Richard Macer has been one of the most celebrated auteurs in British documentary making of the last twenty years. A multi-award-winning film maker with a distinctive style, he’s been described as the ‘best documentary maker working in television’ by The Times. Early on in his career, when making a trilogy of films about glamour model Jordan, Macer honed a style which has subsequently been described as a brand. It’s defined by his deadpan voiceover style, humorous interview technique and gonzo filming style. He has now made over fifty films, won seven Royal Television Society Awards and also a Grierson. Macer’s distinctive style means he never fails to get a reaction from the critics which can be savage at times as well as triumphant.
Macer’s career has been defined by an immensely wide range of subjects, from pop stars and fashion designers, to politicians, prostitutes and drug addicts. He’s spent time shooting on a mental health unit for teenagers, in department stores, in our national parks, at the Royal Ballet, he’s explored subjects such as dyslexia with his own son and made a film about his home town of Milton Keynes. In the course of authoring films, he’s presented on a shopping telly channel, a devout Christian programme and also a hard-core porn channel.
Prior to shooting documentaries Macer was a journalist and was part of the famous BBC yoof TV era which created shows like Rough Guide and The Sunday Show. He worked at Granada in an office next door to Caroline Aherne and devised a dating show for Davina McCall to present.
Not only did he overcome a severe learning difficulty when at school, he’s also had a lifelong battle with depression. Maybe this is why his films feel so distinctive. Macer believes he’s a very unconventional film maker, an example of how not fitting in can actually be a positive thing. And he passionately believes the best films come from an absolute commitment to flying by the seat of your pants.
