Nick Watson available 15.05
Senior Development Producer / Exec / Producer
Pro
About Me
Professional Training
Course / Qualification | Training Provider / Institution | Year |
---|---|---|
First Option Safety Passport / First Option / 2015 | ||
First Option Safety Passport | First Option | 2015 |
Nick Watson is a hard working and talented development producer who has written scores of beautifully crafted, punchy and colourful treatments for me. Several of these great documents have led to commission and funded development. He blends solid research with writing that brings formats and narratives to life on the page. His ideas are original and often deliciously maverick and he is great at giving formats the twists and layers that make them stand out. A real asset, I would highly recommend him.
We needed a quick turnaround deep dive into a subject matter for National Geographic. We gave Nick a three-page document a verbal brief and a week and a half to produce a substantial document while working remotely. He more than delivered. The 24-page, beautifully designed, well researched, beautifully written document was instrumental in us unlocking paid development funding from the channel which ultimately led to us securing a three-part global commission, Fiennes: Return To The Nile. Suffice to say that I would have absolutely no hesitation in working with Nick again. I found him to be diligent, disciplined, hard-working, enthusiastic, inquisitive, creative and frankly, everything I was looking for from a development producer.
Nick has worked for me at Dragonfly both in the Development team and as a Senior Producer who helped develop and then deliver a brand new travel / build show format for Discovery International.
His ability to combine creative ambition with editorial nous and a pragmatic and highly organised approach to production has made him my ‘go to’ for any project with an engineering/scientific/experimental bent. He is clear communicator, straightforward to deal with and very reliable.
While working in Development, Nick consistently demonstrated a good journalistic nose for new ideas and the ability to approach subjects in an original and eye-catching way. He proved himself a talented and speedy writer. He has a very strong knowledge of specialist factual television, both in terms of established broadcasters and newer markets plus an excellent black book of contacts.
I employed Nick Watson last year as a producer,on an ambitious stunt. I employed him because he was known for his ability to manage difficult practical production jobs which required multiple skills in difficult circumstances. However I found his skill set to be much more far reaching than I had anticipated. It was a job that required gaining the trust of hostile institutions and organisations, working out the practicalities and feasibility – financial, logistical and editorial - of an immensely complicated multifaceted endeavor, managing expectations and serving up unpalatable information to me, his employer, whilst pushing recalcitrant contributors to entertain undertaking tasks well outside their comfort zone - indeed well outside anything they would previously have thought of. The entire endeavor had to be presented in a stylish, immediately comprehensible way to the commissioner, conveying a sense of effortless compliance on the part of all those who had been tasked with taking part. I found Nick immensely impressive in carrying out every aspect of the job he was set. It was a huge and difficult mission, and he pulled it off where I think many others might not.
Nick's a very good Senior Development Producer - he writes punchy treatments, has a head for formats, always has quality ideas to bring to brainstorms, has an extensive knowledge of specialist factual television and a great little black book of contacts. Nick's a strong all rounder who would be an asset to any factual development team.
Nick is exceptional. Whether the gig is weeks or days, he throws in his all. Strong at ideas creation, knowledgeable about channels' output and commissioners. Excellent pitching skills. Strong development and production skills. Calm, clear headed and logical under stress. The proof is in the pudding. Whilst working on my team, Nick's development work has led to development deals and commissions. Also great fun to work with and very supportive.
Links:
Media I Work In:
Broadcast Television
Corporate Communications
Locations I can work in:
London
Skills/Permits:
Driving Licence
Heath And Safety Training
I Visa USA
Script Writing
Casting
Work Permit USA
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Technical Skills:
Canon 5D
Sony HDX-900
Phantom HD High Speed
Self Shooting
Single Camera Directing
Sony HDW-790
Sound Recording
Sony PXW-FS7
Canon EOS C300
Adobe InDesign
Awards:
Broadcast Awards Best Daytime Programme 2010. Climbing Great Buildings.Dr Jonathan Foyle, architectural historian and novice climber, scales Britain's most iconic structures to reveal the buildings' secrets.