TellyCast - the content industry podcast show

14/07/2025

Andrew Trotman didn’t set out to build one of the UK’s most dynamic creator businesses. In fact, his first brush with digital fame came from beating the bookmakers at their own game—using data science to tip winners in horse racing. But that obsession with numbers would become the foundation for Komi Group, a Manchester-based powerhouse now producing 40,000 videos a year and clocking 4.5 billion monthly views across 40+ owned social brands. “I realised early on that if you can own distribution and build a loyal audience, you’ve got something incredibly valuable,” Trotman tells TellyCast in this week’s episode....

Inside Komi Group: The Data-Driven Studio Turning Creators into Brands Behind the scenes at Komi Group: how Andrew Trotman is helping creators scale, diversify, and survive the creator economy - from social video to brand building and beyond.

10/07/2025

Quintus Studios MD Gerrit Kemming reveals how the company transformed from a traditional TV distributor into a global YouTube documentary powerhouse using multilingual strategy, AI dubbing, and content-first monetisation....

Quintus Studios: From Linear Legacy to YouTube Powerhouse Quintus Studios MD Gerrit Kemming reveals how the company transformed from a traditional TV distributor into a global YouTube documentary powerhouse using multilingual strategy, AI dubbing, and content-first monetis...

05/07/2025

In an era where the race for attention is unrelenting and the power dynamics between creators and traditional broadcasters are shifting, Hayley Morris stands out as a rare example of a creator who knows exactly what she wants - and what she won’t give away. With more than nine million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Morris has built a formidable comedy brand rooted in vertical video and quick-fire sketches. Her humour is distinctly self-deprecating, her characters disarmingly relatable, and her knack for turning life’s smallest humiliations into viral hits has propelled her to the front of the social video landscape....

Hayley Morris: The Relatable Comedy Star Who Won’t Let Go of Her IP Comedy creator Hayley Morris explains why protecting her IP is non-negotiable as she builds her social video empire and explores self-funded TV-style projects on YouTube.

04/07/2025

Multi-platform production company Spirit Studios is set to become one of the first partners to utilise Channel 4’s Generative AI Solution for TV advertising, in a move designed to unlock the power of TV for new and emerging brands....

Spirit Studios partners with Channel 4 on groundbreaking Gen AI ad campaign

30/06/2025

For many traditional TV producers, the move into the digital-first world can feel like stepping into chaos. Storyboards, set pieces and tightly written scripts have long been the backbone of broadcast production. But Ben Doyle, the creative force behind After Party Studios, has built his career by rejecting that structure in favour of something much looser - and it’s working. Known to many as RubberDuck, Doyle has spent nearly a decade building social-first hits by working hand-in-hand with digital-native talent. Speaking at the recent TellyCast How to Make Money in Digital event, he made it clear that the rules of the YouTube game are radically different to those of television....

13/06/2025

Tafara Makopa, former Managing Director at TellyCast Digital Video Awards-winning Studio of the Year Wall of Entertainment, has launched MAKO Studios, a new creative consultancy and digital production studio aimed at connecting talent, brands and production partners in the digital space....

Tafara Makopa Launches MAKO Studios to Connect Brands, Creators and Production Partners in Digital Space Tafara Makopa, former Managing Director at TellyCast Digital Video Awards-winning Studio of the Year Wall of Entertainment, has launched MAKO Studios, a new creative co...

09/06/2025

Studio B is an award-winning digital-first studio, creating branded entertainment for some of the world’s most iconic brands - including Disney, Lego, Netflix, Google, and many more. Founded by a creator, we have an instinctive understanding of digital platforms and what makes content truly resonate. Our social-first approach has propelled Studio B to extraordinary heights, generating over 15 billion views and cultivating an audience of more than 25 million followers across the globe. What sets Studio B apart is our unmatched blend of creativity and cutting-edge technology. With significant investments in world-class infrastructure, including a leading VFX team and dedicated AI task force, we continually unlock advanced production capabilities....

Head of Formats - Studio B

08/06/2025

The Drop is launching a dedicated jobs section to help digital-first companies and creators find the talent they need to grow. The new recruitment page, launching today, offers a targeted solution for studios, agencies, production companies and digital brands seeking experienced professionals in the fast-evolving social video space. The package includes a premium job listing on thedropmedia.co.uk, plus inclusion in four editions of The Drop’s influential newsletter, which boasts an open rate of nearly 60% and is the industry's only dedicated newsletter for the new production economy. The package also includes promotional posts on the Instagram and LinkedIn pages, to further promote the vacancy to the digital-first community....

https://www.dropmedia.co.uk/the-drop-launches-new-digital-first-jobs-section-to-support-industry-recruitment/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=jetpack_social

The Drop Launches New Digital-First Jobs Section to Support Industry Recruitment

08/06/2025

In an era where social video rules the screen, Hearst Networks UK is emerging as a quiet force in digital-first storytelling - particularly across the booming true crime and history genres. Led by digital commissioning editor Sam Pearson, the broadcaster - formerly known as A+E Networks UK - is forging a smart, experimental strategy across its channel brands Sky History, Crime+Investigation and Blaze. Their aim? To reimagine how factual programming lives and breathes across platforms like YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and beyond. “The thinking behind it really came at the beginning of the pandemic,” Pearson says....

True Crime, TikTok and Test-and-Learn: How Hearst Networks UK is Redefining Digital-First Content

07/06/2025

At Spirit Studios we specialise in telling stories that can find audiences wherever they are - we make Podcasts, TV & Streaming shows, Digital & Social Media for ourselves, broadcasters, brands and creators as well as helping other producers distribute & monetise their YouTube, Podcast and social media channels. We are looking for someone to join our producer team who can - - Manage the end-to-end production of podcasts and digital/social content - Direct talent and technical crew on shoots - Work with hosts, presenters, guests and content editors to shape stories…...

Multi-platform Producer - Podcasts & Digital

31/05/2025

In the ever-shifting landscape of digital video, few creators have carved out a niche quite like Max Fosh. With a YouTube following in the millions and a career built on inventive stunts, sharp social experiments and a well-honed sense of silliness, Fosh is a modern content polymath - part satirist, part prankster, part presenter. But at the heart of it all lies a serious creative discipline and a sharp understanding of how social video really works. From humble beginnings recording drunken vox pops on Newcastle’s Bigg Market, to launching a fake airline and training a horse to place bets at the bookies, Fosh has taken the concept of the “YouTube creator” and blown it up into something altogether more ambitious....

The Curious Case of Max Fosh: From Facebook Stunts to Global Tours and Digital Domination Max Fosh, one of the UK’s most inventive digital creators, shares his journey from viral Facebook videos to a global comedy tour and millions of YouTube views. In this exclusive fea...

28/05/2025

If anyone still thinks social-first commissioning is all stunts and sizzle, Amie Parker-Williams has news for them. As Director of Commissioning and Production at MTV Entertainment Group International, Parker-Williams is helping to redefine what digital-first programming looks like. Her approach isn’t about chasing views at any cost; it’s about creating content that is timely, relevant, and emotionally intelligent - programming that feels native to the platform, but deeply connected to the lives of its audience. “Risk is essential for all of us to remain relevant,” she tells me on this week’s episode of TellyCast....

MTV’s Digital Commissioner on Authenticity, Risk and the Power of Vulnerability As Director of Commissioning and Production at MTV Entertainment Group International, Amie Parker-Williams is helping to redefine what digital-first programming looks like. Her approach isn.....