Laurie Harris

You Are History blends drama, documentary and roleplay to put you at the heart of history. Time-travel to the past and survive as a gladiator, an ice-age hunter gatherer or an Elizabethan woman accused of witchcraft. I created and developed the format, wrote the script for the pilot episode and produced it.

https://open.spotify.com/show/7fwo7XYhxVpfaglFg9mcTO

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-are-history/id1822022304

These animated documentaries tell the personal stories of British service-people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As Producer and Co-director I reached out to veterans’ charities and found contributors. I researched the subject matter in depth and conducted conversations with veterans as sensitively as possible. In the end I met up with and interviewed two very eloquent veterans and recorded and edited their testimony. I then worked with animators to bring those experiences to life. The films are being used by Veterans' charities, the NHS and the Wellcome Trust, to help people with PTSD to identify their conditions and seek help.

This irreverent BBC Bitesize series tells the story of some of the biggest cultural influencers on Britain - from the Romans and their roads, to the Vikings and their bizarre beliefs, to the pioneering missionaries who brought Christianity to Britain. I wrote, produced and directed this 7x2 minute series aimed at 7-11 year olds - and managed to get David Tennant to do the VO! Below are links to some of the animations on the Bitesize website.

How Did the Ancient Greeks Change the World? - https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/articles/z8q8wmn

What Did the Vikings Believe? - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/ztyr9j6/articles/ztqbr82#zdmfydm4

What Did the Anglo-Saxons Believe? - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zxsbcdm/articles/zs3gcdm#zs4jjsg4

This 10x60 minute Audible Original documentary series tells the story of Richard Miller, the first FBI Agent to ever be convicted for espionage. Alongside narration the series weaves in the diaries of Miller, interviews with his loved ones as well as the various FBI and KGB agents involved in the case. I was a Producer on the project.

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/In-the-Gap-Podcast/B08LKDWJFB

This playful animated series is based around the adventures of three friends - Filip, Jess and Nazia - who are at different stages in their language learning journeys. The 10x2 minute films are aimed at primary school students who are learning English as an Additional Language and need some relatable pointers in and outside of the classroom. I led the successful pitch to the BBC, wrote the scripts and directed the animations. Below are links to some of the animations on the Bitesize website.

Health - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zr2c96f/articles/zxjxtrd

Food - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zr2c96f/articles/zdcdjsg

Family - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zr2c96f/articles/z43gr2p

This character-led animated series helps 7-11 year olds learn about our power sources. I led the successful pitch to the BBC, which was based on the concept of personifying energy types. I then wrote, produced and co-directed the 12x2 minute animations and the 12x30 second socials. Below are links to some of the animations on the Bitesize website.

New Renewables - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zxy4cmn/articles/zbqcbqt

Fossil Fuels - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zxy4cmn/articles/zc69r2p

Biomass - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zxy4cmn/articles/zdqshcw

I produced and directed over fifty short animations about American history as part of the ambitious, new history.org website. My responsibilities included conceptual input at the outset of the project, script revisions, visual scripting, directing animations and addressing feedback from multiple stakeholders.

https://history.org/

These two irreverent, archive-based animations tell the story of the age-old interaction between sportswear and men’s fashion. I was the Producer.

UN Mine Action wanted a series of short animations for broadcast on Afghan television, to raise awareness about the dangers of mines and IEDs in a child friendly, engaging way. I developed three concepts, each for a different age group, and pitched them to the UN. We consulted with the client at each stage, during scripting, illustration and animation - and ultimately we produced three beautifully drawn and animated shorts. I developed the concepts, wrote the scripts with a translator, acted as point of contact for the client and directed our illustrator, Jem Milton, and our animator, Mohammad Ali Sharifpour. The three films have been broadcast on Afghan television on numerous occasions.

Granny’s story - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT0v29vDu9M&t=60s

Salar’s story - https://youtu.be/Xa1QkpSgVwM?list=PLdhkSNQEnOOSvQUhHZ-ct9hvlLudCVtpN

This short animation is based around a warm, chatty phone conversation between a mother and daughter. The mother is helping the daughter with the difficult decision of which university to pick. The aim with this approach was to promote Heriot Watt University in a different, surprising way. I wrote and directed the film.

I was scriptwriter for a series of seven animations about famous works of English literature, from To Kill a Mockingbird to Of Mice and Men. Below are links to some of the animations on the Bitesize website.

To Kill a Mockingbird - https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/clips/zswcsg8

A Taste of Honey - https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/clips/zx3pqty

About a Boy - https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/clips/zywcsg8

I have written over a hundred short film scripts for ITN Education and their clients, including Cambridge University Press, Pearson & Nat Geo. The films are used as part of programmes of study, often to stimulate debate and conversation amongst English language students in the classroom. The subject matters of the films are wide ranging, from driverless-car technology, to the life of Malala, to the technological advancements that result from war.

https://www.itnproductions.co.uk/education/

These two live action films for BBC iwonder give essential background on the schism between Sunni and Shia Islam. I was the Producer.

iWonder guide

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z373wmn

I produced, directed and script-edited a series of 80 x 2-3 minute animations about the American Revolution for Makematic and the American Battlefield Trust.

New Jersey: The Birthplace of Women’s Suffrage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-lnYdbJENY

The Ethiopian Regiment - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg7j0Z8VoRo

Revolutionary Firepower: Muskets vs Rifles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC8iwHjo7lo&t=2s

This sixty-minute documentary offers perspectives from two sides of controversial debates; including capital punishment, stem cell research, abortion, war, animal-testing and assisted suicide. I was Assistant Producer on the project. Below is a link to the Matters of Life and Death BBC website.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01z2nf6/clips