FAQ's
You have questions. Good ones. Ace, you seem sharp.
Who do you typically work with?
Broadcast commissioners, independent production companies, directors, and brands. My work spans BBC, ITV, Dave, C4 and the commercial sector. If you're making something that needs to feel cinematic, funny, moving or best of all, all three at once — we need to talk.
What is your secret sauce?
The reason I enjoy bringing these stories to life in the edit room is because of my broad production experience as a director, producer, camera operator, boom swinger, the lot. Not only do I understand the pressures of their job roles on set but I can help alleviate them before a shoot. Also my experience as a musician comes into every edit with me so the dialogue can sing along with the pictures, sound effects and music.
What kind of projects do you take on?
My 20 years broadcast experience is mostly in factual entertainment, comedy, long-form documentary, promos, brand films, short films. If it involves a timeline and telling a story, I'm in. The breadth of my career is a genuine asset — twenty-odd years of cutting across genres means I bring instincts that 'stay-in-one-lane' editors simply don't have.
How much does it cost to hire you?
For a good idea on editor daily rates you should reference the Bectu Rate card. 20 years production experience is not cheap however rates depend on the project scope, duration, and whether you need me in a facility or working remotely. I'm always happy to have an honest conversation about budgets — I'd rather find a way of making your amazing project work than holding out for that extra £5 a day. Hit up the contact page and don't be shy.
Are you available right now?
Availability shifts on a daily basis so the best way to find out is to get in touch. I keep my schedule honest, and if I'm booked I'll tell you immediately so you can plan accordingly. If there's a crunch coming up, the earlier you reach out the better.
Do you work remotely?
Yes, and I've been doing it long before it became fashionable. That said, my whole career has proved that you're a slave to collaboration and most of the time that is better in person where we can have a laugh and express ourselves freely. As a result sometimes hybrid works to accommodate smaller budgets — but when the actual creativity is happening we're in a lovely edit suite in London (Soho — I recommend Fifty Fifty x).
What software do you use?
Avid Media Composer is home, but I'm equally comfortable in Premiere Pro. I've been doing this long enough that the technical side is second nature, which means my creative energy goes where it belongs: on the cut. I still advocate for a secondary online editor to do the numbers and scopes. My thing is story and feels.
How do you take direction? Do you just do what you're told?
One word — collaboration. The reason you're paying the daily rate is because of the 20 years broad production experience, so my opinion is valid. However I have also been around long enough to know that collaboration is absolute king. That's not just a saying for me. I genuinely have had the journey where other people's opinions, however random, insane and frustrating, have ended up making the product better. I have no ego to protect here so I never find reason to get stressed about a certain cut. When you contact me you're speaking to an experienced collaborator, not a button-pusher.
What's your process like once we're working together?
I like to understand the project properly before I touch the timeline. That means half a day or two of prep — reading the brief, watching the rushes with intention, and having a conversation about tone before I make my first cut. First assembly, together we make it real before we make it good. Then we shape the show iteratively and collaboratively. It's a comfortable reactive process rather than just sending you stuff to approve — 'approval' is quite binary in a creative setting and just leads to your show not being stress tested.
How many rounds of revisions do you do?
When hiring by the day we can do as many revisions as it takes — I don't count revisions. If we're producing a film from scratch under strict budget constraints there is a revision count in place to cap production costs. I always say the better the brief upfront, the smoother the process. So get in touch with your idea and we can chat production workflows.
Can you handle high-pressure deadlines?
Ah, the old 'marathon of sprints' question. Channel 4 transmission dates, live-event turnarounds, broadcast compliance windows — I've delivered all of them. With 20 years of experience comes the ability to predict when the crunch is on the horizon. I personally bring the deadlines forward to meet the unexpected later. Sure, performance under pressure is part of the job. But I prefer to hit the pressure head on before we're under it… does that make sense? Contact me to understand this cryptic answer. Ahahahhaha.
You've got a lot of awards. Does that actually mean anything?
Becoming a voting member of BAFTA was a very proud moment in my career. Personally the shows win the awards and I have had some lovely evenings drinking free booze — but those awards are for an entire team's worth of work. Again it's collaboration that wins in the end (I do like a free boozy award ceremony tho). I suppose what it actually tells you is that other experienced professionals watched the finished programme and thought: yes, that's exceptional. So yeah, a little pat on the back is enough to keep going.
Why should I hire you specifically?
Because 20 years production experience at every level is genuinely irreplaceable. Production instincts, the split-second decision about where a cut lands, how long a pause needs to breathe, understanding that it was a noisy day on set so radio mics need a pre-mix — all whilst knowing that there's a CommEd viewing booked in next week so we're staying late tonight because the schedule is rammed. That approach means we should chat about your show.