From the blog

Where does the time go???

It only seems like yesterday that I was working with participants at the London Film School and sharing my art department knowledge…. since then I’ve been totally immersed in a HUGE project that I can’t talk about, working from home and getting back to basics on the drawing board! Such a joy to be working […]

bye bye Pinewood, hello London Film School!

After five weeks of working with the Creative Media Skills Institute at Pinewood, I’m heading back to Covent Garden to run an intensive six-day course for art department new entrants. This is one of my favourite courses and it’s great to be back in the ‘classroom’! Due to Covid, we have a reduced number of […]

Learning new skills…

Day 3 teaching Art Department Essentials at the Creative Media Skills Institute, Pinewood Studios…. hand drafting and white card model making. The participants are doing really well! Everyone has got to grips with the equipment and working at 1:50. Now I’m going to teach them Imperial!!

The next generation

Got a couple of teaching sessions coming up with CMS at Pinewood and LFS in Covent Garden. A short and intense immersion into the art department, my approach to teaching these skills is less didactic and more holistic – I can’t pass on thirty years of knowledge in one week!! But I can guide you […]

‘Adult Material’ BAFTA nominations!!

Wow!!! ‘Adult Material’ has been nominated for five BAFTAs including Best Mini-Series!!! Other nominations are Best Leading Actress: Hayley Squires, Best Supporting Actress: Siena Kelly, Best Supporting Actor: Rupert Everett and Best Writer (Drama): Lucy Kirkwood… phew!! Some amazing productions in the mix this year so I don’t think we stand much of a chance […]

One small step…..

Following my success with the on-line Rhino 3D tutorials, I decided I needed some more focused instruction. I scoured the net for appropriate courses (remember: I am a dinosaur!) and eventually located Real Animation works Ltd. A really accessible, user-friendly company offering courses to suit all levels of ability with a flexible schedule to fit […]

Old dog, new tricks….

OK, so I finally realised I’m going to have to drag myself into the 21st century and start learning to draft on a digital platform…. but which one? There seems to be such a diverse choice! Do I go VectorWorks or AutoCAD? Or stick to the easily accessible SketchUp? What about Rhino?? And where does […]

Can hardly believe it but…

…. I have now configured the ‘Contact’ page, sorted out the SMTP configuration and added reCaptcha to filter spam messages….. I AM THE BOSS!!!!! This post is because I can hardly believe it myself! If only I could put the same effort into learning SketchUp *laughing face emoji* And if you want to know what […]

Another first!!

Just submitted my first script into a competition! It’s a pilot for a TV series, supernatural murder mystery – entertainment for all the family! Set in and around Dudley, ‘Black Country Mysteries’ is a bit of all the TV shows I loved growing up but with a modern twist…. and set in one of the […]

Giving something back…

Delighted to have been invited today to talk to Helen Johnson at Talking Point about art directing and making a career in the art department for film and television. Check out the Talking Point web site for more fascinating insights into film and television production!