John began his career in Professional Theatre as a Lighting Designer with Repertory Companies at Leeds Playhouse and Manchester Library . To diversify his skills he studied Film and TV Production at Art College , emerging into London as a young cameraman just as the Punk and New Wave music / art / fashion revolution took hold in the late 1970s . After working on numerous iconic music videos and crewing on feature films, he was recruited by ITN and Thames TV to work on news and current affairs throughout the world . Returning to his native Yorkshire in 2002 , initially to work with the AV department at York University , John set up his independent production company , CinemArts .