Dan Jones (digital creative director)

Dan Jones (born 10 October 1979) is a British creative director, digital producer and television producer.

Personal Life

Dan Jones was educated at the Royal Latin School in Buckingham, the University of Manchester and the University of Birmingham. In 2009 he was named University of Birmingham Alumnus of the Year. He lives in Hackney, London.

Career

Dan Jones joined television production company Maverick Television in 2002. In 2005 he established a multiplatform arm to Maverick Television and became Head of Multiplatform. In 2005 he received a BAFTA New Talent award and 2006 he received a Broadcast Hotshot award. In 2007, Maverick Television was bought by independent production and distribution company All3Media. Dan Jones became Digital Creative Director at Maverick Television in 2012 and joined the board of Maverick Television. In 2013 Dan Jones was named a Future Leader by the Royal Television Society. In 2014 All3Media was bought by Discovery Communications and Liberty Global.

Notable Productions

Embarrassing Bodies/Live from the Clinic

Embarrassing Bodies is a reality medical series broadcast by Channel 4 which is accompanied by an ecosystem of content spread across different platforms including native apps, websites, Facebook and YouTube. The series has run for more than 120 episodes and broadcasts in over 100 countries. Dan Jones served as Co-Executive Producer on Embarrassing Bodies Live and Embarrassing Bodies Live from the Clinic, and Executive Producer on Embarrassing Bodies Online. Further Executive Producers include Steph Harris and Sarah Eglin. Embarrassing Bodies Online won the Interactivity category of the TV BAFTAs in 2009. Embarrassing Bodies Live won the TV Craft BAFTA for Interactive Creative Contribution in 2010. Embarrassing Bodies Live won a Banff World Media Award in 2011. Live from the Clinic won the TV Craft BAFTA for Digital Creativity in 2012; Live from the Clinic was nominated again in 2013. Live from the Clinic won the International Digital Emmy Award for Non-Fiction in 2012 in Cannes following an unsuccessful nomination in 2011. Live from the Clinic won a Royal Television Society award for Digital Innovation in 2012 and a British Interactive Media Association Award in 2012. Live from the Clinic won Best Multiplatform Project at the Broadcast Digital Awards in 2012. Live from the Clinic was nominated in the Cross Platform Innovation Category at the Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival in 2012. Live from the Clinic was nominated in the Multiplatform category at the Rose d'Or Awards in Switzerland in 2012. Live from the Clinic was named Best Interactive Production at the 2013 Impact Awards in New York.

Was it Something I Said?

Was it Something I Said? (WISIS) is a comedy panel show broadcast on Channel 4 in 2013. WISIS was presented by David Mitchell, and team captains were comedians Richard Ayoade and Mickey Flanagan. The television show began as an online production and was the first in the world to partner with Twitter as a dedicated gaming platform. WISIS was nominated for Best Social at the Broadcast Digital Awards in 2014.

The Model Agency

The Model Agency is a seven part observational documentary series broadcast on Channel 4 that follows the dramas of Premier Model Management, a world-famous model agency based in London. An interactive documentary was created alongside the television series using two thousand hours of footage, allowing users to construct their own non-linear documentary using the footage.

YouGen

The You Generation (YouGen) is an online video-sharing competition launched by Simon Cowell in partnership with YouTube. YouGen featured music stars including One Direction, Demi Lovato, Kimberley Wyatt and Boyce Avenue. YouGen featured YouTube creators including EpicMealTime, Zoella, Tyler Oakley, Bethany Mota and Alphacat.

Daily Mix

Daily Mix is a YouTube lifestyle channel for teen girls featuring prominent YouTube creators including Tanya Burr, Pixiwoo, Jim Chapman, Zoella and Joe Sugg. Daily Mix was nominated for a British Interactive Media Association Award in 2014.

Reverse the Odds

Reverse the Odds is a app-based puzzle game developed by Maverick Television and Chunk Digital in partnership with Cancer Research UK and Zooniverse. Reverse the Odds was commissioned by Channel 4 alongside the television programme Stand Up To Cancer. In playing the game every user aids in the work of Cancer Research UK by analysing real cancer slides as they progress through the game story. Reverse the Odds was Executive Produced by Claire McArdle and Produced by Alex Hryniewicz. In April 2015 Reverse the Odds won the International Digital Emmy for Children and Young People in Cannes. Reverse the Odds was nominated in the Digital Creativity category at the 2015 BAFTA TV Craft awards. Reverse the Odds is nominated for Best Game and Best Content Partnership or AFP at the Broadcast Digital Awards, and the Banff World Television Awards for Interactive Non-Fiction. Reverse the Odds was nominated for a TIGA Award in 2014. The Nominet Trust named Reverse The Odds as one of the 100 examples of digital technology changing the world for the better. Reverse the Odds was highlighted as an example of best practice by Baroness Martha Lane-Fox as part of the 2015 Dimbleby Lecture on BBC One.

Fresh Meat

Fresh Meat Unlocked and Fresh Meat House were developed to provide additional digital content for fans of the Channel 4 comedy-drama series Fresh Meat. Fresh Meat Unlocked provides access to the characters' smartphones in tandem with the narrative developments of the series so as to enhance those storylines. In 2013 Fresh Meat House won a Banff World Media Award for Cross Platform Fiction. Fresh Meat Unlocked was nominated for a Broadcast Digital Award in 2014 for Best App/Website and for a British Interactive Media Association Award in the Education category.

Health Apps

A number of health focused apps have been launched by Maverick Television. My HealthChecker (2012) contains 24 health tests and has generated 10 million results. My MoleChecker allows users to photograph and track worrying moles, compare photos over time and against problem moles, set reminders, record notes and share with healthcare professionals. My MindChecker is a suite of eight mental health tests used by 2 million people. My RiskChecker/STI Checker is a sexual health awareness app used by more than 1.2 million people. My SelfChecker encourages users to regularly check for early signs of four common cancers, as well as find health services in their area. My RiskChecker won a Royal Television Society award for Digital Innovation in 2013. My MindChecker won a MIND Media award in 2014. My MindChecker won a Royal Television Society award for Digital Innovation in 2014.

Rolling Stock

Rolling Stock was the first film festival in the world which took place entirely on trains. The festival utilised the television screens installed on trains in the Midlands (UK) in 2006 to screen a large selection of short films. A text (SMS) vote was utilised to choose the festival's top film, voted for by passengers. Rolling Stock was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award for Digital Innovation in 2007.