Self-Shooting Documentary Filmmaker in London

In short

Steve Sklair is a BAFTA-winning documentary filmmaker based in London, with 40 years of experience making films for the BBC, Channel 4 and other UK broadcasters. He works with a minimal crew: he directs, films and edits, recording sound himself or with a sound assistant when the shoot needs one. He takes on short documentaries of roughly 5 to 30 minutes about a real person, organisation or community, as well as filmed interviews, education and charity films, biographical portraits and music films.

Not every documentary needs a production company and a crew of six. Many of the best stories need one experienced person who understands what the film is for, can put a nervous contributor at ease and knows where to put the camera. That is how Steve has worked since he cut his teeth on the BBC's Video Diaries, and it is how he makes most of his films today.

Who This Is For

Steve works with organisations and individuals who have a real story to tell and want it told honestly:

Charities and community groups who need a film about the people they work with.
Schools and education organisations: for the last four years Steve has been making education films with the National Education Union, filming children and teachers in real classrooms. See school film production.
Families who want a relative's life story recorded on film.
Businesses and cultural organisations who need filmed interviews or a short documentary rather than an advert. See corporate documentary in London.
Producers and directors who need a self-shooting director, camera operator or editor they can trust.

Typical projects

A short portrait of one person's life and work.
A charity or education film built around the people involved.
A series of filmed interviews with experts, staff or community members.
A biographical or music film, like Dave Lee's Jazz Tales, short films in which jazz pianist Dave Lee tells stories from his life in music.
A longer observational film following a place or organisation over time.

How It Works

First call. You explain the idea, who the film is for and where it will be shown. Steve asks about the people involved, the deadline and the budget, and tells you honestly what approach fits.
Story development. Before any filming, Steve works out what the story is, who needs to speak and what must be filmed. Good preparation is what makes a short shoot possible.
The shoot. Steve arrives with compact kit and films on his own, so the classroom, office or kitchen stays a normal room rather than a film set. People speak more openly to one person than to a crew.
The edit. Steve edits the film himself, so the person who conducted the interviews is the person who shapes them into a story. You see a cut, give feedback and agree changes.
Delivery. The finished film is graded and delivered in the versions agreed at the start, for example a main film and shorter cuts for your website or social media.

What's Included

Direction: developing the story and directing the film from concept to completion.
Camera: filming on compact professional cameras, including the Sony Z90 and Panasonic GH5, with drone footage from a DJI Mini 3 where the story needs it.
Sound recording on location, by Steve himself or with a sound assistant when the shoot calls for one.
Interviewing: preparing and conducting interviews that let contributors speak in their own voice.
Editing in Final Cut Pro, including sound design.
Colour grading and delivery of the final files.

If a project genuinely needs more people, such as several cameras for a live performance, that is something to discuss at the start. Our guide to when a small documentary crew is the right choice explains how that decision is made, and hiring a self-shooting director in London explains what the role involves.

Pricing

Every project is quoted individually. A one-day interview shoot costs far less than a multi-week observational film, and the price depends on the number of filming days, locations, the length of the edit, any music or archive, and the versions you need. A useful quote is built from a clear production plan rather than a price per finished minute.

For a full explanation of what shapes a documentary budget, read how much it costs to make a documentary in London. If you have a budget in mind, say so in the project brief: Steve can then suggest an approach that fits it.

Selected Work

The Man Who Loves Gary Lineker (BBC Video Diaries, 1993): the personal video diary of Ylli Hasani, a rural doctor in Albania. Directed by Steve, it won the BAFTA for Best Single Documentary.
Nicolas Economou (2014): a feature-length portrait of the Cypriot pianist and composer, which Steve directed, wrote, shot and edited.
Above All Compassion: The Story of XP School (2020): a three-year observational film about a school in Doncaster.
A Worker of the 20th Century (TVG, 1998): the life story of Manuel Barros, a Galician shipyard worker during the Franco dictatorship.
Red Oil (Channel 4, True Stories, 2005): an hour-long documentary about the human cost of the oil industry in Nigeria.
Education films with the National Education Union, made over the last four years in schools.

Watch the films and read more about each one on the films page, or read Steve's biography.

What people say

"Most important of all he knows how to engage with different kinds of people and get the best out of them. I strongly recommend him."

Yaba Badoe, Documentary Filmmaker & Author

"He wears his experience and knowledge lightly, but you can always trust him to frame an arresting shot, to cut a captivating sequence, to lead a happy team. Steve delivers."

Madeleine Holt, Producer & Reporter

Questions People Often Ask

Can you make a low-budget documentary about one person's story?

Yes. A short portrait built around one person, a few well-prepared interviews and a small number of locations is exactly the kind of film a single self-shooting filmmaker can make well. Steve directs, films and edits the film himself, so there are fewer people to pay and schedule each day. Every project is quoted individually.

Do you work alone or with a crew?

Most of these films are made single-handed: Steve directs, operates the camera and edits. On many shoots he records sound himself; when a shoot calls for it, he brings in a sound assistant. When a project genuinely needs more, for example several cameras for a live performance, that is discussed honestly at the start.

How much does a short documentary cost?

There is no fixed price. Every project is quoted individually, based on the number of filming days, locations, the length of the edit, any music or archive and the versions you need. A one-day interview shoot costs far less than a multi-week observational film.

Do you edit the film as well as shoot it?

Yes. Steve edits his own documentaries in Final Cut Pro, including colour grading, so the person who filmed the interviews is the person who builds the story from them.

Do you only film in London?

Steve is based in London, which keeps travel costs down for London shoots. He also films elsewhere: his work includes a three-year observational film at XP School in Doncaster, a documentary made in Galicia for TVG, and Red Oil, filmed in Nigeria for Channel 4.

What should I send before we talk?

A few lines are enough: what the film is for, who it is about, who needs to see it, where it will be shown, your deadline and an honest budget range. The project brief form asks these questions for you.