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An internationally experienced Manager and Emmy-winning Executive Producer with a successful track record in the creative industries. Specialising in new business strategy; providing creative flair with the financial and technical expertise

to deliver on time and on budget. He has facilitated significant strategic changes trebling both turnover and profit and has an excellent track record both in company development and managing change. 

 

As an Executive Producer his films have won numerous awards including the Emmy, Grierson, Royal Television Society, Focal and Broadcast.

 

Calm and decisive under pressure Richard has successfully launched 14 television channels for internationally renowned brands. A strong negotiator with excellent budgeting and forecasting skills,

he has a passion for new technologies and their media applications. Richard has exceptional communication skills and is a regular public speaker and presenter. He has served on jurys for BAFTA, the RT,  the Emmys and many others.

 

Experience

Executive Producer & Managing Director

 2022 to Present: Freelance Executive Producer and Consultant. Currently in production on a 3 x 1hr series for Channel 4 for 2024.

 

 2020 to 2022: Channel Director for 67pallmall.tv 

A 24/7 global FTA 4K web channel based on all things wine. We set up two 4K studios in London's Pall Mall and launched the channel in 6 months during lockdown producing 85% of our own programming.

Freelance Executive Producer for 6 x 1hr "Secrets of the Imperial War Museum" for Channel 5.

 

2012 to 2020:  Managing Director and Executive Producer for Spring Films Ltd. A London based independent production company specialising in international co-productions and factual programming for television and cinema. At Spring he was responsible for all finacial and managerial elements of the company and in the last few years, amongst others, Richard has been the Executive Producer on:

'Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds" directed by Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer for Apple TV + 

'How to Stay Out of Jail' C4 directed by Jemma Gander 

'PRISON 2' the second series for C4 directed by Paddy Wivell. Winner of RTS, Broadcast and Grierson awards

"Indian Space Dreams" - Producer credit 1 x 90' international distribution 

'Meeting Gorbachev' a feature length documentary for A&E and MDR directed by Werner Herzog and André Singer

'PRISON' a three-part series for for C4 directed by Paddy Wivell

'Where the Wind Blows' a feature length documentary directed by Andre Singer 

'Into the Inferno' a feature length documentary for Netflix directed by Werner Herzog.  Emmy nominated

‘Night Will Fall’ directed by André Singer. A feature length documentary for the BFI, C4 and HBO - Winner of the Royal Television Society and Peabody and Emmy awards for best History Documentary

‘Beyond Bollywood’ for a feature length documentary for BBC4

‘Lonnie Donegan and Me’ one hour special for ITV

 

 2010 to Present: Executive Producer and Programme Consultant For Urban Canyons Ltd. 

Richard was the EP on the very successful six part Samurai series broadcast across Europe and the Smithsonian Channel in America and he is currently EP on ‘Warrior Women’ 8 x 1hr for the Smithsonian Channel and recently completed "God's Soldiers" 2 x 1 hour on the siege of Malta for ZDF. 

 

2010 - 2011 Programme Consultant For Pricey Media Ltd., Channel Consultant for Global Arts and Alchemiya.

2002 –  2010: Channel Director and Head Of Programming for History, Bio, Bio HD, History HD, Military History, The Crime & Investigation Network And Crime & Investigation HD.
  • Project manager to take the company from broadcasting two UK digital channels to seven channels transmitting in three continents in five years.  Both turnover and profit increased by over 300% across that period.
  • Expanded the company from a staff of 26 to 110 with less than 5% annual staff turnover.
  • Introduced and managed the introduction of new technologies to the company resulting in the successful delivery of one of the UK’s first HD channels.
  • Introduced, designed and project managed new post-production routes and technologies that achieved annual cost savings of over £500K.
  • Designed and wrote a programme database that resulted in significant timesaving and increased efficiency across the company. 
  • Winner of Broadcast's ‘Factual Channel of the Year’ and nominated for the award on two other occasions.

 1999 – 2002 Channel Director and Executive Director for Artsworld (Now Sky Arts). The first digital Arts channel in the UK.

  • One of the originators of the concept and the business plan.
  • Project Manager for all aspects of the channel’s launch and transmission.
  • Project-managed the design and build of artsword.com
  • Helped raise over £6.5 million in equity finance
  • Commissioned over 500 hours of programming ranging from single documentaries to concerts, ballets and a daily magazine show.

1998 - 1999 Head of Production for Jeremy Isaacs Productions. Reporting to Sir Jeremy Isaacs, Richard was responsible for all business and production elements of the company. During this period JIP produced ‘Millennium’ – a 10-part, multi-million dollar award-winning series on the history of the last 1000 years, plus series and 'one-off's' for the BBC and C4.

1997 - 1998 BBC Launch Manger for People+Arts and Animal Planet. Based in Discovery’s Latin American HQ in Miami, he was responsible for the BBC input into the first two BBC/Discovery joint venture channels – part of a $600 million contract.

1995 - 1997 Producer and Director for COLD WAR: A BAFTA nominated and Peabody award winning, 24 part series commissioned by Ted Turner for CNN. Richard budgeted and scheduled the series, as well as designed and implemented all the operational and editing systems for Jeremy Isaacs Productions before going on to produce and direct three of the programmes.

1993 - 1995 Head of Production and Producer/Director for InCA (Independent Communications Associates). Responsible for all areas of production, budgeting, forecasting and scheduling.

Produced and directed programmes for the BBC and C4; including Equinox, Horizon and five series of The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures for BBC2

1988 - 1993 Managing Director and Producer for Picture House Productions. Set up to specialise in Music Videos and Commercials, we completed over 200 productions in four years increasing revenue by over 100% year on year.

1986 - 1988 Producer for Wood Film. One of the first independent companies to be commissioned by Channel 4.

1985 - 2005 Managing Director of 'Heavy Pencil'– a crewing and Facilities Company. He took an initial investment of £1,500 to a company with an asset value of £500,000, an annual turnover of £350,000 and profit margin of 35%.

Richard's entry into the Film and TV industry was as a Runner, Clapper Loader, Focus Puller, Operator, Director of Photography before becoming a Producer.

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Richard is a member of both British Film and Television Academy and the Royal Television Society where he regularly sits on or chairs their judging panels. 

 

Awards:

Recent awards include: 

Emmy - Outstanding Historical Programme

Grierson - Best Factual Series

Broadcast - Best Factual Series

Royal Television Society Award - Best Factual Series 

Royal Television Society Award - Best History Documentary

Peabody Award - Best History Documentary

Silbersalz Science & Media Award

Focal Award - Best History Documentary

Focal Award - Best Use of Archive Footage

 

 
 

Richard Melman