Directors Digest — Friday 16 August 2024

This week, key broadcasters and streamers to boycott studios without TAP accessibility audit, broadcast media duo look to improve mental health in TV, and how the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony came together.

Read all about it in this week’s digest.

News

Duncan Heath-backed Isle of Wight studio submits planning application. (Screen Daily) 

TV studio dock10, The University of York and production company 2LE Media have secured backing from Innovate UK to develop AI tools that can power lighting in live virtual productions. (Prolific North) 

Broadcasters to boycott studios without TAP audit. (Broadcast) 

Claire Wigington, former head of press for Paramount, and Octavia Landy, a welfare consultant for programmes on Channel 4, ITV and MTV, have joined forces to improve the mental health of those working on TV productions. (Broadcast) 

Features

How Tom Cruise’s death-defying stunt at the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony came together. (Vogue) 

“The culmination of years of dehumanizing brown people”: why UK riots were a brutal reminder of how film and TV failed South Asian creatives. (Deadline) 

TW// This article contains themes of suicide, true crime, and chronic illness. The life and tragic death of John Balson: how a true crime producer documented his own rising horror. (Guardian) John Balson’s family have shared their story to raise awareness of vestibular migraines, NHS underfunding, the dangers of chronic stress and the devastating impact of suicide. If you need to speak to someone about your mental health and wellbeing the Film and TV Charity offer a free and confidential 24/7 Support Line for everyone working behind the scenes in film, TV, and cinema. Contact them on 0800 054 0000. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected].