Gov.uk: Membership of new Creative Industries Taskforce announced
// Caroline Norbury // creative industries // UK Government
We are thrilled to announce the Creative Enterprise Reframe 2024 Cohort, a targeted business support programme for ambitious screen-based companies ready to evolve and excel in a shifting industry landscape.
Reframe 2024 is designed to address the challenges faced by screen businesses, guiding film, TV, gaming, immersive, and Createch companies in exploring new revenue streams, maximizing existing IP, and seamlessly integrating new technology.
Now, let’s meet our new cohort!
The Reframe 2024 Cohort:
Adam Jeffcoat – StudioNX
Adam Jeffcoat is a multi-award winning director, entrepreneur & founder of StudioNX. He has directed multiple series including Marvels Battleworld for Disney with over 5million views. He won a Bafta for the Indie Game of the year ‘Endling’ and created the worlds first animated comic ‘Niko & the Sword of Light’ which went onto become an Emmy award winning series on Amazon Prime.
Over the past 20 years, StudioNX has produced animated content across TV, games and film for the world’s biggest entertainment companies inc Disney, Nickelodeon, Apple, & Amazon Prime.
Amy Gardner – Finite Films & TV
Amy founded Finite Films & TV in 2008 and has produced and executive produced short films, feature films, TV pilots, as well as online and stage plays. She is currently in post-production with the feature film adaption of the Laurence Olivier Award-winning opera, La Bohème.
Amy is also a writer and director, having written several feature film scripts. Her latest short film, Deadline, won the First Flights Film award and premiered in Los Angeles at HollyShorts Film Festival 2024.
Finite Films & TV is an independent film production company dedicated to creating and showcasing innovative and diverse content that resonates with a wide range of audiences. Our portfolio encompasses a variety of genres and formats, including comedy, drama, animation, experimental projects, and theatre productions. Many of our projects are produced in-house, with established and up-and-coming talents. In addition to this, we offer support to other producers and filmmakers including assistance with raising financing and providing practical production support. Many of our productions have been selected for a variety of festivals.
https://www.finitefilmsandtv.com
Beth Newell & Dom Sant – Common Story
Beth is an award-winning producer/director with over 20 years’ industry experience. Before launching Common Story with colleague Dom Sant, she spent a number of years working in the UK and US, creating imaginative and compelling content for broadcast TV and radio, and on line platforms. She is a specialist in factual storytelling, skilled at nurturing difficult and sensitive access, working with vulnerable groups and challenging subject matter, and handling complex legal and compliance issues. At Common Story Beth’s responsibilities include developing and pitching content ideas, applying for funding and responding to competitive tenders. Beth is also involved in community networking and forging partnerships to develop career pathways for local talent. She is currently working with the Create Central Bootcamps and the University of Warwick SCAPVC supporting placements, and a member of both the CWX Cluster Management Group for the Innovate UK Coventry, and Warwickshire Launchpad, and representing the Midlands on the Screenskills USF Craft & Tech working group.
In his 25 years in the TV industry, Dom has worked across various genres for multiple broadcasters, including BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV and Sky. His programmes have won numerous awards, including two BAFTAs.
Dom started his career at September Films and, in 2005, joined Evans Woolfe Media as Head of Production and Company Director. In 2020, Dom and fellow producer Beth Newell set up Common Story, a West Midlands production company. Dom oversees Common Story’s slate of programming for Broadcast TV as well as the educational content for the Open University. He is a member of BAFTA.
Common Story is an independent production company based in the West Midlands, specialising in factual storytelling across TV, video and radio. The company was co-founded in January 2020 by Beth Newell and fellow producer Dom Sant. Our vision to help grow the region as a creative powerhouse and we’re committed to providing career pathways for emerging and established local talent. With a passion for storytelling across different platforms, we’re excited to explore how emerging createch can enable us to tell stories in fresh and innovative ways.
Charles Meunier & Chris Hamilton – Plan Nine Pictures
Charles is a British-French producer with a Master’s in Film Production. His debut feature, A Million Days, a contained sci-fi, is represented internationally by Signature Entertainment.
Recently, Charles completed the NFTS Production Accounting for Film and Television course, underlining his commitment to professional development. His expertise includes roles such as 1st Assistant Production Accountant on major projects for HBO’s The Girl Before and Netflix’s I Came By.
Prior to feature films, Charles produced over a dozen short films, which were selected for more than 70 international festivals, including the London Short Film Festival.
Chris Hamilton is a London-based filmmaker and producer dedicated to narrative-driven content and innovative storytelling. He produced the feature film “A Million Days” (2024), directed by Mitch Jenkins and starring Hermione Corfield, Simon Merrells, and Darrell D’Silva. The film premiered at FrightFest 2024 and has been released globally on VOD by Signature Entertainment. Chris participated in Film London’s New Talent Strand and worked in development with executive producer Charlie Moretti and as a development coordinator at Pear Drop Productions. He is now developing new projects, including “The Advent,” a supernatural-horror feature set in Portugal.
Plan Nine Pictures is a London-based entertainment company whose mission is to empower visionary storytellers from around the world. The company was founded by Charles Meunier and Chris Hamilton in 2019.
Notable projects include the feature film A Million Days, distributed by Signature Entertainment. Alongside its film slate Plan Nine is now focused on acquiring and developing IP across multiple platforms, using strategic partnerships with other companies. The first in this new slate is the video game Chronicles of the Inhabited World, based on an upcoming Japanese anime.
https://www.planninepictures.com/
Georgina Hurcombe & George Caton-Coult – Pop Paper City
Georgina Hurcombe, creator of the award-winning kids’ series Pop Paper City, and George Caton-Coult, Studio Manager, lead the Bournemouth based animation studio behind the globally broadcast TV series. Known for its craft-adventure themes, Pop Paper City airs across 178 territories including major platforms like Milkshake CH5, HBO, CBeebies and ABC and has garnered Awards from the Broadcast Awards and Royal Television society Together, Georgina and George drive the studio’s creative vision and manage brand expansion, with upcoming projects including a immersive feature film, game, books, and merchandise, bringing the world of Pop Paper City to children and families worldwide.
Pop Paper City is a globally broadcast animated kids’ craft adventure TV series, airing in 178 territories and counting. Currently featured on platforms like Milkshake (CH5), CBeebies, ABC kids, HBO the series has won a Broadcast Award and RTS. With a focus on creativity and crafting, Pop Paper City is expanding into new realms with an upcoming feature film, interactive games, books, educational outreach projects and an extended line of merchandise to inspire kids worldwide.
Jasmine Richards – Storymix
Jasmine Richards has over 18 years of experience in children’s media. She was the Lead Editor on the multi-million-selling series Beast Quest and has written a dozen books for children, including The Unmorrow Curse and Myth Keeper. Jasmine has also been a screenwriter on Disney’s PJ Masks and BBC’s JoJo and Gran Gran.
In 2019, she founded Storymix, a multi-award-winning fiction studio dedicated to centring children and teens of colour in stories filled with joy and adventure. In 2023, Jasmine received a prestigious special commendation in the Editor of the Year category at the British Book Awards. She is also a Bookseller Rising Star and the creator of The Write Beach Hut, a creative sanctuary by the sea which is designed to nurture and empower writers and creatives through workshops, mentoring, and affordable writing retreats.
Storymix is a multi-award winning innovative fiction studio founded by award winning author and MIPCOM CANNES Diversify TV Awards shortlistee Jasmine Richards. Committed to diversifying children’s media entertainment, the studio collaborates with writers and illustrators of colour to create high-quality, high-concept stories. They produce joyful and adventurous content suitable for television, film, digital platforms and books. Offering apprenticeship-style support, Storymix provides editorial guidance, coaching, and networking opportunities, equipping creatives with the skills to secure agents and independent deals.
Louise Lynch – Libra Studios
International Emmy Award winning producer Louise Lynch is co-founder of both Libra Studios and Libra Television, a Manchester based indie with UK broadcasting credits in Children’s, Education and Documentaries since 1999. Do I Sound Like I Care? is her personal passion project. She hosts the podcast and, during the pandemic, became the primary caregiver for her 85 year-old mother with Alzheimer’s. Louise is excited by the powerful potential of a carer podcast, the projected growth in the global podcast market and the prospect of pivoting towards an entrepreneurial start-up when many of her peers are becoming consultants or retiring!
Combining 25 years of award-winning storytelling expertise at Libra Television with a new social impact mission for video-first ‘Podcasts With Purpose’, innovating development, creation, growth and monetisation approaches to connect brands with communities through content. Libra Studios enters the podcast industry at a point when audio, video and social platforms are converging to reach audiences everywhere. Its first franchise Do I Sound Like I Care?, an authentic interview concept by, for and about unpaid family carers, amplifies caregivers voices, combats isolation and loneliness, offers micro community support and provides niche marketing opportunities for products and services targeting the cared for.
Martyn Niman – King Bee Animation
Martyn is the founder and creative director of animation studio King Bee Animation and has been working in the animation industry for over 20 years. Martyn set up his award-winning studio in February 2003. In his role as director of King Bee, he works with a highly talented creative team to develop and produce animated content for a wide spectrum of clients. The content King Bee produces, relates to Martyn’s training in animation and advertising, as the studio blends creative branding, storytelling and loveable characters into content that connects with its audience emotionally. Martyn and his team’s approach is friendly, very collaborative and always pushing the boundaries to surprise and entertain.
Martyn has directed many hours of animated content for brands including CBeebies, The Royal Albert hall, Spiderman, PepsiCo, ACDC, Unilever and more. Martyn is an active member of the animation community, his company having sponsored The Children’s Media Conference a number of times & was recently head-hunted to act as a judge on the preschool animation BAFTA competition.
Martyn is currently developing a slate of animated shows and has built a strong network with broadcasters and distribution partners.
King Bee is a full-service creative animation studio at the Elstree Film Studios. We are trusted by leading brands for producing high-quality animations such as short-form entertainment videos, gaming and educational content, training, music videos, explainers, and fully animated children’s series. Storytelling is at the heart of King Bee’s creative process, whether producing short-form YouTube videos to sell toys, sharing parenting tips or developing fully animated series. Our studio guides clients through the animation process to make it a gratifying creative process and ensure we deliver results that stand out in the marketplace. Our positive can-do ethos empowers our clients to embrace the full potential of the medium of animation.
Nick Hamer – Intrepid Media
Nick Hamer is a documentary producer, director, and director of photography with over 20 years’ experience in the industry, his work has been screened by major broadcasters, international film festivals and independent cinemas. In 2006 Nick established Intrepid Media. Nominated for a Royal Television Society Award, long-listed for a British Independent Film Award, and winner of the 2022 Sandford St Martin Award.
Intrepid Media, founded in 2006 by Nick Hamer, is a production company specialising in documentary filmmaking. With over 20 years of experience, known for producing independent feature documentaries, and providing skilled crew and high-quality facilities. The company is driven by a mission to produce authentic and compelling stories that entertain, inform, and inspire, while upholding values of integrity, excellence, and innovation. We operate throughout the UK and internationally, continually striving to reach global audiences and achieve critical acclaim.
Rachel Gold – Bay Horse Pictures
With over a decade of experience, Rachel has produced a wide variety of content. Short films include productions for BBC and Paramount TV and commercials for the likes of NBCU, Nintendo and Nestlé. Rachel has also worked with Working Title, produced the live-action (for animation) sequence in the acclaimed feature documentary ‘Coup53’ and produced a feature film for Templeheart.
Rachel is a recipient of the John Brabourne Award, an alumnus of the Edinburgh International Film Festival’s Talent Lab and has participated in Film London’s PFM, Market Trader, the JETS initiative, Future of Film Incubator and Creative Enterprise Foundations programme.
Bay Horse Pictures is a UK based independent production company headed by Rachel Gold.
Driven by passion, Bay Horse has an eclectic slate of projects, focusing on creating ambitious, unique, stimulating films and high-end mainstream series that will move and inspire audiences globally.
Bay Horse aims to produce award-winning content of varying genres that have the potential to achieve worldwide release and distribution.
Reza Pakravan – A-OK Media House
Reza specialises in developing and producing original factual entertainment and story-led documentaries, including observational, character driven, travel log, adventure, and cross-platform content. With expertise in international co-production, he has developed and produced number of original shows for networks such as BBC, Amazon, National Geographic and Discovery. During his career, Reza has worked on critically acclaimed series with high profiles talents including Ice Age with Steve Backshall’ (C5), ‘Crossing the Wild Frontiers with Levison Wood’ (C4) and presented various shows for networks such as Discovery and Amazon.
Established in 2016, A-OK Media House is an independent broadcast and film production company with storytelling and entertainment at its core. We develop and produce thought-provoking programmes in our core areas of expertise, including High-Octane Adventure and Exploration, Travel, History, Science, and Reality Programmes with international appeal, across various platforms. We have successfully delivered original factual TV programmes for broadcasters such as BBC, Discovery, National Geographic, Amazon, and Al Jazeera. These programmes have entertained audiences in over 40 territories and achieved significant success, with some currently airing on international networks such as Netflix, ZDF, BBC Earth, and CBC.
Serena Kennedy – The Slate Works
Serena is co-founder and managing director of The Slate Works, an independent production company based in the south west. In 2021 she won the inaugural Grierson Hero of the Year Award for her work on Edgar Wright’s critically acclaimed cinema documentary ‘The Sparks Brothers’; and the multi award winning ‘9/11: Inside the President’s War Room’ (BBC One/Apple TV+).
A seasoned Line Producer, Executive in Charge and Head of Production, she has looked after well over 100 unscripted titles for all the UK terrestrial channels, US broadcasters and major streamers as well as films that have premiered at Sundance and Sheffield.
The Slate Works is an independent production company based in the south west. The company was set up by Adam Wishart and Serena Kennedy in 2021, following their successful collaboration on the multi-award winning film, ‘9/11: Inside the President’s War Room’ (Apple TV+/BBC).
We specialise in factual, access driven films for both the domestic and international markets.
To date, we have produced films for the BBC and ITV and are currently in production on a flagship series to mark the twentieth anniversary of the London bombings, which is co-funded by the BBC and Banijay Rights.
Szymon Wyrzykowski – theglitch.co
I’ve ran theglitch.co as a filmmaker collective for the last 8 years, whilst working as a Digital Imaging Technician in high-end film and tv getting the necessary connections and in-depth understanding of the industry at higher operational levels. Fascinated by artificial intelligence as well as the use of interactive, non-linear narratives to tell stories and affect audiences in impactful manners. I’ve developed a network of creatives and professionals burning out whilst working on repetitive corporate productions, eager to find means of self-expression along with a sense of community – feeling that no one is taking steps in providing that, the collective had since become a space that fosters and facilitates to those needs.
theglitch.co is a filmmaker collective started in 2016 based in East London. It brings together industry professionals who look to expand their creative expression beyond what is commercially viable and towards what is culturally significant. As a company, it produced multiple short films, music videos and commercials as well as provided visual effects services to productions large and small. With a small office located in Hackney Wick it looks to shift towards feature film production.
