Summary

PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

After several years making science shows and films for the BBC, Martin took on a number of executive roles with various organisations. He has now returned to film making – and is currently having the time of his life. Martin offers a creative and positive approach to any project including those on small budgets. His experience also enables him also to be amenable, versatile, flexible, affordable and efficient, and to work fast. He is well versed in the new cross-platform world. He delivers compelling and engaging films examples of which can be viewed on this web site under ‘projects’.

What work is Martin interested in doing?

“My work is very varied and I can produce campaigning films as well as full drama, animation etc. In fact what I enjoy most is variety. I have filmed in most parts of the world (and am quite an old hand in Africa for example) and have made shows in every kind of format. I am experienced with versioning and production in many languages, including
Mandarin Chinese. While my interests focus on science, technology and health, I have also explored music and the arts as well as the work of several charities in some of my work. As a director I am good at bringing the very best out of a wide range of people – and human interactions and emotions are at the centre of all I do. I enjoy working with presenters.

In the digital age I have learned not only to embrace interactive media, but also to produce old-fashioned story telling films on very tight budgets, but with old style production quality. But I am enjoying myself too much making films to have any desire to become any kind of executive again. People seem to enjoy working with me – and I have attracted a small group of young, talented free-lancers who have stuck with me during the last four years or so.

 

But, either working through my company, or as a free-lance producer/director, I have the capacity to do more. I look forward to discussing the possibility of undertaking commissionsor doing work for you.”

Martin’s previous production work

1971 to 1994

With an MArt degree from the Royal College of Art Film & TV School and experience as a film editor, Martin joined BBC science in 1971, working on the Horizon series. In his time at the BBC Martin made 20 Horizon films (two of them award winning), 5 editions of the BBC2 series ‘Antenna’ and numerous editions of Tomorrow’s World. He produced the last ever series of The Burke Special, gaining an average audience of 11 million on BBC1. He also produced science ‘specials’ and two major international series for BBC2: the 8-part ‘The Trouble with Medicine’, and 13-part ‘The Mind Machine’, the latter presented by Colin Blakemore.

1995 to 1997

Martin set up the BBC Multimedia Centre, pioneering new media across the corporation. He led the team which first established BBC Online. During this period he also established interactive media awards at BAFTA (which have now evolved into the Games Awards).

1998

Martin directed the new hands-on science centre ‘Explore At Bristol’ during the period when it was being designed and established on Bristol’s Harbourside.

1999 to 2004

Martin was one of the founding executives who established NESTA (The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) and was responsible for the Sci-Art programme with the Wellcome Trust, for web site development, and for a large grant- giving programme in the field of innovative education. Within NESTA, he then became responsible for conceiving, establishing and directing ‘Futurelab’ (at that time in Bristol) which developed and evaluated new kinds of learning software and media.

2005 to 2008

Martin joined Windfall Digital (which was at that time the interactive and digital arm of Windfall Films) as Managing Director. The work involved creating a major resource (‘DNA Interactive’) making full use of footage created for a Channel 4 series; making online films for the American Lasker Foundation; making science films for The British Council; producing a complex CD-ROM in 15 languages for breast cancer patients around Europe; and creating a media-rich interactive resource for science centres about human genetics entitled ‘Choose Your Character’, funded by the Wellcome Trust.

2008 to 2012

Now directing his own small company, MFreeth.Com, he is producing some 30 short films each year. His main current clients are the international science journal Nature and the British Medical Journal, but he also works for corporate clients (such as J P Morgan) and for charities (such as Addaction and the Mali Development Group). A recent labour of love is a documentary portrait of a French Village containing some 30 short films and entitled ‘The Living Map’. See: www.mfreeth.com .

Some comments from clients and viewers about our recent work
BMJ Commissioner: ‘We're all happy with content here. thanks for turning a really nice film around so quickly’.
Senior scientist: ‘I just returned from vacation and saw your video. I am impressed by how you took the interviews which I thought were often too technical an hard to understand –and wove them into a coherent story. Great job!’
Contributor: ‘You did a wonderful job, especially considering the elements you had. Noteven the skull! Warmest congratulations for this splendid work. I am really impressed!’
‘Nature’ publicity team: ‘Overall we are thrilled with the results so thank you all for your help in putting together what has turned out to be a very popular package!’ and ‘Look! Downloaded in total around 110,000 times, which I think is just excellent’.
American Physicist: ‘That is an excellent production. The science comes through loud and clear – outstanding editing, composition and all that. Amazing that you could deliver onsuch a tight schedule’.
Chief Exec, Lindau Nobel Foundation: ‘You have many a good reason to be proud of the films. We all acknowledge and appreciate the professionalism that you and your team have again contributed to this project’.
Nobel Laureate: ‘I believe the films are excellent, and you really did a wonderful job’.
Chief Executive, National Charity: ‘Martin, this is so good and so powerful. You should be really pleased with this’.
A viewer: ‘What a joy to watch! I just enjoyed the lighting, the angles... I am no photographer, but was so thrilled with this quality that I had to compliment the persons responsible. Congratulations!’