[2] In the 1970s Peat worked as a film cameraman, shooting documentaries for well-known producers, including the BBC's Paul Hamann, and Roger Graef.
Peat produced a number of action and physical shoots, including The Legend of Los Tayos in the Amazonian jungle, with Bill Forsyth.
Peat worked on arts films for cinema and television with Scottish film-maker, Murray Grigor, (The Hand of Adam, Frank Lloyd Wright, Blast!).
[3] Peat began directing and film-making with the encouragement of producer Steve Clark-Hall, delivering a weekly programme Years Ahead on Channel Four in 1983.
[2] Peat became best known as a film-maker for his observational documentaries, (Gutted,[4] This Mine is Ours, Me and My Face, Life's Too Short,[5] Please Leave The Light On, and others, often acting as a director-cameraman.