Toby Wagstaff is a writer, editor, and script consultant who focuses on entertainment and conversational AI. Originally from the United Kingdom, he graduated with first-class honors in Philosophy and Modern Languages (Italian) from the University of Oxford. He now resides in New York, where he continues to build on his diverse career.
Toby spent a year in Rome as part of his studies, attending the Università degli Studi Roma Tre. During this time, he completed courses in cinema and art history, volunteered as a teaching assistant, and directed a production of The Importance of Being Earnest with Italian students. In addition to his academic work, he tutored English part-time and pursued photography as a hobby, capturing the essence of Rome's rich history.
After completing his education at Oxford, Toby launched his career in the film industry in London. He began by providing script coverage and analysis for Studio 8 Productions and Peace Arch Films. His experience was further enriched by an internship in post-production on the BBC series Monarch of the Glen, where he gained insights into film editing, sound mixing, and color correction.
In 2004, Toby Wagstaff's first significant on-set experience came with the feature film Shadows in the Sun, starring Harvey Keitel and Joshua Jackson. Working on location in Tuscany and London, he took on multiple roles, including assistant to the producers and translator between the Italian and English-speaking teams. He even served as an on-screen double.
Later that year, Toby relocated to the US to join Fierce Entertainment as a Creative Executive. He played a crucial role in developing the company's first in-house feature, War, starring Jet Li and Jason Statham, and helped significantly expand the company's buyers' rep operation. Realizing his passion for writing, he transitioned to a role at Original Content, where he focused on discovering and mentoring new screenwriting talent.
Toby eventually transitioned into full-time screenwriting, with his first spec script, Arena, optioned by Summit Entertainment in 2008. Since then, he has continued to write and sell screenplays across various genres, including the thriller The Day I Die and the YA drama Break My Bones. His work also includes assignments like the sci-fi graphic novel adaptation Shrapnel and romantic comedy rewrites for PixL TV.
In recent years, Toby has expanded his expertise into the field of conversational AI. Leveraging his extensive writing experience, he has contributed to the development of AI models for a major tech company. While he believes that AI will never replace human creativity, he is excited about its potential to enhance access to information and contribute to solving global issues like climate change.
Outside of work, Toby Wagstaff is passionate about music, photography, fencing, and nature. He has been involved in music since his youth, playing guitar and bass in several bands. As a top youth fencer in the UK, he also represented Oxford University. In his free time, he enjoys exploring and photographing dramatic landscapes with his 35mm SLR camera.
