About
A London based filmmaker and BAFTA member who directs and shoots. Producer Director, Director of Photography, and usually the person who brought the spare batteries.
The short version
I make premium factual, documentary and music films for broadcasters, streamers and brands. My work has taken me from the MasterChef kitchen to police custody in Kansas City, K-pop bootcamp in Seoul, the streets of Lagos and the private islands of the Grenadines. My directorial debut was the Nigeria episode of Africa Rising with Afua Hirsch for BBC Two. Recent US shoots include Compton Magic, School Swap and Rich House, Poor House, and I'm spending more of my time there.
Because I direct and shoot, you get one vision from first conversation to final frame. I’m at home leading a crew or working alone with a camera on my shoulder, and I bring my own kit wherever the story is.
I started in music, not film or TV. I bought a camera as a hobby and spent an hour every day after work walking around London, shooting and learning as I went. That turned into weddings, music videos and YouTube, until I realised I wanted to make film and television properly. I started as a runner at a post house, then on 24 Hours in A&E, and worked my way up from there.
What gets me out of bed is the moment. The Japanese call it ma, the space between things where the real story lives. Off camera, it’s music, food and travel, the big three.
How I work
01
We talk
Every job starts with a proper conversation about the story, not a rate card.
02
I find the people
Contributors open up when they trust the person behind the camera. That’s the part I care most about.
03
I shoot it properly
Cinematic where it counts, fast where it has to be. Built to cut together cleanly in the edit.
04
Anywhere
London based, working worldwide, with a growing list of US productions.
Selected credits
The kit
Cameras
Arri Alexa Mini
Blackmagic PYXIS 12K
Sony FX6
Sony FX30
Cine primes
Samyang Xeen PL 14, 24, 35, 50, 85mm
Canon FD 17, 28, 35, 50, 85, 135mm
Canon FD 70 to 200mm
Sigma Art
14 to 24, 24 to 70, 70 to 200mm
30, 50, 85mm primes
Lighting
450W and 220W COB lights
Classic Dedolight set
Aladdin 2x1
RGB strip light
Movement
DJI Ronin RS4 Pro
Zhiyun Crane 3S
Tilta Armor Man 3.0
Tripod
Monitoring and filters
DJI wireless video transmission
SmallHD Cine 5
Matte box
ND and Pro-Mist filters
Sound
Deity Theos wireless
Two sets of Sennheiser radio mics
Shotgun mic with wireless boom
Zoom H6 and H4n recorders
Two Tentacle Track E recorders
Deity and Tentacle timecode
Post
DaVinci Resolve edit and grade
Plenty of media
ASPIRE FILMS
Say hello
London based, working worldwide. Bring snacks. I’ll bring the Arri.
Got a project in mind? Email me directly at jason@aspirefilms.co.uk. For everything else, it’s hello@aspirefilms.co.uk.