Producer / Shooting Director

Travel Smart is The Independent's online travel series, helping audiences plan smarter, more rewarding trips through practical advice and on-the-ground insight.

For just over a year, I led production across the series from concept through to delivery, shaping ideas alongside the travel and commercial teams while producing, shooting, directing and editing episodes myself, often all within the same shoot.

Filming across the UK and abroad, I worked with contributors ranging from TV travel expert Simon Calder and online influencers, to The Independent's own travel team, helping shape the series into a mix of useful travel journalism, personality-led storytelling and honest recommendations viewers would actually use on their own trips.

Alongside the creative, I also worked closely with commercial partners sponsoring episodes on The Independent website, making sure branded messaging felt like a natural part of the show rather than something forced into it.

During my time on the series, Travel Smart generated more than 2.5 million views across The Independent’s platforms, building an audience through accessible storytelling, practical advice and a focus on experiences beyond the usual tourist spots.