Making human-led documentaries
for brands, charities and agencies.
/ Good to have you here
I am James Finan, a London-based producer and director of branded films shot internationally, specialising in branded documentaries for some of the largest companies and charities in the world.
I have pitched, won and delivered on international, multi-episode series budgeted at hundreds of thousands of pounds for Amazon Ads and Meta. I’ve delivered intimate, nuanced collaborations between John Lewis and their charity partners to support their Christmas campaigns. I directed the winner of a Silver Charity Film Award for a collaboration with Domestos and Unicef, filmed in rural India. My work has reached tens of millions of viewers across digital platforms.
As James Gibbon, Creative Director at Whitecoat notes – I have been ‘the sole representative for our agency’ on ‘multi-continent video and photography shoots for our biggest clients’.
My classical training at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama gives me understanding of performance from the inside out – it allows me to focus on the humans both in front of and surrounding the camera. As Matthew White, Creative Director at SuperGrizzly said about me – ‘everyone from clients to talent does their best for him’.
Whether I am interviewing a mother about the most difficult year of her young child’s life, or asking someone to step outside their comfort zone for an epic – albeit completely set-up – hero shot, I bring my unguarded, honest self.
And humour. God knows we need it.
So if you want the very best out of the people involved in your next project, let’s talk.
“Sensitive to not only our brand, but our charity partners and the people they support. Across the board we had great feedback from all involved, and the stories he discovered and told were inspiring and uplifting.”
Claudia Hill
Operational Lead, Creative and Content
/ Services
Creative
I turn core brand values and messaging into coherent storytelling through curiosity, honesty and passion.
I have supported creative agencies to land diverse contracts with new clients, totalling millions in new revenue, I have developed coherent, targeted creative for campaigns spanning television, OOO, online and organic social.
Direction
I get strong performances and moments of honest reflection in time-sensitive, high pressure environments.
From interviewing CEOs for world banks & celebrities to the intimacy of the family home, my classical acting training combines with my passion for bringing out the best in others.
Production
I have developed and run projects worth hundreds of thousands of pounds for major corporate clients, and pride my ability to deliver on time and in budget.
From quick turnaround, single day event coverage to highly complex, multinational film and photography briefs, I have taken projects from initial brief through to completion with transparency, clarity and foresight.
/ Selected Clients
“James delivered a fantastic creative response to our brief, but more impressively he delivered to the high standards we had set, working a busy and complex shoot schedule across Europe…
Throughout the project his approachability, creativity, passion, understanding, insight and work ethic stood out to me.”
Stéphanie Thierry
Head of Group Communications, Social Media & Influence McArthurGlen Group
