I started as a freelance script reader \ consultant,
Working for many different companies including the BBC, Granada TV, Thames TV, the First Film Foundation, Channel 4 Film, Paramount Pictures, Paines Plough Theatre Company… before working as a development script editor, at Granada TV Drama, and then at LWT Drama. I then went on to work as a production script-editor on MEDICS (Granada \ ITV), STAYING ALIVE (LWT \ ITV) and THE KNOCK (Bronson Knight Productions \ LWT \ ITV).
I spent 7 years at Carlton TV Drama, as Head of Development, then as Producer. At Carlton I was script editor on the last two INSPECTOR MORSE films, KAVANAGH QC, ANYBODY’S NIGHTMARE, THE WAITING TIME, NOAH’S ARK and many other shows. At Carlton I produced FIRST SIGN OF MADNESS II ( a series of 4 x 30′ monologues by new writers, starring Pam Ferris, James Bolam, Emma Chambers and Martin Hancock) which won awards at the New York Film & TV Festival, Worldfest Houston and the Columbus International Film & Video Festival; MARGERY & GLADYS, a 2 hour film for ITV, written by John Flanagan & Andy McCulloch, directed by Geoffrey Sax; and MAKING WAVES, a 6 x 1 hour series for ITV, about life in the contemporary Royal Navy.
I went on to script-edit:-
A GOOD MURDER (Sally Head Productions \ ITV) and the last two series of WAKING THE DEAD (BBC TV).
For 5 years I ran the CARLTON SCREENWRITERS COURSE, an initiative to discover and nurture writers new to TV drama. Here is a list of some of the success stories we had on the course and some of the shows they have worked on since completing the course:-
- Chris Chibnall (Born & Bred, Torchwood, Broadchurch)
- Charlotte Jones (The Palace)
- Damian Wayling (Waking The Dead, Garrow’s Law, Call The Midwife)
- Alison Hume (The Vice, Rocket To The Moon, The Sparticle Mystery)
- Terry Cafolla (Messiah, Holy Cross, The Whale, The Crash)
- Gurpreet Bhatti (Eastenders, Hollyoaks, Everywhere & Nowhere)
- Sharon Foster (Shoot The Messenger, BabyFather)
These are a few of the other many successful writers I have worked with, and the shows I worked on with them:-
- Simon Ashdown (Staying Alive)
- Malcolm Bradbury (Inspector Morse)
- Declan Croghan (Waking The Dead)
- Stephen Churchett (Inspector Morse, Kavanagh QC)
- John Flanagan & Andy McCulloch (Anybody’s Nightmare, Margery & Gladys)
- Peter Flannery (The Mapmaker’s Dream – Carlton TV development project)
- Lucy Gannon (Plain Jane)
- Neil McKay (Medics; Staying Alive)
- David Nicholls ( Carlton development projects)
- Simon Nye (The Railway Children; Goldfingered – Shelley productions development project)
- Peter Ransley (A Good Murder)
- Ed Whitmore (Waking The Dead)
I also ran two BBC-TV Training Courses for script editors and taught on the BBC in-house screenwriting course in 2007.
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As well as running the website I still currently work actively in the TV and film industry. As producer, I have recently had two projects in active, paid development – a feature film, THE BASILDON BRAWL, funded by the UK Film Council, and THE WORLD OF JOE, a sit-com, funded by BBC Comedy and then Tiger Aspect.
I am now in my sixth year of running the Channel 4 screenwriting course, an initiative to identify and work with 12 writers new to television and to introduce them to Channel 4 drama. The course lasts for 6 months each year; and I am now working on the 2016 course.
Writers from this course have gone onto success in the industry, working on Channel 4 shows such as COMING UP, SHAMELESS, BANANA, INDIAN SUMMERS and YOUNGERS – as well developing their own original projects with Channel 4.
I also run my own independent screenwriting courses – CREATIVITY FOR SCRIPTWRITERS; and a 2 day weekend SCREENWRITING course with experienced screenwriter Phil Gladwin (see TRAINING page).
I have recently run a series of 2 day SCRIPT-EDITING courses around the UK for Grand Scheme Media / Creative Skillset.
In 2015 I have run screenwriting or script-editing courses for –
- ScreenTraining Ireland
- Northern Ireland Screen
- The Indie Training Fund
- Singapore Media Academy
- BBC / Arab Film Studio
- And Guardian Masterclass
More recent work includes script development \ editing work for two of the UK’s leading independent production companies – Kindle Entertainment and Nutopia.
At Kindle, I worked with writers on two new series ideas, development work funded by broadcasters. At Nutopia, I wrote a proposal for a big-budget drama development idea, and recommended and sourced writers for the project.
Recently I script-edited BBC Radio drama series UNDERCOVER MUMBAI written by Ayeesha Menon, for Goldhawk productions / BBC; and I am currently developing a feature film with producer Jon Martin.
I am contacted regularly by literary agents, producers and production companies who are looking for screenwriters and script editors.
Here are some links on other websites to some of the courses I run –
http://www.arabfilmstudio.ae/about-us/what-is-afs-/
http://www.mediaacademy.sg/page/masterclass/masterclass-script-editing
http://www.arts.ac.uk/csm/courses/postgraduate/ma-dramatic-writing-drama-centre-london/
http://www.indietrainingfund.com/courses/production/script-editing-essentials/
http://www.screentrainingireland.ie/tutors/philip-shelley-script-consultant/
http://www.mediaacademy.sg/page/MASTERCLASS-1/MASTERCLASS%3A-Dramatic-Storytelling