My career to date has given me many valuable experiences, starting in project management of digital production and moving into leadership roles. My best work has been done in integrated environments, but my core competency has been in the evolution of digital, social and content. I’ve worked across all aspects of the creative process and across all communications channels. I have previously been described by colleagues as ‘a one man agency’ and ‘a Swiss Army knife of Marketing.’ What this means is that I have become a bit of a generalist, but nobody is sat there thinking ‘we need a generalist to help on project X,’ so here are the core freelance roles that I tend to work in to utilise my mixed skillset. One is more left brain, the others more right brain- I bring elements of both to my offering to ensure great ideas that can be delivered within budget:
The bulk of my career has been spent in Executive Producer roles. My strength is building teams of high performing individuals who want to create world-class work. I have line managed teams of up to 12 Producers, commercial sets and broadcasts with over 100 crew on set, worked concurrently across multiple countries and delivered global campaigns across physical and digital channels. I am experienced in both taking a lead agency role, but also working alongside and playing nicely with other agencies. I balance the passion for great creative, with an obsession for planning and detail, whilst taking the holistic view and approach needed to drive things forwards. I am confident at managing the expectations of senior clients and multiple stakeholders to ensure everybody is happy and feels heard. In doing this, I keep the politics away from the project team and the creativity. I thrive under pressure and remain level headed at all times, to keep the team calm and focused on doing what they do best.
The reality is that I often excel in the grey areas, helping to fill the gaps between disciplines and skillsets to make great work happen. I’m able to think big picture, but I also obsess over the craft and sweat the details. I’m neither a traditionally trained Strategist, nor Creative, but over my career I’ve been asked by clients to work in those roles to deliver work at a high level. I’ve also often been tagged in by top Planners / Strategists and Creative Directors to work alongside them, when they are lacking firepower. In the absence of Planners I have identified insights and written strategies, and have also taken the role of lead Creative from idea generation to direction of production. In recent years, most of my work has mostly been as Creative Director / Executive Creative Director on Conceptual and Content / Commercial based projects. I often lead creative teams, or build virtual creative departments, for agencies that do not have the in house resources. I love the creative process, generating and selling great thinking that can feasibly be delivered within time / budget constraints.
When I was running the production company Milkmoney, I was leading Creative as well as the business side and so learnt to write Treatments through to finessing Edits. Having written most of the ideas, it saw me transition into Directing some of the smaller shoots and B Unit stuff. With an obsession for visual aesthetic and storytelling, I love both Art Directing and Writing. Since moving on to the freelance market, I have been Directing both Films & Stills and combined projects. I can do full process from writing Concept / Treatment through to on set Direction and Post Production, or can step in for one or some of the phases. I enjoy doing anything that involves storytelling, from short Doco style content, through to medium sized commercials. Whether it is mobile first content, or TVC, I will craft the visual aesthetic and narrative to create engaging work.
My freelance rates vary based on the scope and duration of the product. I’m looking to do great work with great people, so let’s chat and see if the fit is right and work the money out after.