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© James Gavin Walker
'EASIER THAN YOU THOUGHT'
I'm happy to work with teams of all sorts: from the tiny, to the unwieldy and complex.
OVERVIEW
I’m an Italy specialist, with vast experience throughout the country as a field producer, researcher, fixer and location manager for high-quality factual films, both for broadcast and theatrical release.
I’ve worked on legions of television documentaries, TV films and other coverage for the BBC, BBC Natural History, BBC Sport, Channel 4, Discovery Channel, ITV, National Geographic Channel, PBS and affiliates, Premier League Productions and Sky on archaeology, art, biography, food, history, natural history, politics, science and sport.
I also work extensively filming branded content for big international clients including Bayer, Diageo, EA Sports, Ford Europe, Rolls Royce Motor Cars, Samsung and Shell UK, as well as TV and internet commercials for other international firms, while continuing to work in news & current affairs when needed.
For ABC News (USA) I worked as an assignment editor and news segment producer in the UK, and in Italy as a field producer, off-air reporter and news editor.
I worked as a Broadcast Manager for NBC Olympics at the Atlanta Olympic Games, and for a number of years in Italy as a freelance producer for CNN, as a print stringer for UPI wire service and Jane’s Defence Weekly.
I’m British – an English mother tongue speaker with fluent Italian, good French and basic Spanish.
Skills and Specialist Knowledge
Experienced with production issues throughout Italy – from the Alps to Sicily – and at all the big locations: Bologna, Bergamo, Florence, Genova, Milan, Naples (Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius), Ravenna, Rome, Turin, Sardinia and Sicily (Palermo, Siracusa, Trapani, Catania and Mount Etna), Tuscany and Venice.
· Network of excellent authorised ‘critical area’ drone teams throughout Italy
· Best cost US/UK standard camera team and sound recordists throughout Italy
· Best cost camera, grip & electric equipment throughout Italy
· Track down and prep local contributors
· Location manager & location scout
· Excellent access track record & Vatican access specialist
· Vatican Library registered scholar
· Local divers and kit for underwater filming
· Authorised speleologists for underground filming
· Expert on outflanking Italian red tape
· Expert on Italian film archive and sources
· Experienced in transmission rights issues and pertinent Italian regulations
TESTIMONIALS
"There is no doubt in my mind that James is the best fixer in Italy and I can’t recommend him highly enough.
His work ethic is second to none and you are able to rely on him implicitly and trust him to navigate you through the tricky process of filming there. James is amazingly reliable, communicates incredibly well and executes a smooth-running shoot with ease."
Kirsty Urquhart-Davies / Production Manager – Nutopia, London
"He proved to be the perfect choice, was a delight to work with and outstanding at his job. James' preparation and organisational skills, his intelligence and acute understanding of the politics and the protocols of the Vatican proved vital."
Deborah Masters / Producer - ABC Australia
"Good sense of humour, good negotiator, good problem-solver; I'd recommend him to anyone, and he would be my first port of call for the next shoot I did in Italy.
We shot an online / social media film for Ford in Rome and James sourced locations, crew, and talent - a mixture or 'real people' and actors - and the film went on to be one of the most successful online films ever for Ford Europe. Secondly we shot a 360 interactive online film for Carluccio's restaurant chain, this time in Sicily, again sourcing locations and people in a very short timeframe. James is a true professional, understood the parameters and budget for each film, got that one job was a bit more old-school and had do be done in a traditional way with pre-production meetings etc. - and that the other one was much lower budget and had to be done more efficiently and more nimbly."
Lauren Colsen - Content Haus
London
"He is exactly what I want in a fixer. All but a native ... fluent and immersed in everything local you need combined with knowing how television works ... I have produced news pieces for 30 years and he is among the best I have come across."
Paolo Marenghi / Producer - Formerly of CBS News
"We worked with James and are so glad we did. Rome is a convoluted place to shoot in and James navigated the process like a champion! On a personal level, we had a really fun time together, and I’ve always believed that the best creativity happens when you’re having fun. Lastly, we found his pricing to be very reasonable. I would recommend working with James to anyone who asked."
Mark Q. Waters / Director - ColdWater Media USA
NEED HELP FILMING ANYWHERE IN ITALY?
EMAIL ME AT: italyproducer@gmail.com
