In 1984, he left journalism to run the UK's National Film Development Fund, and act as consultant to parent body British Screen Finance.
He made his debut as a producer in 1992 with the Emmy-winning TV film A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia,[1] which introduced Ralph Fiennes in the title role.
After co-producing Michael Radford's B. Monkey, Vaines supervised production and development for UK lottery franchise The Film Consortium from 1997 to 1999, overseeing movies including Hideous Kinky, starring Kate Winslet.
[3] He was co-executive producer of Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York, and Executive in Charge of Production on Anthony Minghella's Cold Mountain.
He also developed and oversaw production on numerous projects for The Weinstein Company, including The Reader, Factory Girl and Minghella's final film for television, The No.
In 2015, he produced The Marriage of Reason and Squalor, directed by Turner-nominated artist Jake Chapman, and starring Rhys Ifans and Sophie Kennedy Clark.
Based on the British mini-series Unforgiven by Sally Wainwright, it was written by Peter Craig, Hillary Seitz, and Courtenay Miles and directed by Nora Fingsheidt.
He is producer with Lee Brazier on The Beauty of Sharks, a thriller set in Italy written by Rob Green and to be directed by Peter Chelsom.