I don’t know that I’ve really mentioned it here but I love films. I enjoy nothing more than watching a film that makes me think. Or makes me laugh. Or makes me cry (very rare). I particularly like looking beyond a film and delving a little more into what was going through the director’s mind as they were making it – looking at the choice of shots, scenes and just your basic cinematography. But what I love most of all is talking to other similarly minded people about films. And that brings me on to my friend Ian.

Ian Jackson was a guy I met when I worked as a consultant way back when. He was a fellow developer (although on the Java side whereas I was on the Microsoft side). I can honestly say that I had never laughed as much in my life up until that time. His quick and sharp wit along with his ability to prattle on and on trying to put me off while playing table football still makes me laugh now when I think back to it. He liked to call himself the People’s Champion you see, because you can never beat the People’s Champion – he’s always the moral victor! Fun days. Anyway, I left the company and eventually so did he but we stayed in touch.

Then I heard that he’d decided to have a bit of a career change. He’d had enough of the evil IT world and wanted to follow his dream. He wanted to be a film director. He started by doing it in his spare time, getting himself involved in film clubs and the like. But decided to do it full time as there just aren’t enough hours in the day! I’d never even realised that he was a film fan (otherwise I’d have spent many an hour talking about films, as I’ve done since). Anyway, I eventually got to see some of his work and couldn’t believe how good it was. I’d expected to be watching it thinking “hey, Ian did this, cool” but instead found myself just watching it and not thinking outside the film at all – which must be a good sign. Having seen his more recent work I’ve been even more impressed. (Although Ian, go and put Henry up on the site, I’ve not seen that one and I love cats).

Anyway, I’ll not go on like I usually do but just point you at his site so you can have a look for yourself at his work. All I really wanted to say is that I have maximum admiration for taking a relatively safe career and dropping it in search of what he really wants to do. It takes balls. And when he becomes Mr. Big Shot Celebrity and goes to fancy Hollywood parties, will I be pestering him for invitations? You better believe it.

So take a look at www.ianjacksonfilms.com for yourself.