Profile
Rich is a television drama director based in London. Equally at home masterminding large-scale VFX-heavy stunt sequences and intimate moments of performance, he has injected his unique energy into many genres from coming-of-age comedy to period epics and sci-fi thrillers. His creative yet pragmatic approach has delivered entertaining cinematic episodes within a broad range of budgets. Every series he has launched has been recommissioned, while his premieres and finales regularly receive five star reviews in the press. He’s well-versed in all stages from development to marketing and is brimming with original ideas at every point in the process.
BACKSTORY:
Rich is the product of two dinghy-sailing secondary school teachers from Suffolk. His Mum hoped he would go to Cambridge University, but he wanted to do something creative instead of studying boring stuff that dead people did. He much preferred telling stories, going to the cinema and watching far too much television. So he went to Bournemouth University to study Film and TV Production, loved it, and worked incredibly hard making award-winning short films before graduating with a 'first' that nobody ever asks about.
Then Rich became an Assistant Director, making tea on the sets of dramas and feature films like Batman Begins and Alexander, which was great fun even though he doesn't drink tea.
He impressed some nice people with his ideas and got a job as a Creative, making promos and trailers at a place called Red Bee Media. He started chopping up old comedies, won lots of shiny awards, and was soon writing, directing and editing promotional campaigns for drama series on the BBC.
But much as he enjoyed advertising other people's episodes, he'd always wanted to direct his own. So in 2010 he went freelance and relocated to Cardiff to work on various ridiculously exciting projects for BBC Wales. His many mini Doctor Who adventures turned out rather well and he was soon asked to shoot an entire episode, making him the youngest ever director of the show since it returned in 2005. And that went rather well too. "Let's Kill Hitler" got nominated for Director Debut Of The Year at the Edinburgh International Television Festival Channel Of The Year Awards in 2012.
He's now back in London shooting television for whoever asks nicely, ensuring shows get off on the right foot and go out with a suitable bang.
So even though he didn't go to Cambridge, his Mum is very proud, mostly because she now has Kevin Costner's autograph and a framed photo of her son outside the TARDIS. Her only remaining request is that he makes episodes which don't contain too many naughty words.