1. MICHAEL ALLPRESS allpress.m@gmail.com
Film and Television Researcher 07873263060
As an experienced TV researcher, I have worked on a wide range of factual genres – from history to health
– from education to observational. I have hands-on experience from development to post-production. One
of my main responsibilities has been casting, and I am skilled at forging relationships with contributors from
a variety of backgrounds. I am trained in SQN sound-mixing, data wrangling and have a full clean driver’s
license. BA (Hons) in Social Anthropology and Psychology I am fascinated by people and how they make
sense of their world. I love character-driven docs that both educate and entertain.
EMPLOYMENT
Production Assistant – Dispatches, ITV April 2015
Working on a Dispatches about Syrian’s and Iraqi’s taken hostage by ISIS, and those helping them escape.
I worked alongside Kurdish and Arabic translators to help transcribe interviews shot in Syria and Iraq. This
required a high attention to detail and a keen editorial eye to help identify key stories and usable dialogue.
Location Assistant – Indus Films March 2015
Assisted the producer/ director on a shoot at exclusive Mayfair bar ‘Salvatore’s’ for a new C4 programme
about purveyors of high-end food and their super-rich clients. Assisted with kit, operated second camera
(Canon 5D) and looked after contributors.
Internship - Wall to Wall Television Feb 2015
Week-long internship where I worked on both factual and drama development. This required finding expert
consultants for a new C4 drama production, conducting research for a crime programme for American
Heroes channel, assisting on a treatment for National Geo science programme, and conducting primary
research for the C4 fact-ent history series Time Crashers.
Researcher/ Location Assistant - Crackit Productions Dec 2014
At Christmas is a Channel 5 obs-doc following a variety of individuals and families as they prepare for and
celebrate Christmas. I was a location runner over the Christmas period on a shoot with a large family (20+
members) whom live in South London. On this high pressured and busy shoot I was responsible for
consent, card logging, data wrangling and looking after contributors.
Researcher/ AP - Evans Woolfe Media Oct 2013 – Nov 2014
Evans Woolfe Media specialise in making films for the educational and health sectors. I have researched
films for clients such and BBC Learning and The Open University covering topics such as: wealth, poverty
and inequality; teenage drug and alcohol education; whistleblowing in the professional setting; and British
history. This has required me to undertake detailed background research, find and interview experts and
contributors, write briefing notes for producers and directors, generate original story ideas, and organise
shoots.
• I have successfully cast a wide variety of contributors including members of Scottish aristocracy, the
unemployed and rough sleepers. This challenging work has taken me from my desk, to the street, into
foodbanks and community centres and into people’s homes.
• A highlight of my time at Evans Woolfe was achieving my first Producer credit for a short film for The
Open University about a community scheme that allows locals to decide how their health budget is spent.
Selected Credits
Protest three-part BBC Learning series in which three 15 year olds investigate key episodes of protest in
British history- the Peterloo Massacre, The Jarrow March and the Guildford School of Art student sit in.
Drug Stories. BBC Learning Zone programme about four young people who describe how their lives
dramatically changed through their involvement with drugs.
Wealth, Poverty and Inequality. Open University film featuring people all over Britain investigating wealth
and inequality, from Scottish landowners to agricultural migrants in East Anglia.
Production Assistant - Maverick Television June 2013 – Aug 2013
Nurses was a well received obs-doc series for Channel 5 and followed the nurses in key roles in the Cardiff
& Vale University Trust Hospital. 6x 60 mins
• Assisting on shoots in hospital location, interviewing contributors.
• Researching health facts and socioeconomic statistics.
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2. • Post-production work including logging, organising contributor consent, and clearance tasks.
Freelance Researcher - Evans Woolfe Media April 2013- June 2013
The Street: Life on City Road. Documentary profiles of people living and working on Cardiff's City Road to
be used as a learning resource for Open University students.
• Responsible for casting contributors (incl. business owners, foodbank users, refugees, homeless
people) and creating detailed research briefs for producers and directors. I sourced contributors through
street casting, building relationships with community organisations, such as disability rights groups, and via
social media.
• Organising filming and assisting crew and contributors on shoots.
Freelance Researcher - Green Bay Media Nov 2011 – May 2013
Researcher, Saving Egypt’s Oldest Pyramid, 1x60 mins documentary for National Geo.
Documentary about scientists and engineers battling to save Egypt’s ancient Step Pyramid from collapse.
• In-depth and thorough academic research to fact-check scripts. Involved gathering specific information
by speaking with experts and reading academic papers.
• Sourcing and clearing video, stills and archive material.
Researcher, Deserts, documentary series for S4C and international distribution.
Six-part documentary series for S4C and international distribution celebrating the beauty of the desert,
whilst exploring the physical and social challenges the environment presents to the people that live there.
• Researching, fact-checking, and editing scripts. Logging interviews and actuality.
• Sourcing video archive footage.
• Post-production paperwork and deliverables.
Credited Archive Researcher, We Beat the All Blacks, TV documentary for BBC Wales, 1x60 mins.
• Sourced and cleared video, photographic, and audio archive for the programme.
Researcher, Barry John: The King, TV documentary BBC Wales and S4C, 1x60 mins.
• Sourced and compiled BBC archive material crucial to the documentary.
Other Roles at Green Bay Media- Development Assistant
• Researching programme ideas and writing creative treatments for a variety of factual programmes to be
pitched by Green Bay Media.
Development - Modern Television Nov
2012
Developing and researching factual content ideas for pre-production ITV1 programme ‘Griff Rhys Jones’
Wales’. Searching for unique and colourful events, locations, and characters in Wales.
BBC Wales Factual work experience placement Feb
2012
• Pre-production research for ‘Rome’ documentary series, creating story proposals.
• Creating on-location fact booklets for overseas crew.
SKILLS
Research and Development– From casting to content research, I am experienced in sourcing contributors
of all kinds, sourcing archive, managing contact lists, gathering information from a wide range of sources,
booking and conducting interviews. .
Technical/ IT – SQN sound mixing, Forscene, data wrangling, basic Final Cut Pro knowledge, Mac and PC
literate, Microsoft Office, GroPro, Social media including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram.
Other - Full clean driving licence, BBC Safeguarding Trust and Work Safe Certified, Current DBS Check.
EDUCATION
University of Auckland
Postgraduate Bachelor of Arts Honours, 2.1 (Social Anthropology) 2009
Undergraduate Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology and Psychology 2004-2008
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