My background is film production. I have worked as Production Supervisor for feature films and large scale Bollywood musicals; Producer of high end promos and commercials; and Location Manager for all sorts of TV and film productions. As a freelancer, I was known as a London specialist, generally looking after overseas productions coming to the UK. Though I enjoyed working in the film industry, I was always interested in technology, creating one of the first online music shops (for Creation Records) in 1997.
In 2004, I moved into film permitting, working as a film officer for Southwark Council. Using my production experience, I began to develop new and innovative ways to manage film requests
In 2007, my company FilmFixer Ltd won the contract for supplying film services to Southwark and Lewisham Councils. Karen Everett joined me as co-director in 2009. Almost immediately, we won the film service contract for Camden in 2010, and Islington and Lambeth in 2013. We now manage filming in 13 local authorities from our offices in Southwark. FilmFixer is known for offering efficient, practical advice to film makers, while protecting the interests of local residents.
FilmApp v1 was developed in 2007. It was designed to allow the film maker to apply online, allowing the film officer to issue a permit using the data already supplied. V2 followed in 2010, with extra functions such as online payment, and the ability to work across multiple boroughs, this system was licenced to 24 (out of 33) local authorities in London. V3 included reminders and advanced document management, and is now used in Atlanta (Georgia) as well as many UK cities.
FilmApp, EventApp, WorksApp (for streetworks permits), and MarketApp (for market traders permits) are among the suite of services offered by Apply4 Technology Ltd. We have discovered that there is a significant demand for a simple to use online platform allowing local authorities to issue permits, raise invoices and generate reports. The services we supply are entirely web based, keeping costs low while providing the best possible user experience.