Cordell Jigsaw Group

COMPANY PROFILE

Cordell Jigsaw was founded by two of Australia’s leading producers, Michael Cordell and Nick Murray, to collaborate on factual, entertainment and drama production. Formed in 2005, the company has quickly grown to become one of the leading independent production houses in Australia providing quality content to all major Australian networks.

Cordell Jigsaw’s eclectic range of production spans popular ob-doc series like Bondi Rescue, bold factual experiments such as Go Back to Where You Came From and drama with The Great Mint Swindle.

Both Nick and Michael come from a long background in media and television production. In 2006 the Screen Producers Association of Australia awarded Michael the 2006 Independent Producer of the Year (factual). In 2007 Nick was named SPAA Independent Producer of the Year (drama).

The company’s productions have won many awards including four consecutive Logies for Bondi Rescue for “Most Popular Factual Series”.

Cordell Jigsaw is based in Sydney, Australia. The company prides itself on creating a stimulating and supportive work environment. Every morning staff assemble before the company fish tank and chant the corporate mantra, “don’t be afraid of trying something new.”

MICHAEL CORDELL—EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Michael Cordell is one of Australia’s most established producers and filmmakers. He made his first documentary Franklin Wild River at 20 featuring a young Bob Brown rafting through the Tasmanian wilderness. After a decade in print journalism and television current affairs, Michael made the 1997 documentary feature Year of the Dogs that had a wide theatrical release, screened on the BBC’s prestigious Storyville and has won numerous awards. It is still among Australia’s highest grossing theatrical documentaries.

Among Michael’s various credits as a producer and/or director are Dykes on Bikes (ABC), Bondi (ABC), The Track (ABC), Drama School (Seven), Street Practice (ABC), A Case for the Coroner (ABC), The National Sex Survey (Ten), Suspicious Minds (Nine) and Political Football (ABC). The Original Mermaid (SBS) won him the Film Critics’ Circle Award for Best Director in 2003 while his provocative documentary Music and Murder screened at the Melbourne Film Festival in 2004.

Michael is Executive and Series Producer on the Two Men in a Tinnie series with Tim Flannery and John Doyle that won him SPAA Independent Producer of the Year in 2006 (factual). The series is now in its third run. Michael has been Executive Producer on Recruits (Ten), Dave in the Life (SBS), Anatomy of a Massacre (ABC) and Bondi Rescue (Ten). Bondi Rescue is now moving into its seventh season. It has won four consecutive Logies for Most Popular Factual Series in Australia and has been twice nominated Most Outstanding Factual Series.

Michael’s recent directing credits include the documentary feature Three Boys Dreaming. Filmed over four years it was shortlisted for best documentary at the 2010 Sydney Film Festival and screened on the ABC in early 2011. Michael also produced and directed the first murder trial ever filmed in Australia as part of the five-part ABC court series On Trial screened in 2011.

Most recently Michael was Executive Producer and writer on Go Back to Where You Came From. The provocative series is the highest rating locally produced program screened by SBS during ratings and received global attention in the press and social media. Michael is currently producing the company’s first telemovie, The Great Mint Swindle, commissioned by the Nine Network.

NICK MURRAY—EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Through Cordell Jigsaw and ten-year-old Jigsaw Entertainment, Nick has a very broad set of credits. They span comedy, light entertainment, drama and factual production. Nick produced the 2006 BlackJack Trilogy – Murder Archive, a package of three telemovies for Network Ten and BBC Worldwide – making a total of seven BlackJack tele-movies in the last six years. Nick has been co Executive Producer of Cordell Jigsaw series for: Two of Us (SBS), Two Men in a Tinnie (ABC) and Bondi Rescue (Ten) and through Jigsaw, The Ronnie Johns Half Hour (Ten) and two series of the comedy Stupid Stupid Man (TV1/ABC).

Over the past 14 years Nick has acted as Producer or Executive Producer of 25 productions comprising over 200 hours of television. Prior to establishing Cordell Jigsaw he was the foundation CEO of The Comedy Channel, one of Australia's leading cable and satellite networks, a joint venture between cable operator Foxtel and independent production company Artist Services (now Granada Media Australia).

Nick is a former President of the Screen Producers Association of Australia and is a current board member of PilotLight Australia. Nick was awarded the SPAA Independent Producer of the Year in 2003 and in 2007 was awarded SPAA Independent Drama Producer of the Year.

Cordell Jigsaw Productions
A. 1st Floor, 129 Cathedral St, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
P. +61 2 9326 9922 · F. +61 2 9326 9277 · E. info@cordelljigsaw.com