Jon Riche

Award winning director and a BAFTA-nominated writer

Graduated in 2000

Jon Riche is a multi-award winning director and a BAFTA-nominated writer having written the cult kids show Big Babies for the BBC. He has also directed music videos for the likes of Kasabian, Just Jack, Moby and The Feeling, as well as commercials for brands such as Nissan, Ikea and Nike.

Initially wanting to pursue his interest in drawing cartoons, Jon soon discovered directing after beginning his course in BA (Hons) Visual Communication, finding that it gave him the freedom of working with animation, puppets or actors. He spent the next two years experimenting and making videos and, after graduating, he contacted numerous production companies before finally landing a job as a runner. It gave him a toehold in the industry and he continued to make films and think up ideas all the time.

Jon went on to work his way up to more senior roles at different agencies and media firms, which gave him the opportunity to put his filmmaking skills into action, with music videos, and then adverts providing a good starting point for his future ambitions. Despite his success in these fields, he was keen to branch out in other directions, so he teamed up with his friend Spencer Jones and eventually came up with children’s TV comedy, Big Babies. Described as Beavis and Butt-Head for children, it features two babies with adult heads and voices superimposed on them. It aired on CBBC in 2010, was quickly picked up by both BBC One and BBC Two and received a BAFTA nomination.