Bloc Collective:
Our People

Robbie manages the studio at Bloc and brings a wealth of expertise from 20 years industry experience. As a multi-award winning editor and motion graphics designer he has worked on hundreds of productions ranging from feature-length documentaries, AV experiences and brand animations to commercials and broadcast title sequences.

Leveraging his expertise in post-production management and creative direction, he is able to connect clients with the perfect team from Bloc's expansive network of professional creatives. Whether working solo or ensuring successful collaborations with editors, motion designers, animators, sound designers, illustrators and composers – he remains committed to delivering quality work for each client's individual needs.

His work includes projects for many internationally-renowned organisations such as The BBC, Channel 4, Visit Scotland, The World Health Organisation, Skyscanner and National Geographic.

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Award-winning filmmaker John Duncan specialises in aerial filming and has over eight years’ experience creating films that capture the imaginations of audiences worldwide.

His short films Ancient Scotland, Wild Scotland and Beautiful Scotland – showcasing the stunning Scottish landscape as it has never been seen before – were viewed by over two million people across the globe, earning three coveted Vimeo staff picks. John went on to pick up the Landscape Award at the 2016 New York City Drone Film Festival, and Wild Scotland featured on National Geographic’s Short Film showcase.

An accomplished drone pilot adept in multiple camera formats, John puts a focus on collaborating with the very best personnel to create sincere branded content, commercials and moving charitable campaigns that stand out from the crowd. John makes films that challenge, surprise, and instigate.

Erika is an offline editor with eleven years experience. Having started her career editing commercial content, TV adverts and music videos, the past four years have seen her increasingly focus on documentaries. Editing documentaries combines Erika’s passion for narrative and storytelling with the craft of finding rhythm and compelling aesthetics. Her recent work has been seen by audiences internationally, including feature showcases at festivals such as Kendal Film Festival, Cape Town Film Festival, Woodpecker International Film Festival, Tampere Film Festival and Glasgow Film Festival. Erika has worked for BBC Scotland and STV, both on standalone documentaries and weekly, nationally aired series.

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Joe Carter is an acclaimed writer and director based in Edinburgh. Having been funded to write and direct 'Funtimes' in 2012 which garnered a special mention at the esteemed Edinburgh International Film Festival as well as winning Grand Prix from This Is England film festival; Joe went on to produce no-budget short 'Scare Crow', again receiving recognition through its selection for DepicT! His 2017 SFTN Scottish short - 'I Was Here' also premiered at EIFF before being picked up by BBC Scotland for broadcast, whilst it was nominated for a coveted Scottish BAFTA award. Four years later Joe completed his 25K comedy feature titled ‘Bound’ that traversed numerous festivals including Dinard Film where the audience award. Currently under development with Jemma Rodgers (Junction Films) is their debut feature entitled “Helladay” as well as working with Channel X Hopscotch developing a sitcom set in Leith.

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Lindsay is a film editor, primarily working on the production of documentaries. After studying Visual Communication at The Glasgow School of Art with a specialism in Photography, Lindsay worked with on renowned photographer Emma Summerton’s team for over 5 years learning how to implement her training in lighting and digital content.

Lindsay has a wide range of experience cutting factual documentaries for BBC broadcast, exhibition films for National Museums, fashion films and TV commercials. Most recently, Lindsay has worked with Director Paul Sng on the feature film documentary ‘Tish’ which is set for release this summer 2023.

Lindsay is part of BAFTA Connect’s unique community developing opportunities for a wide network in the industry.

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Play North is the moniker of Nicol Craig, a skilled freelance professional who specialises in editing, animation, and motion design. Nicol is an experienced professional with over 13 years in the game. With a wide variety of experience, he started his career as a post-production sound designer after achieving a Master's in Sound Design from the University of Edinburgh and for the last decade has been focussed on 2D motion design, animation and editing.

His work includes projects for many top-tier clients including The BBC, STV, L’Oreal, Heinz, Tennent’s, Innis & Gunn, Macallan, The Famous Grouse, Skyscanner, Baillie Gifford, Ooni & Jazz Scotland.

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Eilidh Munro is a self-shooting documentary director, editor and camera operator. She specialises in creative documentaries about the environment and social injustice. Her work has been screened across the world in film festivals and online, and has been used to influence policy and decision making both in the UK and internationally. Her freelance work spans the commercial, arts and charity sectors.  Eilidh is part of the One World Media 2021-2022 fellowship and she recently received a distinction for an MA in documentary directing at the Edinburgh College of Art.

Florian is an experienced editor, colourist and VFX specialist with over 19 years of experience in the industry. With his technical expertise, wide knowledge of post-production and industry leading equipment including his Davinci Resolve grading panel, Florian’s work covers a wide range of genres and styles and includes productions for short film, TV commercials, corporate films and documentaries.

One half of international directing team Cagoule, Lewis and partner make cinematic TV commercials, edgy experimental films and exclusive online content for industries such as travel, fashion and technology. Their combined skills merges live action, movement and motion graphics to create fresh, quirky and imaginative films. Lewis’ unique directing talent is founded on a solid background in post-production, currently working as a top end editor, motion graphic and vfx artist.

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Jonnie is a freelance cinematographer, camera operator and filmmaker working throughout the UK and internationally. Jonnie specialises in shooting promotional, documentary, advertising and event films, predominantly using Sony FS7 kit. Jonnie draws on his wide range of experience working on large and small scale productions in directing, cinematography and post-production capacities. Jonnie’s ability to pick the appropriate lens, lighting and framing for projects is regularly sought after as his particular ability for crafting camera movement. As well as being an experienced director of photography, Jonnie is also an experienced editor and is familiar across a range of platforms and software.

Andy aka. Mighty Elk is an animator and creative director with 17 years experience in 3D & 2D motion design spanning broadcast, film and AV. He embraces new and emerging technologies such as AR and AI, effortlessly weaving it into new projects such as explainers, brand experiences and other diverse creative content. After studying Design & Art Direction in Manchester, he spent a year at film school in Toronto before settling into London for 17 years where he set up his studio Mighty Elk to take on larger projects for clients such as Spotify, Pernod Ricard, CNN, BBC, IBM, Universal, Channel 4, ASOS and many more.

Recently returning to live by the sea in his hometown of Edinburgh, Andy continues to adopt a proactive and enthusiastic approach to new animation techniques, seeking the sweet spot where art and technology converge.

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Sinead Kirwan boasts a wealth of experience and success within the film, TV, animation and AV industries. Her  accomplishments include acclaimed films "Still The Enemy Within" (Sheffield Doc Fest Audience Award Winner)  as well shooting short drama Burn on Arrival starring Kate Dickie. In 2022 she added yet another feather in her cap with a Scottish BAFTA win for 'Best Feature' on Dying to Divorce. More recently Sinead completed Hong Kong: City On Fire which won CPF-DOX FACT award.

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Mark has an extensive background in multiple production roles specialising in animation and documentary as well as drama.  He has worked on numerous award-winning commercials, independent features and large-scale productions.  These include Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs and Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie both of which have been nominated at the Oscars and Golden Globes. His first drama feature as a producer, Silent Night was  released in 2020, garnering four stars in Total Film.  Documentary credits include producer on Still The Enemy Within and Hong King:City on Fire post-production producer on Destination Unknown (Selected for Sheffield Doc/Fest 2016), line producer One man On His Shoes (selected for SXSW, brought by BBC Three/ Vice) and studio producer on hit BBC Scotland show A View From The Terrace.

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Em Goodman, a talented freelance photographer and graphic designer, brings 8 years of creative expertise to the table. With a knack for leading projects from initial concept to final edit, Em has a keen eye for creating engaging visuals that will captivate your target audience. Specializing in packaging design, product photography, and social media content creation, Em's skills are diverse and adaptable. Her passion for optimising content for social media campaigns and creating scroll-stopping visuals from scratch is evident in her work. With years of experience and honed skills in design, photography, and video, Em is well-equipped to level up your brand's visual presence.

Esther is a multi-skilled motion graphics designer with 5 years experience in the creative industries. Esther’s career is characterised by mastering and adopting new sound and vision technologies into her approach.

Known for her keen eye for detail and a strong conceptual approach, Esther particularly enjoys meaningful, innovative projects that allow time for creative development. Esther’s current work involves the production of Motion Graphics for a variety of sectors including Advertising, Film, Branding, Social Media, as well as live events. Looking to the future, Esther would like to develop Motion Graphics for the music and film industries, including Movie Titles & Music Videos.

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Rob is an Edinburgh-based self-shooting producer/director who uses his ability to think differently to others to create content which inspires action.

With a background in the third sector, he spent years working in Sub-Saharan Africa initially in project management and latterly with a focus on communications and marketing. This grounding in the importance of telling stories in a compelling, connective manner naturally evolved into filmmaking.

Combining the twin disciplines of being able to structure a compelling narrative with aesthetic imagery, complimented by a calm and personable temperament, has led to Rob enjoying long term relationships with clients, consistently exceeding their expectations.

As a director he gets the best out of subjects on film, putting them at ease and helping them articulate the message they want to get across.

His work has been seen on the BBC, C4 and by hundreds of thousands of viewers across various social platforms but he’s always looking for the next interesting project to engage the creative engine.

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Monika Stachowiak is a visual communicator, with experience in illustration for animation and motion graphics, visual identity, packaging and press illustration.

She is also a prolific artist, with more than four years of professional experience as an illustrator in the creative industry. Over this time, she has grown and honed her skills in various styles and mediums. Monika works on illustrations for animation and social media projects, working with clients to determine their needs, developing storyboards for review and creating finished visual stories or products.

Monika holds a degree in Illustration (BA) from the University of Edinburgh, and HND in Visual Communication from North East Scotland College. Her work has been shortlisted and commended for various awards. During an internship at Whitespace Creative Agency she had the opportunity to work on various projects, one of which was nominated for the Scottish Design Awards 2020 in the ‘design craft’ category and the other at the NODS 2020 awards – in the ‘best craft’ category. She also received a YCN Student Awards 2019/20 for her illustration which created for the Camden Town Brewery brief. In addition, a design she created for Scotland's first 'baby box' was shortlisted for a competition organised by the V&A Museum of Design Dundee.

 
Monika had the opportunity to work with clients such as UNICEF, WHO, BBC, The National Galleries of Scotland, the NHS, NSPCC, Red Bull, Nestle, UCI Cycling World Championships and many more.

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Tomás Sheridan is an award winning, documentary director/producer, videographer and educator who uses people's stories and filmmaking to explore human relationships, social change and the place of individuals in a globalised society. His films span from Asian steppes to Ugandan villages and from film archives in Northern Italy to unexpected pregnancies in Scotland but all share a search for our common humanity through storytelling. In 2012 Tomás founded Polifilm Media, a production company whose mission is to use film production and education to lead to positive change. From in-depth documentary projects to NGO videos, from local community projects to workshops in refugee centres, from creative arts to environmental startups, the goal is always the same: to empower communities, address social and environmental challenges, and support companies and individuals with an ethical remit, changing the world one story at a time.

Patrick Collins, working under the name Incus, specialises in original music composition, creative sound design and audio post-production for the moving image.

A classically trained musician and qualified audio engineer, Patrick is comfortable writing and delivering high-quality music scores and sound design at both intimate and epic ends of the spectrum. His compositions take inspiration from cutting-edge, contemporary music genres, often fusing underground aesthetics with emotionally rich melodic progressions, as demonstrated throughout commercial work for clients such as Orbital Marine Power, Innes and Gunn and On Running.

Alongside crafting impactful, bespoke soundtracks for brand-oriented films, Patrick also operates in the fictional film space as a sound designer. Recent credits include sound editor/mixer on Oisin Kearney's BFI-funded short, "Slay and Prepare" , and sound designer/mixer on BAFTA-winning director, Simone Smith's,"The Möbius Trip" which has enjoyed success at revered festivals worldwide such as Edinburgh International FilmFestival, Holly Shorts Film Festival, Encounters Film Festival, and won jury awards at Glasgow Short Film Festival and Chicago Underground Film Festival.

Patrick's obsession with sound is long-lasting and ever-evolving. As well as having a diploma from the School of Audio Engineering, he also has a BA in Creative Sound Production, a master's degree in Sound for the Moving Image from Glasgow School of Art, and was selected to attend the Sound Talent Lab at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2013. Patrick is currently enrolled in an Audio Post training program at 344 Audio, Manchester.

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Cedric Gall is a cinematographer, motion designer and editor with over 12 years of experience. He’s passionate about short-form documentaries and organic advertising, aiming to always find a natural and playful side to the images and stories he produces. Born in Mexico City, based in Edinburgh, and always looking to meet new places and people through through visual storytelling.

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Gavin is a Cinematographer with 10 years experience in the industry, working across TV Commercials, feature films, online branded content, corporates, music videos and short form narrative work. Starting his career as a self-shooter, Gavin has a great understanding of all aspects of the film making process and is as comfortable working on large-scale productions as he is on smaller crewed projects. Gavin brings his professional and creative eye to every project, believing collaboration is key to getting the best from a shoot. He can provide camera, lenses and lighting to any small-scale shoot, as well as offer advice as to the best kit to hire for any larger projects.

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Tim Askew is a filmmaker, camera operator and aerial videographer, with particular experience filming on or under sea footage. With a background in campaign and promotional film content, Tim is experienced at delivering television, documentary and online content for a wide range of clients, working on the entire process from ideation through to post-prodcution.

His work has taken him all over the world, including shoots across Europe, Southern and Eastern Africa, Greenland, India and even time spent on fishing trawlers in the North Sea.

Tim has experience using a host of different broadcast cameras as well as 4K delivery on the Sony FS7 and A7Sii platforms.

In a nutshell Tim loves crafting films and telling stories.

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Adrian Leung is an Australian/Hong Kong composer and multi-instrumentalist. Now based in Edinburgh, Adrian has scored award-winning films that have been selected into festivals such as BFI Flare, Sydney Film Festival, Raindance, CPH:Dox and London Short Film Festival. Some recent work include Hong Kong: City on Fire, which won the F:ACT Award at CPH:Dox, No More Wings which won Best Narrative Short at Tribeca and Where The Sun Always Shines which premiered at SXSW this year. He has also worked on advertising campaigns for Dove, Channel 5, Patron Tequila, Guinness, Barnardo's and more.

Adrian also releases music under the moniker Drexler. Living in the contemporary classical space, his compositions combine pianos, textured strings, folky guitars and field recordings and electronic soundscapes. His releases have received airplay on BBC Sounds, NTS, Triple J, KEXP and Soho Radio.

He is currently a member of BAFTA Connect and has been a judge for the Ivor Novello and BAFTA Awards.

For commissions contact Manners McDade Management & Agency Jenna Fentimen & Laura Harrison

‍jenna@mannersmcdade.co.uk

‍laura@mannersmcdade.co.uk

Troy is a DoP and director who brings a unique vision and style to the wide range of projects that he works on. Troy combines his passions for adventure and creating visceral imagery in a career that has seen him travel across the world and collaborate with numerous creatives on projects shot in the US, Europe, Japan, India and Pakistan.
His self-shot documentary about indigenous polo in the remote mountains of Pakistan has been selected for leading documentary festivals around the world, and his broadcast work has been featured on Netflix, HBO and BBC.
An award-winner for best cinematography at multiple festivals, he stands out with his well-rounded and versatile style which comes as a result of his depth of experience in documentaries, commercials and narratives.

Simon Williamson is a director of photography and colourist with over 20 years of experience in the creative industries. Simon brings his vast experience in the live music industry to combine with a lifelong interest in film to offer specific expertise in music video production and directing branded content. Simon has regularly worked with numerous production companies in a variety of settings including; The Leith Agency, Studio Edrington, Tanami, STV, Commoner, Fizz Farm and York Studio Post Production studios.

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Alix is an experienced interior, portrait, lifestyle, and brand photographer with over a decade of professional experience. Based in Edinburgh and available for commissions worldwide, Alix specialises in working closely with clients to create high-quality imagery that meets their unique needs, from concept to final delivery. With a passion for storytelling, Alix strives to capture authentic and bespoke images that truly represent the individuality of each client's story.

Client list and photography featured in:

Elle Decoration NL - FT Weekend Magazine - Domino Magazine - Home andInteriors Scotland - Dezeen - The Architectural Review - World ofInteriors - Studio Something - Gestalten - Stand Agency - Design milk- The Drinks Cabinet - Splintr - Design Dunker - Savills - Mr BuckleyInteriors & Stuff - Hancock - Meraki Concept Studio - JA!COCO! MaximalDesign Studio - Stewart Christie - EC1 - Touch Agency - AnywhereWorks - The Royal College of Physicians - Arteus Post Productions -Black and White Publishing - Atelier Magazine - The Gilded Balloon

Brett Currie is an award winning Director, Photographer and CAA approved Drone Pilot. With a passion for the outdoors that runs through his work, Brett produces captivating visuals exploring the connection between people and their environment.  His love for storytelling has resulted in him working with internationally renowned brands on commercial campaigns as well as making documentaries on stories that deserve to be told.

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Simon Biggs is a screenwriter, director and animator with over a decade of experience. His short film, Widdershins, premiered at Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2018 and has since won twelve awards, including Best Animation at the BAFTA Scotland Awards and the Hitchcock Jury Award at the Dinard Film Festival, and screened at over 80 film festivals worldwide.

A short film that he wrote previously, High Maintenance, won 12 awards at international film festivals, including a Student Oscar and a HBO US Comedy Award. His animation, The Testament of Gideon Mack was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA.

When he's not animating or writing, Simon enjoys using traditional drawing skills for concept art and storyboarding.

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Carmen is an offline editor with over 15 years industry experience. She prides herself on being able to tell engaging stories and edit content for a wide range of genres from promotional films and music videos to corporate and educational films. Equally comfortable cutting a fast-paced sizzle reel or weaving a seamless narrative from 20 hours of interview material, Carmen’s editing expertise can help bring your ideas to life. Recent projects include work for the BBC, Glenfiddich, NHS, Innis & Gunn, comedian Craig Hill, STV and Creative Scotland.

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Steven is an award-winning creative producer, with a track record of managing ambitious ideas and conceptual projects successfully from start to finish. Resourceful and innovative, producing inspiring works with little resources and small budgets (whilst keeping everyone safe!) Strong time management and interpersonal skills. Keen to create work telling untold narratives that highlight under-represented groups. BAFTA Connect Member, trained COVID Supervisor and Raindance Producer Alumni. Alongside his creative work, Stevie has worked in Production Management roles for HETV/Film for Amazon, Britbox, ITV, Discovery+, as well as independent production companies, working up to Production Coordinator.

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Charlie is a Director who is passionate about working in the comedy, drama, and action genres, and is committed to building a successful career as a writer and director in these fields. Twice nominated for the Best Online comedy at the Scottish comedy awards, picking up the win in 2014 with the web-sitcom M.U.F.F  (co-created with rising starr Daniel Sloss and comedy veteran Tom Stade). Charlie has a track record of bringing teams together on independent projects, fuelled by a shared passion for creation. Skilled in the building of large collaborative teams that have proven to be very effective at producing high quality film & video.

Katie Young is a senior creative copywriter and content creator. She’s spent the last decade working on global campaigns for leading brands, writing TV and radio scripts, taglines, articles, websites, social posts, and even that wee bit of copy on the back of a crisp packet.

Brands she’s worked for include Guinness, Oreo, Irn-Bru, Bank of Scotland, Drinkaware and the Scottish Government. More recently she’s also worked in-house at Skyscanner and Flo Health, the world’s leading app for women’s health.

Earlier this year, she founded her own content consultancy, GoodContentWorks.

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Iain Pennington is a passionate colourist with a deep appreciation for both still and motion imagery. Drawing inspiration from his diverse background in photography, film making, music, and food, Iain infuses his projects with a unique creative flair. His meticulous attention to detail and technical expertise enable him to elevate visual storytelling, delivering compelling and powerful images. Iain is very much a people’s person, and loves bringing his client’s vision to life. When not immersed in his studio, Iain can be found atop munros with his deerhound lurcher, Lupo, or exploring the Scottish seas in neoprene attire, embracing his love for nature and the beautiful Scottish wilderness.

Ben Sunderland is a musician, film-maker and writer based in the Western Highlands of Argyll. Ben runs Forss Creative, working across a range of sectors and industries. Drawing on experience gained working within the organisational development and creative industries, Ben specialises in offering creative interventions that hinge on a thorough understanding of each client’s commercial context. Utilising film, copywriting, imagery and music, recent clients include organisations working across the public, private and third sectors. A musician first, Ben works across a range of projects and monikers - with vast touring experience, sync project management and airplay across a range of national broadcast outlets including BBC Radio 1, BBC 6Music, NPR and others.

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