Hi Shon.

I saw your your posting looking for an editor, and though I may not be the right fit this time, I thought this would be a good opportunity to introduce you to some of my work, in the hope that you may learn something new, that may lead to ideas for how we might collaborate in the future.

You’ve hired me a few times as Mangrove Media here in Townsville, where I’ve been operating for eight years, making short films for clients, producing /directing /editing/ filming/ renting out gear and supporting visiting productions in a myriad of ways.

I’ve been doing this for 20 years in a professional capacity, and have accumulated a variety of screen-credits in TV and and feature documentaries, as a DoP, camera-operator, and field/unit producer for the likes of VICE, Netflix, Stan and the BBC.

Locally I’ve been creating short films for clients such as the Australian Institute of Marine Science, The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and James Cook University.

I have two skillsets, one as a filmmaker and one as a communications consultant. I help companies and organisations refine their broad ideas into concise and intentional messaging. I help them identify the right characters to convey that messaging through their passion and emotion. My experience as a cinematographer helps me articulate their stories in a strong visual language. My literary brain helps me build a coherent story-line, and my knack for interviews helps me bring out the tears and laughter that make the difference between a mediochre- and a great film.

My children are getting older. I suddenly have more time to dedicate to my work and I am looking for new avenues to increase my work-load. My workflow at the moment usually involves shooting a 3-5 minute documentary pieces built around interviews, then cutting 15-60 second assets from the same footage for socials. While not an animator, my After Effects is sharp enough to create graphics elements, logo animations and titles (examples below).

Please check out the selected works below, and keep me on your radar should an appropriate remote role appear, or an avenue for me to help you expand your reach northwards.

Kind Regards,

Jimmy

The Northern Australian Marine Monitoring Alliance - AIMS

Directed, Produced, Edited, After Effects titles and graphics by Jimmy Purtill, Interviews by Various, Interviews at AIMS by Jimmy Purtill

I had to digest a trove of text based resources and preview hours of raw footage, before sitting down with representatives from AIMS and NAMMA to understand where the focus of the story should be. In this case the purpose of the film was to explain the project and its benefits in a non-convoluted way, to help look for further funding.

I crafted interview questions and organised a day of interview shooting at AIMS.

From 4 hours of interviews, using transcripts and a refined information processing workflow, I produced the following film. The 1 minute preview contains graphics which I have built from scratch in After Effects.

Signet Magnetic Island Koala Hopsital

Directed, Produced, Interviews, Edited by Jimmy Purtill. Camera: Cody Smith-West, Jimmy Purtill. Animation: Brentos,

Signet came to me with access to this amazing story, and very vague ideas for a video-mini-series. I poured my heart and soul into helping them achieve something special within their limited budget.

The resulting series of six films would have never got off the ground if I hadn’t been incredibly personally invested in making them happen. I approach all my films with the same commitment,

“ Finding the right filmmaker for our latest sponsorship project wasn't easy. With our subject matter on the other side of the country, an unpredictable schedule and very little notice before key moments unfolded, we needed someone we could trust completely. Jimmy proved to be exactly that...

  • From the outset, he took ownership of the production, handling everything from directing and filming to interviewing, audio, editing and managing with the people involved in our sponsorship. He travelled independently, captured events as they happened, and took the very limited direction we could give him and turned it into something that genuinely exceeded our expectations.

    Although we're not usually comfortable handing over that level of creative control, Jimmy quickly earned our trust. Time and again, he took loose ideas and turned them into thoughtful, high-quality content that genuinely reflected what we were trying to achieve. He worked closely with our team, listened to the little feedback we gave him and refined every piece to make sure it aligned with our vision. His professionalism, initiative and ability to adapt to changing circumstances made the entire process straightforward and enjoyable.

    We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Jimmy to anyone looking for a talented, reliable and creative filmmaker. He has an incredible instinct for storytelling, solved problems as they arose and consistently delivered work of an exceptionally high standard. We couldn't have asked for a better partner on this project.

    - Andrew Hibbins - Manager Content and Sponsorship - Signet Australia. ahibbins@signet.net.au

Old Dog Lures

Produced, Directed by, Director of Photography, Edited by Jimmy Purtill. Camera Operator: Nick Bent. Gaffer: Chun Wong.

Old Dog Lures wanted something different, something with high production value and a slow-pace, to reinforce their identity as “bespoke” brand.

This film was story-boarded in great detail with a specific cinematic style decided on. I directed this piece with two colleagues assisting with camera and lighting.

Creating Impact through Partnerships

Directed, Produced, Interviews, Editing by Jimmy Purtill. Camera: Various, see film credits.

This film is one of a series of four films I was commissioned to make for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (the premiere Marine Biology Institute globally at the time).

I setup a backdrop and had an assistant man the cameras, whilst I recorded sound and interviewed 17 scientists over the course of 3 days. I was provided with hours of footage captured by scientists in the field.

Ark Energy - Chillumbin Windfarm

Directed, Produced, Interviews, Drone, Edited, by Jimmy Purtill. Camera: Nick Bent, Jimmy Purtill

The story below was a last-minute attempt to counter the misinformation campaign against the proposed Chillumbin windfarm (later renamed Wooroora windfarm). I had 1 week to digest text based resources, get my head in story, develop a shooting-schedule, before heading up to Ravenshoe to meet the team from ARK Energy. We spent 5 days filming, then I came back and had the first draft edited in 3 days.