Working in Yorkshire is special to me as it’s my home, it’s where I chose to live and I love the people! I think people underestimate the amazing talent pool that we have here.

In theory all my projects I work on are in Yorkshire as I am based in Huddersfield, but as regard projects that are shot and produced in Yorkshire these include:

• TV Commercials – Yorkshire Tea featuring Sean Bean
• Feature Films – Dusty and Me, a comedy featuring Luke Newbury, Iain Glen and Lesley Sharp
• TV Productions – pilot for comedy/drama Back for Good featuring John Thomson, Will Mellor, Richard Blackwood, Jake Canuso, Sally Lindsay, Caprice and Paul Chuckle. ( I also produced)
• Shorts – I cast Fargate which was a comedy short filmed in Sheffield with lots of amazing regional cast.

Network as much as you can, don’t run down to London, get as much industry professional advice and get as much work experience as possible. Over deliver! 🙂

Getting into the industry was a challenge, but once I was in I am of the belief that going the extra mile goes a long way to building relationships and repeat business with clients which is the only true way to build a sustainable business. In short make sure you over deliver!

There are too many highlights really – I love my job – but working on the Gucci campaign, the Chase and Status “ Blind Faith” music promo and also starting my production company (Rocketship Productions) and producing my own projects are up there.

Last year I also won a CDA Award for Casting short film The Big Day, a comedy filmed in the north, which was pretty cool.

I think things in the north are improving, but we are yet to see producers committing to work with regional heads of department, particularly in casting for film and TV drama, more often than not this seems to come out of London.