the luckiest bloke I know
More Than A Hired Gun
The following case studies show how I’ve helped broadcasters and clients turn complex briefs, tight schedules and evolving ideas into clear, compelling screen stories.
I don’t present a CV list of shows and titles. In television, that invites judgment based on taste, fashion, or recency.
Instead, I've picked a few stories from my career that give insight into who I am, what drives me, and the lengths I will go to when I care about a project and the people entrusting me with it.
CASE STUDY #1
SBS commissioned a 10-part series starring Poh, one of Australia’s most beloved and recognisable celebrity cooks, but the pilot was a dud — the network hated it and she refused to continue with the format. The original producer/director was dismissed and I was asked to redesign the format and rebuild trust with the star. After a single meeting outlining my new creative direction, Poh recommitted. I went on to series-produce, direct, shoot, write and post-produce 2 series of Poh & Co. Series 1 became the network’s highest-rating program of the year, earned a second commission, which was later sold to Netflix, where it continues to run.
CASE STUDY #2
Bush Doctor was my idea, but it was uncommissioned, unfunded and outside my skill set — so I taught myself to shoot and embedded for six months in a remote outback town of 2,000 with just 2 GPs. The result was a two-part SBS prime-time documentary, the first of its kind in Australia, rating at double the network average and directly leading to 13 doctors taking up outback placements within a week of broadcast. It wasn’t just content, it changed behaviour.
CASE STUDY #8
I was asked to take over series producing the ASP World Tour broadcast after the previous producer walked out — with no warning and no handover. I didn’t surf and knew nothing about the sport. The event fed daily international news packages and a major event show into 250 million homes, so failure wasn’t an option. I flew to Japan overnight, learned the sport fast, relied on my camera team, built trust with athletes and crews, and delivered daily coverage under relentless deadlines. The series succeeded, I was invited back the following year, and when Andy Irons won his third world title, he gave me exclusive access to his first feature interview.
CASE STUDY #9
Network 10 commissioned a Prime-Time Reality series to compete with The Block — they poured millions into an unproven format then watched as it collapsed in its first week on air. Disaster! Executives resigned, senior staff were dismissed, and the show was heading toward a very public failure. I was brought in to take over producing and studio directing the live Sunday night elimination shows, but within 4 days assumed control of the entire six-night-a-week production. Through rapid structural and editorial changes, the ratings stopped falling and by week 2 began rising, collecting a cult audience along the way. The show survived, sponsors stayed, and the production company went on to deliver several other series for the network.
THESE DAYS...
THESE DAYS...
More recently, I’ve worked across high-profile returning series and premium factual projects including The Block, Jamie Durie’s Future House, Iconic Australia for WildBear, and House of Wellness for Chemist Warehouse — alongside a growing slate of bespoke, web-first series for brands seeking targeted, documentary-style storytelling. Across broadcast and digital, I consistently operate end-to-end as either series producer, director, shooter, sound recordist, interviewer, writer and editor, or a mix of several roles — delivering lean, high-quality content designed to cut through, travel well, and work commercially across platforms.