Hot Shots 2024: Vivien Jones

Vivien Jones first came to work with Passion Pictures as a freelance assistant producer on Antidote, a documentary about Vladimir Putin’s assassination programme. But, says creative director Hamish Fergusson, she excelled in the role so much that the team felt it only fitting that they give her a co-producer credit.

The film went on to premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, winning the award for Best Editing in a Feature Documentary, and will air on Channel 4.

“Vivien threw herself into the production and immersed herself in a closely guarded and secret world, which put her under an immense amount of pressure, but she handled it unlike anyone else could have,” Fergusson says. “She was the focal point of the production and the film is a testament to her hard work, journalistic nuance and skill.”

Given the sensitive nature of the subject matter and its reliance on whistleblowers, the Antidote team had to work in total secrecy, under a very strict set of protocols and rules. In fact, Jones and her colleagues ended up working in a closed bunker separate from the rest of the office, communicating only via encrypted apps, and telling no one about the project.

Director James Jones says: “The stakes could not have been higher, but Viv took it all in her stride. She showed amazing dedication and editorial judgement and was calm under pressure in the face of very unpredictable and challenging circumstances. She has a rare combination of journalistic skill, empathy and creativity.”

Jones is currently working on a yet-to-be-announced National Geographic film, and Fergusson says he and the team are proud to be able to o er Jones her first producer credit and edit experience.

“She has excelled at every project she’s worked on,” he says, describing her as “an absolute joy” and a “genuinely rare and committed talent”.