I'm Jonathan Melville, a writer and researcher specializing in transcript analysis, qualitative annotation, and identifying narrative structure in long-form conversations. I freelance across film history, documentary development, and media education, drawing on 100+ interviews with film-makers, actors, and crew to craft evidence-based narratives. My work spans authoring and editing multiple books on film history, producing content for broadcasters and cultural institutions, and guiding script development from interview to finished narrative. I combine rigorous research with accessible storytelling to support film projects, documentaries and TV content.…

Jonathan Melville

I'm Jonathan Melville, a writer and researcher specializing in transcript analysis, qualitative annotation, and identifying narrative structure in long-form conversations. I freelance across film history, documentary development, and media education, drawing on 100+ interviews with film-makers, actors, and crew to craft evidence-based narratives. My work spans authoring and editing multiple books on film history, producing content for broadcasters and cultural institutions, and guiding script development from interview to finished narrative. I combine rigorous research with accessible storytelling to support film projects, documentaries and TV content.…

Available to hire

I’m Jonathan Melville, a writer and researcher specializing in transcript analysis, qualitative annotation, and identifying narrative structure in long-form conversations. I freelance across film history, documentary development, and media education, drawing on 100+ interviews with film-makers, actors, and crew to craft evidence-based narratives.

My work spans authoring and editing multiple books on film history, producing content for broadcasters and cultural institutions, and guiding script development from interview to finished narrative. I combine rigorous research with accessible storytelling to support film projects, documentaries and TV content.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Author & Researcher (Freelance) at Independent
January 1, 2015 - Present
Authored and researched film-related content; conducted and transcribed long-form interviews (100+ transcripts, 60–90 mins each) using Otter.ai and TurboScribe, analyzing transcripts and synthesizing findings into coherent written narratives while preserving speakers' voices.
Script Reader (Freelance) at Shore Scripts / Coverfly
September 1, 2021 - December 1, 2022
Applied structured annotation frameworks to 100+ scripts, identifying narrative arcs, speaker/character roles, and structural moves; scored scripts for competitions and developed notes for writers.
Development Researcher (Freelance) at BBC Multiplatform Productions
January 1, 2021 - January 1, 2024
Researched subjects for TV and radio documentary pitches; produced treatments and briefs for producers and commissioners.
Newsletter Writer & Content Coordinator at Talking Pictures TV
June 1, 2022 - April 1, 2024
Created 100+ weekly email newsletters for a classic film TV channel, reaching hundreds of thousands of subscribers; coordinated content for specialists and general audiences.
Communications & Outreach Coordinator at Scottish Documentary Institute
September 1, 2019 - August 1, 2021
Maintained communications strategy across print, social media, newsletters and events; managed YouTube channel and podcast.
Digital Content Producer at National Galleries of Scotland
November 1, 2018 - September 1, 2019
Researched and produced written/audio/video content; collaborated with public-facing departments, creators, designers and external contractors; oversaw content production and timetables.
Arts Journalist & Broadcaster at Edinburgh Evening News / BBC Radio Scotland
January 1, 2008 - January 1, 2014
Conducted interviews with film-makers, actors and cultural figures for print and radio; developed conversational interviewing skills and extracted narratives from dialogue; produced a weekly film column for Edinburgh Evening News and contributed to BBC Scotland features and Culture Studio.
Script Reader at Shore Scripts / Coverfly
September 1, 2021 - December 1, 2022
Applied structured annotation framework to 100+ scripts, identifying narrative arcs, speaker/character roles and key narrative moves; scored scripts for competition.
Screen NETS Researcher at Edinburgh Napier University
February 1, 2022 - August 1, 2025
Assisted in coordinating film & TV trainee placements, including processing expenses, booking accommodations and updating records; managed website updates and trainee sign-off.
Arts Journalist & Broadcaster at Edinburgh Evening News / BBC Scotland
January 1, 2008 - January 1, 2014
Conducted interviews with filmmakers, actors and cultural figures for print and broadcast; developed weekly film column and contributed to radio Culture Studio segments.

Education

MA Screen Writing with Distinction at Napier University
January 1, 2019 - January 1, 2021
BA (Hons) Publishing at Napier University
January 1, 1994 - January 1, 1998
MA Screen Writing with Distinction at Napier University
January 1, 2019 - January 1, 2021
BA (Hons) Publishing at Napier University
January 1, 1994 - January 1, 1998

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Education, Professional Services, Other
    paper Assistant Producer — "City Lights: Pure Dead Brilliant" | Hopscotch Films / BBC Scotland (2025)

    Assistant Producer on this one-off BBC Scotland documentary celebrating the iconic 1980s sitcom City Lights, which starred Gerard Kelly as aspiring novelist Willie Melvin and ran for six series from 1984 to 1991. Conducted extensive archival research, sourcing and logging decades of BBC Scotland footage from the original series, including clips, behind-the-scenes material and promotional content. Worked with the production team to identify and catalogue material that supported the documentary’s narrative, which reunited surviving cast members including Elaine C Smith, Jonathan Watson and Dave Anderson alongside creator Bob Black. The programme aired on BBC Scotland in at Hogmanay 2025.
    Skills: Archival Research, Content Logging, BBC Archive Systems, Documentary Production, Scottish Television History