Diverse Voices in Post-Production: building a more sustainable industry

Approx. 8-minute read

Realistic budgets, healthy working conditions and opportunities to progress: what will it take to build a more sustainable future for post-production?

These questions ran through Sky’s Diverse Voices in Post-Production event on Tuesday 6 October 2026. Anna from Blueberry joined the evening of panel discussion and speed networking, bringing together professionals from across the post-production community.

The conversation explored how financial pressures affect working conditions, career development and inclusion-and what broadcasters, production companies, post houses, agencies and freelancers can do to improve things.

The panel featured:

• Amelia Knott – Human Rights Lead, TV Industry Human Rights Forum
• Chloe Kilby – 1st Assistant Editor and Editor
• Zeb Achonu BFE – Freelance Editor
• Aaron Stone – Series Editor, Gogglebox, Studio Lambert
• Edurne Bengoa – Director of Post Production at ITN

The central message was that the industry needs greater collaboration, better communication, more sustainable budgeting and a genuine commitment to developing and retaining talent. These challenges are connected, and responsibility for addressing them cannot rest with freelancers alone.

Financial pressure is reaching every part of post

Reduced commissioning, smaller budgets and tighter schedules are putting pressure on post houses, freelancers and the development of future talent.

The event’s introduction referred to around 10 post houses having closed since March 2025. Edurne described situations where the budget available for a project was approximately half the amount needed to deliver it sustainably.

As budgets shrink, financial pressure passes through the chain-from broadcasters to production companies, post facilities and freelancers. Some facilities accept projects at a loss to maintain cash flow, contributing to undercutting that can make survival harder across the sector.

Meanwhile, essential work still needs doing. Engineering, media management and post-producing remain vital, even when budgets no longer adequately cover them. Post teams are also frequently expected to absorb delays and overspending from earlier stages of production.

The discussion raised a difficult question: how long can the industry continue to expect the same results with fewer resources?

Key takeaway: Earlier involvement of post teams, realistic budgets and greater collaboration were identified as foundations for a more sustainable industry.

Healthy working conditions need to become the expectation

Amelia shared findings from her research into human rights risks in post-production, published in the January 2025 report Let’s Fix It in Post.

The research identified excessive hours, low or unpaid work, bullying, insufficient reasonable adjustments, lack of contracts and unclear responsibilities for freelancers’ welfare.

One particularly striking observation was that some interviewees considered themselves lucky simply because they had never experienced bullying. It illustrated how poor conditions can become accepted as part of working in the industry.

The panel recognised improvements, including greater flexibility and awareness of duty of care. Even so, freelancers can remain reluctant to question unreasonable expectations when they fear doing so could affect their next booking.

Remote working brought its own tensions. It can make work more accessible and offer greater flexibility, while also creating pressure to remain available beyond contracted hours.

Key takeaway: Clear working boundaries, safe reporting routes and support from senior colleagues are central to a healthier working culture.

Career development needs a route beyond entry level

One of the evening’s strongest recurring themes was the difficulty of progressing beyond entry-level roles.

Trainee schemes bring people into post-production, yet opportunities to move into assistant, mid-level and senior positions can be limited. Under pressure to deliver quickly, productions often turn to established editors and assistants with familiar credits.

That creates a frustrating cycle: people need experience to secure opportunities, and opportunities to gain experience.

Chloe described moving from MCR into drama through a combination of transferable technical skills, networking and fortunate timing. Her experience challenged the idea that moving between genres requires an entirely different skill set. The barriers between unscripted and scripted work can be greater than the differences in the work itself.

Zeb suggested involving experienced editors as consultants or mentors on productions. This could give producers confidence while creating supported opportunities for less-established editors to take the next step.

The discussion also considered how AI might affect this pathway. Technology may improve efficiency, and the panel raised concerns about losing the junior tasks through which people traditionally learn.

If those opportunities disappear without alternative training routes, the industry risks creating a future shortage of experienced professionals. Developing talent needs to remain part of the conversation about how technology is adopted.

Key takeaway: Sustaining the talent pipeline means investing in progression beyond entry level, including mentoring, recognition of transferable skills and opportunities to learn as technology changes.

Inclusion starts with recognising the individual

The panel agreed that diverse teams enrich storytelling by bringing different experiences and perspectives into the edit.

Zeb spoke about the uncomfortable experience of sometimes feeling hired to fulfil a diversity requirement rather than being recognised for her professional abilities.

Her point was a practical one: employers should be able to explain what they value about someone’s work, rather than making assumptions based on identity or background.

Chloe discussed her experiences as a disabled and neurodivergent freelancer, including occasions when employers made assumptions about her capabilities without consulting her.

Listening to the individual is essential. Asking what someone needs to do their best work is more useful than deciding on their behalf what they can or cannot manage.

Geography also remains a barrier. Although remote working can broaden access, many opportunities and professional networks remain concentrated in London.

Key takeaway: Meaningful inclusion depends on recognising talent, listening to individual needs and creating accessible opportunities to work and progress.

Networks matter – and access to them matters too

Relationships remain central to finding work and building a sustainable freelance career.

The panel encouraged freelancers to build connections across productions, genres and companies, rather than depending entirely on familiar contacts or a single long-running production.

At the same time, traditional networking is not equally accessible to everyone. Caring responsibilities, disability, travel costs and location can all affect someone’s ability to attend events or maintain a visible presence.

Online communities, WhatsApp groups, webinars, industry organisations and social media can offer other ways to connect.

There is also a role for people with established networks. Sharing a contact, recommending someone for an opportunity or including a less-established colleague in a conversation can make a meaningful difference.

Key takeaway: Networks become more accessible when there are different ways to connect and established professionals share contacts, recommendations and opportunities.

Practical changes need to start with decision-makers

While everyone has a part to play, the discussion repeatedly returned to the responsibility of those setting budgets, schedules and hiring practices. Broadcasters, production companies, post houses and senior industry figures have a particular role in creating the conditions for change.

The panel highlighted several practical priorities:

• Earlier involvement of post teams. Bringing post into budgeting and scheduling discussions allows time to identify workflow needs and pressure points before they become problems.
• Clear working expectations. Agreeing hours, responsibilities, communication boundaries and routes for raising concerns helps everyone understand where they stand.
• Budgets that support development and access. Including mentoring, training and accessibility costs in planning reduces reliance on individuals absorbing them.
• Supported opportunities to progress. Involving an experienced editor or mentor can help someone take on a new role or move between genres.
• Conversations about individual needs. Listening to freelancers helps establish what enables them to work effectively, including reasonable adjustments and practical working arrangements.
• More open access to networks. Recommendations and recognition of transferable skills can help emerging talent reach opportunities beyond their existing circle.

The panel also referenced the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) and the TV Access Project as industry-wide initiatives supporting safer and more accessible working environments.

Across these suggestions, the emphasis was on decisions that people with influence can make: how work is budgeted, who gets considered, how expectations are communicated and where support is available.

A Blueberry perspective

For Anna, the evening brought into focus the difference an agency can make in addressing some of these challenges through everyday support for freelancers and clients.

At Blueberry, that starts with knowing the people on both sides of a booking. Understanding a freelancer’s strengths, ambitions and working needs alongside a production’s brief helps us bring together people who will work well together. It also allows us to champion talent, spot transferable skills and encourage clients to consider someone whose experience might be less familiar to them.

We help negotiate rates, dates and terms, provide clear contracts for both parties, and handle the administration and payments. For freelancers, that means knowing what has been agreed and being paid on time. For clients, it means having a partner who takes care of the details and helps the booking run smoothly.

Being a sounding board matters too. We encourage freelancers to discuss individual needs and reasonable adjustments, and help them navigate those conversations with confidence. This gives clients a clearer understanding of what will enable someone to do their best work, and helps freelancers feel informed and supported from the outset.

When things don’t go to plan, we stay involved: listening, helping resolve difficulties, clarifying expectations and working to secure payment where needed. A freelancer has someone to turn to, and a client has someone who understands the relationship and can help find a practical way forward.

Key takeaway: Ongoing agency support can give freelancers someone to turn to and clients a trusted partner throughout a booking, helping both navigate expectations, practical details and any difficulties.

Building a future people can stay in

The industry’s immediate challenge is financial survival. Its longer-term future also depends on whether people can build sustainable careers within it.

The evening brought those two concerns together. Realistic budgets affect working conditions; working conditions affect who stays; and opportunities to learn and progress shape the talent available for future productions.

A more resilient post-production sector will require action across the industry. Earlier conversations, clearer expectations and better-supported opportunities are practical places to start.