If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to make large-scale, high-stakes television drama - this is the episode.

To close Series 4 of TV Makers, Ashley is joined by the co-creator, executive producer and lead director of Hijack, Jim Field Smith, and Director of Photography Ed Moore.

It’s a double finale! TV Makers X Hijack!

Season 1 trapped audiences at 35,000 feet.
Season 2 moves underground - onto a Berlin U-Bahn train, in real time, for eight relentless hours.

Together, Jim and Ed unpack what it took to build one of Apple TV+’s most ambitious thrillers - from scanning real train carriages in Berlin to constructing a fully functioning hydraulic train set in the UK that could move in multiple axis while remaining completely shootable in 360 degrees.

This conversation goes far beyond “how it looked.”

They explore:

• Why real-time storytelling is creatively thrilling - and structurally brutal
• The hidden cost of writing something you know could be a production nightmare
• Why “second screen friendly” might be the most dangerous note in modern television
• How prep at scale actually creates freedom on set
• And what trust between director and DP really looks like when the pressure is on

Jim explains why he avoids traditional storyboarding in favour of building fully immersive environments that allow actors - including Idris Elba - to perform inside something that feels real, rather than technical.

Ed shares how virtual production, LED environments, lens sourcing across Europe, and precise sun-path calculations helped sustain tension minute by minute across an eight-hour real-time narrative.

This is a deep dive into collaboration, ambition, and refusing to lower the creative bar - even when the logistics are daunting.

And if you want to lift the curtain further, head over to YouTube to see behind the scenes pictures and footage supplied by Jim, Ed and Apple.

It’s a fitting finale to Series 4 for TV makers. Enjoy!

This Episode is Sponsored by:
RIMMS

The Kit House

Directed by Good

Produced, recorded and Edited by Ashley Golder

Additional camera by Will James

Recorded by Ashley Golder - https://ashleygolder.tv/
Instagram @tvmakerspod
Email: Podcast@tvmakers.co.uk

Artwork by Benjamin Leon -
Instagram: @benleondraws
Website: www.benleondraws.com

Are you worried there’s a shift happening in TV - and you might be missing it?

Are you quietly questioning whether the traditional production company model is still sustainable?

In this episode, I sit down with Ed Taylor, Co-Founder of Honey Bee, to talk honestly about what running an indie looks like right now… and what it may need to become next.

With longer commissioning timelines, tighter broadcaster budgets, and increasing pressure on development spend, Ed shares how he’s reassessing the fundamentals of the production company model.

We discuss:

• Whether the old route to scaling an indie still works
• The reality of “lifestyle businesses” in TV
• Why working with brands require a completely different language to broadcasters
• Partnering on YouTube
• And the one mindset shift production company owners need to survive the next phase

Ed talks candidly about adaptability, automation, and what it really means to build something that can outlast the current bottleneck.

And later in the conversation, he reveals a move Honey Bee is making that reframes everything we’ve discussed about diversifying, scale, and long-term growth.

If you’re running a company…
Thinking about starting one…
Or simply trying to future-proof your place in the industry…

This is a conversation worth hearing.

And if you want to hear more from Ed, his Substack is here

This Episode is Sponsored by:

RIMMS

The Kit House

Directed By Good

Edited by Ben Seale

Recorded by Ashley Golder - https://ashleygolder.tv/
Instagram @tvmakerspod
Email: Podcast@tvmakers.co.uk

Artwork by Benjamin Leon -
Instagram: @benleondraws
Website: www.benleondraws.com

What does access actually look like on a TV or film production and how can we do better on our own sets, for everyone’s benefits?

In this episode of TV Makers, Ashley Golder is joined by Leah Rachel, an access coordinator working across TV and film, supporting deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent cast and crew.
Leah pulls back the curtain on what access really means in practice, from the everyday decisions made in prep and on set, to the conversations productions often avoid because they’re unsure how to handle them. It’s an honest, practical look at how access works when it’s done well, and why expertise matters.

Together, they unpack:
* What an access coordinator actually does, from prep through to production
* The difference between access needs and access requirements (and why the language matters)
* How hiring an access co-ordinator may not even affect your budget!
* The questions people are often afraid to ask.
* How access benefits everyone on set, not just disabled colleagues.

If you work in TV or film and want to approach access with confidence, clarity, and care - this episode is for you.

You can find more info on the future Access Coordinator training at Screenskills: https://www.screenskills.com

Listen & Follow
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Follow the podcast on Instagram @tvmakerspod

Questions or guest suggestions? Email podcast@tvmakers.co.uk

Thanks again to Casarotto team:
https://www.casarotto.co.uk/access-team

This Episode is Sponsored by:

Rimms

The Kit House

Directed By Good

Edited by Ben Seale

Recorded by Ashley Golder - https://ashleygolder.tv/
Instagram @tvmakerspod
Email: Podcast@tvmakers.co.uk

Artwork by Benjamin Leon -
Instagram: @benleondraws
Website: www.benleondraws.com