At work on the script for an animation that will motivate bank employees to help reduce the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing. Next up: copywriting posters for the campaign.

The look of it will be like the title sequence for Catch Me If You Can.

Making a Code of Conduct sound friendly

Posted 26 August 2011, 12:22 pm

That was my challenge when asked to write a 'film of the book' for a utilities company. The answer is in the tone of voice as well as the visuals and music.

Berkeley Way website goes live

Posted 17 August 2011, 11:53 am

Berkeley Way are a cool young team of residential property agents and I wrote the copy for their website, which is now live. You can see it here.

Staying safe when boarding a ship

Posted 29 July 2011, 2:07 pm

Going on board a ship is surprisingly hazardous. It's not simply the process of climbing the boarding ladder. It's also the mooring lines that can snap, the cargo swinging around over your head, the oil spilled on deck, not to mention the powered watertight doors. I'm writing workbooks to accompany a couple of videos for suppliers and other visitors to ships, to be launched in the autumn.

Spelling and grammar mistakes on your website can cost you dear

Posted 15 July 2011, 1:14 pm

Have you ever put off a company because its website looked amateurish? So have I, and we're not alone. Mistakes can cut online sales by half.

How do you handle a critical boss?

Posted 23 June 2011, 12:00 pm

Forget violent retribution. The key learning point is: don't take it personally! I've been writing a script for a short learning and development video on how to behave when your boss decides to take it out on you. (Being self employed certainly has its advantages.)

2011 IVCA award winners screenings

Posted 15 June 2011, 2:52 pm

Two and half hours of back to back films at the BFI Southbank on Monday with, as usual, some corkers and some turkeys.

It's always difficult to know which ones are most effective for their intended audience, but my favourites were an imaginative animation for the Child Exploitation and online Protection Centre (best editing), a powerful drama about preventing violent extremism for Avon and Somerset Police (best drama), and a clever recruitment film for Thames Valley Police using models, toy cars etc.

A good 90% of the films were very sombre - care home abuse, suicidal impulses from psoriasis sufferers, the perils of sexting, and of course the inevitable Network Rail death-on-the-line drama. Which doesn't entirely reflect the average subject matter of most corporate film making and makes me think that judges tend to vote for the films that most pull their heartstrings...?

Some of them can be viewed here.

The future of publishing

Posted 7 June 2011, 5:42 pm

Printed books are supposedly under threat from the internet and digital media but, as with the prediction that TV would kill the cinema, the public is still enjoying both. And that's a good reason for canny publishers to embrace the new platforms while developing their traditional areas of excellence.

I've just finished a fun short script (another animation) for a film that will communicate the rebranding of an educational publisher as creators of content. The theme is evolution and it's to be seen by staff and trade audiences.

Top Employer script for bank

Posted 13 May 2011, 5:18 pm

Deep in a 3-minute script for an animated film. It's going to be shown at a bank's internal conference, to motivate their people to roll out their Top Employer programme over the coming months.

How to update your navigational charts

Posted 29 April 2011, 5:18 pm

Navigational charts are an essential tool for mariners, but because the features of the seas change all the time they have to be updated regularly. I'm writing a modular and very hands-on training film for the UK Hydrographic Office on how to do the updating clearly and accurately.

Sheila Brownlee

Writer for video, web and print

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Sending money to the laundry