I have a good understanding of what is needed when working with television. Having worked both behind the camera and also in front on numerous projects. My specialist fields are Historic weaponry Blacksmithing , steel making (smelting) and engineering.
I am happy to work in development & consultancy both in front of and behind the camera. If you have any TV projects that need a smith, weapons expert or engineer please feel free to contact me.
Owen on BBC Four Handmade
Outlaw King
Owen made Robert the Bruce’s Battle Axe and a lot of the axes and spears in the battle scenes .
A video shot for Northern Ireland Tourism in association with Game of Thrones.
Introducing Northern Ireland’s own Valyrian Steel kitchen knives. Combining metal from a meteorite with obsidian (aka dragon glass) from a volcano, and forging them together in the hottest fires on Earth, a master craftsman has brought the mythical Game of Thrones steel to life in #NorthernIreland. #GOTterritory Ireland.com/GameofThrones.
Interview on Radio 2 with Simon Mayo regarding sword-making and the late, great Terry Pratchett.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b055jp38#auto
17:55 – 22:30 minutes
Castles: Britain’s Fortified History.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02cxcvx
Kettle Chips advert with Owen and a group of fellow craftsmen
GEORGE CLARK’S AMAZING SPACE
Myself and mick maxen smelting
BEAT THE ANCESTORS
Engineer
Dick Strawbridge challenges a team of engineers to re-create some of history’s most impressive devices, using 21st-century knowledge and techniques to improve them. On Show 1 you will see me casting a Bronze Cannon and making a medieval battery powered electric ignition system.
SCRAPHEAP CHALLENGE: Series 6, 7 and 8
I made a lot of the sculptures in the “heap” including the starting gong Phoenix, rockets & robots. According to Wikipedia, series 4 was in 2001!
SCRAPHEAP CHALLENGE: Series 9, 10 & 11.
I was lucky enough to be an engineer on these series. It was nothing short of a life changing job. Lots of hands-on work on the machines as diverse as Treboujet to jet engines and I stood in for the “supermodels” as a team member.
RICHARD HAMMOND’S ENGINEERING CONNECTIONS
2008
episode Airbus A380 – I was one of the engineers and had the pleasure of dropping a piano from a crane, and firing chickens through a plane windshield.
BONE DETECTIVES: “Warlord of Bamburgh Castle”
Weapons expert. We had fun putting boiled leather armour to the test against spears, swords & seax
PLANET MECHANICS
2008
with Jem Stansfield and Dick Strawbridge .
Constructed a wave powered generator in Ireland.
DAM BUSTERS
I was one of the engineers and helped make and fire a nitrogen cannon for testing bouncing bombs.
BANG GOES THE THEORY
2010
Making steel from iron and poo with Jem Stansfield
MEDIEVAL FIGHT BOOK
2011
Forging a Talhoffer long sword
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’S “ SECRETS OF THE LOST GOLD: WELDING A SAXON SWORD
2011
Making a patternwelded Staffordshire Hoard seax
SECRETS OF THE BLOODY TOWER
2011
Forging the executioners axe from the Bloody Tower
INSTRUMENTS OF DEATH
2012
Dane Axe forging (Episode 3) “The Norman Invasion: The Battle of Hastings 1066”
METAL HOW IT WORKS
Forging nails and a blade
SECRET LIFE OF MATERIALS
(2013) for the BBC
I have helped out on many other TV shows making props and as a consultant with regard to filming historic forging including recently smelting copper for THE GENIUS OF INVENTION.
I also forged 9 inch nails that were the murderous props for WAKING THE DEAD and made metal shark jaws for the BBC in 2008 for the programme “SHARK”