Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, in addition to developing, producing and co-producing screen content for the international market through my production company, Faction North, I am also an experienced international Mentor who offers pitch training and script consultancy services. I was Head of Studies on the leading international Rough-Cut-to-Industry-Launch Workshop, Dok Incubator, 2018-2020, and am currently a Mentor on the Finnish AVEK mentoring programme, ‘Kehittämö’.
I run pitch training sessions for my fellow industry professionals, through intermediary organisations and funders such as Screen England, Screen Scotland, Finnish Film Foundation, DV Talents, AIDC (Australia), AVEK (Finland) and CPH:DOX. I also work for production companies as a Script / Story Consultant, while their projects are in development and / or in the Edit.
When I develop and produce documentary, drama and hybrid projects, whether for cinema, TV, (or nowadays, something in between!), I always ask myself, and the writers and directors I work with, what emotion we want to inspire in our audiences.
Paradoxically, there is a hard-edged logic that sits behind the moulding of on-screen emotion. Exploring this creative enigma endlessly fascinates me and insight into this is what I always hope to share with the teams that I work with, whether as a Tutor, Mentor, Script Consultant or Executive Producer.
You can hear more about my approach to mentoring and working with writer and directors on this Spotify Podcast link: