Gina Waggott Portfolio
Authorised biographer of Scatman John and first-time feature director developing SCATMAN, a documentary executive-produced by Peter Nicks (co-founder of Proximity Media, with Ryan Coogler). My connection with John and his story is through our shared experience of stuttering, and he became my mentor and friend in the years before his death.
I have over ten years’ experience across BBC and independent factual production, including work on BAFTA-nominated docuseries, before becoming a journalist and author. I’m a lifelong stutterer and work with global stuttering charities. I’ve advocated for speech equality at the European Commission and United Nations and bring lived experience of disability and ethical representation to my documentary practice.
Selected work
SCATMAN
Role: Director
Status: Beginning development
Format: Feature documentary
John Larkin hid his stutter for fifty years before using it to become the unlikely 1990s pop phenomenon Scatman John at 52. The film will use unseen footage, private archive and a disability-led sound approach to explore trauma, addiction, music and radical self-acceptance. Executive Producer: Peter Nicks.
Bill Larkin – unedited scene select
Role: Director / Interviewer
Year: 2026
Status: Development/test footage
John Larkin’s 86-year-old brother Bill reflects on what he didn’t know about John during his lifetime. I filmed this at Bill’s home in 2026 to preserve his testimony. Included to show trust and access, interviewing style, and how I allow room for his real-time reflections and emotions around difficult memories.
Scatman – Book trailer
Role: Writer / Director / Producer
Year: 2025
Created for YouTube from a very small pool of archival and stock material on a micro-budget in a week, with a track licensed for the piece. Also made 30-second cutdowns for social media. Demonstrates how I turned limited archive into a concise emotional progression, established tone through image and music, suggesting meaning beyond the material shown.
Simon Calder’s Aconcagua Expedition
Role: Co-Director / Camera
Year: 2014
Production: London Live / The Independent
A short sequence filmed during a mule crossing on Aconcagua, after the crew narrowly avoided being trampled. Demonstrates instinct for recognising an unscripted human moment, adapting quickly to changing circumstances, and keeping composure while working with well-known talent in a difficult, unpredictable environment.
Leonard Cohen – BBC North West Tonight
Role: Producer / Director / Camera (and stills)
Year: 2007
Produced and conducted a rare in-person interview with Leonard Cohen for a news broadcast, after a long period in which he had refused filmed interviews. I also persuaded him to record an extended interview with Mark Lawson for BBC Radio 4’s Front Row. Leonard and I remained friends for the rest of his life. Demonstrates tenacity, negotiation of access and trust.
Library of Dysfluent Voices
Role: Featured Audio Contributor
Year: 2025
Production: Space to Stutter
An open-access audio collection curated by musician Luke Wyland celebrating stuttering and speech diversity. Included to show existing standing within the stuttering-arts community as a practitioner and collaborator on this audio-led project.
Writing, research, archival knowledge
Scatman (Bloomsbury, 2026)
The authorised biography of John Larkin, based on more than 100 interviews and extensive research into private correspondence, photographs, recordings, home movies and unreleased material. This forms the backbone of the documentary’s research strategy. I retained screen rights and the book will be optioned exclusively to the production.
The book has been covered by The Telegraph, JazzTimes, Publishers Weekly, BBC and RTL, among others, and has excellent reviews, demonstrating institutional recognition of this compelling true story.
My bylines in The Telegraph, The Independent, Reader’s Digest, Yahoo, Significance, and The Guardian (due Sept 2026) speak to how I am a meticulous, rights-aware researcher, skilled at selecting elements of a story to build a long-form narrative.
Additional factual and location experience
- BBC North West Tonight – Produced and directed filmed interview segments for evening news, featuring contributors including Leonard Cohen (see above), Tony Wilson, Shaun Ryder and Amir Khan.
- Coast and Countryfile – BBC One, 2011. Production management experience across major BBC factual programming, including the BAFTA-nominated Coast.
- The Iceland Everest Expedition 2011 – Co-directed and shot significant portions of this private corporate film for Iceland Foods on Mount Everest, which was sold as a DVD to raise charity funds in all Iceland stores.
- Tom’s Fantastic Floating Home – Production Co-ordinator, Channel 4, 2013. Managed location filming aboard a boat, contributor logistics and the design and construction of sets and inventions within a strict budget.
- 7 Seas, 7 Summits – Assistant Producer / Director, Hoyland Productions, 2013. Filming, expedition logistics and editorial content across a complex international project. For transparency – Graham Hoyland is my partner.
- Lorraine’s Fast, Fresh & Easy Food – Production Co-ordinator, BBC Two, 2012. Managed a location-based studio shoot and stepped up to producer during a period of staff absence.
- The Great British Countryside – Production Co-ordinator, BBC One, 2011. Managed UK-wide location shoots and stepped up to Production Manager during a four-week absence.
- Various BBC Productions – earlier in my career I was sent to research, shoot and direct short features including segments for Children in Need, a variety of early-stage development projects and some productions made by the Religion & Ethics departments including multi-location OBs.
Documentary skills
Directing and interviewing
Experienced in building trust with a variety of contributors, asking difficult or sensitive questions and allowing space for difficult or emotional testimony.
Archive and editorial
Experienced in researching, selecting and structuring archive, identifying narrative turning points and deciding what to reveal, withhold or allow to remain unresolved.
Camera and sound
BBC-trained in camera operation, boom operation, sound recording and interview technique. Experienced in self-shooting interviews, actuality and location footage.
Production and access
Experienced in managing contributor relationships, international logistics, rights-holder access and licenses, budget constraints, and managing productions under pressure.
Training and current development
Note: I am currently enrolled in Dr Catalin Brylla’s UCL documentary storytelling course to refresh my theory knowledge and focus on ethical disability representation, including my own.
- BBC Camera Operator training
- BBC Boom Operator training
- Interview Techniques
- Avid digitising and basic editing (now using Resolve or Descript)
- BBC Production Safety
- Camera and sound manual handling
- Emergency First Aid
- Advocacy and public speaking
