STEPHEN BEARD FILM EDITOR
“Stephen has become my go-to editor for feature pieces for Channel 4 News. He brings both great enthusiasm into the edit suite but lots of great ideas too, engaging not just with the picture but the editorial as well. He is a pleasure to work with and always produces fantastic results that sing.”
Louise Turner, Commissioning Editor, Film Fund | Channel 4 News
“Stephen is a highly skilled and creative online and offline editor. He is unflappable under pressure and excels at working to tight deadlines. He always goes above and beyond on every project.”
Vara Szajkowski, Commissioner and Executive Producer, BBC News
“I'm not entirely sure how many hours of footage were presented to Stephen with a three-week standing start deadline to edit a 46min film on the Congo River, but after nearly six weeks on the river it was at least 30 hours, not including the drone shots, the GoPro and the flattened 360 footage available! Stephen quickly organised and beautifully crafted together the story of our journey up the Congo through the DRC ahead of their elections. He blended a fabulous choice of music with the different locations we'd visited and paced the film perfectly. The look, the style and the way he cut together dramatic pictures into stunning sequences made the film very special - it went out on BBC channels, the iPlayer and has just hit 650k views on YouTube. It's one of the few times people have stopped me to say how beautiful the film looked...and we have Stephen to thank for that. It was fabulous working with Mr Beard...and I hope we get the chance to work on something again soon!”
Alastair Leithead, BBC Africa Correspondent
“Stephen is a very professional editor and a pleasure to work alongside. He had some difficult material to work with but didn’t complain and instead got on with the job. He fully engaged with the project and was key to making it a success. He took onboard any notes from the Executive Producer and carried them out swiftly. He worked long hours to make sure the programme was finished on time. He also picked up a second programme from another editor, who had some leave booked, and carried on the edit with ease even though it was filmed in a foreign language. I hope to work with Stephen again in the future and can’t recommend him enough for both his editing ability and his interpersonal skills.”
Karen Griggs, Series Producer, BBC 100 Women Challenge
“Stephen was a fast, creative and tech-savvy editor we employed to reversion and edit programmes for BBC World News. He was an asset to the team and wouldn’t hesitate to employ his editing skills again. A brilliant editor.”
Claire Tailyour, Director/Producer/Editor
“Stephen worked at my company, Naisbitt and Co, for three years (2008-2011) as an editor, mainly on commercials but also managing to squeeze a feature film in too. He is an excellent editor, has the technical knowledge to back it up, has a great attitude, is client friendly and a damn good chap. I can’t recommend him highly enough.”
Ivan Naisbitt, Director/editor/writer
“Stephen is one of the best editors I have ever been lucky enough to work with. His intelligence and patience in cutting through hours of footage to concisely present the correct story line has been invaluable in producing edits for an assortment of countries in a variety of languages. His understanding of the brand shows him to be more than just an editor, he has become an essential part of the GSK team.”
Harry Shaw, Global Creative Director at Grey Group EMEA
“Stephen is great to work with, very calm and super creative. In the most challenging situations he can think clearly and always delivers. We've worked together for a few years now and I know I can throw anything at him and not worry about it. From long form programmes for BBC Two and BBC World News to fast cut and quick turnaround promos/trails.”
Sarah Dias, Producer, BBC
“Stephen is a fantastic editor. He is creative and skilled - and is particularly good with music. He has the ability to make a succession of stock shots look amazing. He is also extremely nice to sit next to in long hours in the edit. On a practical level, he's very punctual, hard working and utterly reliable. Highly recommend.”
Becky Jones, Senior Producer, Boojum Media
“Stephen is a creative and experienced editor, with the ability to quickly and clearly appraise material, and offer swift and effective cuts. He is technically adept, resourceful, reliable, unflustered at all times, and prepared to go that extra mile to get the job done -and last but not least a pleasure to work with.”
Michelle Jones, Producer, India's Millenials
“We hire Steve on a regular basis as a freelance editor as his work is exceptional. He understands briefs, works without fuss and always delivers on time and with great attention to detail. He is a firm favourite with our clients and is requested often. Steve gets on well with everyone, he’s always calm and does everything with a smile despite often stressful situations. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him.”
Maria Kouva, Producer at Greyworks, Hogarth
“Stephen has become a core member of the small team on Health Check TV - he's friendly, efficient and creative. He's brilliant at problem-solving and is a real pleasure to work with.”
Paula McGraph, Producer, BBC