See-Saw Films is in production with a major new TV series for Apple TV. Slow Horses, a contemporary thriller, will be shot in and around London later this year. The first six episodes are to be directed by Directors UK member, James Hawes. 

We’re excited to announce an opportunity for a Directors UK member to gain invaluable behind the scenes production experience by joining James during prep and potentially during the shooting of this High-End drama.

This opportunity would most benefit a director who already has some professional directing experience and is looking to develop knowledge and confidence of leading complex television productions. The ideal candidate might have directed episodes of a continuing drama, a couple of episodes of a returning series, or maybe a few short films.

This particular opportunity is open to a director of colour.

The ambition is to engage the successful director from the outset, joining during early pre-prep. James intends to offer access to the whole organisational and creative process. The candidate will have the opportunity to develop their own mood boards, script notes, shot lists and more in parallel with James and then be able to review, discuss and receive feedback throughout.

Due to the current pandemic, and the restrictions that has imposed on drama production throughout the UK, the scheme will have to run remotely for the foreseeable future. However, the candidate will be invited to have virtual access, attending on-line prep meetings and dipping into the rehearsal and casting process, listen in on conversations about design, schedule, etc. Please be aware, there is, unfortunately, no guarantee that the successful director will have access to the shoot when full production starts in late 2020. That will depend on government and industry guidance at the time.

This is a paid opportunity, with details to be finalised. Virtual prep will begin in late July until September, with the shoot currently planned to begin in November.

This opportunity is permitted as Positive Action within the 2010 Equalities Act and acknowledges the under-representation of directors of colour currently working in the TV industry (Source – Adjusting the Colour Balance, Directors UK, 2018).

How to apply

• Please send your CV and showreel to [email protected].
• Please send a paragraph explaining why you are interested in this opportunity at this stage in your career

The deadline for applications is Friday 3 July.

Before you send your application through, we recommend you read our Career Development team's application tips.

About James Hawes

From a background in fringe theatre and then an early career in documentaries and current affairs at the BBC, James has become an established and award-winning drama director, working internationally in high-end TV.

He was recently lead and producing director on Netflix’ Snowpiercer. James was nominated for a Best Director BAFTA for his film Enid, starring Helena Bonham-Carter and won the RTS Best Single Drama for The Challenger Disaster, starring William Hurt. He has directed two episodes for cult hit Black Mirror and, of the shows that James has piloted, Snowpiercer becomes the fifth to go to multiple seasons. James now has experience working for a list of networks, including Netflix, HBOMax, TNT, C4, BBC, NatGeo, Showtime, ITV and Sky.