Senior Team
© 2011 Media Ark Ltd. All rights reserved. Company registration no. 06127322. All intellectual property is copyright of its respective owner.
Media Ark – The strategic content specialists
The Media Ark is crewed by a passionate team of creatives, editorial experts, film-makers and brand specialists.
Launched in 2006 by television presenter Julian Hanton, and travel journalist Matt Carroll, as a full-service production company specialising in food, travel and automotive, we’ve been involved in online video since its infancy.
But these days, great content alone is not enough to attract consumers’ attention (and keep it). So as well as producing top quality editorial and commercial films, we help our clients make the most of their video assets by harnessing our media partnerships and detailed consumer insight.
We love nothing more than getting stuck into a challenging creative brief (kettle on, sketchpads at the ready), whether it’s coming up with a big campaign idea, producing exciting content for a client’s online channel or creating a microsite to house it all. We’re fanatical about television, too – having produced over 50 hours of programming, which has sold in over 100 territories worldwide.
What we do
Put simply, we create high quality editorial and commercial films for distribution across multiple platforms. With a background in food, motoring and travel journalism, we know what makes a good story – but more importantly, we know what makes the media and consumers tick, and how to grab their attention.
Whether you’re looking for a beautiful corporate film, or a series of videos for an online campaign, we’ll work with you to establish who you want to talk to, what you want to say – and what you’d like to achieve. We’ll then come up with a strategy and creative concept to make this happen – and (if you wish) analyse and measure the results.
Most importantly, though, we do all this quickly, efficiently and extremely cost-effectively.
Our production services include
- Concept
- Scriptwriting
- Direction
- Production
- Post-production
- Bespoke online channels
- Content for campaigns
- Supporting editorial
- Virals
- Corporate Video
- Event filming
Our digital services include
- Web Design and Build
- Apps
- Copywriting
- Concepts and content for social media campaigns
- Content seeding
- Analytics and reporting
Clients
Matt Carroll
Creative Director, Founding Partner
Matt is Media Ark’s creative lead, bringing a unique blend of editorial and commercial experience.
In a career spanning over 15 years, he’s created campaigns for the likes of Samsung and Mitsubishi, and worked on digital projects for FedEx, San Miguel, Russian Standard Vodka and many more.
He’s also a prolific travel writer, with credits including British GQ, The Sunday Times, Men’s Journal in New York, and The London Evening Standard – and is a regular in The Guardian, The Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard Magazine and The Independent.
A keen snowboarder and bike obsessive, Matt is also the author of Escape Routes, a hand-picked selection of stunning cycle rides around England.
Julian Hanton
Director of Production, Founding Partner
Julian founded the company with Matt in 2006 and oversees our television department. Working alongside our Development Producer, Marie Thomas, to develop new shows and formats, he’s just as comfortable in front of the camera as he is producing and directing – having fronted several series for the Travel Channel.
Prior to establishing Media Ark Julian was a producer at IWC, spearheading Channel 4’s move into online video – helping to set up the successful motoring portal, 4Car.
Before that, he ran the production company, Katipo, producing shows that sold in over 23 territories worldwide. Julian is also an obsessive foodie and award winning travel photographer – having filmed and photographed in nearly 100 countries.
Marie Thomas
Executive Producer
Marie came aboard the Ark in 2011 and as part of the senior team, she now spearheads the development crew within the business.
Marie brings a wealth of experience and influential contacts garnered from some of the biggest names in the business, with Channel 4, ITV Studios, Channel 5 and SBS Television being but a few. And alongside her work with the Ark, she still executive produces shows such as the popular ITV wildlife series Lion Country, the gritty and ground-breaking observational documentary series Philly Undercover for National Geographic and Chicago Bait Car, the flagship brand for TruTV in the United States.
Outside of the office, Marie loves the country lifestyle, growing her own veggies and making her own jewellery, clothes and household accessories – all in an old mill house, which she renovated herself. She also loves to travel and has lived / worked in Cyprus, Germany and Australia.