Join Graeme as he is interviewed by Justin Johnson of the BFI, talking through his career from child actor to director of the break-out series Inside No 9.

Having worked with Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison and David Tennant  he has plenty of anecdotes, but aspiring directors will find his advice straightforward and encouraging.

Biographies

Graeme Harper
Starting out as a child actor, Graeme’s first steps in the industry included adaptations of “The Pickwick Papers” (from ITV in 1956) and “The Silver Sword” (1956). Later Graeme would join the ranks of the BBC in 1966, starting as a floor assistant and then climbing the ladder to becoming a first assistant director. Soon after, Graeme would start his journey working on Doctor Who, during both the Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker eras and much further down the line even Tennant’s run, with a total of 17 different Doctor Who stories to his credit. Graeme later became a freelance director and his earliest projects included “Angels” (1982-1983) and a return to Doctor Who by directing "The Caves of Androzani” (1984) which in 2009 was voted as the best Doctor Who story ever televised.
With critical acclaim and BAFTAs to his name, Graeme has been credited with numerous awards and nominations for his outstanding work in the field of directing across a broad range of programming including Bergerac (1985-1987), Star Cops (1987), The New Statesman (1991-1992), House of Elliot (1992-1994), The Bill (1993-2002), Hollyoaks (2014), Casualty (1996-2015), Robin Hood (2006-2009), Holby City (2013-2016), Inside No.9 (2016). In 2011 Graeme won the British Soap Award for Spectacular Scene of the Year for "The Tram Crash” in Coronation Street (2005-2013).

Justin Johnson
Justin works for the British Film Institute as Lead Programmer for BFI Southbank and also selects animation and films for younger audiences at the BFI London Film Festival. He is a regular contributor to radio and TV on matters concerning children’s films, animation and films in general. He has served on juries at many European Film Festivals including Berlin, Copenhagen and Zlin and has served as both a selector and a juror for the British Animation Awards. As a member of the BAFTA Film Committee and Deputy Chair of the BAFTA Children’s Committee, Justin assists in the organisation of the awards and often chairs professional juries for different award categories. During his time at the BFI, he has curated seasons in partnership with Walt Disney Studios, the BBC, Shanghai Animations Studios, Pixar and the Swedish Film Institute, as well as hosting many on-stage events and interviews.