I’ve been producing videos for just over ten years now. Over those years I’ve worked with all manner of people to tell stories in one way or another, either through images and music or through documentary style videos. In those ten years, I’ve been fortunate enough to work almost entirely on projects that I’ve enjoyed and I’ve enjoyed them mainly because of the people I’ve met in doing so.

I’ve helped people tell inspirational and powerful stories which it’s been a privilege to share through videos like Lauren’s Story or Molly’s Story for Community Catalysts. These two films about young women overcoming life changing events with courage and determination were wonderful to work on, and I learnt something from both Lauren and Molly about the importance of staying positive in the face of immense difficulty. Similarly, Warren’s Story, for Humankind, introduced me to somebody who’s life was transformed with the input of WY FI services in Halifax.

Recently, I made a film about an improv comedy scheme for street homeless people in Manchester and, some years ago, a film about an underwater hockey club. These two things are linked only in that I would never have imagined either of them existed until I made videos about them!

I’ve produced videos about groundbreaking health research taking place across the European Union, for Mobilise-D, and for the Together trial in Manchester. During the pandemic, I was commissioned to produce “Lockdown lives“, a series of videos about how different people and organisations coped during lockdown and also films about the Keeping Well at Home booklets in Manchester. These were designed to help vulnerable people shielding or self isolating and showed how community organisations can come together to produce amazing work.

In addition to the stories I’ve told, I’ve also produced music videos for a local musician, Samh, and an Australian musician, Toby Martin after a couple of years producing videos for Marsden Jazz Festival.

I haven’t mentioned the films about woollen mills, farms, breweries or cafe’s, or the videos about pentanque clubs, textile workers or artists, nor the time I filmed people running across the hills dressed as breakfast items. There’s just been so much, and it’s been a lot of fun.

So, here’s to the next ten years, and the amazing people I’ll meet along the way.