HOT SHOTS 2014
Marvyn Benoit, 28 Producer/director: Doggy Styling; Who are You? Marvyn has built up an eclectic factual CV over the past few years, as a researcher on shows from Twofour’s Noel’s HQ and The Hotel Inspector to Princess Productions’ Eddie Stobart: Trucks & Trailers. He’s stepped up to AP on series such as The Undateables and The Audience, but a turning point came with his arrival at Swan Films to produce Grayson Perry’s second Channel 4 series, Who Are You?. Managing director Joe Evans was impressed with Marvyn’s “charm, warmth and intelligence” – and also with the sharp eye and directorial flair he brought to an earlier short doc, Dinner Time. With Swan, Marvyn delivered his debut C4 First Cut film Doggy Styling, which opened up the strange world of extreme dog grooming. “It’s a masterclass in comic documentary,” says Evans. “It’s full of his wit and storytelling ability, and proved that he can encourage the best performances from contributors.”
Directors
Daniel Dewsbury, 29 Director: How To Get A Council House; Modern Times Dan caught the eye of Studio Lambert as a researcher on Secret Millionaire. Impressed with reports that he convinced a key contributor to stay on the shoot, executive producer Ros Ponder tried to keep hold of him – only to find out he was off to work for BBC2’s Wonderland strand. Pursuing him for three years, Ponder finally secured him as location director on Channel 4 series How To Get A Council House, where she again observed his sensitivity in dealing with vulnerable contributors. “Whether with millionaire businessmen or in the homeless unit of a council, he’ll gain the trust and respect of whomever he meets,” she says. Dan’s now working on BBC2’s revived Modern Times with executive producer Fergus O’Brien. “He’s always had a great instinct and now he’s harnessed all his key skills and experiences to make the most of his talent,” O’Brien says. “He has both a natural curiosity and an understanding of how to tell a story with warmth, insight, wit and intelligence.” Jack Warrender, 28 director: 12 days; Channel 4 News After years shooting and editing his own films at home – while his day job took him on set as part of the camera team on feature films from The Young Victoria to Gravity – Jack set his sights on directing documentaries full-time two years ago. After completing his MA at the National Film and Television School, he took his graduation film Side By Side to the Scottish Documentary Institute and Creative Scotland’s This Is Scotland, a scheme for up-and-coming doc-makers. His submission Lost In Transition, about Glasgow’s lost property office, was commissioned for STV. Jack’s benefiting from the buzz around Scotland in the year of the Commonwealth Games and the independence referendum, first as a producer/director on BBC Scotland’s 12 Days, a 60-minute doc about the Games through the eyes of the people who have helped to make it happen. With fellow NFTS graduate Pete Akar, he’s made five films for Channel 4 News that have aired in the run-up to the referendum under the banner Conversations About Scotland.
10 | Broadcast Hot Shots | August 2014
www.broadcastnow.co.uk