Emma Openshaw
Senior Research Analyst
Emma joined SPI in 2021 and, as a Senior Research Analyst, works across the firm’s portfolios.
Emma’s valuable hands-on production experience has helped guide the Local Economic Impact Toolkit created for Creative England, as well as her input on SPI’s bespoke capacity assessment of screen production sectors, such as that conducted for the State of Maine the State of North Carolina. Emma has undertaken a number of projects related to workforce capacity and skills development, including a crew mapping and skills forecasting study for the BFI.
Emma’s work spans various regions and countries, including the recent study on the global performance of Dutch Films for the Netherlands Film Fund, an analysis of the economic impact of the screen production industry in Fiji, and various projects across the Gulf and Southern Africa.
While living in South Africa, Emma was a Broadcast Director and Senior Producer for WildEarth/SafariLIVE for just under two years. This involved daily live shows across multiple digital and broadcast channels, as well as bespoke television series for National Geographic, the South African national broadcaster (SABC) and CGTN. Prior to that, she was at an independent production company for two and a half years as a Production Manager. At Mannequin Pictures, she facilitated international and local television and feature content for clients such as Hallmark, Comedy Central and MNET.
Emma completed her Master’s Degree in Business Administration at the University of Oxford and her undergraduate and honours degree in Screen Production at the University of Cape Town. Her start in the industry was through Film Finances SA, working directly for managing director Jane Fry, reviewing and monitoring co-production projects administration and progress, as well as local and international projects, including BET’s Madiba Series; Krotoa, Coiled and The Indian Detective.