People

With a specialist management team that spans media banking, corporate finance and the production, marketing, sales and distribution of quality commercial filmed entertainment, Prescience has established an expertise in the independent film financing sectors that provides it with a unique access to product and a business model that significantly reduces risk whether the investment is debt or equity.

Further details of Prescience personnel can be found below:

Tim Smith

Prescience Film Finance’s Managing Director Tim Smith has worked in the marketing, financing, and production of filmed entertainment since the earliest days of video.Tim has over twenty years experience of the entertainment industry, spanning film, music and video, at companies ranging from Twentieth Century Fox where he was responsible for marketing and UK sales and distribution labels, to the independent film and video distributor, Medusa Communications.  For well over a decade Tim owned and ran Foresight, one of the most successful entertainment agencies in Europe during the 1990’s, representing such film clients as Walt Disney’s Buena Vista International, Warner Brothers and PolyGram. After selling Foresight to South Africa’s Primedia group in the early 2000’s, Tim Smith worked as an independent producer and was joint Managing Director of UK producer/financier Random Harvest before establishing Prescience in 2005.

Paul Brett

Paul is a director of Prescience and has worked in the media since leaving university 28 years ago. He has worked at Video Arts, (the world’s first audio/visual training company), Catalyst, (the world’s first audio-visual publishing company backed by Goldcrest), TEN – The Movie Channel (Britain’s first PAY TV company), Video Collection International, (the world’s first sell through label), Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios,and Pathé. Paul developed and implemented the UK exhibition and distribution strategy over a three year period at the British Film Institute/UK Film Council, leaving to found Prescience with Tim Smith. At the BFI/UKFC, Paul was responsible for BFI's relationships with exhibitors throughout the UK and Northern Ireland, including both arthouse and commercial cinemas. Prior to this, he worked for Miramax International as Vice President of European Marketing, as well as Path/Guild, VCI and CIC (a joint venture between Paramount and Universal).

Jeff Hayward

Jeff qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1985 with Touche Ross & Co (Deloitte and Touche). Post-qualification he spent several years working for Reuters plc in the Far East, based in Singapore before joining Chrysalis Group plc as Finance Director of Chrysalis Records (later EMI) until 1995. After a brief period in with Books Etc. establishing mail order book clubs, Jeff joined Tim at Foresight Europe (see above) as Finance Director until the group was sold in 2001. He then spent six years working as an independent business adviser to a variety of charity and commercial organisations, before joining Prescience in 2007 as Financial Director.

Jeff is also a director of Prescience.

James Swarbrick

James started his career at City stockbroker Teather & Greenwood before moving to Smith & Williamson Investment Management in December 2004. James has raised, structured and managed funds for over 30 productions including, Ladies in Lavender, Green Street and Irresistible. In addition, James has raised funds for a number of AIM, private equity, EIS and VCT transactions in a variety of industry sectors including retail, leisure, media, insurance and technology. James joined Prescience in June 2008 as Commercial Director.

Anne Sheehan 

Anne Sheehan is a UK chartered accountant with specialist experience in film finance, production and distribution. As a consultant she has acted for a number of Film Fund clients including three prospective offshore film funds. She devised Visible Films; an EIS investment for Ecosse Films, Recorded Picture Company and Samuelson Productions. From 1999 to 2003 she was Director of Finance and Business Affairs at Renaissance Films. She began her film career as an international operational auditor for Warner Bros. and was a financial controller for Palace Pictures, BBC Films, PolyGram Film International and FilmFour. Anne is responsible for new project financial assessments for the Aegis Film Fund. As Development Director she administers and advises Juno Development Capital LLP on behalf of Prescience Film Finance and is one of the team working on the development of future funds.

Alexandra Keen

Alexandra is a media / entertainment lawyer with over twelve years of experience in UK and international media / entertainment, corporate and general commercial law, in both private practice and industry. Alexandra began her legal career in the UK as a corporate lawyer at Fox Williams specializing in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and joint ventures in the finance, media, entertainment, e-commerce and retail sectors. In January 2002, Alexandra moved into the media/entertainment industry as an in-house lawyer by joining Mel Gibson’s Icon Films UK Group.  Alexandra then joined ContentFilm International as Head of Legal and Business Affairs in December 2003. At both Icon Films and ContentFilm, Alexandra worked on an extensive range of UK and US produced film, television programmes and new media with budgets ranging from micro to blockbuster. In particular, she was involved in development, sales agency, finance, production and distribution work in the UK and internationally. Significant transactions included the production, financing, acquisition, sale and distribution of “Closing the Ring” (directed by Lord Richard Attenborough), “Black Book” (written and directed by Paul Verhoeven), “The Messenger” (produced by Mark Gordon), and “Fish Tank” (directed by Andrea Arnold). Experience also included the acquisition, and subsequent sale and distribution of “Transamerica” and “Thank You For Smoking”.  Alexandra joined Prescience in January 2010 as Head of Business and Legal Affairs.

Isabel Chick

Isabel gained 13 years experience as a production accountant, firstly, with HTV and then with Thames Television in the features and documentaries departments in Euston. She then worked as a management accountant in the commercial and not for profit sectors. Isabel joined the finance department of Prescience in 2008 as Film Production Accountant to liaise with production companies and aid the production of management accounts and sales recoupment information.

Jane Burton

Jane is a Financial Accountant and produces management accounts and up-to-date financial information for all the Prescience companies, as well as many of the Prescience managed partnerships and funds. She has over 25 years accounting experience, having worked in both the commercial sector and public practice. Jane is the main contact for suppliers and is also responsible for the company payroll, VAT, bank payments (both European and International) and other ad-hoc tasks for the accounting function of Prescience.

Elizabeth Blackledge

Elizabeth joined Prescience in December 2008 as Commercial Manager. She has a degree in English and History from Durham University. At Prescience she is involved in all aspects of fund-structuring, fund-raising and investor relations.

Jemma Sands

Jemma started her career in the industry at HanWay Films, one of the leading Sales Agents in the UK, working in marketing for 5 years before moving acrss to Capitol Films in 2007, as Marketing Manager. During her time at Hanway, Jemma worked on (amongst others), Bernardo Bertolucci's, 'The Dreamers,' Philip Noyce's 'Rabbit Proof Fence' and Woody Allen's 'Match Point' and at Capitol Films, John Maybury's 'The Edge of Love'. Jemma joined Prescience in June 2008 as Film Marketing Manager.

Clare Kennedy

Anna Brazinova

Anna assists Clare Kennedy with all the office related administration, partnership record keeping and office duties.  

Emily Bradshaw

Emily joined Prescience in 2008 as a graduate straight from the University of Birmingham. Emily has gained previous marketing experience from companies such as Priory International and Apache Advertising. At Prescience, she assists the managing director and helps with the administrative workings of the company. She is currently on maternity leave.