Who We Are

The History-Makers team are a group of highly experienced and award-winning filmmakers, broadcasters and historians. We are dedicated to sharing with you the most intriguing historical & archaeological stories in exceptional depth.

The Team

Sarah Jobling
Documentary Director & Founder
I developed a passion for history and archaeology working in the BBC History department on popular strands like Meet the Ancestors and Timewatch. Since then I’ve made films spanning a wide range of historical subjects and eras from prehistory to more modern history. If you forced me to pick some favourites they would be The Crusades, presented by Dr Tom Asbridge, the Birth of Empire, presented by Dan Snow and The Real White Queen, presented by the author Philippa Gregory. I am also immensely proud to have been part of the original creative team behind the BBC’s Digging for Britain series, subsequently directing and series producing on three seasons of the show.

Like all history lovers I’m drawn to the big names and the drama of big events, but I am also compelled to seek out what’s new about the stories and people we think we know. So this will be the focus of History Makers - a platform dedicated to new approaches to more familiar stories.
Matthew Platts-Mills
Film Editor & Co-founder
I have worked in the film and TV industry for over twenty-five years, making everything from landmark documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4, National Geographic, and ITV to high-end scripted dramas for Amazon, Paramount, and Netflix, including series like The Alienist and The Gentlemen.
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I consider myself lucky to have worked with eminent broadcasters like Simon Schama, David Reynolds, and Richard Dawkins and acclaimed filmmakers like Ridley Scott and Guy Ritchie. No matter what subject or format, my job as a storyteller is to find the most compelling narrative. 
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What excites me about History Makers is the ability to engage with the audience directly and bring them relevant historical stories at a level of depth that has been impossible until now.
Mike Kelly
Chief Financial Officer
I trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse and worked as the Group Accountant for Thames Television PLC, F.D. of Majestic Films & TV, F.D. of British Screen Group, Head of Finance of the UK Film Council and V.P. Finance & Production E.M.E.A. & Asia for Warner Bros. before establishing Northern Alliance. In addition to my involvement in the financing, development, production or distribution of hundreds of titles ranging from ‘Shifty’ to ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone’, Northern Alliance has provided business advice to clients as diverse as Aardman Animations, Film London, Octopus Investments and Royal and Derngate Theatres. I have acted as Head of/Director of Finance and Head of Production and Business Affairs on an interim or part time basis for clients and am an experienced ‘angel’ investor. A NESTA creative business mentor, I have also helped deliver industry development programmes across the UK and overseas, including as a visiting lecturer at Cass Business School.
Graham Cooper
Director & Founding Team Member
I have more than 30 years production experience, with a specialism in access-led history programming.   I’ve filmed historical sites all over Britain and in over 48 other countries, including some of the world’s toughest environments: the Arctic, the Amazon and the Deserts of Namibia and Iraq. I led the only team to have ever filmed the fabled ancient wonder, the Minaret of Jam, deep in the highlands of Afghanistan; I’ve filmed the discovery of lost Myan Pyramids, hidden in the Guatemalan Rain Forest and my series “The Iran-Iraq War: A Tragedy That Changed History” won the Association for International Broadcasting’s award for Best Historical Documentary.  I’ve produced and directed archaeology series “Digging For Britain” and “Curse of the Ancients” both presented by Prof Alice Roberts and ran the “History Hunter” strand of the “One Show”, presented by Dan Snow.

My films span a wide range of eras and content, including historic farming and nineteenth century novelists, but I have a particular interest in military history, devising and producing three series of the BBC’s much emulated “SAS: Are You Tough Enough?” and historical documentaries including “Tank Heroes of WWII”, “Destination D-Day: The Raw Recruits” and BAFTA nominated “Regimental Stories” – amongst others.
Saul David
Historical Consultant
Saul is a historian and broadcaster whose many critically acclaimed books include: Operation Thunderbolt, an Amazon History Book of the Year which was turned into the movie Entebbe; SBS: Silent Warriors, shortlisted for the Mountbatten Award and a Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller; and Devil Dogs, a Times and Daily Telegraph History Book of the Year. He co-hosts the Battleground podcast with Patrick Bishop.