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Script Consultants Bank

The Script Consultants Bank is a pool of experienced script readers, developers, editors and mentors from the South West.

South West Screen draws on the Bank to help with our own projects, such as Digital Shorts, our Script Critique service and Script Development. We’d also like you to have access to this unique resource, whether you’re in the South West or not. If you’re from a Regional Screen Agency, the UK Film Council, college, a writers' workshops or a resource centre – or even if you’re not! - this service is available to you.

So, if you would like to work with a member of the Bank please contact Sarah-Jane Meredith at South West Screen. We'll introduce you and the rest is up to you.

Members of the Bank

Ian Bouncer
Ian has 10 years of programme making experience and has completed courses in Script Reading at Script Factory. He is a writer and producer whose career has covered low budget drama, commercials and factual television as well as script reading work for TAPS in London. Ian specialises in script reading and analysis, offering either writer feedback or development notes for producers. He lives in Bristol.
 
David Bull
David is a freelance Script Editor with over 20 years of production experience in UK Children's TV animation. He is currently working for the Broadcast and Development department of Aardman Animations, helping to develop several animated series for both Children and Teenage/Adult audiences. David can offer expertise in character and script development in both short animated films and animated TV series. He can also advise on taking an initial idea through to a comprehensive presentation bible, and forward into sample scripts that will be attractive to funding bodies and broadcasters. David lives in Bristol with his wife Sylvia and young son Joseph.
 
Samantha Davey
Working mainly in TV and Film, Sam has been a script editor for the past six years, specialising in drama. Her time in the industry has mainly been spent developing and editing drama series' for the BBC, LWT and Kudos TV and film. Sam specialises in developing and editing anything from treatments and shorts to features and series pilots. She can offer expertise in action and drama, particularly adult, family and teen. Sam is interested in working with any genre and able to offer lectures and workshops in script-writing. Sam also runs her own script consultancy, offering various services including one to one script coaching. After spending time in London and Bristol, Sam now lives in Exeter. She enjoys writing, comedy, film and surfing in North Cornwall.
 
Abigail Davies
Abigail was a Drama Commissioning Editor for an ITV Company for five years. Now freelance, she works as a producer and script editor across feature film, shorts and television drama. Abigail can offer expertise in script development and editing across short film, television (singles and series) and feature film. She also has experience in treatment development and pitching, working with young people and mentoring individual writers. She has experience in a wide variety of genres but is particularly interested in drama, war, horror, thriller and family. Abigail lives in Bristol and has three children. She also teaches screenwriting and media at University of West of England.
 
Nell Denton
Nell has many years experience as a script editor and development executive working for both BBC and ITV television drama. She is also a working writer with commissions for television drama. She teaches on the BA and MA programmes at Bournemouth University. Nell can offer expertise in script development, script reading, script editing and training. She enjoys working in all areas of film and television including drama, comedy and adaptations. Nell is based in Dorset but is happy to travel. She has three children.
 
Kylie Fitzpatrick
Kylie has worked as a script reader and script editor in Los Angeles, Australia and in the UK for BBC Animation Unit, BBC Talent, The First Film Foundation, ITV and South West Screen. She has a strong knowledge of the production process from script development through to filming and can offer expertise and support in script and story editing and consulting; writing treatments and outlines; research and the general practicalities and logistics of turning the script into a film. Kylie is based in Somerset within easy range of Bristol and is a published author and working writer, as well as a script editor.
 
Roger Gregory
As a producer for the BBC and independent companies in the 80s and 90s Roger was responsible for many hours of television drama - single films, mini-series and studio plays. Retired from producing he works as a script consultant and tutors on several MEDIA funded EU workshops. Much of this work is done by email. Roger can offer expertise in script reading and assessment, and advice on developing scripts towards production. Much of his work is with new writers providing them with a professional perspective on the marketability of their material. Roger is based in Bristol and Spain. He has four grown up children.
 
Judith Higginbottom
Judith has worked extensively as an executive producer and script consultant for feature films, television dramas and documentaries. She was formerly Head of Production at Sgrin Wales where she was responsible for developing feature film scripts, the development and production of feature films and micro-budget features, and for commissioning and developing short films. Judith specialises in script development, script reading (feature films, television drama, documentary, short films, animation); project development and financing (feature films). She also teaches workshops on producing, script and project development.
Judith is based in Devon and is currently Senior Associate Lecturer in Film Production at Bournemouth Screen Academy and UK Coordinator of MAIA CPD training workshops for producers and writers. She is also working as a freelance writer, producer and script developer on television drama and documentary projects with Modern Television in Cardiff.
 
Bryony Ive
Since graduating from the National Film and Television School in 2005, Bryony has read scripts for production companies including Working Title Films and BBC Children's Drama. She has had several short films produced and has edited both short and feature length scripts for new and established writers. Bryony has a lot of experience providing comprehensive coverage on scripts and books. She is also a confident editor and enjoys working with writers at all stages of the writing process, from establishing an initial idea to developing a full length screenplay. Bryony lives in Dorset with her director husband, Mark. Together they run a small production company and are developing both short and long form projects.
 
Ben Jailler
Ben is a commissioned screenwriter with experience in film, television and the growing medium of next generation video games. He is a graduate of Bournemouth University's Scriptwriting for Film and Television BA (hons) course and his work has been showcased by TAPS. Ben is an experienced script reader and has written reports for Culverhouse & James, Euroscript, First Film, The Script Factory and TAPS. He offers a comprehensive script reading and analysis service, specialising in the genres of horror, thriller, science fiction and war. Ben lives outside Bath and is working full-time as a writer on Pivotal Games' next generation title, Conflict: Denied Ops.
 
Chris Jury
Chris has worked as an actor, writer, director and producer in both film & television production. See www.chrisjury.com for further details. He can offer expertise in script assessment and development across both film & TV and all fiction genres. Chris also lectures on screenwriting and runs workshops. Chris lives in the North Cotswolds. He is currently studying for an MA in Philosophy.
 
Marie Macneill
Marie writes for film, television and theatre and has recently completed her first novel. As a script editor, mentor and consultant she has worked with dozens of writers, South West Screen, UK Film Council, Cornwall Film, TAPS and Mundic Nation on a wide variety of projects including Digital Shorts, Writers' Block and Target Talent. Marie can offer expertise in script reading, development, editing, mentoring in all genres - features, shorts, TV (series, sit-com, two-parters and one-offs). She is experienced in producing and running workshops, seminars and lecturing in screenwriting. Marie is the South West Rep for the Writers' Guild of Guild of Britain. She lives in Cornwall and loves to travel.
 
Jane Pugh
Jane specialised in producing and writing at the National Film and Television school where her films won a total of six awards including an Oscar for Best Student Foreign Film. On graduation from the National Film and Television School, Jane became a full time script editor working for the BBC, World Productions and Carlton Television. Jane currently writes full time and her latest projects are two short films and a feature script. Her latest short Friday Night has been picked up by the British Council for international distribution. She also supervises screenwriters on the Professional Writing MA at University College Falmouth. Jane is a very experienced script reader and editor working on productions both in development and production. She specialises in drama, romantic comedy, and young people. She has experience in running workshops and courses in screenwriting. Jane lives in Cornwall, she also writes for the stage and is an Associate Artist at the Hall For Cornwall.
 
Jill Raistrick
Jill has twenty years experience as a script editor and as a producer, mainly in television drama but with some experience of feature films, having worked as a consultant to a British Film Director for six months in L.A. Jill also has a Stage 1 Teaching certificate and has delivered script development courses and workshops at the NFTS, and Bristol University, as well as being a lecturer in Media Studies at the City of Bristol College. Jill can offer expertise in script development and writing for TV series, serials, soaps and single dramas. She has a thorough knowledge of the production process and its disciplines and demands. Jill relocated from London to Bristol six years ago, where she shares her life with a very lively spaniel and husband.
 
Jo Stewart-Smith
Jo has written over 60 broadcast & many non-broadcast documentary scripts, several of which are award winning. She won best script at Wildscreen 2004. She also works in drama and has been commissioned to write a first draft cinema screenplay. She works with TV directors (BBC, ITV, Ch 4etc) and NGOs like RSPB film unit developing structure and story from treatment through step outline, picture editing etc to narration script. Jo offers expertise in developing, editing or mentoring scripts from idea stage onwards. She has worked with new filmmakers from around the world, via a pitching website (which she helped set up) and she has a production background in both documentary and drama (researcher, director, associate producer). Jo is particularly interested in playing with story structure and the crossover between documentary and drama. Jo lives in Devon but regularly works in Bristol, London & the South East and is available to travel round the region.
 
Shafeeq Vellani
Shafeeq has experience in writing shorts and features, and experience of script reading, script editing and project/script assessment for a number of regional and national screen agencies (mainly features, digital shorts and documentaries). Most recently he script edited a UK Film Council/South West Screen Digital Shorts Plus. Shafeeq has also run screenwriting courses at Watershed, and he teaches screenwriting at the International Film School, Wales. Shafeeq can offer expertise in script reading and script editing in film (shorts, features, documentary, genres) and project development in shorts. He has run workshops for young people and adults, beginners and those with more experience, and he's a senior lecturer in Film and Video at International Film School, Wales (Skillset Screen Academy, Wales). Shafeeq lived in Bristol for 20 years and has recently moved to Devon. He is a filmmaker, who has made a number of shorts and documentaries, and is currently writing a commissioned short and a commissioned feature script.
 
Rachel Wright
Rachel has worked as a producer on ITV's The Bill and series producer on the BBC's Casualty. She has experience as a development producer working for BBC Drama Series and some independents. Rachel can offer expertise in script assessment and development, and working closely with writers on developing their own projects (both TV and features). She also has experience in lecturing and teaching, with particular reference to television writing and its practical requirements. In 2006, Rachel moved from London to West Dorset, where she now lives with her husband and young son.

Script Consultants Bank

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