome to The 02. To mark the anniversary a number of videos were required to support management events and for a DVD invite to all 20,000 staff for the launch event. Their production company The Bank needed a fast turnaround so after a few late nights, four scripts were turned around and into production. Sean Bean is the voice of 02 so the style had to be suitably laconic.

Pfizer Group

I have worked for Pfizer in USA and Europe. Subjects include arthritis, cardiovascular medicine and most recently a CD-ROM aimed at hospital consultants about an anti-fungal drug called VFEND. The treatment of leukaemia and other conditions requiring tissue transplants leaves patients open to severe systemic fungal infections.

Police Service UK

I researched and scripted a series of video modules that describe the life of police officers at different levels. These were used as part of a national recruitment campaign and were available online. They were also put together into single video for induction days.

Regulatory Resources Group

RRG provides a range of regulatory services to the pharmaceutical industry, helping companies to manage every stage of the drug development process. I developed a new corporate identity for RRG which was launched with a snappy new brochure.

Renaissance Group

I wrote an instruction manual for managers instructing them how to recruit and retain the best people.

Richmond Football Club

I wrote and produced a fund raising brochure which succeeded in pulling in lots of new sponsors for the club, Richmond FC provides unique opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to learn how to play rugby and to compete at the national level.

Rio Tinto

A recruitment video for use worldwide for recruiting graduate geologists to join Rio Tinto Exploration. It reveals that the work of the modern geologist is very technological and that the helicopter is used as much as the geological hammer.

Sanofi Aventis

Atrial fibrillation is a serious medical condition that occurs when the heart beat goes awry and circulation is impaired. AF is one of the major causes of stroke. The condition often goes undiagnosed, sometimes for years. I conducted off-camera interview in English and French with doctor and patients and wrote the script for this public awareness video.

Shell International

Shell International has a large production unit based in London and over the years I have worked on a variety of videos for them including most recently two staff induction programmes for their plants in Singapore.

South West Trains

South West Trains is dedicated to running its trains on time and have been one of the best performers of all the train operating companies. This video titled 'Right Time Railway' was aimed at the staff of SWT and Network Rail to encourage them to keep up the good work. The video follows the journey of an elderly lady who is visiting her daughter and granddaughter in London. During her journey we meet some of the 50 or so trades that helped her train to arrive on time, from the cleaners to the signalmen and engineers. For the final shot, they are all lined up on the platform to greet her but of course she remains completely unaware of their contributions.

The Standards Board for England

The Standards Board is responsible for policing local government, making sure that councillors abide by the Code of Conduct and advising Monitoring Officers, the council’s legal representatives, on how to deal with any breaches. I have now written three substantial training dramas for The Standards Board

Transport for London

Transport for London (TfL) is driving the revival of the Capital's bus infrastructure and trialled a novel approach that delivers the training in the bus depots.  My role was to write the kiosk delivered interactive training dramas and the touch screen navigation and assessment. This has been piloted to general applause and proved very useful for training on site with minimal supervision. Sadly, the project was never fully implemented but the exercise demonstrated that touch-screen combined with video provides an effective format for training people from different educational and cultural backgrounds. We received very positive feedback from the drivers and conductors who used the pilot module on communication skills.

UNIDO

This was a very unusual project to write a sales brochure for spare parts factory in Ethiopia, funded by UNIDO. I spent a week in Addis Ababa sharing a hotel with various rebel leaders but was charmed off my feet by everyone I met. The only thing I didn't take to was the Ethiopian habit of eating raw meat.

Yorkshire Building Society

The YBS road-show allows the staff to get their plans (and thanks) first hand from managers but this was no ordinary corporate stand-up. YBS stages a road-show every two years where the CEO and his senior managers have a get-together with all the staff. My challenge was to write a series of short but highly interactive presentations to communicate for four presenters. The aim was to communicate their purpose, values and vision.