when the work
stops behaving
Development & Diagnostics for Writers, Directors, Comedians and Creators.
when doing more work no longer moves the project forward
The Sticking Point
Most projects don’t fail. They stall.
Some things may be working - a premise, a voice, a stretch of material - but the whole thing won’t hold together. You keep circling the same ground, trying to fix the surface: more work, more notes, more revision.
The problem isn’t lack of talent or effort - it’s that the project’s internal logic isn’t clear yet.
Most stalled projects don’t need more ideas or feedback, they need clarity - someone to identify the governing problem that the work is actually organised around.
Maybe you’re…
a filmmaker chasing the version in your head.
a writer who can’t get their piece to take shape.
a comedian whose new hour won’t reveal its spine.
a theatre-maker trying to land the emotional centre.
a creator whose online work is evolving faster than the format you’re using.
someone with a strong idea but no sense of how to develop it.
I’ve helped hundreds of people break deadlocks like these for over 20 years, across comedy, film and long form narrative.
I help you uncover what the project wants to be.
I listen closely - not just to your idea but to how you talk about it: your language, your hesitations, the parts you gloss over, the parts you light up around and the moments the project contradicts itself.
My focus is clarity: what the project actually is. Not what you hoped it was or what it used to be but what it can now realistically become.
I will help you identify:
the underlying argument or question
the emotional spine holding the material together
what to cut, what to protect, and what to grow
No formulas. No templates. No generic notes. And no imposing my voice onto yours.
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What I Do
What People Say
"An oracle of directing. One of the key shapers of the modern comedy landscape, setting many on the road to greatness"
— The Guardian
"John Gordillo’s shows are so well-structured, they feel like essays: funny, rigorous and conceptually brilliant”
John Robins (Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner)
“Gordillo’s contribution to the evolution of the Fringe form is significant. He constructs coherence from fragments, building arguments that move between the personal, the political and philosophical”
Daniel R. Smith
Comedy & Critique (Bristol University Press)
I’m a writer/director and story consultant working across comedy, documentary, film and long-form narrative. For over two decades I’ve helped creators find the real shape of their projects.
I’ve directed nearly a hundred live shows, many beginning at the Edinburgh Festival before touring internationally. My shows have won awards and nominations around the world. I’ve directed specials for Eddie Izzard, Dylan Moran, Sean Lock and countless others.
I also develop documentaries, scripted projects and long-form narrative. I’ve directed a feature documentary and produced & directed series for the BBC, Channel 4 and Dave TV.
Alongside my own work, I consult with writers, filmmakers and creators who want clear structural intelligence outside their usual orbit.
I find that while mediums and genres may be different, the underlying principles of story building are the same. This carries directly into the way I work with writers and creators
Who Am I?
John Gordillo
Working With Me
There are 3 ways I work with people
QUICK 1 TO 1
(the x-ray)
A focused diagnostic for immediate clarity - especially if you don’t know where the problem is.
A single session where we identify what the project actually is and what’s holding it back.
You leave with:
- a clear articulation of the project’s spine.
- concrete decisions about what to cut, protect, or develop.
Afterwards, you receive:
A one-page X-Ray Report.
A concise summary of the key insights and practical next steps.
Session length: up to 90 minutes
Price: £150
INTENSIVE 1 TO 1
(the deep read)
1. Close read
A detailed engagement with your material (script, treatment, or work-in-progress).
2. Deep dive
A forensic 2 hr consultation about
– how idea, story, structure, theme and voice align
– deeper subjects the material might be circling
– practical ways to build from here
3. The Blueprint (4–8 pages)
A written document that captures:
a) How the project currently behaves
b What it’s built to hold
(emotions, themes, new strands, devices, characters)
c) A clear, grounded proposal for a version that’s coherent, resonant and buildable.
4. Follow-up
A 45-minute session to talk through what’s clicked, what’s opened up, and how to approach the next iteration of the project.
Price: £500
A full structural read of an existing project - script, treatment or work-in-progress
LONGER TERM
(collaboration & guidance)
An ongoing collaboration supporting the project through development, revision, and decision-making.
This allows us to:
- respond to the work as it changes
-test choices in real time
- keep the project aligned as complexity increases.
This is for creators who want continuity, rigour, and a thinking partner — not just notes. Someone who holds the shape of the project over time so it develops with coherence and not drift.
Pricing: from £1,500/month depending on
project scale and intensity.
For companies/teams:
bespoke development packages available.
Sustained support as the work evolves.