Joseph Andrew McLean (born 30 November 1979) is a Scottish film and TV producer. He has produced over 60 episodes of the TV drama River City for BBC Studios He has also produced commercials, documentaries, music videos and short films in the UK and USA.
He founded the Glasgow-based production company Partickular Films and is also the founder of Partick Film Festival.Times Article on Partick Film Festival
Early life and education
McLean was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Anne (née Wason), and Alistair McLean. He has three older siblings Alyson, James and Lynn.
He attended St. Peter's Primary in Partick and St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in Jordanhill.
Born on St. Andrew's Day, he is named after Scotland's Patron Saint.
He had a love of film from a young age and was an avid cinema goer, frequenting the local Grosvenor Cinema in Ashton Lane and the Salon Cinema in Hillhead.
In 2013 he graduated from the University of Glasgow with a Master of Arts (Scotland) in English Literature and Politics.
Joseph studied screenwriting at the University of California and University of Strathclyde.
Career McLean made a number of short films during his time at the University of California and University of Glasgow.
His first feature film script Utopia, loosely based on the events surrounding Jim Jones, the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple, best known for the mass murder-suicide in November 1978 of 909 of its members in Jonestown, Guyana was voted runner-up at the 20th Anniversary University of California, Irvine Screenwriting Festival in 2012.
After leaving university, McLean founded his own production company Partickular Films which specialises in commercials, documentaries, films and music videos.Evening Times Article on Mclean
In 2013, he released the short film Sectarian Secret Police about a Partick Thistle supporter who is kidnaped by a special police unit who demand he disowns his favourite football team in favour of Rangers or Celtic. The film screened at numerous film festivals throughout the UK, including Screentest: The National Student Film Festival in London and the Loch Ness film festival.Craigmonie Theatre Entry
In the same year he also directed the music video Nothing on Earth for the band Casual Sex, the music video was showcased by SXSWSouth By Southwest Showcase and featured in The Daily RecordDaily Record Article and The Skinny.Skinny Magazine Article
In 2014, McLean wrote a pilot for a TV series called 2014 which revolved around the organisers for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.Digital Enterprise Glasgow article on 2014 Pilot
McLean was commissioned to write a script for an animated film as part of Deep Roots, Kilmarnock's major Homecoming Scotland event in 2014, charting the history of Dean Castle and the Boyd family, who were lords of Kilmarnock for over 400 years.East Ayrshire Council The 10-minute animation was screened onto the side of the castle to an audience of over 1400 local school children.
His short film Nomad about the Scottish Independence Referendum was inspired by a scene from The Parallax View starring Warren Beatty. The film was screened at the Shorts on Tap Beyond Scotland event at 93 Feet East, Brick Lane, London.Shorts on Tap – Beyond Scotland
McLean's short film Car Sick (2023) has screened at festivals in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Ireland.
He is a member of BAFTA Scotland.
Filmography
Film FilmYearDirectorRoleProjectBehind The Lines1997Gillies MacKinnonActorFeature FilmThe Perils of Smoking2011ActorShort FilmThe Decoy Bride2011Sheree FolksonActorFeature FilmFirst Impressions2011Joseph Andrew McleanProducer / DirectorShort FilmMausam2011Pankaj KapurActorFeature FilmThe Cookie Monster (USA)2012Joseph Andrew McleanProducer / DirectorShort FilmUtopia: The Temple of Paradise (USA)2012Joseph Andrew McleanProducer / DirectorShort FilmSectarian Secret Police2013Joseph Andrew McleanProducer / DirectorShort FilmLoch Fyne2014Joseph Andrew McleanProducer / DirectorDocumentaryLocavore: Pigs in the Park2014Joseph Andrew McleanProducer / DirectorDocumentaryDeep Roots2014 ScreenwriterAnimated FilmNomad2014Joseph Andrew McleanProducer / DirectorShort FilmGlasgow Fish Market2014Joseph Andrew McleanProducer / DirectorDocumentaryCows, Cash & Cover-ups: Investigating vCJD2017Joseph Andrew McleanProducer / DirectorDocumentaryOutlaw King2018David MackenzieAssistant to Executive Producer Feature FilmSlingshot2018Robin HaigAssociate Producer Short FilmGet Duked!2019Ninian DoffAssociate Producer Feature FilmOur Ladies2019Michael Caton-JonesAssistant to Director Feature FilmThe Small Hand2019Justin MolotnikovProduction Coordinator TV FilmThen Came You2019Adriana TrigianiProduction Assistant Feature FilmZebra Girl2021Stephanie ZariProduction Coordinator Feature FilmGo Home2021Razan MadhoonAssociate Producer Short FilmUnders2021Bert DijkstraAssociate Producer Short FilmCar Sick2023David Hayman JrProducer Short Film
Television TV ShowYearDirectorRoleProject Take The High Road 1996ActorSTV River City 2011ActorBBC Studios20142014Joseph Andrew McleanProducer / DirectorPartickular FilmsNot Safe for Work2014Production AssistantChannel 4Lovesick 2014Production AssistantChannel 4CNN2016ProducerCNNAntiques Road Trip2017ResearcherSTVThe People's History Show2017ResearcherSTV Succession 2019Production AssistantHBO The Nest (British TV series) 2020Production AssistantBBC Scotland River City 2019–2021Production ManagementBBC Studios River City 2021–2024ProducerBBC Studios
References
External links
Joseph Andrew McLean Website Partickular Films