CV

Alan Howard

01787 881463

07710 611 368

alan@aehmedia.com

A resourceful, reliable and creative self shooter & editor who can take on a whole project or simply shoot, direct, or edit.

Profile:

An enthusiastic and experienced Producer / Director / Editor with over 200 hours of credits including ITV, Channel 4, five, The Discovery Channel, MTV, Living TV, Sky Sports and Eurosport. I have 100’s of hours of experience as a shooting Director with a Sony Z5's and Z7's, and pick up new kit easily. I am very experienced at 3 point interview lighting, have my own Avid Media Composer NLE system and have made many Broadcast programmes as the sole member of the production team. I also have a good working knowledge of After Effects, as well as lots of web encoding experience. That said, kit is only a means to an end, and what's far more important is an ability to get on with clients and contributors, build trust quickly, and get the very best out of them, often in difficult situations.

I’ve worked in 26 different countries at the last count, often alone, have a very “can do” attitude to work and am happy to get my hands dirty when required.

Career HIghlights:

Producer / Director and camera work on “Passport to Passion” for Channel 4, nominated for Best Documentary Series (regions) at Royal Television Society Awards.

Developed, piloted and series produced the first two series of “Sixth Sense with Colin Fry”, the backbone of Living TV’s hugely successful paranormal strand. Subsequently developed and produced a raft of paranormal commissions (5 x series commissioned) along with an on going national theatre tour.

Conceived produced and directed “MTV’s Most Wanted with Ray Cokes”, award winning nightly show. Phone in’s, competitions, studio guests, live performances, cooking and complete chaos. Transmitted live 5 nights a week for 3 years

Set up and ran my own production company “Abduction Productions”. Commissions included a 13 part Drag Racing Series for Sky Sports

Successfully initiated and produced several fully ad funded projects for Broadcast

Produced and Directed 3 x Ocean Finance 30 sec TV ads

Current Role:

Senior Producer Director at Canis Media Ventures, mostly looking after the Ocean TV Channel. Working closely with Oceans Marketing Director I am responsible for the vast majority of programme creation from concept, through treatments and scriptwriting to shooting and editing.

Initially brought in as a freelancer I was asked to stay on and have stayed with the channel for 3 years to see it's production staff shaved from 12 to 3.

I take a very hands on roll and have initiated and built websites that serve as approval sites, been heavily involved in sourcing presenters and voice over artists and produced and directed the last 3 Ocean Finance 30 sec TV ads.

Work History:

Recent Broadcast Projects.

“Pet Passport”: Series Director & Cam Op (Turn On TV)

Shot and edited 15 min taster tape following the life and activities of “Par Air” one of the UK’s busiest pet quarantine centres. Subsequently commissioned for a 13 part series.
13 x 30 mins - Animal Planet

“Pet Passport:” Pilot - Director Cam Op & Editor (Turn On TV)

Shot and edited 15 min taster tape following the life and activities of “Par Air” one of the UK’s busiest pet quarantine centres. Subsequently commissioned for a 13 part series.

Take 10 Weeks “Singing Schools”:

Director, Cam Op & Editor (ITV Anglia)

Shot and edited a 30 min broadcast pilot that follows new teaching methods and judges how they effective they are. Filmed over a 10 week period in a real school environment.

1 x 30 min - Teachers TV

“Tackling Obesity”: Director, Cam Op & Editor (ITV Anglia)

Shot and edited a 30 min documentary on the problems of childhood obesity and how schools should and could be tackling the problem. Included solo USA shoot.

1 x 30 min - Teachers TV

“A Different Life”: Director, Cam Op & Editor (Turn on TV)

Leah's Story

Kayleighs Story

Dan & James's Story

Shot and edited 3 x 30 min Children's Documentaries for part of on going popular strand, telling the story of day to day life of Child Soap Opera actress Leah Coombs (Chloe Costello Family Affairs), 8 yr old Kayleigh Hole's life with Alopecia and Dan & James Kelly, Twins but one's black and one's white.

3 x 30 min – five

“Unlikely Lovers”: Director, Cam Op & Editor (Turn on TV)

Marry your Pet

Egyptian Toyboy

I Married my Surgeon

Shot and edited 3 x 12 min VT packages as part of series for ITV2. Involved several solo foreign shoots.

3 x 12 min VT Package for ITV 2

Jan ‘00 – Feb 2005

Ongoing freelance contract IPM Ltd

Head of Development

Duties included conception of new projects and formats. Writing and developing proposals and shooting, producing /directing and editing of pilots.

Previous IPM work

"Psychic School”: - Series Producer & Cam Op

Reality series, 10 members of the public were selected to spend 2 weeks at a ghostly Scottish Castle while our Psychic Instructor developed their innate paranormal abilities.

13 x 60min (x2) Living TV

Various Sponsored Packages: Producer & Cam Op

Produced several features for advertisers and placed with broadcasters.

"Street Psychic”: Series Producer, Director & Main Cam

4 x DV cameras on the streets of various UK cities follow the (mis) fortunes of Psychic Tony Stockwell as he tries to persuade the public that not all psychics belong at the end of the pier.

6 x 60 min Living TV

“Street Psychic In San Francisco”: Producer Director & Main Cam

A one off special.

1 x 60 min Living TV

“The Three Mediums”: Producer

live theatre performance filmed in front of a 3000 strong audience at The Hammersmith Carling Apollo.

2 x 60 min Living TV

"Antiques Ghostshow”: Producer Director

Developed, produced and directed the broadcast pilot episode. Subsequently commissioned for an 8 part run.

1 x 60 min Broadcast Pilot Living TV

"Sixth Sense with Colin Fry”: Series Producer (2 series)

Developed, piloted and series produced the first 2 series of the hugely successful, studio based, new daytime genre. Also produced many spin offs including celebrity specials, behind the scenes and “Best ofs". Subsequently made Head of Development.

28 x 30 mins Living TV

"Animal Crime Files”: Series Producer

Documentary series retelling the stories of Animal abuse across the globe. Stories included tiger hunting in Russia, Monkey meat suppliers in London and Caviar Fraud in the States.

13 x 30 min Animal Planet (Discovery)

"Natural Born Fighters II”: Producer Director & Cam Op

A look into the dangerous and closed world of unlicensed boxing in London, and No Rules Fighting in London and Amsterdam.

1 x 60 min Channel 5

Jan 1999 - Jan 2000

Took year out on birth of our first daughter

Oct '97 -
Jan '99

Various Freelance contracts

"Killme.com”: Director (for Action Time)

Documentary on the bizarre death wish of Sharon Lopakta, and Robert Glass, the man she found on the internet, willing to strangle her during sex.

1 x 60 min Channel 5

"Moving People”: DV Director (for Chapter One)

DV Director following the joys and hazards of moving house. Contributed various 10 min packages throughout the 2 x series.

Channel 4

"Real Holiday Show" DV Director (for Chapter One)

DV Director following the Great British Public on numerous travels across the globe.

Channel 4

"New York Tranny School" DV Director (for Turn on TV)

One of two directors documenting New York’s unlikely “Miss Vera’s Academy for Boys Who Want to Be Girls”. Two weeks spent covering the syllabus of ex porn star Miss Vera as she attempted to coax femininity from sometimes shy, sometimes outrageous, cross dressing New Yorkers.

Channel 5

"Bangkok Bound" DV Director (for Turn on TV)

Finding stories and documenting Brits as they discovered “Amazing Thailand”. Stories included the London Cab driver who married his Bangkok hooker, and then discovered she was a he ….. the property developer hoping to cash in on cheap land and an explosion of interest in the area… and the Ex Sparks guitarist who fled from fame and addiction to chill out in a hammock.

Channel 4

"Passport to Passion" DV Director (for Turn On TV)

Filmed and directed 2 x stories in this series that told of Brits heading out of the country on matters of the heart. The story of Mike Edwards, the welsh pensioner who become engaged to 33 yr old Russian Nina over the internet and spent just two weeks with her in Sebastapol before reality kicked in, was nominated for Best Documentary (Regions) at the Royal Television Society Awards ’02.

Channel 4

"Postmodern Pastimes" : DV Director (for Turn On TV)

Directed 4 x short films on quirky, unlikely hobbies for people in their 20’s. Jive Dancing, Bee Keeping, Caravanning and Model Boating.

Channel 4

May '97 - Oct '97

Abduction Productions Ltd

Set up and ran Abduction Productions Ltd. Projects included various projects for Blink TV (pre concert large screen “eye candy”) and a 13 part series for Sky Sports covering the Drag Racing season from Santa Pod

Oct '96 - May '97

"Jump the Bus" : Director (for Rebel Media)

Part series taking an American School Bus to major Extreme Sport events around Europe. Lifestyle pieces, sports profiles, event coverage and barbeques and beer on inflatable sofas around the bus.

12 x 30 mins Eurosport

Mar '87 -

Oct '96

MTV Europe: Senior Producer Director Specials Dept.

My career started as a runner at Air Studios in Camden Town just as they received the commission to supply all broadcast facilities to the newly formed MTV Europe. During my 9 years at MTV, I worked my way through the departments from studio assistant to librarian to gallery production assistant to AP to PD to Series Producer to Senior Producer /Director

MTV highlights include ......

"Most Wanted with Ray Cokes": Producer Director

Conceived, produced and studio directed one of MTV Europe’s most popular shows. 5 x weekly live show. Live phone ins and competitions, live music performances, celebrity interviews, celebrity cooking, Flossie the Sheep and the Bingo Wall of Death. Won several awards and spawned the likes of The Big Breakfast

Club MTV: Producer

Set up major club nights in various large clubs around Europe, shot on 16mm film. Live performances (inc Shamen, Apollo 440, Strike,) DJ profiles and Clubber profiles along with city guides

Excellent References Available on Request