A MAJOR life 'event' has created the exciting opportunity for me to reassess my creative direction, and focus on my true love of long-form story-telling.
Working in the entertainment industry for more than 30 years, and after studying film and television production (School of Visual Arts), sound engineering (School of Audio Engineering) and attending the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, I initially carved out my career in the music industry. As a professional musician, composer and engineer, I worked with many top artists including Hunters and Collectors, Crowded House, 1927 and Margaret Urlich, before finally earning a reputation as one of Sydney's top cocktail pianists.
For the last 20 years, I have focused on film production in broadcast, corporate and advertising. I've written and directed an extensive slate of campaigns for many large-scale clients. I am also Executive Producer of the children’s animated series Buzz Bumble screened nationally on the NINE Network.
In 2017, I found myself in sudden end-stage heart failure after a bout of the flu put me on life-support and in a coma for 2.5 weeks. The team at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, performed emergency surgery and fitted me with an artificial heart, which I lived with for 436 days. In early 2019, I received the most precious gift of a new heart from a beautiful stranger. I have since set up the Forever Grateful Foundation, a not-for-profit social enterprise, and will continue to be a passionate advocate for organ donation through story-telling and social propagation.
I have since been commissioned to write and direct the national campaigns for the Organ Tissue Authority to promote organ donor awareness in both 2019 and 2020.
Unique traits: Jayden has been the custodian of three hearts - two organic and one mechanical.
Yours and Buckley's Budget: $5M - $10M | Action ⋄ Comedy A seemingly successful couple from New York City loses everything and becomes stranded in Northern Australia while on holiday. Their only hope is to make it back to Sydney under their own devices, but it seems like everything - and everyone - in the outback wants them dead.
Twenty 20 Budget: $5M - $10M | Sports ⋄ Family When 12-year-old Henry moves to India with his father, his only consolation is that at least he will play cricket. But the road to the game will take him along pathways he never imagined.
Change of Heart Budget: $1M - $5M | Drama After the death of their mother at a young age, Jaxon and Riley’s lives become set on a path driven by a silent determination to make her proud. When fate deals a familiar blow, they are forced to reflect on their purpose in life and embrace a change of heart - both literally and metaphorically.
Heartless Thriller ⋄ Crime An arrogant, narcissistic man suddenly finds himself an unwitting recipient of an artificial heart. Whilst residing on the waiting list for a transplant, he soon discovers that the gift of life is one thing that money can’t buy.
Murder on the Rocks Thriller ⋄ Crime After the body of a young nurse is found ‘posed’ at Sydney’s famous Opera House, Detectives Caroline Henners and Jesse Moore must hunt down this sadistic and methodical killer before he strikes again.
Club Sandwich Animation ⋄ Family Club Sandwich is about the adventures of a band. Spud and the Taste Buddies are unusual in that they comprise a potato, a beetroot, a strawberry and a Brussels sprout. But’s that’s normal in the town of Yum, because nearly everyone else here is a fruit or a vegetable too.