273 episodes
Cannes Lions Special: AI, IP and Brand-Led Content | Luma AI, Studio 55, Aardman
2026/07/09 | 1h 1 mins.Recorded on the ground at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, this Cannes special closes the current series of TellyCast before the summer break. Host Justin Crosby meets three guests working at the point where advertising, entertainment and technology now converge.
Jason Day, Head of EMEA at Luma AI, explains how the company is unifying multiple video and image models into a single creative platform, why he believes the technology has moved ahead of consumer expectations, and how brands are building AI capability in-house rather than outsourcing it. He also discusses Luma Agents and the Moses drama series produced with Wonder Project and Amazon Prime.
Will Scougal, EVP of Brand and Commercial Partnerships at ITV Studios' Studio 55, unpacks Double Date Island, the TikTok-first dating format built with Tinder and OMD. He sets out why ITV Studios is bringing broadcast-grade IP and creator craft to brands, and why production groups are still rare at Cannes.
Emma Hardie Commercial and Brand Director at Aardman, marks 50 years of the studio with a look at how Shaun the Sheep, Wallace and Gromit and a forthcoming Pokémon series translate into brand partnerships, gaming, Roblox and live experiences, from a Japanese farmhouse recreation to Feathers McGraw tattoos in China.
TellyCast returns in September, with the Digital Content Forum taking place in London on 5 November. Explore the back catalogue of more than 270 shows, plus recent content from the studio and events, on the TellyCast YouTube channel.- What does it take to build one of the UK’s most successful branded entertainment franchises?
This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Mark Rivers, co-founder of Cold Glass Productions, the company behind the award-winning Dish from Waitrose podcast and video series.
Mark shares the remarkable story behind the show’s growth from a bold business plan into a billion-view entertainment brand, why Cold Glass doesn’t think of itself as a podcast company, and how premium digital entertainment is reshaping the production landscape.
They discuss:
Why podcasting is now an entertainment business, not an audio business
Building Dish from Waitrose into one of the UK’s biggest branded content success stories
Creating different edits for YouTube and Spotify audiences
The importance of quality in an increasingly crowded podcast market
Working with A-list talent including Dave Grohl, Emilia Clarke and Louis Theroux
Why distribution strategy should be developed alongside creative
Cold Glass Productions’ new original series Outside In
Subscription, Substack and the future of creator-led media businesses
How TV production companies can learn from digital-first entertainment brands
If you’re interested in the future of podcasts, branded entertainment, YouTube strategy or the convergence of television and digital media, this episode is essential listening.
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TellyCast TikTok - What does it really take to build a production company for the creator economy?
This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by production strategist Bryony Hopkins, founder of BRYONY Ink, whose career spans the BBC, LADbible Group, Strong Watch Studios and FlightStory.
Bryony has spent years designing production systems for creator businesses, broadcasters and digital-first studios, helping teams make premium content on lean budgets without sacrificing quality.
The conversation explores why traditional TV production models often struggle in digital, how creators are building media companies, and why operational excellence is becoming a competitive advantage.
Topics include:
• Building production infrastructure for digital-first studios
• Why mindset matters as much as production skills
• Creating more content from every shoot day
• Scaling creator businesses sustainably
• The future of duty of care in the creator economy
• AI tools transforming production workflows
• Why TV professionals have valuable skills the creator economy needs
• Protecting creators while producing ambitious content
• The professionalisation of creator-led media businesses
Whether you’re a TV producer, production executive, creator, commissioner or studio founder, this episode is packed with practical insights into how production is evolving in the digital-first era.
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Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp
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TellyCast TikTok - This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Peter White, Executive Editor at Deadline, for a wide-ranging conversation covering the biggest issues facing the global content business.
Peter shares his perspective from Los Angeles on the changing fortunes of Hollywood, the impact of YouTube on traditional television, the future of late-night programming following Stephen Colbert’s departure from CBS, the economics of streaming, and why production companies need to rethink how they make and monetise content.
The discussion explores major industry developments including the Paramount-Skydance deal, the rise of creator-led content, YouTube’s growing dominance in the attention economy, the future of unscripted television, and whether vertical drama is genuinely the next big thing or simply the latest industry fad.
Peter also explains why he believes the next generation of media talent will emerge from YouTube rather than traditional television, reveals why Deadline has expanded into live events, and shares his thoughts on the future relationship between creators, broadcasters and streamers.
A candid and insightful conversation about where television, social video and the wider creator economy are heading next.
In this episode:
• Is Hollywood really in crisis?
• Why YouTube is winning the attention war
• The future of late-night television after Stephen Colbert
• The Paramount-Skydance merger and industry consolidation
• Why production companies must reduce costs
• Creator-led content versus traditional TV models
• The rise of YouTube-first entertainment
• Why Peter is sceptical about vertical drama
• How Deadline is adapting to a changing media landscape
• The future of TV, streaming and social video
TellyCast is the podcast exploring the future of television, social video and the creator economy.
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TellyCast TikTok - What happens when two experienced television producers decide to leave the traditional TV industry and build a digital-first business from scratch?
In this episode of TellyCast, Justin Crosby sits down with Pete Campion, Co-Founder of IndyStudios, to explore how he and former BBC producer Matt Ramsden have made the leap from broadcast television into the creator economy.
Pete spent more than two decades producing large-scale international factual series, including the hugely successful Gold Rush franchise. But as the economics of traditional television became increasingly challenging, he saw an opportunity to apply those storytelling skills to YouTube, digital channels and AI-powered content.
The conversation explores the realities of building a digital-first production company, why TV producers should have confidence in their storytelling skills, how Indie Studios is developing original YouTube channels, and why AI is creating entirely new opportunities for factual storytelling.
Pete also discusses audience behaviour on YouTube, the importance of owning intellectual property, collaborating with creators, working with brands, and the lessons traditional production companies need to learn if they want to succeed in the new production economy.
Elsewhere, Justin and Pete discuss the future of reality television, duty of care in content production, the opportunities for experienced TV producers in social video, and why storytelling remains the most valuable skill in any medium.
Whether you’re a producer, creator, commissioner, studio executive or media entrepreneur, this episode offers a fascinating insight into how one production company is navigating the transition from television to digital-first content.
Key Topics
• Building IndyStudios after redundancy from traditional TV
• Why experienced TV producers are moving into digital-first content
• Gold mining channels and niche audience strategies
• Working with creators and athletes
• The opportunities and risks of AI-generated storytelling
• Legends of Gold and AI-powered factual content
• What TV producers can learn from YouTube creators
• Audience-first storytelling versus commissioner-led development
• Duty of care in digital production
• The future of independent production companies
Episode Highlights
• Pete’s journey from Gold Rush to founding IndyStudios
• Why “storytelling will win” regardless of technology changes
• How AI is unlocking previously impossible factual stories
• Building owned IP instead of relying on commissions
• Lessons learned from publishing on YouTube
• The biggest mindset shifts TV producers need to make
• Why collaboration is essential for traditional indies entering digital
Visit Tubular Labs
Sign up for The Drop newsletter
Support the show
Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp
Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum
Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos
Follow us on LinkedIn
Connect with Justin on LinkedIN
TellyCast videos on YouTube
TellyCast website
TellyCast insta
TellyCast Twitter
TellyCast TikTok
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About TellyCast: The content industry podcast
TellyCast is the leading podcast exploring the future of television, YouTube, the creator economy and digital-first production.
Hosted by Justin Crosby, each episode features conversations with the people shaping the future of content.
🎧 New episodes every week.
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