New Sparta Productions – Head of Development
As Head of Development, responsibilities included identifying and building an original, international film and television slate of scripted projects, sourcing creatively distinctive stories, attaching talent and working closely with writers, directors and producers. As executive producer I also acquired films for further development and financing.
The Documentary Company – Executive Producer
Working with Maggie Monteith who founded the company, I sourced distinctive factual features whilst in development, for co-production and investment, and worked as a creative EP on four international documentary features including the Oscar and BAFTA winning Searching for Sugarman.
Screen East – Head of Development and Production
Working in scripted development and co-productions I was involved with identifying talent, sourcing and working on many development and productions as an EP with both regional United Kingdom Film Council, European Regional Development Funds and co-production finance. Also worked as an Executive Producer on digital shorts film schemes for new talent.
September Films – Head of Drama
I was responsible for sourcing, developing and producing original fiction features for television and cinema in this successful, independent production company. Whilst at September Films, I developed and produced the Oscar and BAFTA nominated Feature film Solomon and Gaenor.
BBC Television and Films Dept. – Script Development Executive, Script Editor & TV Producer
For an initial five years, and a further three years, I worked in mainstream drama development and production on over 25 hours of broadcast high-end television, script editing and developing projects for BBC1 and BBC2.
Selected Rubicon Pictures clients include:
FFilm Cymru, BBC Wales, ITV Studios, Early Day Films, UKFC/BFI, Moonstone development program, Thomas Thomas, CAIN, Blue Orange Productions, Wales IP fund, Prominent TV, Dignity Distribution, Idless Ltd, Snowed-In Productions, Sly Fox Films, Screen Suffolk, First Weekend, Bedlam Productions, Focus – Film City Futures, Scotland.
Additional information
- Experience in negotiating all contracts in development, production and financing.
- Recognised Industry Training Provider – I have been responsible for a talent and diversity development scheme – such as Break Out – which I initiated and managed with Nadine Marsh Edwards. This was a unique, yearlong, specific BAME talent development and production training scheme in collaboration with WARP, Screen Skills, UEA and Brit Doc.
- Module creator and lecturer of Screenwriting for the Industry, a 22-week course, which I taught part-time at the University of Essex Film Studies department for four years.
- Guest Lecturer on screenwriting at the National Film and Television School, London Film School and University of Westminster.
- Experienced public speaker and invited industry guest on panels, conferences and festivals.
- BAFTA member
- Member of ACE – Ateliers du Cinéma Européen – European network of producers.
- Theatre Director – Prior to my television and film work, I was a professional theatre director commissioning new writers and directing new plays and classics for a range of companies, including: Contact Theatre Manchester, Dukes Playhouse Lancaster, The Young Vic, Soho Theatre, Monstrous Regiment, M6 and The Women’s Theatre Group.
Testimonials
"I worked with Sheryl during my time writing the film Oxford for New Sparta Productions and the experience for me as a screenwriter was immensely positive. Sheryl has that rare but most essential quality that every creative producer should in her desire to match the forensic with the artistic. Her notes always move the project forward and her charm and innate knowledge of the work, and indeed the industry, instil a great confidence in the writing process.
I would happily work with Sheryl again and know that any project/company that decides to work with her will be choosing someone who will add huge value to their product."
Aschlin Ditta – Screenwriter
"I first met Sheryl in 2014 when she worked with me as an EP on Miss You Already. She made many insightful creative contributions throughout the entire production and post-production process which helped us get the very best version of the film. Subsequently, working closely with her for the last five years at New Sparta, I have rarely seen such dedication and commitment. She is passionate about developing screenplays that speak to wide audiences. She understands the very core and every aspect of storytelling.”
Chris Simon- Producer- New Sparta Productions
"I worked with Sheryl adapting Sam Angus’s children’s book -Soldier Dog -, into a film script. Sheryl always made useful suggestions and had a good understanding of how I worked as a writer and what and what kind of support I needed creatively. The importance of having a calm presence who knows the writing and production processes inside out cannot be over-stated."
Dario Poloni - Screen writer
"I would say that what I like about script development with Sheryl Crown, is that she combines a vivid and passionate creative imagination with a fastidious attention to the nuts-and-bolts detail of story development. This makes her such a valuable collaborator because not only can she enhance artistic free-thinking she can also really support painstaking incremental structure development."
Gordon Anderson – TV and Film Director