Jake (he/him) started as a filmmaker, gaining First Degree Honours in Film Production Technology BSc. His work as a director took him to Croatia under the guidance of two-time Oscar-winning Producer Branko Lustig, and to Seattle where his film opened the horror section of the world’s largest youth film festival. He went on to study at the world-renowned NFTS, where his commercial for LGBT+ charity 'WERK for Peace' garnered worldwide attention and led to him directing an advert for the school which played for two years in 83% of UK cinemas.

In 2019, he got the opportunity to direct a series of short plays at ATG's monthly new-writing showcase, 'WRITE ABOUT NOW'. This led to him being offered the director role on 2022's 'Don't Shoot The Meistersinger', a two-act play set in No Man's Land during the onset of WWI that had an eleven-performance run. That experience led to realising that his passion for film had been superseded by his love of theatre and spending weeks in the rehearsal room collaborating with actors.

Therefore, in 2023 he decided to study it full-time and bring with him his knowledge of creating high-quality video visuals. Starting that year, he’s in the final twelve months of an MFA in Theatre Directing at Edinburgh Napier under the Royal Lyceum’s longest-serving Artistic Director - predecessor to David Greig - Mark Thomson.

Qualifications

  • Excellent - Directing Commercials diploma - National Film and Television School

  • First Degree Honours - Film Production Technology BSc - Staffordshire University

Work (2024)

  • Assistant Director to Becky Hope-Palmer - 'St Joan of the Stockyards' - The Scottish Institute end-of-year show

  • Assistant Director to Iain Davie - 'Loose Ends' - Fringe 2024

  • Assistant Director to Mark Thomson - 'Kill Johnny Glendenning' - Edinburgh Napier grad show

  • Directed scenes: 'My Romantic History', 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'Angels in America', 'Life's a Drag' (new writing), 'The Crocodile'.

© 2024 | Jake Sleet