time ▁job ▁as ▁a ▁sports ▁journalist ▁for ▁The ▁Vo ice ▁and ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁mag az ines ▁editor . ▁ ▁From ▁there ▁he ▁left ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁News ▁on ▁Sunday , ▁the ▁radical , ▁left - wing ▁Sunday ▁tab lo id . ▁In ▁joining ▁the ▁news ▁team ▁as ▁its ▁News ▁Editor , ▁Kol ton ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁black ▁British ▁to ▁be ▁made ▁the ▁News ▁Editor ▁of ▁a ▁national ▁newspaper . ▁After ▁six ▁months ▁the ▁newspaper ▁went ▁bank rupt ▁and ▁Lee ▁joined ▁the ▁BBC ▁as ▁a ▁document ary ▁research er . ▁ ▁He ▁later ▁attended ▁National ▁Film ▁and ▁Television ▁School . ▁Upon ▁gradu ating ▁he ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁writer ▁and / or ▁director ▁on ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁television ▁programs , ▁including ▁a ▁st int ▁at ▁Cru cial ▁Films , ▁the ▁production ▁company ▁owned ▁by ▁Len ny ▁Henry . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁where ▁he ▁lived ▁for ▁four ▁years . ▁While ▁there ▁he ▁made ▁his ▁first ▁independent ▁short ▁drama , ▁American ▁Mod . ▁While ▁living ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁Lee ▁wrote ▁and ▁performed ▁his ▁first ▁play , ▁An ▁Even ing ▁with ▁Michael ▁Jordan , ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁Black ▁Theatre ▁of ▁Har lem . ▁ ▁He ▁arrived ▁back ▁in ▁London ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁and ▁prompt ly ▁founded ▁the ▁film ▁and ▁television ▁production ▁company ▁Pro ph et ▁Pictures . ▁Through ▁Pro ph et ▁Pictures , ▁Lee ▁wrote , ▁directed ▁and ▁produced ▁his ▁first ▁feature ▁film ▁Cher ps , ▁winner ▁of ▁a ▁Screen ▁Nation ▁Independent