Dr James McLean
| Biography | James teaches media production, drawing from his experience working in various creative pre-production and production roles across the media sectors, on multiple franchise products, including Doctor Who, Star Wars, and High School Musical. His industry experience has included working on video game productions for Disney, BBC, and Lucasfilm franchises, as well as experience in writing, design development, and storyboarding for commercial adverts and promotions in the UK and overseas. James has also illustrated for comics, television shows, books, journals, and DVDs. His research interests focus on the processes of professional media production; making sense of ongoing creative practices, commercial decision-making and risk management strategies of media producers that are crucial to understanding media. The research draws upon research into adaptation, genre, transmedia storytelling, and the transnational movement of media properties. James continues to contribute to media projects, including work in visual design and podcast hosting, with expertise on shows such as Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Millennium. His television and film expertise centres around US/UK cult television, and has previously engaged in multiple media projects that have engaged with creators and professionals within the industry. |
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| Research Interests | Media production; Media practice; Transmedia storytelling; Television studies; Storytelling; Genre within television; Factual television; Media-Mix theory; Transcultural media franchises; Fan studies; Video-games |
| Teaching and Learning | I am Programme Director for Media Production at the University of Hull. As the programme director for the degree, I am keen to continue, and build upon, the university's good relations with industry professionals and stakeholders. In doing so, the Media Production degree can provide students both media industry opportunities and professional contacts that can compliment and inform their academic projects. My research interests are in production cultures, adaptation theory, transmedia studies, and genre theory. These concepts speak to the ongoing and necessary tension between the creative and commercial demands on producing media content. This engagement underpins my teaching and programme development for the Media Production degree. I teach undergraduate students on pre-production, post-production, genre and adaptation, and short film making. I have experience in teaching the history of film, digital media, reception studies, and the media industries. My teaching has been informed by my experiences of working as a professional freelancer artist in media, having worked in pre-production and production for television, film, advertisements, and video games. |