CV

Camden

Lightbox/Disney
Working with Oscar winner Asif Kapadia to develop the series style and direct two episodes of a premium music documentary series for Disney+, featuring Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, Questlove, Pete Doherty, Little Simz and many more.
Executive Producers: Simon Chinn, Suzanne Lavery & Dua Lipa.

Partygate: Inside the Storm

October Films/BBC1
Fast turnaround documentary featuring whistle-blowers revealing what happened inside No.10 during Partygate. 6 weeks after it was broadcast, Boris Johnson was ousted.
Executive Producer: Neil Blackwell

Saved by a Stranger

BBC2/Blink Productions
Series Director
An emotional investiage history series, reuniting people with the strangers that saved them during moments of crisis. Combined personal stories with dective work and historical. “Profoundly affecting...a smart and sensitive examination of trauma.” The Guardian
Executive Producer: Justine Kershaw
Shortlisted: Best Constructed Factual Series, The Grierson Awards 2021
Nominated: Best Popular Factual Series, Edinburgh TV Awards 2021
Nominated: Best Presenter, Edinburgh TV Awards 2021

Sarah Payne: The Untold Story

ITV/Optomen 1 x 60
Director
An emotional exploration of how trauma casued by the tragic abduction of Sarah Payne continues to be felt by her family.

Stabbed: Britain’s Knife Crime Crisis

(BBC1/Rogan Productions) 1 x 60’ Producer/Director/DoP
A one off special for BBC1 with Duwayne Brooks, exploring the trauma inflicted by knife crime. “Heart-breaking, unflinching, elegiac TV that sounds a clarion call for social change.” The Observer
Executive Producer: James Rogan
Winner: Best Domestic Documentary, Grierson Awards 2019
Winner: Best Presenter, Grierson Awards 2019

Lost Boys

(BBC2/Swan Films) 1 x 60’ Director/DoP
A one off special for the BBC Asian Summer season, exploring the challenges facing the current generation of young British Asian men as a survey reveals they are falling behind in terms of education and employment. Presented by Mehreen Baig it received 4 star reviews in both the Guardian and The Telegraph.
Executive Producer: Joe Evans

Creative Brain

(Netflix/Blink Films) 1 x 90’ Director/DoP
A feature length film exploring the neuroscience of creativity; revealing what it is about our brains that enables this super-power that we all possess, and how it has shaped our world. Led by best-selling author and neuroscientist David Eagleman it features contributions from Nick Cave, Tim Robbins, Michel Chabon, Bjarke Ingles, Nathan Myhrvold, DJ Shadow, Grimes and Kelis among many more.
Exec Producer: Justine Kershaw
Featured in Variety’s Best Netflix Documentaries of 2019 list.

A Year on the Farm

(Ch4/Keo Films) 4 x 60’ Series Director/DoP
Following four farms over the course of a year, this series reveals the secret lives of both British farmers and their animals, discovering the challenges facing farmers today and how their place on the land, and in modern society, is changing.
Executive Producer: Kari Lia.

Reggie Yates: Life and Death in Chicago

(BBC1/Sundog Pictures) 1 x 60’ Director/DoP
A one off special exploring the impact of rising levels of gun time and police brutality in president Obama's hometown, Chicago.
Executive Producer: Sam Anthony/Dov Freedman
NOMINATED: Best Documentary Digital Broadcast Awards 2017

Inside the National Crime Agency

(Blast Films/Ch4) 2 x 60’ Series Director/DoP
I shot and directed both films in this series. Each film relives one of the National Crime Agency’s biggest cases. The films combine observational filming with historical retelling and stylised drama, creating a true crime noir drama documentary series.
Executive Producer: Alex Sutherland

The Brain with David Eagleman

Blink Films/BBC/PBS 6 x 60’

Series Director/DoP
Flagship documentary series exploring what neuroscience can reveal about what it is to be human, interweaving a presenter with compelling stories and mind-bending visuals. Working partially with a DoP, I shot significant parts of the series, and initially took two episodes into the edit before returning to shoot the rest of the series.
Executive Producer: Justine Kershaw

Woman Raised by Monkeys

(Blink Films/NatGeo) 1 x 90’

Producer/Directo/DoP
Feature length drama documentary investigating the truth behind the claims by a Colombian woman that she was raised by monkeys and following her on the quest to find her real family.

999: What’s your emergency?

Series 1
(Ch4/Blast Films) 10 x 60’ Series Director
Major prime-time C4 documentary series following the emergency services. I was tasked with setting the series style and took 2 episodes into the edit. One of my films was shown at Sheffield Doc Fest 2012. Executive Producer: Simon Ford.

The True Story: Saving Private Ryan

(Five/Blink Films) 1 x 60’ Producer/Director/DoP
Drama doc about the true story behind Saving Private Ryan. Combined forensic science analysis with drama.

Treasures Decoded: The Turin Shroud

(Smithsonian/Blink Films) 1 x 60’ Producer/Director/DoP
Drama doc forensically analysing differing theories about the Turin Shroud.

Mexican Food Made Simple

(Five/Blink Films) 8 x 30’ Director
Working with presenter Thomasina Miers for the multi-camera Mexico sequences of this new cookery series.

How to take Stunning Photos

(Five/Blink Films) 6 x 30’ Series Director/DoP
Working with world famous photographers, to write, produce, shoot and direct all 6 films in this prime time series for Five.

Absolute Tyrants

(History Channel/Blink Films) 2 x 60’ Series Producer/DoP
Directing and shooting the first two films in an 8 part series to set series style.

Crackdown

(Granada/ITV1) 1 x 60’ Producer/Lighting Camera
Multicamera HD documentary following a major drugs investigation, for ITV1, 9pm. Director: Rory Dalziel

The Boy with the Incredible Brain

(Focus Productions/Five) 1 x 60’ Producer/Lighting Camera
BAFTA nominated scientific documentary for Five and Discovery, Development work, maintaining relationship with contributor and setting up and shooting in the UK, America, Iceland. “visually inventive” The Independent “a terrific film” The Guardian. Director: Steve Gooder.
Winner RTS South West Award, best documentary 2005.
Nominee, BAFTA, Best Specialist Factual.

Dying to be in a Drugs Trial

(Focus Productions/C4) 1 x 60’
AP/Lighting Camera
‘Dispatches’ for Channel 4 about the TeGenero drugs trials. Gained exclusive access to the victims of the drugs trial. Extensive scientific and legal research. Critics Choice, Sunday Times. Director: Karen Edwards

My Strange Brain

(Granada/Five) 1 x 60’
AP/Lighting Camera
Stylised observational film about perception. Shot in the UK and US. Director: Rory Dalziel

Painting the Mind

(Focus Productions/C4) 1 x 60’ AP/Lighting Camera
Single film for Channel 4’s Headcase season exploring the origins of art in the brain. Shot in the UK, US and Australia on a DSR450.

The Real Rainman

(Focus Productions/ Five) 1 x 60’ AP/Lighting Camera
Followed Kim Peek, the inspiration for the film Rainman, on a three week road trip around America, and brought him to England for the first time to trace his ancestors. Critic’s choice, Sunday Times.

Tolstoy

(Matchlight/BBC4) 2 x 90’
Lighting camera
Two feature length films for the BBC’s Imagine stand, presented by Alan Yentob. Shot on HDCAM.
Director: Rupert Edwards.

Chopin and his Singers

(Prospect/BBC4) 1 x 90’

Director of photography
Flagship drama doc for BBC4’s Chopin Bicentenary. Shot on HDCAM.
Director: Rupert Edwards.

A Poets’ Guide to Britain

(Prospect Cymru/BBC4) 6 x 30’

Lighting camera
Arts series shot on HD and DVCAM. Critics’ Choice, Sunday Times.
Director: Rupert Edwards.

TOBY TRACKMAN:

DIRECTOR/DoP

CV