“The Saw Makers”
Saw Making is a critically endangered craft, with Shane and Jaq Skelton the UK’s only bespoke saw makers, crafting perhaps the finest hand saws in the world. With a waiting list of up to a year, a long line of woodworkers and collectors wait impatiently for their prize. As Shane and Jaq struggle to keep the craft alive, this intimate film follows the making of their new Chippendale inspired saw, while illustrating the passion that woodwork and making can have to individuals as they battle life threatening illnesses.
Director Biography
Born and raised in North Yorkshire, Jacob is an award winning documentary filmmaker & licensed drone operator, holding a 1st class degree in filmmaking from Kingston University and studied documentary filmmaking as a post grad at the New York Film Academy.
With a passion for creating intimate films with an ethnographic feel, Jacob has made several observational films detailing crafts that have screened at museums and festivals around the world, with a feature documentary in production.
Alongside his filmmaking, Jacob freelances in Factual TV on shows such as The Yorkshire Vet & ITV’s Made in Britain, with a background as an Assistant Director on feature films & commercials.
In 2018, Jacob co-founded a small production company with his wife Honey, creating documentaries, promotional films and drone content for TV and online platforms.
Director’s Statement
2 years ago, I made an observational film of Shane, as he made on of their classic hand saws.
Keeping in touch with Shane and Jaq in the months that followed, Shane came down with pneumonia, bringing all their work to a close and threatening both their livelihoods and the future of the craft.
Learning their personal story and the continued struggle to keep the craft alive, I knew there was much more of a story to tell that simply portraying his skill as a maker.
One phone call lead to a year long passion project and many trips to Scarborough, capturing their lives, their backstory and filming the making process of their new Chippendale Saw for a truly wonderful man I went on to meet.
Stan Brownlee, a retired woodworker, spends his retirement making beautiful bespoke pieces of furniture for families and children, all for the pleasure it brings him.
Stan and I sparked an unlikely friendship as I filmed him with Shane and then alone at his home workshop.
Mid way through the saw’s construction, we learnt that Stan’s cancer had returned, and he would need immediate surgery in an attempt to save his life.
The saws were his motivation to get through it, and it was my joy to be with him as the long wait and struggles along the way finally came through for him.
The beauty of the craft, the passion for making and telling the important stories of those involved made this film one of my proudest achievements.