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About
I am a shooting producer director on documentaries and current affairs programmes.
I am towards the end of a 90-minute documentary feature film about land grabs and human-rights abuses in Africa, funded by Worldview and the Open Society Foundation, which has now been awarded BFI funding through the Doc Society.
I have directed a 60-minute independent documentary about anti-war activists taking buses to Baghdad to volunteer as human shields. I have got investigations into deaths on North Sea oil rigs and the effect of the Private Finance Initiative on NHS hospital closures commissioned by BBC Scotland.
I directed a one-hour documentary about a fringe theatre group's adult pantomime with a transvestite Scrooge and documentaries about the perils of community activism, post-modern mods and redevelopment of one of inner London's last Docklands areas. I have development produced a range of documentary and current affairs proposals, independently, through indie and broadcast executive producers and an ancient history/anthropology proposal for UK, US and international broadcasters.
I have a Canon XF305 kit, am trained on it by DV Talent, in development producing by BBC Academy and in investigative journalism techniques and information security by The Centre for Investigative Journalism.
I have a postgraduate diploma in documentary film production from Cardiff University and the National Council for the Training of Journalists National Certificate in Print Journalism, including media law, newswriting, public admin and 100 wpm Teeline shorthand. I have a BA (Hons) degree in politics and history from Manchester Metropolitan University, where I studied economics in the first year too. At school I won a form prize, O-level history prize and two general knowledge competitions.
I have worked as a newspaper reporter, staff at the Enfield Gazette and South London Press and freelance at The Sunday Telegraph, London Evening Standard and The Times and at London News Service and broadcast journalist at the BBC, in Cardiff, London and Television Centre.
I enjoy cycling, football, tennis, walking, travel, cinema and reading about factual issues, following up my interest from my degree. I am a Chelsea fan, NUJ, Bectu, Directors UK and Royal Television Society member
E-learning
See which ScreenSkills e-learning Marcus Relton has completed to improve their skills and knowledge.
Experience
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Shooting Producer Director
Shooting, producing and directing a feature documentary about land grabs and human-rights abuses in Africa, with £100,000+ funding from the Open Society Foundation, which I raised. Continuing a project which got £8,000 from Worldview to start in 2013, filming in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 then taking through to first editor's rough cut.
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Development Producer and Shooting PD
Developing documentary and current affairs proposals through indies and broadcast in-house executives to seek commissions or find independent funding. This includes developing proposal for Panorama and Dispatches in 2007-8 on NHS hospital cuts, through the BBC TV Current Affairs Unit, in Belfast and ITV studios, which was not commissioned. More recently developing a current affairs proposal on housing issues, another long-running investigation and two international current affairs proposals.
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Producer Director
Producing and directing two episodes of an eight-episode series on the war in Yemen. Researching background to prepare scripts, including interviewing contributors, helping supervise researchers, under direction of series producer director and executive producer, before shoot and edit.
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Documentary Filming Tutor
Tutoring youngsters from challenging backgrounds in how to make a short documentary on martial arts, with one fellow tutor, for this social enterprise, in theory and on location.
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Assistant producer
Developed documentary proposal for BBC London First Sight half-hour strand with director but he was called to something else so idea about eccentric characters at a prominent London landmark wasn't made, after initial research was completed.
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Assistant Producer
Assistant producer helping another AP and shooting PD on a shoot in France, with two contributors, testing UK border controls. Fluent French helped solve problems, information security training kept details secret, helped with secret filming, mastered 90+ page hostile filming protocol, helped find locations, mind contributors and helped PD with filming.
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Specialist researcher
Specialist researcher on half-hour investigation for Frontline Scotland into how using the Private Finance Initiative to build hospitals causes cuts elsewhere in the NHS. Took proposal to strand, got editor to commission, sourced exclusive access to leading academic's report, worked to producer to build narrative and background research, sourced dissident hospital consultant to speak to camera.
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Associate Producer
Associate producing a half-hour investigation into deaths on a North Sea oil-rig, despite safety warnings from senior staff four years earlier for Frontline Scotland. I took proposal to editor, got it commissioned, found whistleblower and got cooperation of bereaved fiancée, as well as research exposing worse safety since Piper Alpha disaster and better Norwegian record. Researched on east coast and worked in Glasgow to producer.
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Director and assistant producer
Working as assistant producer, development producer or director for small independent production company making films on social issues. This included, from January to April 2003, directing a one-hour documentary about anti-war protesters going to Iraq on London buses to try and stop the war and shield civilians. In April 2005 I assistant produced in a three-man crew with the director and camera operator, following a two-week mobile protest during the General Election campaign from Glasgow to London. Helping shoots, researching, covering logistics and driving during and for shoots.
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Freelance broadcast journalist
Casual broadcast journalist writing, headlining and sub-editing international, national and regional stories for TV Centre Ceefax and for BBC South East then London.
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Shooting producer director
Shot, produced and directed documentary about fringe theatre group's adult pantomime with a transvestite Scrooge for Channel 4's The Other Side strand. Series editor held back for next series due to having another fringe theatre documentary in the strand. Next series was not commissioned for 18 months so documentary not completed, other than a rough cut I made in 2007.
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News reporter
Senior news reporter on Lambeth borough desk of South London Press, covering a range of news stories, especially political and an ongoing investigation into corruption, pending an official inquiry. Shortlisted for regional reporting award in 1996 for that and a series of exclusives, when South London Press won regional newspaper of the year award. Also freelance reporting for London Evening Standard, Sky News and The Times.
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Trainee then senior news reporter
Trainee then senior news reporter on Enfield Gazette, after passing National Council for the Training of Journalists National Certificate exam in 1991. Covered whole range of news from crime to local politics, on diary and off-diary. Also freelanced for London News Service agency, on demos, in office and in courts and for Sunday Telegraph.
Education and training
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Generating ideas and maximising creative potential
ScreenSkills Funded
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One session wonder: 1-2-1 problem solving session
ScreenSkills Funded
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continuing professional development Producer Pathways
This mainly online course took broadcast APs and producers through about 10 day-long sessions, covering different aspects of what producers need to know for broadcast, such as casting, compliance and legal issues, duty of care, diversity and equalities, storytelling, edit producing, development, with sessions from producers, directors and commissioning editors. This also involved mentoring from a very experienced producer director and a subsidised visit to Sheffield Documentary Festival, plus networking sessions in Bristol and London. It was funded by ScreenSkills to help those finding it hard to access work in the industry and run by Gritty Talent.
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Continuing Professional Development Becoming a Self-Shooting Producer Director
This course was run by DV Talent, designed by Directors UK and subsidised by ScreenSkills. I attended three weekends in Bristol, in June and July 2022. First a shooting PD and former stills photographer focused us on the technical side of filming and what he had done in certain situations, with exercises. The second weekend a shooting PD and executive producer focused on storytelling techniques and prepared us to film a few, sequences on the final weekend, which both tutors helped us with on the Saturday and Sunday and with the preparation in the run up. We have follow-up online sessions in November on career development and commentary writing and can attend the Focus exhibition in December, as well as continue to communicate with the tutors and colleagues and have a bursary to help buy equipment to progress our careers.
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Coronavirus basic awareness on production training
ScreenSkills Funded
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Mentoring for mentees
ScreenSkills Funded
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Tackling harassment and bullying at work
ScreenSkills Funded
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Mentoring for mentees
ScreenSkills Funded
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Production Unlocked: Production: First Day: On Set
ScreenSkills Funded
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Production Unlocked: Post-Production First Day: In Post
ScreenSkills Funded
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Production Unlocked: Pre-Production First Day: On Set
ScreenSkills Funded
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Producer pathways in unscripted TV
ScreenSkills Funded
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Become a self-shooting PD - Bristol
ScreenSkills Funded
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Short courses Continuing Professional Development
Short courses, from Researching for Television, at BBC in 2006; Final Cut Pro Editing, at Documentary Filmmakers Group in October 2006; Two-day shooting and directing with Canon XF305 in September 2011; Five-day A to Z of documentary filmmaking with Tracey Gardiner, London Film School, February 2012; Four-day observational shooting course with Zillah Bowes, London Film School, May 2014; Information Security Courses at the Centre for Investigative Journalism in 2013, 2014 and 2020; Three-day developing ideas, pitching and taster tapes with Frank Ash, BBC Academy, March 2015; four-day HEFAT course, Blue Mountain, Hook, June 2017; Covert filming, CIJ, one-day course December 2017, Inside The Edit, Paddy Bird online course, 2021; Shooting and directing on Sony FS7 course, DV Talent, April 2021; HEAT two-day refresher course, Separ International, January 2022
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Postgraduate Diploma Documentary Film Production
Studied year-long course in documentary film production under tutor and working producer director Simon Heaven. Co-directed a six-minute short on Swansea sailors for BBC2 Wales, Last of the Swansea Jacks and produced and directed a 16-minute authored film on Britpop-era Mods, Dedicated Followers of Fashion. Also researched for TV Choice on educational documentary about developing Cardiff Bay and economic and social effect of job and mine losses in the South Wales Valleys.
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NCTJ pre-entry course before work experience then National Certificate 18 months later National Council for the Training of Journalists Print Journalism Pre-entry course
Pre-entry newspaper journalism course, covering Teeline shorthand, to 100 wpm, media law, newswriting and public administration. Also had work experience on the South London Press, Ealing Gazette and Western Daily Press, in Bristol.
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BA (Hons) Humanities and Social Studies Politics and History
Degree in politics and history, including economics too in the first year. This included the politics of the US and Soviet Union, UK, France, Germany and Italy, political philosophy, from Plato to Pareto. History included UK from the industrial revolution, 20th century world history, revolution and reaction in Latin America and US history. My dissertation was on arms and the world economy, looking at the years since World War Two and effects on the US, UK, Japan and Germany in particular.
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A and O Level GCEs A and O levels
12 O-levels, including 2 maths, 2 English, 3 science, A-grade in French and A-grade in history, with highest O-level mark in school and Vth form history prize as a result. MIVN form prize in 1976 and school general knowledge prize in 1981. Three A levels, English, history and economics. House colours in rugby for winning school tournament in 1979. House prefect
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Common Entrance Secondary School
Secondary school from age 11 to 13 then passing Common Entrance exam to go to senior school. Played football, rugby, cricket, athletics, swimming. Won school general knowledge competition in 1975, wrote and performed in a school revue.
Certificates
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Mentoring for mentees
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Tackling harassment and bullying at work
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Mentoring for mentees