A ten-minute voice and body warm-up for presenters
Ten minutes, no props, done in the room you are about to speak in. This is the order to run it in and the habits that undo it.
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Guides and tools
Practical help for everyone who makes content, from first-time presenters to film crews. Free to use, written from the studio floor.
Free guides, templates, calculators and checklists from a working studio, written for the people who make things: presenters, podcasters, agencies, crews, actors and anyone commissioning content. Pick who you are, or filter by topic, format and stage.
350 guides and tools
Call sheet template (UK, with nearest A&E and weather)
One page tells every person when to arrive, where to go and what is being shot. Issue it the day before, and reissue the whole sheet when anything changes.
Colour temperature and gel cheat sheet
Mixed colour temperatures are the most common cause of a picture that looks wrong. Know the source, correct it with the right gel, and set the camera to match.
Data wrangling checklist: 3-2-1 backup and checksums
Footage is lost at the offload, not in the edit. Work through this list every time a card leaves the camera, and do not format a card until every copy is verified.
Drone filming in the UK: CAA rules and permissions
A drone shot needs two sets of permission, one for the pilot and aircraft, one for the ground you launch from. Here is what each asks for.
Field of view and focal length calculator, by sensor
The same lens gives a different picture on a different sensor. Enter your sensor width, focal length and distance and read off the angle and the width of the frame.
Free tools: MediaInfo, Shutter Encoder, QCTools and HandBrake
Four free, open source tools cover most of what a small crew needs between the camera card and the client. What each does and where it fits.
Get your voice heard: prepare, WIIFM, structure, body language, voice
The five parts of Alastair Greener's keynote "How To Get Your Voice Heard", written out so you can work through them before your next talk, meeting or recording.
How to read an autocue without looking like you're reading
The machine is the easy part. Saying someone else's written sentences as if they had just occurred to you is the skill, and most of it is sorted before you stand on the mark.
Lighting a cove to white, and to black
The rig on our grid is the one I specified and hung. Here is how it lights the cove to a clean catalogue white, how the same room goes to full black with colour in the smoke, and where the fixtures sit for each.
Loudness targets for podcasts and platforms
Two platforms, two targets, and one calculation that shows how far to move an episode before you export it.
Mic technique for podcasts: distance, angle, plosives
Where to put your mouth, where to point the microphone and how to stop the pops, with an illustrated step-through to click through before you record.
Questions to ask before you hire a studio
Ask these before you sign anything, and get the answers in writing with the quote.
Shot list and storyboard templates
One sheet lists every shot and another draws the frames that matter. Agree both before the day so the crew, the talent and the client work from one plan.
Shot list template for film and video shoots
A shot list turns the script into a list of pictures you can light, cast and time. Here is what to put in it and how to fill it in before the day.
Storyboard sheets for 16:9, 9:16 and 2.39:1
A storyboard is only useful if its frames are the shape of the final picture. Choose the sheet for the delivery, then draw each panel so the crew can see the shot.
Teleprompter training: what a first session covers
A first session is about how you read, not what you read. It is the difference between a script that sounds like speech and one that sounds read.
Three-point lighting and beyond
Three-point lighting is the starting point for lighting a person on camera. Place the key first, add the fill to shape the shadows, and separate the subject with a back light.
Timing a script: words per minute and versions
A script's length is its word count divided by your pace. This is how to find your pace, time a draft, and build the shorter versions from one master script.
Using AI imagery and voice clones in ads: UK rules
The UK has no separate rulebook for AI ads. The CAP Code applies as it always did, and for voices and faces the protection comes from contracts and consent. This is what that means for a brief.
Vision mixing basics: ATEM and vMix
Both pick the picture the audience sees. They differ in what you plug in, who can run them and how they fail. A working engineer's guide to choosing and using either.
What strobes on camera: patterns, colours, white
A short guide to the clothes that misbehave on video, and the safer options to put on the rail instead.
When to use AI and when to shoot it for real
Work through a few questions before you commission a video, so you know which parts can be generated and which need a real person, place or product in front of the lens.
AI and copyright in the UK: where things stand
A dated plain-English summary of the government's March 2026 report on copyright and AI, what has not changed, and what to put in your contracts while the law catches up.
AI in the production workflow, stage by stage
A task-by-task map of where AI saves time on a video or audio project, where it should not be trusted and who has to sign it off. Tasks, not tools, because the tools change every quarter.
albert certification: what broadcasters ask for and the studio data you'll need
A producer's guide to BAFTA albert certification under the new toolkit, with a list of what to ask any studio for before the shoot so the carbon return is easy to complete.
Amazon and e-commerce image specs
Amazon can reject or suppress product images that break its rules, which holds up a listing. This checklist covers the main image specs and how to check them before upload.
Aspect ratios and safe areas for every platform
Frame and cut for the shape each platform shows, and keep the important parts inside the safe area.
Calm your nerves in three minutes: the 3-4-5 breath
A breathing routine you can do in a corridor, a car park or a green room, with a one-minute film to follow and the steps written out below.
Content day planner: one day, 30 assets
Thirty assets from one day depends on how many set-ups you need. Count the set-ups first, then the assets.
Content type chooser: explainer, testimonial, social, podcast
Four common formats, and the question each one answers. Answer the chooser's questions and see which format fits your main job.
Creative brief template for video
One page that tells a studio, a crew or a freelancer what the video is for, what they will make and who signs it off.
Crew rates explained: reading a Bectu rate card
A Bectu rate card is a recommended going rate from a freelance branch, not a law and not a price list. This page shows how to find the right one, what to check on it and how to budget crew for a small shoot.
Crew roles A to Z: what every job on set does
Every role you will see on a UK call sheet, in alphabetical order, with a plain line on what it does and a link to the full explainer where we have one.
Depth of field calculator, with a worked example
Depth of field is the zone that looks sharp. It depends on the lens, the aperture, the distance and the sensor, so set all four before you decide where to focus.
Filming and streaming a conference: the organiser's checklist
The decisions to make, and the people to tell, before the venue is booked, so the recording and the stream are planned rather than improvised on the day.
Filming in public places: council permits and film offices
There is no single UK filming permit. Who controls the spot decides what you need, and the council film office is usually the first call.
Filming people: UK GDPR, consent and when you need a release
A working guide for agencies and producers on who must agree to be filmed, what to tell them, how to record it and how long to keep the footage.
Frame rates and shutter: the 180 degree rule and flicker-free shutters for UK 50Hz
The 180 degree rule gives natural motion blur. In the UK, the shutter speed also has to suit 50Hz mains lighting, or the picture will flicker or band.
Framing yourself on camera: headroom and distance
Good framing is head and shoulders, with a small gap above your head and enough distance for the face to read on a small screen. This is how to set it up in five minutes.
Guest booking email and prep sheet
A clear booking email makes a yes easier to give, and a short prep sheet makes the recording better.
Hook, Message, Recap, Call to action: the HMRC structure
The four-part shape behind most talks that land, with what each part is for, a worked example, the usual mistakes and an outline you can fill in tonight.
How many words fit in 30 seconds? Timing a voiceover script
Scripts are written at reading speed and recorded at speaking speed. The gap between the two is how a 30-second spot turns into 38.
Lighting plot planner for studio shoots
A lighting plot is the one page that tells the rig crew where every light goes, what it does and which channel it is on. Use the planner to draft it before the day, and send it to the lighting team with the cove dimensions.
Live session recording: audio and multicam
How to plan a live session for a band or solo artist so the audio can be mixed afterwards and the cameras cut together without a fight.
Location recce checklist
What to check on a site visit, in the order that stops a shoot being cancelled on the morning.
Location release (UK): what to fill in
The permission that lets you film on someone else's land or in their building, and the parts of the form that people leave blank.
Location sound starter: boom, lav, room tone
A plain guide to recording dialogue on a small shoot: where the boom goes, when to use a lav, what levels to set and why room tone matters.
Make-up for HD and 4K: what the camera sees
Higher resolution shows more skin and more product. Here is what to look for, which base to choose and how light and lens work with the make-up.
Mic technique: handheld, lectern and head mic
The same voice can sound thin, boomy or clear depending on where the microphone is. This is how to use the three most common types on stage.
Music licensing for brand video in the UK
A track has two copyrights, a platform's trending sound is not a licence for your business, and the cheapest safe route is usually a production music library. Here is how to choose and what to keep on file.
One shoot, a month of posts: repurposing map
One shoot can feed a month of posts if the cuts are planned before the day. Map each source to the formats it can make.
Podcast format chooser: interview, panel, solo or narrative
Pick the format from the number of voices, whether the episode is talked through or built, and how much time you have to edit.
Product photography on an infinity cove
A practical layout for photographing products on a studio cove: where the wall, the subject and the lights go, and how to keep fifty products looking like one range.
Production budget top sheet (UK)
The top sheet is the one-page summary. It shows where the money goes, and every line should trace back to a detailed sheet.
Promotion is the problem: a 30-day launch plan
Podcasters say promotion is where they get stuck. Here is a 30-day plan for the month after launch, with a weekly calendar, what to say and what to measure.
Record yourself and review: a self-review sheet
Recording a talk is the fastest way to see what you do without knowing it. This sheet turns a playback into a short list of changes you can act on.
Recording a voice reel: length, scripts and session
A voice reel is a short audio file that has to sell your voice in the first few seconds. This guide covers what goes in it, how long it should run and how the recording session works.
Releases: talent, location, property, minors
A release records who agreed to what, and where. Use one for each person, place or property you film, and check the position on minors before the day.
Risk assessment template for a studio or location shoot
One form lists the hazards on the day, the people at risk, the controls and who checks them. Fill it in before the crew arrives.
Self-tape set-up at home vs in a studio
A kit list for a good tape at home, a step-by-step way to shoot it, and a straight answer on when a studio is worth booking.
Shooting on an infinity cove: lens, distance, height
Three numbers decide your cove shot: focal length, how far the camera sits from the subject, and how high the lens is. Here are the sums for our cove.
Shooting schedule and stripboard
A shooting schedule puts the scenes in the order the day can shoot them. A stripboard is the tool that gets you there.
Short film funding: BFI NETWORK and regional film hubs
A plain guide to the BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund in England, with the eligibility rules, the budget limits, the yearly calendar and the mistakes that get applications declined.
Should your business have a podcast?
Five questions to answer before you commit, what a show costs in time and money, and what to do instead if the answer is not yet.
Start a podcast: the honest first 90 days
A day-by-day plan from idea to launch to first review, built around what survey data says new podcasters struggle with, so the plan survives contact with a real week.
Studio day vs location day: the real maths
Put both days on the same lines before you compare the totals, because the crew is usually the same cost either way.
Studio safety induction: what a briefing should cover
The points a safety induction should cover on any set, and the parts that a competent person has to assess for the job in front of them.
Testimonial videos: how to get customers to say yes
Customers say yes when the ask is specific, short and easy, and when they know what will happen to the film. Here is who to ask, how, what to film and what to get signed.
The MC's checklist: every question to ask the organiser
Get the answers to these questions in writing before you agree to host. Here is what to ask, why each one matters and what a useful answer sounds like.
The stick of rock test: one message all the way through
Every part of a talk should support one message. This test shows you whether yours does, and which parts to cut.
UK tax reliefs explained: AVEC 34%, animation 39%, independent film 53%
A producer's guide to the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit and the independent film rate: what each rate covers, the conditions, a worked calculation and the claim process.
What actually happens in a media training day
People arrive expecting a seminar and are surprised to find themselves on camera before lunch. Here is how a day is structured, why it is built that way, and what changes between your first practice interview and your last.
What casting directors want from a showreel
A showreel has one job, which is to show a casting director what you can do on camera without making them wade through the rest.
What does a boom operator do?
The person who holds the microphone on a pole, just out of shot, and places it as close to the speaker as the frame allows.
What does a digital imaging technician (DIT) do?
The person who looks after the digital side of the camera: the look on the monitor, the checking and backing up of footage, and the files the director and editor receive.
What does a director of photography do?
The DoP decides how the picture looks and runs the camera and lighting crews to get it. Here is the job, the day and the routes into it.
What does a key grip do?
The head of the grip department, who plans and runs the camera support, the rigs and the grip team on a shoot.
What does a production designer do?
The production designer creates the visual world of a production, from the sets and locations to the colour of the room. Here is what they do and how people reach the role.
What does a production sound mixer do?
The production sound mixer records the sound on set, mostly dialogue, and answers for everything the microphones pick up. Here is the job and how people get into it.
What does a runner do?
The runner is the most junior person on a crew and the usual first step into the industry. Here is what the job involves and how to get the first one.
What does a script supervisor do?
The script supervisor keeps the story consistent when shots are filmed out of order. Here is the job, the records they keep and how people get into it.
What does a spark (lighting technician) do?
A plain guide to the electrician on a film crew: the job, the day, how to get into it and when you can manage without.
What is an infinity cove?
Every studio site says it has one. Here is what ours actually is, measured with a tape, including the bits nobody publishes: the radius of the sweep, how often it gets repainted and what that costs.
What is audio description?
The spoken track that describes what is happening on screen for blind and partially sighted viewers. Here is how it is made, who is legally required to provide it, and what changes when the Media Act reaches streaming.
What to bring to a podcast recording
The things to prepare, pack and check for a recording day, so the session is about the conversation rather than the kit.
WIIFM: why should anyone watch your talk or video?
The audience asks what is in it for them before you have finished your first sentence. This is how to answer that question early, and how to plan it before you write.
Your first studio day: what to expect, hour by hour
A typical presenter's day in a studio, from the night before to the wrap, so you know what each hour is for and what the crew will ask of you.
A presenter's five-minute make-up kit
Enough make-up to keep a presenter looking like themselves on camera, in a bag that fits in a coat pocket.
Accessible video: captions, transcripts, audio description
A practical guide to the three things that make a video usable by more people, with the standards that apply and a checklist to run before delivery.
AI video for small businesses: what's real, what's risky
AI is useful for editing, captions and repurposing, workable for a consented voice, and risky anywhere it invents a person, a customer or a result. Here is the line, with the rules behind it.
Animation or live action? A chooser
Animation or live action is the first decision in most business video briefs, and it changes the budget, the schedule and the edit. Answer five questions to see which one fits your message.
Are you camera-ready? 12-question self-assessment
Answer twelve questions and find the habit to work on first, before you book a shoot or a presenting day.
Audio test pack: tones, pink noise and sweeps
A free set of WAV test signals, and a short routine for running each one before the first take.
AV script template (two-column)
The left column says what the viewer sees, and the right says what they hear. Keep both in step, beat by beat.
Before you come in: the presenter's pack
Everything a presenter needs to do before a studio day, in one document you can print and tick off.
Building a set in the barn: what's allowed
The limits that shape any build on the cove, and the questions to answer before the crew arrives.
Colour test patterns and bars
The oldest test picture in video is still the quickest way to check a monitor, a camera or a file.
Data rate and storage calculator for camera files
Storage runs out faster than people expect. Work it out from the bitrate your camera records, then multiply by the hours, the cameras and the copies you need.
Delivery specs cheat sheet for broadcast and online
The file checks that most often send a delivery back, in the order to run them before you send a file.
Dialogue loudness and delivery specs
The three checks to run on a dialogue mix before it goes out, and the order to run them in.
Episode planner and run sheet
One page per episode, from the idea to the edit, with the run order you follow on the recording day.
Ethical storytelling: consent that people understand
A practical guide to asking someone to share their story on camera, with a plain-English list of what the consent form should cover and what to do when someone changes their mind.
Eye contact with a lens: arrows, eyeline and the window
On camera, looking at the lens is the same as looking at the viewer. This is how to hold your eyeline steady, on a studio camera or a video call.
Filming in schools: consent, safeguarding and GDPR
A plain guide for schools and the people they hire, based on the Department for Education's data protection guidance and the NSPCC's advice on photographing and filming children.
Green screen wardrobe rules
Green screens remove one colour from the picture, so the clothes need to stay clear of it. These are the rules that keep a presenter visible.
How long does a video take to make?
A business video takes weeks from brief to final file, and the shoot is often the shortest part. Here is the timeline, the stages that set it and what to plan for.
How long does an audiobook take to record? Calculator
Turn a word count into finished hours, studio hours and editing hours, so you can plan the sessions and the budget before you book.
How much does a corporate video cost? A studio's breakdown
The room is rarely the big number. Here is how a corporate film adds up from our published rates, with three worked examples you can hold any quote against.
How to brief a studio or a video crew
One page is enough if it answers the right eleven questions. Here they are in the order a studio needs them, with what each one changes.
Influencer and creator ad labelling: the UK rules
If a creator gets something of value for a post, the post is an ad. Here is how to label it, where the label goes, and what the brand has to do.
LED wall shoots: pixel pitch and viewing distance
How far from an LED wall the camera can stand before the pixels show, and why the camera can see them sooner than your eye.
Live event run sheet template, and how to fill it
One timed list for the whole event, with an owner and a backup for every cue, so the room, the stream and the stage all work from the same page.
Music licensing for filmmakers in the UK
Using a track in a film normally means two permissions, one for the song and one for the recording. Here is who grants each, where PRS and PPL fit and how to keep the paperwork straight.
One camera or three?
A single camera records a conversation. Three cameras record a programme. The difference shows up in the edit, and it shows up most in the clips.
Pace: why you are still too fast when you speak
Most speakers are faster than they think they are, and slowing down feels wrong until you hear it played back. This is how to measure your pace and fix it.
Planning a video course: modules, length, retention
Most courses are decided on paper. Here is how to turn what you know into modules and lessons, how long each lesson should run, and what keeps people watching to the end.
Podcast budget: what it really costs in the UK
Work out the cost of one finished episode, then multiply it by the number of episodes you plan to release.
Presenting on Zoom and Teams: setup, light, sound
Sound first, then light, then the camera, with a kit list at each level and a pre-call check you can run an hour before you go live.
Rehearsal vs run-through: what the crew needs from you
The technical team and the speaker need different sessions. This is how to split them, what to bring and what to ask before the day.
Room sound: why a treated room beats a better mic
Most echoey podcast audio is a room problem. A short test shows you which one you have.
Running order and cue sheet for a filmed event
One shared document that tells everyone when each item starts, who is speaking, what the camera and audio do, and what the stream shows.
Stories: the washing line, dialogue, start in the middle
Three habits that make a story work in a talk: keep a washing line of them, let people speak rather than describing what they said, and start at the exciting moment. With a story bank to copy.
Streaming bitrate and bandwidth calculator
Add the video and audio bitrates, then leave headroom on the upload. That number is the one to plan the stream around.
The ABC technique: acknowledge, bridge, communicate
One short method for the tricky question that tries to pull you off your message, and how to practise it before the interview.
The power of the pause in speaking and presenting
A pause is the cheapest tool a speaker has, and most people never use it on purpose. This is where to put one, how long to hold it and how to practise.
Three ways to appear on video: to camera, off-camera interview, presenter-led
Before you write a script or book a studio, decide who speaks and how. Each of the three ways puts you in a different place on screen.
Timecode and sync explained, with an LTC test file
Timecode gives every frame an address, so the sound and the picture can be matched later. Set both devices to the same frame rate, check the recorder reads the file, and sync is simple.
Video specs cheat sheet for TikTok, Reels, YouTube and LinkedIn
The settings that hold across most platforms, and the limits as checked on 5 November 2026. CTV is not covered here, so take its delivery spec from the broadcaster or platform.
What content should a small business make first?
Start with the content that answers the question a buyer asks before they ring you, filmed in one sitting and cut into pieces. This page sets out the order, with the numbers behind it.
What does a 1st assistant director do?
The 1st AD plans the schedule with the director and keeps the set moving on the day, so the director can concentrate on the shots. Here is what the job involves and how people get into it.
What does a focus puller (1st AC) do?
The first assistant camera who keeps the shot sharp through every take, and looks after the camera and lenses on the day.
What does a rigging gaffer do?
The rigging gaffer hangs and rigs the lights, stands and cable so the lighting plan can happen. Here is what the job covers, and why height and load need a competent person.
What does a vision mixer do?
The vision mixer decides which camera shot reaches the audience, usually on the director's call. Here is the job, the gallery day and the routes in.
What to wear on camera for a video shoot
The rules for a headshot mostly carry over to video. What changes is that you move, you wear a microphone, and sometimes the background has to be keyed out.
Write the introduction the MC will read
The host reads what you give them, and a weak introduction costs the first minute of your talk. This is the template to fill in and send ahead.
Writing for the ear: short sentences, short words
A script for the ear is not a script for the eye. This is how to write one that sounds like a person talking, and how to test it before the day.
Your first day on set: etiquette in 20 rules
Most first-day mistakes are small and easy to avoid. These twenty rules cover what to do, what not to touch and how to be useful from the first call.
Your voice and face in the AI era: what to sign and what not to
Before you sign anything that lets someone record, clone or reuse your voice or face, check four things: the use, the length, the place and whether you can stop it.
Free software for live production: OBS, Companion, CasparCG
The free tools that earn a place on a live show, what each one does, where it falls short and when it is time to pay for something else.
Freelancer basics: insurance, IR35, invoicing, rates
Four things to settle before your first paid day on a crew: what you are insured for, how your status will be decided, what goes on the invoice and what to charge.
Power on set: 13A, 16A, 32A and load maths
Lights draw more than people expect, and an outlet rated for its maximum is not a working supply. Add up the watts, turn them into amps and compare them with the connector, then leave a margin.
Voice and likeness: a consent and contract checklist
Agree the terms for a voice or a face before the first take, and write them down, so the recording can be used only for what the person agreed.
What does a best boy do?
The second in command of a lighting or grip department, and the person who keeps the paperwork, the hire and the logistics moving.
When a studio beats a location
A studio wins when the job needs light, sound and time that behave. A location wins when the place is the point. Here is how to tell which one your shoot is.
Who is responsible for an AI-made ad?
In the UK the advertiser carries the responsibility for AI output, whoever or whatever made it. Here is what that means before anything goes live.
Actor headshots in 2026: what UK casting directors want to see
A casting director uses your headshot to decide whether to call you in. Spotlight's rules, and the advice of the people doing the looking, come down to one idea: the picture has to be you.
Commercial, corporate and advertising photography explained
Three kinds of photography that get booked under similar names. Each one has a different purpose, a different brief and a different idea of who the pictures belong to.
Coverage explained: master, singles and inserts
The shots you need to cut a scene, what each one is for, and how to plan them before the day so the edit has something to work with.
How we clone a voice with consent
One voice, cloned with the speaker's consent, used in part of a published course and labelled as synthetic. What we did, what the law currently leaves to the contract, and what we do not claim.
Intimacy on set: coordinators and closed sets
A scene with nudity or simulated sex needs a plan agreed before the shoot day. Here is what the UK guidance asks for and how to build the plan.
Introduce yourself in 60 seconds: a fill-in template
Four timed beats you can fill in today, with a worked example, so the room knows who you are and why to listen for the next minute.
LinkedIn profile photos: what works at a small size
Your LinkedIn photo is uploaded as a square and seen as a small circle next to your name. Almost everything that makes it work comes from designing for that circle.
Linking speakers, keeping time, setting tone
The three jobs that decide whether an event runs well, and how to do each one calmly, from preparation to the moment you walk on.
Motion graphics brief template
A one-page brief that tells an animator what the graphic is for, where it will run and what is approved, before anyone starts moving shapes.
Preparing products for a studio shoot
A product shoot is mostly decided in the stockroom the week before. Here is what to do there, so the studio day goes on photographs and not on cardboard.
Reactive or proactive: two kinds of media interview
A reactive interview answers a story that already exists. A proactive interview promotes you, your business or an event. Know which one you are in before you say yes.
Team headshot day: how to get fifteen people photographed and matching
The photography is the easy part of a team headshot day. What decides whether it runs to time, and whether the team page matches afterwards, is a spreadsheet and one person who owns it.
What does a composer do?
The person who writes the music under the picture, and how the job runs from the first spotting session to the final mix.
What does a director do?
The director is the creative lead on a shoot. Here is what the job covers, from the first meeting to the edit, and how people get into it.
What does a producer do?
A producer is the person answerable for the whole production, from the money to the finished programme. Here is what that means on a real job, and when a small shoot needs one.
Words that cost you credibility: fluff, superlatives, -ly words, jargon
Some words make a speaker sound less sure of the facts. Here is how to find them in your script and replace each one with something specific.
YouTube is now the UK's most-used podcast app. What that changes for a business show
Edison's July figures put YouTube just ahead of Spotify, and 72% of UK weekly listeners now watch video podcasts. Ofcom has the other half of the story: most of them are still mainly listening.
A DeLorean on the cove, doors up
A themed shoot with the most recognisable doors in motoring, on a stage with 4.5 metres of clear height. Real photographs, not renders.
AI glossary for marketers and producers
The AI terms that come up in briefs, quotes and production meetings, in plain English.
Approval rounds without chaos: a feedback template
A one-form feedback template for video approvals, with the rules that stop notes arriving from five directions and new work hiding inside small changes.
Blocking diagrams for a studio
How to draw a top-down plan of a studio set, with the camera, the actors and the lights drawn to scale, before the crew arrives.
Briefing AI work the way you brief a crew
A prompt is one line. A brief lets someone else get the work right, and lets you check it against the goal.
Broadcast delivery: DPP AS-11 explained
AS-11 UK DPP HD defines the file a UK broadcaster receives for a finished HD programme. Here is what it asks for, in plain terms.
BS 7909 explained for small crews
A plain-English guide to the UK code of practice for temporary electrical systems on shoots and events, and what a small crew can sensibly do about it.
BTS and EPK checklist for a film shoot
Most of an electronic press kit has to be collected during the shoot. Plan the stills, the consent and the names before the first day.
Crew deal memo for UK productions: a template
A one-page agreement to sign with each crew member before the first day, with the terms to fill in and the employment status question to settle first.
Cutting fillers: um, ah, like
Fillers fill the silence while you think. Plan the joins between your points and let a pause do that job instead.
Editing order of work: clean, tighten, mix, master
Do the same four jobs in the same order every time and a podcast edit gets quicker, cleaner and easier to repeat.
Fifty ways to open (hooks that work)
Why the first minute does most of the work, how to choose a hook, and fifty opening lines you can adapt for your own talk.
Film treatment template: what to put in it
A treatment tells a producer, a funder or a crew what happens in the film, why it matters and how it ends, in a few pages of prose.
Getting discovered: SEO for podcasts
What you can change so that people searching for your subject find your show, what you cannot change, and five steps to take this week.
Green memo template for film and TV crews
Channel 4 asks its productions to share a green memo with cast, crew and suppliers. This template gives you a one-page version to fill in before the first shoot day.
Grip kit explained: flags, frames, C-stands
A plain guide to the stands, flags, frames and boards that shape light on set, written for people hiring a studio for the first time.
How much do professional headshots cost in the UK in 2026?
Published UK price lists put a single business headshot session at about £100 to £300 outside London's premium studios. What you get for the money varies far more than the price does.
How much does a video podcast cost to make in the UK?
Published prices run from about £60 an hour for a room to more than £1,000 an episode from an agency. They are pricing different things, so here is how to compare them fairly.
How to end: bookends, loops, last lines
The close is the part people remember. Here are three ways to plan it, and a routine for making sure you finish cleanly.
How to measure whether a video worked
Views are the number everyone checks first and the one that tells you least. Here is how to measure the result that matters to your business.
How to record a self-tape that follows the UK rules
Six pages, four days, landscape, a reader off camera and your name first on the file. The rules for UK self-tapes are short and mostly written down. The part nobody writes down is sound.
Hybrid events: presenting to a room and a camera
A guide for experienced speakers on what changes when half the audience is in the room and half is watching a screen, from eyeline and rehearsal to polls, timings and tech checks.
Interview formats explained
The same question feels completely different depending on whether the interview is live, pre-recorded or down a line to a studio you cannot see. Know the format and half the nerves go.
Labelling AI content and content credentials, explained
A Content Credential is a signed record of where a file came from. It helps, but it does not prove the content is true.
Lens and sensor crop cheat sheet
How the sensor changes the field of view of a lens, with the arithmetic and the mistakes that cost a shot.
Lighting a show that's being filmed: what to tell your lighting designer
A show lit only for the room can look very different on a screen. The fix is cheap if it's decided at the start and expensive on the day. Here is what to send your designer first, and the three decisions that shape everything after.
Lighting glossary for film and video crews
The words lighting crews use every day, explained for people who are about to book a lighting team or stand in front of a rig for the first time.
Lower thirds and title-safe templates
A lower third is the caption that names someone on screen, and a title-safe area is the margin that keeps the text visible on every set. Set both before you start the edit, not at the last minute.
Lower-carbon shoots: what a studio day saves against location
Travel is the biggest line in a production's footprint, so that is where a studio day can help. It does not always win, and this page shows how to count your own numbers.
Lux and T-stop at distance: a photometrics calculator
Double the distance from a light and the light on the subject falls to a quarter. Use the calculator to plan distances and stops before the rig goes up.
Moiré, refresh and shutter on LED walls
Three different faults show up on camera when you film an LED wall. Moiré is a spatial pattern from the grid, flicker and rolling bars come from timing, and each has a different fix.
Music cue sheet template: fill it in before the lock
A cue sheet records every piece of music in a programme. Fill it in as you go, not in one rush after the final mix.
Packshot vs lifestyle: which images you need
A packshot shows the product on its own, and a lifestyle image shows it in use. Most brands need both, in different amounts for different places.
PowerPoint as wallpaper: slide rules that work on a big screen
Your slides should be the background to your talk, not the talk itself. Here are the rules for text, fonts, images and checks that make them work when they are ten feet wide.
Production glossary
The words people use on a set, what each one means and when you will hear it, in alphabetical order.
Production insurance explained
The cover types a UK shoot usually needs, which one the law requires, and what to ask before you book crew or hire kit.
Projecting 10% more without shouting
Projection is about breath, posture and aim. Here is a short routine that makes the back row hear you without a sore throat.
Rain rig safety: water, power and footing
Rain adds water to every other hazard on a set. Plan the power, the drainage and the footing before anyone is wet.
Speaker release and recording consent form
A short form that records a speaker's permission to be filmed and sets out how the recording will be used. Send it before the event, not on the morning.
Studio carpentry: flats, plinths, risers
The pieces every studio keeps rebuilding are now a made-to-order range from the barn workshop. What is in it, how to order it, and when a bespoke build is the better answer.
Subtitles and captions: styles and file formats
The words are often used as if they mean the same thing. Here is how to agree the format, time the file and check it before delivery.
Sync, PRS and PPL for musicians putting out video
A music video uses three separate permissions. Here is what each one covers, and what to get in writing before you post.
The one-minute video: why short wins
One point, one example and one action in under a minute, and how to record once and cut several clips from the same session.
The preparation iceberg: why most of a good talk is unseen
The audience sees the talk above the waterline. Most of the work is below it, and it has to be done in order.
Using AI to draft a script without losing your voice
AI is good at the blank page and weak at the parts that make a talk worth hearing. Here is how to split the work and keep the stories yours.
Vocal variety: the rollercoaster
Flat delivery loses rooms that the content would have won. Here is how to vary your pace, pitch and volume on purpose, and how to check that you have.
Walkie-talkie lingo cheat sheet
The phrases you will hear on a film set radio, what they mean and how to talk without clogging the channel.
What does a 3rd assistant director do?
The 3rd AD is the 1st AD's right hand on set. The job is communication, planning for problems and managing people.
What does a camera operator do?
The camera operator frames and moves the camera during the take. Here is the job, the people around it and the usual way in.
What does a casting director do?
The person who finds the actors for a drama, presents the shortlist to the director and producer, and handles the terms.
What does a clapper loader do?
The clapper loader slates the takes, keeps the media and batteries running and keeps the paperwork straight. Here is what the job involves and how people reach it.
What does a costume designer do?
The person who designs, makes and hires the clothes an actor wears, from the first character sketch to the last fitting.
What does a costume supervisor do?
The person who runs the wardrobe department day to day, so that the outfits are ready, matched and returned on time.
What does a dolly grip do?
The dolly grip makes the camera move the director wants physically possible and safe. Here is what the job involves and the route into grip work.
What does a hair and make-up artist do?
The person who applies and keeps the looks the designer has planned, from the first take to the last.
What does a lighting director (TV) do?
The lighting director designs the look of a multi-camera TV programme and runs the lighting crew to deliver it. Here is the job and the route to it.
What does a line producer do?
The line producer turns the producer's plan into a shoot that runs on budget and on time. Here is what the job involves and how people get into it.
What does a production coordinator do?
The production coordinator keeps the production office running while the senior team is on set. Here is what the job covers and how people get in.
What does a production manager do?
The production manager runs the logistics that keep a shoot moving, on set and in the office. Here is what the job covers and how people get into it.
What does a prop master do?
The head of the property department, who makes, hires, stores and moves every object that appears on screen.
What does a set decorator do?
The person who dresses the background of a scene, from the first list of items to the final strike.
What does a sound assistant do?
The sound assistant is the entry-level member of the sound department. Much of the job is batteries, cable and kit, and all of it is about listening.
What does a unit manager do?
The person who runs the unit base on location, so parking, toilets, catering and facilities are in place while the shoot goes on.
What does a VFX supervisor do?
The person who decides how a shot is captured so the effects can be done, then checks the finished frames before the director does.
What does a video assist operator do?
The video assist operator puts the camera's pictures in front of the director and keeps the archive of every shot. Here is the job and how people reach it.
What does an art director do?
The art director turns the production designer's concept into working sets, drawings and a budget the build team can deliver. Here is the job and what the role needs.
What does an assistant editor do?
The person who runs the cutting room day to day, so that the editor can focus on the cut.
What does an editor do?
The person who turns the footage of a film or drama into a finished story, working with the director from the first rushes to the locked picture.
What does an intimacy coordinator do?
The person who plans intimate scenes with the performers and the camera, so what is shot is agreed in advance and not improvised on the day.
Will my car fit in the studio?
Every drive-in studio says drive-in. Few publish the door size. Ours is 2.4 metres wide and 4.5 metres high at ground level, and here is what that means for your car.
Your first job as a runner: how to get in
Runners keep a production office running. Here are the routes in, the skills that matter and the terms to agree before the first early start.
A cottage interior, built on the cove for Channel 4
Five days to build and dress, a six-person crew, and a period cottage standing inside a 16th-century barn near Chichester. What it took, and what we learned.
Audio course production: what we learnt making The Phoenix Formula
The Phoenix Formula is a 24-week audio course built from a podcast archive. Here is what we would repeat, what we would check earlier, and what a first-time course maker should settle before recording.
Being 10% more than you on camera, 20% on stage
A camera records less of you than a room does. Here is how much more to give on camera and on stage, and how to find your own level.
Calls to action people act on: what should they do, think or feel?
A talk with no call to action leaves the audience to decide what to do next. Choose one thing, make it specific, and put it where people are still listening.
Camera glossary
The words a camera department uses, what each one controls and why it matters when the footage reaches the edit.
Camera report template: what to log on each take
The record of every card, clip and take the camera shot, so the editor, the data wrangler and the producer can trust the footage.
Charity film on a small budget
Spend the money on the story and the sound, then cut everything else back to one job, one location and a short list of files.
Continuity log template for script supervisors
A continuity log records what happened in every take, so the editor can match the next shot to the last one. Fill it in for every take, including the ones that are not printed.
Costume continuity sheet: a template for every look
A costume continuity sheet records what each actor wears in each shot, so a jacket buttoned in one take is still buttoned in the next. Start it at the first fitting, not on the day.
Daily production report: a template and how to fill it
The one-page record of what a shoot day achieved, what it cost in time and what went wrong, and how to fill it in so the next day runs properly.
Data with a human face: story first, figures second
Figures persuade the mind, but a person is what people remember. Here is the order to build a data point in, and the mistakes that bury it.
Deliverables spec sheet template for video
A sheet that lists every file a video job must deliver, with format, size, captions, music and names agreed before the shoot.
DMX basics: universes, addresses, our 42 channels
What a universe is, how a fixture gets its address, and the difference between DMX channels and dimmer channels in the White Space.
Edit workflow: proxies, conform, delivery
Decide what you cut with, how you get back to the camera originals, and what you hand over, before the first day of shooting. Each is cheap to plan and expensive to fix later.
Festival strategy and submission tracker
A short plan for which festivals to enter, and a tracker that records every submission, deadline and reply in one place.
File size and bitrate calculator for podcasts
Estimate an episode's file size before you export it, and how much storage a year of episodes will take, using one formula and a calculator you can fill in.
Food photography in a studio: styling, light, hero shots
Light food from the side and behind, build the plate to survive the lamps, and choose the angle from the shape of the dish. Then plan the hero shot that everything else supports.
How does remote ADR work?
The actor is in our room near Chichester and the director is wherever the edit is. How the picture, the talkback and the takes get between the two, and what each end needs.
How many videos can you film in a day?
Eight, if the stage is already lit and the scripts are settled. Four, if every video needs its own light. Here is where the rest of the day goes.
How not to look nervous: habits to drop
Most nervous habits are small, repeated movements the presenter never notices. Drop them one at a time.
How to be a good podcast guest
Most guests prepare their answers. The good ones prepare the host, then get a handful of small physical things right at the microphone that nobody thinks to mention.
Inclusive and neurodiverse-friendly presenting
Much of inclusive presenting is simply good presenting: a clear structure, plain words and no surprises. Here is the rest, and how to ask what people need.
Interview your CEO well: a question bank
Questions grouped by theme, with the habits that make a chief executive sound like a person on camera rather than a press release.
Latency and sync test file: how to use it
A short test file that shows how far the picture and the sound drift apart, measured in frames rather than guessed by eye.
Lav placement: where to clip a lavalier microphone
A lav sounds right when it sits close to the mouth, stays hidden from the camera and has nothing rubbing against it. Most lav problems come from the clip position and the cable, not the microphone.
Make-up continuity sheet: a template for every look
A make-up continuity sheet records the base, eyes, lips and hair for each shot, so the face in a close-up matches the face in the wide. Fill it in at the first session, then after every take.
Make-up for green screen and coves: what to change
A look that works in a normal room can fail on a green screen or a white cove. Plan the make-up for the light that reaches the face, not for the room you tested it in.
Mentally healthy productions: using the Whole Picture Toolkit
The Whole Picture Toolkit is free, and it works best when you start at the beginning of a production rather than on the day something goes wrong.
Name, artwork and trailer checklist for a new podcast
A printable checklist for the show name, the cover art and the trailer, so the three things that are hardest to change later are settled before episode one.
NDI, SDI or HDMI: which to use and when
Each connection suits a different distance, number of sources and budget. Here is how to pick one for a live job.
Offload log template for camera cards
A log that records every card copied from camera to drive, where each copy went, and whether the copies checked out.
Our staff or actors? Choosing who appears
Your own people bring credibility and actors bring control. Most corporate films need a decision for each line, not one answer for the whole film.
Podcast glossary: audio, recording and publishing terms
Plain definitions of the recording, audio, editing and publishing words that come up on a podcast job, in alphabetical order.
Podcast test pack: tone, pink noise, sync blip and slate
Three short test files, a spoken slate and the habit that goes with them: set the level, check the room, line up the picture and label every take before the recording starts.
Presenting to Gen Z (and every other generation)
Generational labels are a rough tool. Here are the habits that hold a younger room, and that work for everyone else in it too.
Print, TV and radio interviews: what changes for you
Your message stays the same across all three. What the audience sees, hears and reads of you does not, and so the preparation does too.
Recording a remote guest properly
Twenty years in live broadcast taught me one thing about remote contributors: the link is never the product. The recording at each end is. Here is how we set it up so a dropped connection costs you nothing.
Recording your audiobook for ACX: the specs, the maths and the room
ACX will send a file back for a noise you stopped hearing weeks ago. Here is what it checks, how long a book really takes, and what a treated room changes.
Sandbag and safe working load basics
What a sandbag does on a stand, where a safe working load applies, and the checks to make before anything goes over a head.
Script timing calculator: how long will the film run?
A page is a rough guide to screen time, not a measurement. Timing each scene by its dialogue and its action gets you much closer, and the calculator does the sums.
Short film budget template for UK funding applications
The lines a UK short film budget needs, the contingency funders ask for, and the access and delivery costs people forget.
Show notes, chapters and transcripts template
A fill-in template for an episode's written material, with the order to write it in, a worked example and the mistakes that send listeners to the wrong place.
Sound glossary for location and studio recording
The words a sound recordist and an editor use every day, explained for people who are booking a sound team or recording a voice for the first time.
Sound report template, with a worked example
A sound report tells the editor what was recorded, on which roll, at which timecode and whether it is usable. Fill it in as you shoot, not at the end of the day.
Studio & production glossary
Fifty terms producers, marketers and first-time bookers actually run into, explained in plain English by a working studio.
Talking-head course set-ups on a budget
A course video needs clean sound, light on your face, a plain background and the lens at eye level. You can have all four at home for very little.
The presenter's grab bag: what to bring
A short kit list for the day you present or film, and the backups that stop a talk from depending on one laptop.
Tongue twisters for clear speech
A printable sheet of tongue twisters, a way to run it in five minutes, and the habits that keep your voice clear afterwards.
Turning nerves into excitement
The body reacts in much the same way to both. What you do in the minutes before you start decides which one the room gets.
What does a 2nd assistant director do?
The 2nd AD keeps the day on time. Here is what the job involves on a shoot, who the role works with and how people get into it.
What does a camera supervisor (TV) do?
The senior person on a multi-camera TV team, responsible for how every camera is set up, matched and looks on air.
What does a colourist do?
The person who sets the colour and brightness of the finished picture, matching every shot to the look agreed on set.
What does a data wrangler do?
The data wrangler protects the day's footage. Here is how the job works on location, and how people get in.
What does a floor manager do?
The person who runs the studio floor during a TV recording, keeping presenters, guests and crew moving to the director's plan.
What does a hair and make-up designer do?
The person who plans how every actor will look, and leads the team that delivers it on set.
What does a jib operator do?
The person who makes a camera rise, fall and swing across a set in one planned move, and who keeps the rig safe while doing it.
What does a lighting console operator do?
The lighting console operator runs the desk during a show and works to the lighting director's plan. Here is the job, the people around it and the usual routes in.
What does a location manager do?
The location manager finds the places a production will shoot, makes them practical to use, and returns them in good order. Here is how the job works and when you need one.
What does a production buyer do?
The person who finds, books and tracks every prop a production hires or buys, and keeps the art department budget honest.
What does an autocue operator do?
The person who keeps the words in front of the lens, so the presenter sounds like they are talking and not reading.
What you get from a filmed conference: a deliverables menu
A filmed conference can produce a synced talk, highlights, captions, social clips and a hosted library. Ask for each one by name before the event.
Do we need a make-up artist? A decision guide
Most talking-head shoots need a simple kit and a little care. Work through the five questions to see when a make-up artist earns the day rate.
Know your audience: questions to ask the organiser
Most speakers get one brief email, and it is often missing the things that matter. Here are the questions that shape a talk, and a checklist to send.
Making a school promo video
A school promo works best as one short film for one audience, with pupils and staff who have agreed to appear. Plan the consent before you plan the shoot.
MC, compère, host, moderator or facilitator: which job is yours?
These five words get used for the same person, but each job does something different. Pick the one that matches what the event needs.
PAT testing for kit that travels: what the law asks for, and what it doesn't
There is no law that says you must PAT test every year. There is a law that says your electrical kit must be safe, and kit that goes in a van to a different venue every week is not the same as a monitor on an office desk.
Stay in your light
A speaker who looks sharp on stage is often standing in the right place. Here is how to find your marks before the room fills and keep to them.
What does a construction manager do?
The person who turns the designer's drawings into a safe, built set, and takes it down again afterwards.
Working at height and rigging basics for film sets
Ladders, stands, grids and lamps above head height all count. Plan the job before the kit comes out.
Working with children: licences and chaperones
A plain guide for producers and small crews on child performance licences and chaperones in England, with the lead times and daily hours that shape your schedule.
Booking a studio in West Sussex
An honest, regularly-updated guide for producers and photographers: what actually exists in the region, how to judge it, and what to ask before you book.
Building a rain rig inside a barn
Water, a painted white cove and a lighting grid are not natural neighbours. Here is how we got them to share a room, and what a rain day really takes.
Heritage venues for filmed corporate events
Corporate off-sites are increasingly expected to produce content as well as conversation. Here is how a filmable heritage venue earns its keep, and how to choose one near London.
How much does media training cost in the UK?
Most providers will not put a number on a page. Here are the ranges the UK market actually works to in 2026, what moves a quote up or down, and when you are being asked to pay for something you do not need.
How much does studio hire cost?
Honest numbers from a working studio, including ours, and the extras that catch first-time bookers.
How to plan a studio shoot
The checklist we wish every first-time booker had. Ten minutes of reading that saves an hour of studio time.
Infinity cove vs green screen
Both give you a clean background. They get there in opposite ways, and picking the wrong one costs you in post.
Lighting a car in a studio
Car paint is a mirror. You are never lighting the car; you are lighting whatever the car reflects. Once that clicks, studio car photography stops being mysterious.
Planning the first six episodes of a business podcast
One listener, one format, six titles and a running order you can reuse, recorded in days rather than evenings. Here is how to put each piece together.
South of England studio map
A capability-first directory of working studios across the South of England. Find a facility by what it can actually do, not just where it is.
Studio hire rate card
Every space, every crew role and the common add-ons, in one place. Indicative prices, all plus VAT, last updated September 2026.
The finished-hour maths for audiobooks
Audiobooks are quoted, scheduled and paid by the finished hour. Once you can convert a word count into finished hours, every other number about the project follows.
What does a gaffer do?
The lighting department explained in plain English by someone who rigged the grid he lights on: which roles a small production genuinely needs, and what they cost.
What fits on a 5.3 by 7.1 metre cove
Studio sizes on websites mean nothing until you know what has stood on the floor. Here is what has actually been shot on ours, and how to work out whether your shot fits.
What is in a produced episode
A cheaper hourly room and a produced episode are not the same product, and the difference is everything that happens after you stop talking. Here is what £395 actually buys, step by step.
What to wear for a professional headshot
A headshot is mostly face, collar and shoulders, so a few square inches of fabric decide whether it still looks right in three years. Here is what to put in the bag.
Why our studio has no windows, and why that is the point
A 16th-century grain barn without a single window sounds like an odd choice for a photography and film studio. It is the reason the place works.
Sun path and sun position planner for UK location shoots
The barn has no windows, so any shot that needs daylight is shot outside. A sun path planner shows where the sun will be on the day you have booked.
The less healthy food ad rules, nine months in: what the rulings mean for your next shoot
The ban on paid online ads for identifiable less healthy food has been law since 5 January. The ASA's first rulings show where the line sits, and most of it can be handled on the shot list.
AI tools we use this quarter
As at 5 November 2026: the kinds of AI tool we use, what each is for, and where a person stays in the loop.
Art department glossary
The words you will hear on a build or dressing day, explained in the order you are likely to need them.
Casting breakdown template
A short, honest description of each role, written so that an actor can decide in a minute whether to apply.
Credits order worksheet (UK)
Set the order of the credits on one sheet, check every name against the contracts, and get sign-off before the final edit goes out.
Feedback that helps: celebrate and fix
Feedback is only useful if it changes what you do next. Ask for it in a way that points people at what you need, then take it in the right order.
Grip glossary
Grip is the crew who shape light, rig the set and move the camera. These are the terms you will hear on a set floor, with a plain definition for each.
Handling interruptions and the elephant in the room
Interruptions and awkward questions happen to every speaker. A short, planned response keeps the room with you and gets you back to the talk.
Hearing the producer in your ear
The thing that throws people in a live interview is not the question. It is the voice in one ear, the delay in the other, and carrying on regardless. A meeting room cannot rehearse that. A broadcast studio can.
How the streamers write production guides
Netflix's detailed production documents are long, but the working pattern in its public guidance is short: named roles, a timeline, early submissions and checks before the shoot.
Kit list and insurance schedule template
One list of everything you own and take on a job, with the values and serial numbers your insurer will ask for.
Q&A without losing the ending
A Q&A can take a talk apart if it sits at the end. Put it before the close, and plan the last minute so the room leaves on your point, not on the last question.
Running a better online meeting: the 10-minute rule
Video meetings lose people slowly, then all at once. A few structural habits keep the room engaged from the first minute to the last.
Script supervisor's daily report template
The end of day record that tells production what was shot, what was not, and what the editor will need to match.
Shooting stills on a video set
Get stills and video from one shoot without the stills photographer and the camera crew getting in each other's way.
Smiling voice
A smile changes the sound of your voice, and listeners can hear it even when they cannot see you. Here is how to find it on purpose.
Sponsorship pitch template and rate maths
A sponsorship pitch is a one-page offer that says who listens, what you will make for the brand, and what it costs. The rate comes from your own numbers, not from a figure someone quoted you.
Tracking markers and plate shooting checklist
The checks to make before and during a green screen or plate shoot, so the visual effects team gets footage they can use.
Using the whole stage, moving with purpose
Movement on stage can make a talk feel alive or make it feel restless. The difference is whether each move has a reason you could explain.
1st AD set etiquette and calls
The first assistant director runs the floor. Knowing who speaks, when, and what each call means keeps a set quiet, safe and moving.
Being a good audience on camera
On a video call, listening is visible only if you show it. A speaker reads the room through small cues, and most people give them very little.
Facial expression on camera
On camera, the face is most of what a viewer sees. Start from the feeling you want them to have, then let the expression follow.
Hands on camera: in frame or out, never both
Hands that drift in and out of frame make a presenter look unsettled and pull the viewer away from what you are saying. Choose a position before you start.
Pitch deck structure for short films
Ten slides in a sensible order, what each one must answer, and what to leave out, so a funder, producer or collaborator can say yes or no quickly.
Prop and set dressing list template
One sheet that tells the art department, the buyer and the set dresser what goes in each room, who owns it and where it ends up.
Set up, Transition, Pause (STP)
Every slide change is a moment of attention for the room. STP is a three-part habit that makes each change deliberate rather than accidental.
Ofcom's streaming access code: what 80% subtitles, 10% audio description and 5% signing mean for producers
The largest streaming services are heading for broadcast-style access quotas. The final code is due between October and December, and the extra work starts to land from late 2027.
Sit or stand for camera?
Choose the position you feel more confident in and can hold for the whole take. Test both before you decide.
Nothing matches those filters. Try fewer, or ask us: if we know the answer we will write it up.
Planning something now? Tell us what you are making and we will say honestly what it needs. Ask the studio →
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What to wear on camera for a video shoot
The rules for a headshot mostly carry over to video. What changes is that you move, you wear a microphone, and sometimes the background has to be keyed out.
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