About

The Real Story

I’ve never walked the straight path. After an “interesting” childhood, I left school with no qualifications and only one clear ambition: I wanted to be a special makeup effects artist.

Naturally, I ended up working the markets (which I’d done since I was 13), writing wills, and “managing” a video store. I did get my chance, though. After a couple of forgotten TV pilots, I was hired to create special makeup effects for the film Dark Waters, directed by Mariano Baino. I built the makeup crew, planned and designed everything, and shot in Odesa, Ukraine — though I’m still only credited with “Additional Makeup”. I learned a lot from that film, and I’m glad to be back in touch with Mariano.

From there, life took another turn. In the mid-90s, I worked council security in Manchester — chasing car thieves around car parks and literally scraping up human excrement. I also worked as a product demonstrator for some of the biggest musical instrument companies in the UK. Not to mention gigging regularly with a thrash band. Those early jobs were as real as it gets. Just like my tinnitus!

Then I co-founded LiveLeak with the Ogrish team. For 15 years, I helped run one of the internet’s most raw and unfiltered video platforms. I’ve given lectures in Copenhagen and been invited to a NATO debate because of the work we did. I also spent time helping get ItemFix.com off the ground with practical suggestions and tutorials before stepping back.

In my 20s, I went through some very dark mental health periods. I know what it’s like to feel completely lost while still having to show up every day. That experience taught me more about human behaviour, resilience, and why people seek out raw, honest content than any platform or film ever could.

After LiveLeak, I pivoted into filmmaking. My debut feature CARA (psychological horror) had a sold-out FrightFest premiere and is now streaming on Tubi and Prime. I’m still the same person who believes in looking at things unflinchingly — I just apply that lens to fiction now.

Today, I also work with Accounts Direct as Creative Director, designing and implementing systems, AI-powered workflows, and marketing infrastructure. It’s practical, useful work that keeps the lights on while I build the bigger picture: speaking, consulting, writing, and thinking about what honest media and decentralised platforms need to look like next.

I’ve been around. This site is where I share what I’ve learned, the useful bits, the mistakes, and the ideas that might actually matter.