Melanie Fletcher
Chief Operating Officer of Done+Dusted
“Giving Life to Stories”
Longtime friends Hamish Hamilton, Ian Stewart, and Simon Pizey created Done+Dusted in London in the late 90s. Melanie Fletcher soon joined the team bringing her international production skills to the table. Creativity, collaboration, and excellent production management gained them an incredible client base that quickly became international in size and scope leading them to opened up in North America, United Arab Emirates and China.
"Throughout her 20 years at Done + Dusted she has played an integral role in producing some of the biggest and most memorable moments of our time, and her contributions have been instrumental to the growth and success of the company."
According to Melanie, to be a market leader, one has to be a lifelong learner. “I began my television career in my teens and joined Done + Dusted in my mid-twenties, and in those 20 years the industry has completely changed. You have to see the change coming and read the way the entertainment industry is shifting so you can always be one step ahead,” she says. “Understanding the core business remains key, but being agile enough to move with the market shifts is critical.” Armed with this ideology, Melanie has been taking the company to new heights.
Done + Dusted started in the industry as TV producers making great productions with everyone from Beyonce to the BBC, the Pope, to Oscar Award-winning actors. The real success of the business has been to be able to go from being a group of talented producers to a group of producers that think like entrepreneurs. “We pride ourselves on being collaborators and creative partners, but we are also service providers. Our client’s goals are always paramount on any production. We start with - how do use creative innovation to achieve their version of success? Is it about viewing figures, sales numbers, subscriber acquisitions, brand awareness?” explains Melanie.
Storytelling is the constant organizing principle behind every great piece of entertainment globally, and it is at the heart of everything Done + Dusted does. “Stories connect us, and they move us, they make us laugh, and cry, and feel. Our stories define us. D+D have told stories from Ice caps to deserts, from skyscrapers to jungles, Done+Dusted has partnered with brands, broadcasters, royalty, digital platforms, audiences, agencies, educators, philanthropists, humanitarians, and artists to create and film live spectacles in every corner of the world, anywhere and everywhere that stories are told.”
For us all, great entertainment starts with a great story,” Melanie elucidates. “Great storytelling connects us in powerful ways that can affect us for our entire life. And, after the past year, we need hope, joy, and togetherness more than ever.”
Done + Dusted’s creativity, collaboration, and excellent production management have enabled them to bag an incredible client base that quickly became international in size and scope. The reasons for their success include:
• High standards because the stakes are often really high.
• High profile clients, big budgets, and often Live to millions of viewers.
• Having a brilliant idea is only half of the job.
• Executing on that vision without a hitch takes a village of talented, dedicated overachievers.
It is pertinent to mention, the company is an avid technology adopter and loves trying new things to elevate production value or set a project apart from what’s been done before. During Covid, they dove headfirst into AR, XR, lots of robotic cameras, and new remote operating systems. “It was a crash course in new tech solutions and we learned an enormous amount. So much so that much of it will remain part of our thinking and work flow post Covid.”
“We like to think that Done + Dusted brings a sort of secret sauce to any project. Many live event companies have only 2 or 3 partners, but we have the benefit of 7 creative, business brains around the table. Each one with unique talents, insights and backgrounds. We’ve created a democratic creative management team with an international lens, it’s really rare,” says Melanie. “Done + Dusted is reorganizing and expanding. We’re taking the creative passion for our traditional Live event production and transposing that into Original Series & Specials, Brand presentations and Immersive entertainment. There’s never been a more exciting time to be in the entertainment industry.” IEWL
Company
Management
Melanie Fletcher
Chief Operating Officer of Done+Dusted
Description
Longtime friends Hamish Hamilton, Ian Stewart and Simon Pizey created Done+Dusted in London in the late 90s. Creativity, collaboration and excellent production management gained them an incredible client base that quickly became international in size and scope. Creative Director Russell Thomas and COO Melanie Fletcher soon joined the executive team and the company opened up a second office in America. Shortly after, Katy Mullan, David Jammy and Guy Carrington joined the executive team, bringing renewed focus on expansion, development and company philosophy.