If you are seeking a more bespoke consultancy service from Steve, this is also an option.

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What this is: A focused, experienced review of your film from an editorial and storytelling perspective. Designed for filmmakers who want clear, honest feedback on how to strengthen their current cut and move the film forward with confidence.

What’s included:

• A full independent viewing of your film
• Structured written notes
• A 30-min video call to go through the feedback and discuss practical next steps

How it works: You submit your current cut along with a short logline and context for the project. I review the film independently, take time to assess it properly, and prepare detailed notes (which I will send ahead of our follow-up call, typically within 5–7 working days of receiving your film – allowing time to properly assess the edit). We then jump on a 30-min call (inc video call option) where I walk you through the feedback — what’s working, what isn’t, and where the strongest opportunities are to improve the film.

Who this is for?

• Filmmakers with a developed rough or near-final cut
• Directors looking for an experienced external perspective
• Short film projects focused on narrative storytelling
• Films up to 20 minutes in duration

Important

This service is intended for films that are already in the editing stage with a structured cut. Projects that are not yet at this stage may not be suitable. I reserve the right to decline projects that are not a good fit. If this happens, a full refund will be issued.

What you’ll come away with:

• A clearer understanding of your film’s strengths and weaknesses
• Practical, actionable direction on how to improve the edit
• Confidence in your next creative decisions

Fee: £395.00 per film

Limited availability each month

For short films up to 20 minutes. For longer projects, please get in touch. If you’re at the stage where your film is close, but you need clarity on how to make it stronger, this is designed to help you move forward with confidence.

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In this session, we will:

• Identify what’s currently holding your project back
• Clarify your immediate next steps
• Develop practical strategies to move your film forward with confidence

What this is:

This is not general advice or vague encouragement.

It’s a focused, practical session built to give you clear perspective and help you make decisions that move your project forward.

What you’ll leave with:

• Clear next steps
• Renewed creative direction
• Practical solutions to current problems
• Momentum to continue your project with confidence

£149 per session
Limited availability each month

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(Service 3) THE INDIE FILM PROJECT INTENSIVE — £999.00

A month of focused, one-to-one support to help you move your film forward.

You’ve got a film you are serious about making, but you’re facing multiple challenges — creative, practical, organisational or simply the difficulty of trying to figure everything out yourself. Instead of one isolated consultation, we work together over a month to identify what’s holding the project back, work through the problems and establish a clear path forward.

Who is this for?

You might:

• Have a film idea you’re determined to make but don’t know how to approach it
• Be developing a script and struggling to make it realistic for your resources
• Be preparing for production and overwhelmed by everything that needs organising
• Be stuck somewhere in production
• Have finished shooting but be struggling with post-production
• Be questioning your creative decisions
• Feel like you’re constantly reacting to problems rather than moving forward
• Have too many competing priorities and not know what to tackle first
• Simply need someone experienced to challenge your thinking and help you work things through

This isn’t about giving you a generic filmmaking checklist. It’s about your film, your circumstances and the problems you’re actually facing.

WHAT THE MONTH LOOKS LIKE

WEEK 1 — ASSESS

Where are you now, and what is actually holding you back?

We begin with a detailed look at your project and where you currently are.

We’ll identify:

• Your current position
• The biggest obstacles
• What you’ve already tried
• What is working
• What isn’t working
• What decisions you’re currently facing
• What needs attention most urgently

The goal is to stop looking at the entire project as one enormous problem and establish what actually needs solving first.

You leave Week 1 with: A clearer picture of your project and a prioritised list of what needs attention.

WEEK 2 — SOLVE

Let’s tackle the problems. This is where we work through the biggest creative and practical obstacles you’ve identified.

Depending on your project, that could include:

• Story and script problems
• Making your idea achievable with your resources
• Production planning
• Locations
• Casting
• Working with non-actors
• Crew and logistics
• Equipment
• Scheduling
• Editing
• Post-production
• Distribution
• Decision-making
• Finding practical alternatives when your original plan isn’t possible

The emphasis is on problem-solving rather than simply identifying problems.

You leave Week 2 with: Practical solutions and decisions rather than a collection of things you’re still worrying about.

WEEK 3 — REFINE

Is the way you’re approaching the project actually working?

By this point, we’ll have identified some of the project’s biggest issues. Now we can step back and look at the bigger picture.

Are you:

• Overcomplicating things?
• Spending energy in the wrong places?
• Chasing something your resources don’t support?
• Allowing perfectionism to slow you down?
• Trying to do everything yourself when you don’t need to?
• Avoiding an important decision?
• Spending too much time preparing and not enough time doing?
• Making the project harder than it needs to be?

This is where my own experience of making a no-budget feature becomes particularly relevant.

Sometimes the solution isn’t doing more. It’s changing what you’re trying to do.

You leave Week 3 with: A more realistic and focused approach to completing your film.

WEEK 4 — MOVE FORWARD

Turn everything we’ve discussed into a practical way forward. Our final session brings everything together.

We’ll establish:

• Your immediate priorities
• What you should tackle next
• What can wait
• What you need to stop doing
• What decisions still need to be made
• What could potentially derail you
• How you’re going to keep the momentum going

You leave Week 4 with: A clearer direction and practical next steps for continuing the project without having to figure everything out alone.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

4 × 60-minute private one-to-one sessions

One session per week over four weeks (via online video call).

Initial project assessment

Before our first session, I’ll review the information you provide about your project and current situation so we can make the most of our time together.

Personalised project priorities

We’ll identify the areas that deserve your attention rather than allowing everything to feel equally urgent.

Practical problem-solving

We’ll work through the actual obstacles preventing you from moving forward.

Between-session support

Reasonable questions and follow-up discussion by email between sessions where appropriate. This is limited support rather than unlimited access.

Final Project Roadmap

At the end of the month, you’ll receive a concise summary of the key areas we’ve identified, your priorities and the practical next steps we’ve established.

WHAT SHOULD YOU GET FROM IT?

You shouldn’t finish the month simply having had four interesting conversations.

The objective is to leave with:

Clarity — a better understanding of what is actually holding your film back.

Direction — a clearer idea of what needs to happen next.

Solutions — practical ways around the problems you’re facing.

Perspective — an experienced outside view of your project.

Confidence — greater certainty around the decisions you’re making.

Momentum — a realistic path towards continuing your film rather than remaining stuck.

WHY ME?

I’ve spent over a decade working hands-on across filmmaking, from writing and directing to cinematography, editing and post-production. I’m self-taught, and I made my debut feature, Electrician, over five years with no budget and mostly non-actors. It went on to win seven international awards and reach UK television and multiple streaming platforms. Most importantly, I’ve actually been through the process of figuring out how to get an independent film made when there is no obvious path to follow. To add, I have also mentored others on their award-winning debut films. That’s the experience I’m bringing to this intensive.

“This film should be shown in film schools across the land.”
— Anthony Tombling Jr, Filmmaker / Musician

£999 — One-month Indie Film Project Intensive

Limited to a small number of clients each month.

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(Service 4) THE BIG CREATIVE PROJECT INTENSIVE £999.00

You’re about to commit a huge amount of your life to something. Let’s make sure you’ve thought it through.

Maybe you’re about to write the book you’ve wanted to write for years.

Maybe you’re making a film.

Even starting a business.

Creating an album.

Building something completely from scratch.

Or pursuing a big creative goal you’ve carried around for years.

You know you want to do it.

But there’s another question worth asking:

Are you actually ready for what doing it might demand from you?

I’ve been there. I spent five years pursuing one enormous creative goal — making a feature film with no budget and no industry help. I eventually finished it. But along the way I learned that getting something finished and understanding what pursuing it is doing to your life and who you are the other side of it are very different things.

This intensive is about exploring that.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

You might be:

Thinking about starting

You have a huge idea and you’re wondering whether you should commit to it.

Already doing it

You’re months or years into the project and beginning to question where it’s taking you.

Approaching the end

You’re close to achieving something you’ve worked towards for years and you’re wondering what happens afterwards or getting a feeling this is not what you thought it would be.

Trying to decide what’s next

You’ve achieved something significant but aren’t sure what the next chapter looks like, including the person you have become.

WEEK 1 — WHY?

Why are you actually doing this?

This is where we begin.

Not:

“What is your project?”

But:

“Why does this project matter to you?”

We’ll explore:

• Your underlying motivation
• What you hope the project will give you
• How much your motivation depends on money, recognition, awards, status or approval from others
• Whether you would still want to do it without those rewards
• What you want to experience through doing it
• What you believe success will look like
• What you think will happen when you finish

Because if the foundations are weak, the project can become extremely difficult to sustain when the excitement disappears.

You leave Week 1 with: A much clearer understanding of why you’re actually doing this.

WEEK 2 — THE COST

What is this going to demand from your life?

This isn’t about talking you out of your ambition. It’s about making sure you’ve actually considered the cost.

We’ll examine:

• Time
• Money
• Work
• Relationships
• Social life
• Health and wellbeing
• Other ambitions
• Your existing responsibilities
• How long the project could realistically take

And perhaps the most important question:

What are you prepared to sacrifice — and what are you not prepared to sacrifice?

You leave Week 2 with:

A more realistic understanding of what you’re taking on and what boundaries may need protecting.

WEEK 3 — THE JOURNEY

What happens when reality doesn’t match the dream?

Every enormous project eventually reaches the point where the excitement wears off.

We’ll explore:

• Motivation
• Persistence
• Self-doubt
• Perfectionism
• Comparison
• Obsession
• Losing perspective
• Becoming consumed by the project
• Moving the goalposts
• Knowing when to push forward
• Knowing when to change direction

The aim isn’t to make you less ambitious. It’s to help you pursue the ambition without blindly allowing it to consume everything else.

You leave Week 3 with:

A clearer understanding of the challenges you’re most likely to face and how you want to respond to them.

WEEK 4 — THE OUTCOME

What happens if you get what you want?

This might be the most overlooked question of all.

We’ll examine:

• What happens if you succeed?
• What happens if you fail?
• What happens if nobody notices?
• What happens if you achieve the goal but don’t feel how you expected?
• What happens when the project is suddenly over?
• Who are you outside of it?
• What do you actually want afterwards?

And then:

What do you want to take forward from this experience, regardless of the outcome?

You leave Week 4 with: A clearer perspective on the project, the potential outcomes and what you want your life to look like alongside — and beyond — it.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

4 × 60-minute private one-to-one sessions

One session each week over four weeks (via online).

The Big Project Test: A structured pre-session questionnaire designed to make you examine your motivations, expectations, circumstances and readiness before we begin.

Personalised assessment: I’ll consider your answers and circumstances before our first session so we can focus our time where it matters.

Between-session support: Reasonable follow-up questions by email between sessions.

Final Big Project Reality Check: At the end of the month, I’ll provide a concise written summary of the key issues, considerations and priorities we’ve identified throughout the process.

WHAT SHOULD YOU GET FROM IT?

The goal isn’t for me to tell you:

“Do it.”

or:

“Don’t do it.”

It’s for you to reach that decision with your eyes open.

You should come away with:

Clarity about why you’re doing this.

Perspective about what you’re taking on.

Awareness of the potential personal cost.

Confidence in the decisions you’re facing.

Boundaries around the parts of your life you don’t want the project to consume.

A clearer path forward — whether that means starting, continuing, changing the plan, slowing down or reconsidering it altogether.

WHY ME?

I’ve experienced this first-hand.

Making a feature film was always the goal. I just didn’t realise what it would take out of me.

Making my debut feature film with no budget was an intense, all-consuming five-year journey. I learned how to create, adapt, problem-solve and keep going when things didn’t go to plan — and ultimately achieved something I once wasn’t sure was possible. But there was another side to it: the personal cost of pursuing one enormous goal for such a long period of time. You don’t necessarily understand those things by reading about them. Some lessons only become clear when you actually live through them. I lived through them in a particularly intense way over five years. That’s the perspective I’m bringing to this intensive — and why I believe the lessons extend far beyond filmmaking, to anyone pursuing something long-term, creative or self-driven.

£999 — One-month Big Creative Project Intensive

Limited to a small number of clients each month.

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What others are saying about working with me…

If I would have done it the other way first…I would have been put off filmmaking.

Keeley Gainey

It took eight weeks to finish the short film ‘The Unexpected Expectant Father’ from initial contact with Steve. After wanting to make a short film for a long time but being unable to for a variety of reasons, including other life responsibilities and a great deal of hesitation about embarking on such a project and thinking a large team was needed to make it happen, this is the writer/director’s debut short. Script creation, equipment, organisation, finding production value on a limited budget, pre-production, working with non-actors, post-production, self-confidence and long-term goals with the film after completion were areas of consultation recommended on this project. The short won four awards and was nominated for several more. Notably, it received official selection and was screened at The Earls Court International Film Festival, a renowned festival in London, where it also won the producers choice film award 2022.

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