About this Event
Date: Thursday 12 March
Venue: Film City Glasgow, 401 Govan Rd, Glasgow G51 2QJ
Timings: Please arrive at 2.45pm
Session: 3.00 - 5.00pm
followed by a networking reception until 6.30pm
True Crime remains one of the most commissioned, internationally saleable, & platform-dominant genres, yet it is also one of the most complex to originate, structure and deliver responsibly.
Behind every successful single or series sits a rigorous process: sourcing stories, securing rights, navigating legal frameworks, assessing risk, and determining whether the material is best realised as premium documentary, returning factual, limited drama, or a hybrid form.
We will explore:
- Sourcing and assessing stories
- Rights and legal framework
- Defining & developing the story
- Key components of successful true crime
- Duty of care and ethics
- Scripted vs unscripted approaches
We will also examine what differentiates True Crime from other factual or dramatic genres. Unlike lifestyle, history or even general documentary, True Crime carries inherent legal sensitivity, public interest implications & long-tail reputational consequences. It demands heightened editorial judgement, careful compliance, & a strategic understanding of how far a narrative can be shaped without crossing legal or ethical lines.
At the same time, the genre is evolving rapidly. Streamers and broadcasters continue to commission True Crime at scale, but with increased caution around ethics, representation, and risk. Podcast-to-screen adaptations, international co-productions and event-style limited series have expanded the commercial opportunity while legal scrutiny & audience expectation have intensified. For companies entering or expanding within the genre, understanding this shifting landscape is critical.
Moderator:
Ashe Hussain, Programme Director (FOCUS), & Co-Director (HORIZONS-2 & Creative Connexions)
Speakers:
Matthew Gordon, Executive Producer
Matthew Gordon is an award‑winning television executive producer and factual specialist with over two decades of experience creating & delivering high‑profile documentary, factual entertainment & true crime programming for UK broadcasters & global streaming platforms.
Most recently, Matthew served as Head of Contemporary Factual at Woodcut Media, where he executive produced a wide range of notable series and documentaries including ‘Becoming Ian Brady’, ‘M**der in the Red Light’, ‘World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners’, and ‘The Suitcase Murders’. His work spans both limited series & long‑running factual brands, combining investigative storytelling with carefully managed production processes. These projects have been commissioned by platforms and broadcasters including Prime Video, Channel 5, Discovery, Sky Crime and Warner Bros. Discovery.
He is a founding member of the Association of True Crime Producers, where he helped develop industry guidelines around compliance, ethics, & duty of care in true crime storytelling. These guidelines have since been adopted by numerous production companies and broadcasters, reflecting the increasing importance of responsible approaches when working with sensitive real‑world stories.
Matthew has been included in Realscreen’s Global 100 list of leading factual producers and his productions have received nominations & awards from organisations including the True Crime Awards, the Content Innovation Awards, & the Royal Television Society.
In addition to his broadcast work, Matthew runs Spontaneous Media, a small creative agency producing video & photographic content for businesses, charities and organisations. Through this work he collaborates with talent both on and off screen while developing digital content for platforms.
Matthew began his career after completing a BEng (Hons) degree at the University of Aberdeen.
Mark Hedgecoe, Head of Rogan Scotland
Mark Hedgecoe is a senior television executive and documentary producer with more than 30 years’ experience across factual programming, documentary features and premium current affairs. He is currently Head of Rogan Scotland, the Glasgow-based arm of Rogan Productions, where he oversees development and production of the company’s Scottish slate.
He joined Rogan in 2021 to launch Rogan Scotland, reporting into the London headquarters and spearheading the company’s expansion into Scotland. His role involves identifying and developing documentary stories originating from Scotland, building relationships with commissioners and funders, and overseeing productions from development through to delivery.
Before joining Rogan, Hedgecoe held senior roles at BBC Studios, where he led Pacific Quay Productions in Glasgow, one of the BBC’s key factual production hubs. During this period he worked closely with BBC commissioners and production teams to deliver factual series and documentaries across science, history, arts, religious programming and daytime and observational films.
Across his wider career he has worked extensively in documentary and factual storytelling, with credits spanning investigative films, science and history programming and long-form documentary, as well as factual drama.
At Rogan Scotland, Hedgecoe has focused on building a wide-ranging slate of high-end documentary features and limited series that often combine investigative journalism with cinematic storytelling, aligning with Rogan Productions’ reputation for award-winning documentaries for broadcasters and global platforms.
Recent true crime related documentaries from Rogan:
Rogan Scotland
- Body On The Beach, a series about the drowning of Swedish woman Annie Borgesson at Prestwick Beach for BBC Three/BBC Scotland
- The Man in the Mask: An Orkney M**der, a series about the M**der of a Bangladeshi waiter in an Orkney restaurant, and the subsequent police investigation, trial and conviction, for BBC Scotland & BBC Two.
Rogan Productions Films
- Grenfell: Uncovered, investigative documentary examining the events and failures surrounding the Grenfell Tower disaster, for Netflix.
- The Search for Nicola Bulley, documentary exploring the disappearance and investigation of Nicola Bulley, for BBC One.
Louise Lambert, Co-CEO, Reviewed & Cleared
Louise Lambert is Co-CEO of Reviewed & Cleared, a media law firm advising on all the legal issues that may arise in the creation and publication of content. Louise is a specialist content lawyer, working across all media platforms including TV, film and podcasts. She undertakes a broad range of work, from pre-acquisition opinions to legal and compliance support throughout the duration of a production, be it scripted or unscripted. She also advises on duty of care, fair dealing and provides legal opinions for the purpose of obtaining E&O insurance. Her true crime experience includes The Long Shadow (New Pictures/ITV), Con Mum (Forest/Netflix), Death in Bollywood (Grain/BBC) and Megan Thee Stallion vs Tory Lanez: Five Shots (Optomen/Discovery). Reviewed & Cleared also has a team of business affairs lawyers, who advise on everything from film finance, to contracts and chain of title, as well as title searches and opinions, employment and AI.
Please note: spaces for this event are limited and Glasgow-based companies will be prioritised.
CREATIVE CONNEXIONS FORMS PART OF THE GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS GROWTH PROGRAMME AND IS FUNDED BY THE UK GOVERNMENT SHARED PROSPERITY FUND. THE PROGRAMME IS MANAGED AND DELIVERED BY FILM CITY FUTURES.
Accessibility:
If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the FOCUS team in advance: [email protected]
Privacy policy:
By booking this event you consent to FOCUS & Film City Futures storing your contact details. Please note: we will only ever contact you via email regarding FOCUS events and will not share your confidential information with any external third parties.
Photography notice:
Please be aware that we may take photographs and videos at this event. By attending and/ or participating in this event, you agree for us to photograph and/ or video record you and to use such images and recordings on our website, social media and other platforms as required. IF you do not wish to be photographed please let us know.
COVID-19 statement:
Please do not attend in-person events if you, or anyone in your household, has had any symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19 within the past five days prior to the event.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Film City Glasgow, 401 Govan Road, Glasgow, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
