I'm a versatile filmmaker, producer and documentary cinematographer with fantastic story sense who specialises in factual content in Latin America and the United States. I have more than 10 years experience in production: from Nashville drag queens fighting for their careers, to the heartbreaking stories of fentanyl addicts near Seattle, and even trekking for majestic bison in the Carpathian mountains, I've covered a lot of ground and a lot of stories... and I love it. Although I now live on the other side of the Atlantic, I was born in Manchester and I always bring both a hard graft northern attitude and a good sense of humour to every job. I am fluent in Spanish and I own Sony FX6, FX3 and FX30 cameras, along with prime and zoom lenses. I'm available for assignments and projects across Latin America and the United States.
This year, I've led US cinematography on a documentary for a streamer covering the once-in-a-lifetime launch of an asteroid mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida, I've worked with the Olympics to produce and direct several films about athletes doing good across Latin America, and I produced a US abortion doc for the Finnish public broadcaster YLE which included finding highly sensitive contributors. Before moving to this side of the Atlantic, I worked for ITV on their foreign current affairs documentary programme, On Assignment producing, directing and edit-producing my own films - one of which, about life as a trans inmate in an Italian prison, has been nominated for a Performance Short Film award alongside a Netflix short.
Previous experience includes working observationally with police in the UK, Spain and United States, on foreign documentaries, journalistic in nature, but often with a travel edge, domestic current affairs, royal documentaries, consumer shows and property programming. I have experience on both presenter-led and contributor-led shows.
I have spent significant time as an edit producer too. It has made me a better film maker in the field, with a keen eye for detail, and honed my strong script writing skills. I'm used to working under pressure and thinking on my feet. I'm easy to get along with and can quickly build trust with talent and contributors to get the best out of them on screen. I'm used to dealing with sensitive and legally challenging content. I'm brilliant at access negotiation, finding hard-to-reach people and have a great nose for casting. I'm rigorous and tenacious, but also down to earth.
My website is
www.jonesospinafilms.com where you can view my showreels and more information, including about my kit. I have a US I-Visa, Mexican and Colombian residency and hold an EU passport. I'm hostile environment and advanced trauma first aid trained.
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Here's what some of my colleagues say about me: "Oliver is highly skilled and capable, a real asset to any production. A great story finder, he has plenty of ideas and can develop them creatively. He is excellent at bringing contributors on board and building strong relationships with them. Confident dealing with a wide range of people – from everyday interviewees through to large organisations - Oliver can be relied upon to work independently, using his initiative. He has strong writing skills and can quickly put together pitches, correspondence and research notes that are fluent and professional. He is resilient under pressure, well organised, and a great team player. His enthusiasm is infectious: we all enjoy working with Oliver." ---- Lizz Martin, Series Producer, The Documentary Unit, BBC Studios
"Oliver is creative and hard-working with a strong journalistic background. His experience in radio journalism means he can get results fast and book people quickly, but he also comes with a keen eye for a story and a good editorial sense of what will and won’t work. I wouldn’t hesitate to book him again." ----- Rowland Stone, Executive Producer, The Documentary Unit, BBC Studios
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