Tom comes from a background in Broadcast and Business TV production. He started his career with BBC Documentary Features as a Researcher before moving into roles as an Assistant Producer and Director. Subsequently, his key posts of responsibility include EMEA Producer / Director for Unisys, the global IT Solutions company, where he led and delivered award-winning programme content across Europe; and Business TV Producer/Director for Halifax plc. His main areas of interest and expertise are factual programmes – both documentary and current affairs. Credits include the Royal Television Society award-winning series Close-up North; (BBC1); The Boarding House (BBC2 '10x10'); Bridge Builders (BBC2); Mirror Image (BBC2); Into The Music (ITV); and Not on a Sunday (Channel Four). He was also awarded the US 'Telly Award' for his corporate social responsibility documentary, Project Raja – An Embassy for Elephants.
Tom joined the Television Production department at Middlesex University in 2010. As well as teaching both Documentary and Client-led Video modules, he is actively involved in developing media practice, and in creating links with partners from the broadcast and business industries, whilst building students' employability skills. Recent partner links include: Saracens TV, Zig Zag Productions, Transport for London and OBTV. He has also run specialist media industry short courses such as Research for Factual Media Production for organizations including Creative Skillset.
Selected production credits:
EHRAC (2022) - Producer / Director
A commemorative documentary for the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre.
Inclusive Trade (2019) - Executive Producer
WTO (Geneva) event video for Inclusive Trade, which brings ethical sustainable products from around the world, making economic development a reality through technology and trade.
Henkel (2019) - Director
Client success video for a multi-national pharmaceutical company, with an emphasis on improved end user security.
Air France / KLM (2019) - Director
Promotional video for an aviation company which delivers a world-class travelling experience.
OTP Bank (2018) - Director
Promotional video for a national bank that provides innovative digital banking solutions across Central and Eastern Europe
Monmouthshire Building Society (2018) - Director
Promotional video for MBS, which gives people across Wales and England secure, digital access to current accounts.
Nutreco (2017) - Director
Promotional video for a nutritional solutions company at the origin of food for millions of consumers worldwide.
Emmaus (2015 - 2016) - Director / Producer
Directed and co-produced a series of short documentaries for the UK homelessness charity, Emmaus.
Families and Schools Together (2014 - 2105) - Producer / Director
Produced & directed a series of Families and Schools Together (FAST) videos.
The Unisys Security Index (2014) – Co-Director.
Informative video, which provides a recurring, statistical measure of consumer concern about four areas of security: national, financial, Internet and personal safety.
Forward!, Italy (2014)– Director
Case-study video for a more secure, scalable and cost effective computing platform called Forward!
Project Raja - 'An Embassy for Elephants' (2006) – Producer/Director
A corporate social responsibility documentary for the Woburn Estate.
Winner of the US Telly Award, 2006
Unisys (2001 -2009) – Producer/Director
Produced and directed a wide range of business television programmes for clients around the globe including:
UK: Met Police; Centrica; StorageTek; Kent County Council; Isle of Man
Government; Lloyds of London
France: Credit du Nord; Frans Bonhomme ; Global Future Forum
Belgium: Belgian Ministry of Justice
Italy: Fincantieri ; Provincia di Roma
Spain: Telefonica; Cegasa
Switzerland: CIBA; UBS, Landis & Gyr
Germany: Amadeus; Bavarian Ministry of Justice
Norway: Telenor; Color Line Ferries
Sweden: Swedish Tax Office
Australia: Westpac
New Zealand: Auckland Savings Bank; TSB
Live Events: Service Excellence Management Awards (2002 – 2007);
Global Challenge Yacht Race (2005 -2007)
Business Television Producer, Halifax plc (Tx: Halifax Television Channel, 1996 – 2001)
Produced and directed a series of weekly news and monthly marketing employee programmes for the Halifax Building Society; Clerical Medical Ltd; Intelligent Finance (IF) and St James Place Capital.
Into the Music (Tx. Anglia TV, 1992) – Director
Documentary on pioneering music therapy methods used in a Hertfordshire psychiatric hospital.
The Boarding House (Tx. BBC2 1992) – Director
Film documentary on the last Yemeni seaman of South Shields.
Lords of the Rink (Tx.BBC2 1990) – Assistant Producer
Documentary featuring the rivalry between two dynastic ice-hockey families in North East England
Close-up North (Tx. BBC1, 1988-1992) Researcher / Assistant Producer
Weekly current affairs series reflecting life in the North East of England.
Mirror Image (Tx. BBC2, 1989) – Researcher
Two-part film documentary illustrating the contrasting worlds of twin Bishops.
Bridge Builders (Tx. BBC2, 1989) – Researcher
Archive-based documentary looking at the men who built the Tyne & Sydney Harbour Bridges.
Teaching interests include: Documentary Television Production; Research and Development (factual programmes); Single-Camera Directing and Video Ethnography.
Tom is a member of MeCCSA, BECTU and the NUJ.
Tom's research interests include developing documentary and moving image content with a factual narrative for broadcast and other platforms, particularly directed towards charity and business sectors. Academically, his main subject area for current research relates to his Doctorate in Professional Practice, which uses video ethnography to learn from patient and staff experiences in the UK hospice sector.
McGorrian, Tom (2021) Different ways of thinking about documentary practices for sensitive contexts. In: Storytelling and Oral History: The annual conference of the Oral History Network of Ireland, 18-19 June 2021, Maynooth University [held Online].
McGorrian, Tom (2019) Developing documentary practices for sensitive contexts: video ethnography in the UK Hospice sector. DProf thesis, Middlesex University.
McGorrian, Tom (2018) 'Hospice Stories' – Developing documentary practices for sensitive contexts – Video Ethnography in the UK Hospice Sector. In: IOHA 2018 Memory & Narration - 20th International Oral History Association (IOHA) Conference, 18-21 June 2018, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland.
Glynn, Basil and Kerr, Paul and McGorrian, Tom (2016) Emmaus in the UK 1991-2016 - Brochure / Booklet. [Artefact]
McGorrian, Tom (2016) Emmaus research history project (2015-16). [Film/Video]
Knowledge transfer:
Joint bid-writer for Skillset Course Accreditation (and Revalidation) for BA Television Production and BA Television Production Technical Arts (Jan – Feb, 2012)
Designed and delivered Build Your Own MA 'taster sessions' as part of London Media Skills Week (Nov, 2011)
Curriculum enterprise activities
Transport for London (2012). Having previously delivered directing workshops to TFL's Press and PR office, I was part of a more involved, fully funded, knowledge transfer / consultancy project, scheduled from July - September, 2012 involving Middlesex staff, graduates and current students.
Community engagement
Executive Producer for a documentary on Caroline Collinge as part of an Arts Council funded project on Katagami in Practice, Japanes Stencils in the Art School (2018)
Directed and co-produced a series of short documentaries for a major UK Oral History Research Project for the homelessness charity, Emmaus. The project deliverables include four online documentary-style films; an external booklet celebrating 25 years of Emmaus in the UK; plus 30 plus oral history interviews, with key personnel throughout Emmaus UK (2015 -16)
Produced & directed a series of Families and Schools Together (FAST) videos. FAST has been recognized for its established track record of high retention rates (80%) of parents who are socially marginalized, and across languages, cultures, religion, ethnicities, and socio-economic strata, in both urban and rural settings (2014 - 2015)
Executive Producer for a series of videos for the Ian Rennie Grove House Hospice (2010 – date)
Executive Co-Producer for a series of videos commemorating Coronation Memories of local people from the London Borough of Barnet. The project was Middlesex's contribution to Barnet's Diamond Jubilee celebrations and involves MU staff and students (2012)
Worked as a Creative Director with Pro-Active North London and the National Governing Bodies of Sport (Amateur Boxing Association, English Cricket Board, British Triathlon and British Judo) to capture their Sport Makers (volunteering) offer across a series of videos to showcase how people can get involved in specific sports in their local community.The project involves MU staff and students.
Administrative roles
External Consultant - MA TV Production Management, Edge Hill University (2021)
External Examiner - BA Digital Film Production, Birmingham City University (2021 - 2025)
External Consultant – MBA Film Production, European School of Economics, Rome (2021)
External Subject Examiner for BA Filmmaking and BA Adventure Filmmaking, University of Wales, Trinity St David's (2018-22)
Validation Panel Member for BA Creative Film, TV and Digital Media Production, University of Northampton (2018)
Validation Panel Member for BA Television Production (Top Up), University of Hull (June, 2018)
Validation Panel Member for the Estonian Higher Education Quality Agency - Tallinn University, Baltic Film & Media School and the University of Tartu, (Nov, 2017)
External Subject Examiner for FdA Digital Media Production Degree, Plymouth University (2016-20)
External Awards Examiner for Plymouth University (2018-21)
Validation Panel Member for a new Foundation Degree being offered by the School of Media, University of South Wales (March 2015)
