Extended Bio
Tonight ... I’m a rock n roll star!
After years fronting various successful bands, Ian changed direction turning to film-making through creating pop videos for his bands’ record releases.
I had to break up the band ...
Going forward to study BA Hons film production and screenwriting, Ian’s mature tale of childhood, the self-penned, short drama LITTLE BOY SOLDIERS launched his career. It grabbed a clutch of plaudits, including a Sony Award and a Royal Television Society award.
Ian was key founder of Cumbria Film Independents, a successful film co-operative who became key players, generating enough finance and projects to go commercial as Screenworks.
At the turn of the century, Ian held a unique position in British theatre, as Film Maker In Residence with Northern Stage Ensemble Theatre, under Artistic Director Alan Lyddiard.
It’s not about format, it’s about story ...
As an early pioneer of digital cinema, Ian’s pro-debut as writer-director THE GATHERERS gained high praise from the industry and was one of the first pieces of digital cinema. In the last gasps of the 20th Century, Ian toured the UK with Sony as a champion of digital cinema ...
“I can remember standing up to a packed house at the Edinburgh Film festival, announcing ‘I don’t care if I NEVER shoot on film’. I was roundly chastised by certain big name producers. How naive I was! But I think it’s fair to say I was proved right about the future.”
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THE GATHERERS is undergoing a full remastering and restoration for a 2018 20th anniversary project.
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Team player ...
Joining the Warner Brothers team as Second Unit Director on Neil Marshall’s sword-n-sandals action feature CENTURION saw Ian work with Oscar winning producer Christian Coulson.
“I loved the exciting freedom of second unit directing! And my unit made the money shot.”
Ian’s screenwriting work with Diplomat Films - Dawn and Keith Thompson (Oliver Twist, Jake’s Progress, The Vikings) - has opened many doors and a development commission from Sandra Jobling and Robson Green at Coastal Productions led to the co-creation of STRAIT-LACED with actor-producer Craig Conway.
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Innovator ...
Ian directed and co-produced multi-platform teen drama serial THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE, which in it’s initial four weeks of online TX achieved over a million hits and won the EVCOM CLARION AWARD (GOLD) for narrative innovation. In Nov 2013 Ian’s third cross platform production, HOLLYOAKS DOCYOU, won a Royal Television Society Award for innovation In cross platform narrative. Across two seasons (2015 & 2016), Ian directed around 30 episodes of cross platform content for DISNEY’S EVERMOOR CONFIDENTIAL CHRONICLES, including a music video for the title song featuring UK teen singing sensation Jasmine Elcock. Boosting his high level credentials as an online content creator, in 2017 Ian created and directed a series of social media campaign films #FriendsDriveSafe, which won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Online Production.
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Creator ...
Commissioned from an original story concept by producer Danny Midwinter, Ian’s hilarious screenplay for romantic, caper-comedy movie WHERE THERE'S A WILL is to be directed by renowned Scottish actor / director David Hayman.
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Ian is currently working as Creator in the development of TV drama teen-sports drama serial THE ACADEMY.
After an 18 year lay off from music making Ian's new music is available worldwide on all digi-platforms as The Cottontown Sound Corporation.
"Being back on the radio has been such a thrill" With a music publishing deal in place and new material about to grace the recording studio, everything's on the up!
In the words of Lindsay Anderson ... ‘Onwards!’