James: I was working at a production company who invited me to attend the Channel Four Commissioning PACT day at Horseferry Road. At this event you get to hear each of the commissioning editors stand up and say what they want in turn. I was very excited and gave some thought to some ideas that I could pitch. They said they were looking for ‘Ordinary People – Extraordinary Stories’. One day short of my 22nd birthday, I wrote this letter to Jess Search at Channel Four:
Dear Jess,
A possible idea for the Slot… The Nightshift: portraits of British cities at night. An ambient illustration of what happens when the city goes to sleep. The films follow those that prepare the world for the next day: the office cleaners, shelf stackers, delivery drivers, and road workers to name a few. Delivered in an alternative fashion, with no interviews or direct dialogue, the programmes concentrate on the visual beauty of a baron city and the sonic qualities of what the night brings (from sirens to silence). These films are not date specific and could sit anywhere in the year.
I am a young independent director/producer who has shot two shorts on DVC Pro in the past year as well as working on other short videos in various capacities.
If you are interested you can contact me on the above details,
Yours sincerely,
James Fair
