Adam Downey, director of post production at Sky, tells TVBEurope how seeing a harmonious team working to deliver a project is like watching a ballet
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 10, 2025 Updated: February 11, 2025
Adam Downey, director of post production at Sky, tells TVBEurope how seeing a harmonious team working to deliver a project is like watching a ballet
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Adam Downey, director of post production at Sky, tells TVBEurope how seeing a harmonious team working to deliver a project is like watching a ballet
https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/people/meet-the-director-of-post-production title=Share via Email class=share-email>
Talk us through an average day in your role I don't think there is an average day in my role, which is both a blessing and at times a challenge. I lead post production across most of Sky's content areas, such as entertainment, sport, documentaries, promos, news and some scripted, and I have a staff of over a hundred people and an equal number of freelance specialists. I have regular catch ups with my all of my team, as well as stakeholders and other support departments like finance. Aside from that, my day changes based on what is happening across our business, the wider company or the industry.
Adam Downey, director of post production at Sky My day will generally be split around three factors; where we are going (our strategy of moving forward) the wellbeing of my staff, and looking at the projects we are delivering, checking progress and risks.
Post production is a creative talent business sitting on technology and is often perceived as a single cog in the end of a long production chain. The only resolute is that the delivery date rarely changes, but as we sit at the end of that production's cycle, decisions that are made at the start can have an impact on the work we do. In the main these decisions are collaborative and well communicated, so we are prepared, but sometimes we need to react to unknowns with fast problem solving.
How did you get started in the media industry? I did film studies at university and fell in love with the process of editing. I loved seeing things come together and finding solutions to elements I hadn't considered whilst shooting, taking something from its raw form to a finished and polished (well, for a student) piece.
Before leaving university I sent out 300 CVs and heard not a sound. Luckily a film was being shot in my home town of Birmingham and I talked them in to giving me a job as a runner, before realising it was an unpaid position not a good testament for our industry back then! As an industry we have made good progress away from this model of employment, which creates huge barriers to entry, and it's something I have personally made efforts to change in the management roles I have held in my career, though there is still a long way to go.
Over a year and three projects as runner and 3rd assistant director later, I got a bite from one of the CVs I'd sent out a long while back. I left the freelance world of film and odd jobs between gigs to be a full time runner in a post house in Soho working on commercials. From there I moved through the ranks of edit assistant, junior editor to editor. I did this for a few years and while I know some love the focus and solitude, I found editing to be a lonely and isolating experience. Luckily, at that time as a business we went through a massive technical upheaval and I was able to lead the change project, which gave me the option to move into facilities management and support (at a separate company) and from there into running post production.
What training did you have before entering the industry? A part of our industry that has always frustrated me is the lack of formal training. Something I have completely changed within my role at Sky and in roles before. Apart from University (which at that time was not as linked to the industry and therefore not as applicable as I had hoped) all the training' I received was on the job training. You had to be a quick learner with an inquisitive mind to understand why you were doing something. That understanding helped when the process you'd learnt changed. Luckily, I followed in the footsteps of good and nice people who gave me their time when they could and answered my frustrating questions.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry? It is varied, challenging but there is nothing more satisfying than watching a project deliver perfectly, watching the effort and skill of people come together in harmony to deliver a piece of content. It is not the type of content for me, not the value of the piece but the way the team work. The harmony, craft and precision. It is like watching a ballet (I'm not a ballet fan but you get the analogy) as all the crafts, technical and operational crews pass the elements of a production through our supply chain to deliver a crisp product to a happy client.
What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours? Never be afraid to ask questions and seek advice. We have all been there and have opportunities due to other people's good nature and the vast majority of us believe in paying that back. If we are busy at that moment, remind us as often as necessary, we truly don't mind.
Attention to detail not speed is the most important element in post production, so take your time and make sure what you delivered is done to your best ability.
And finally it is just a job, and you deserve to be where you are. Don't let anyone tell you different.
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
01/10/2026
Mesh Broadcast Services Fits Big-Truck Audio Power into Compact Eclipse Unit with Calrec Argo M Canadian OB company Mesh Broadcast Services has fitted its Eclip...
01/10/2026
Vital TV antenna replaced at SudburyHelicopter and broadcast engineers work together to upgrade TV services for 1.5M in the East
--
Share to Linkedin
Octobe...
01/10/2026
Arqiva appoints Simon Duffy as ChairSimon Duffy joins as Chair effective 01 October 2026
--
Share to Linkedin
October 1, 2026
Press Office
01 October 2026...
01/10/2026
Season 4 of the multi-award-winning hit entertainment series The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In is back, serving up another round of unpredictable laughs, unforg...
01/10/2026
New season begins Sunday, 4 October at 6pm on RT lyric fm and RT Listen
RT lyric fm's arts and culture documentary series The Lyric Feature returns on S...
01/10/2026
RT is proud to continue its commitment to supporting and celebrating the arts across Ireland this October, highlighting a vibrant programme of theatre, music, ...
30/09/2026
Add an envelope generator to any plug-in
Sync Audio's latest creation is a handy utility plug-in that can be used to combine and modulate other effects ...
30/09/2026
All-analogue tape-style drive joins Series A
Strymon's reputation was built on their digital knowhow, so many were surprised (and intrigued) when they a...
30/09/2026
Two new expansion packs released
Sonuscore have just introduced two new expansion packs for The Pulse, its production engine instrument for modern cinematic...
30/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
30/09/2026
New Solution Expands Harmonic's Network Intelligence Portfolio and Brings Comcast-Developed Fiber Monitoring Technology to Broadband Operators, Providing Re...
30/09/2026
How to Shop Well Now starts Monday at 9.35pm
on RT One and RT Player
On the...
29/09/2026
Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles
Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...
29/09/2026
All-in-one bus processor revealed
Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...
29/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
29/09/2026
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN, OR AT ANY ADDRESS IN, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITO...
29/09/2026
We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...
29/09/2026
Today, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Apple relea...
29/09/2026
Final Cut Camera, the professional filming app for iPhone, receives a major upda...
29/09/2026
RT lyric fm is proud to announce the annual Choirs for Christmas competition callout. Warm up those vocal chords and join us on RT lyric fm for a celebration ...
28/09/2026
EQ plug-in can now be played via MIDI
Scaler Music have recently released a new and improved version of their patented musical EQ plug-in, kitting it out wi...
28/09/2026
New synth developed in collaboration with philterSoup
Boutique effects pedal and Eurorack manufacturer Animal Factory Amps have announced that the new compa...
28/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz adds an integrated multi-channel pulse analysis option to its FS...
28/09/2026
Monday 28 September 2026
Sky launches Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps for millions of homes
Sky has launched a new Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps product, rolling out from today, gi...
28/09/2026
Arvato Systems Highlights It's Role for Automotive Manufacturers and Suppliers
TISAX
Arvato Systems has successfully completed the TISAX Level 3 assess...
28/09/2026
Crimecall, presented by Carla O'Brien, returns tonight for a brand new series at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player.
In tonight's episode, alongside appe...
28/09/2026
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS AT THE HEART OF NEW IRISH WRITING
LIVE FROM POETRY IRELAND, DUBLIN AND ON RT RADIO 1 FROM 7PM
DETAILS: www.rte.ie/writing | FOLLOW: #r...
27/09/2026
New compact pedal packs in 120 effects
The latest multi-effects pedal from Boss is a compact unit that promises to give any pedalboard a massive boost in s...
26/09/2026
Launched alongside three new expansion packs
In celebration of their 30th anniversary, Native Instruments have released a major update for their Maschine 3 ...
25/09/2026
Algorithm update & new DVA vibrato-detection engine
A new flagship version of Antares' iconic pitch-correction software has arrived, and along with a co...
25/09/2026
New flagship unit to arrive in early 2027
Two notes Audio Engineering have revealed that a new and improved version of their hugely popular reactive load bo...
25/09/2026
AI-free mixing tool gets an upgrade
Launched in October 2025, Tim Exiles Finalist is an algorithmic mixing tool that's been designed for those who don&#...
25/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Mobile Test Summit 2026 puts the spotlight on 6G - registrations...
25/09/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson reflects on IBC 2026 and considers the main learnings against an industry that saw AI finally coming out of the labs and into pr...
25/09/2026
Friday 25 September 2026
How to watch an unmissable weekend of women's football on Sky Sports and NOW
Sky Sports and NOW will broadcast seven live games f...
25/09/2026
Friday 25 September 2026
YAGA trailer released, coming exclusively to Sky and N...
25/09/2026
Watch this space: a new strategic direction for UK media. Arqiva has submitted its response to the Governments Green Paper on the future of television distribut...
25/09/2026
Want to be part of this year's Late Late Toy Show?
Final call for applications in search for this year's stars
The most wonderful night of the year is...
24/09/2026
The next generation of multitrack recording for live sound
The latest version of Waves' dedicated live multitrack recording software delivers an array ...
24/09/2026
An idea machine for musicians
Described as an idea machine for musicians , the latest addition to Polyend's growing collection of guitar pedals combin...
24/09/2026
Alignment tool gains multitrack layout
Synchro Arts have just launched the latest version of their renowned time-alignment plug-in, and it's said to be ...
24/09/2026
Synth gains DAW Control & Ctrl-e integration
Expressive E have just released a major firmware update that brings some interesting new features to the Osmose...
24/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz expands its system amplifier portfolio with the R&S SAM200 for a...
24/09/2026
September 24, 2026
The Hitachi Startup Challenge FY26 invites innovative startu...
24/09/2026
Download Now!
To receive a short case study showcasing NHK Technologies, Inc. (NT) s audio setup, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* Fir...
24/09/2026
LUXEMBOURG, September 24, 2026 - SES, a space solutions company, has commenced construction of a new satellite manufacturing facility in Kockelscheuer, Luxembou...
Adam Downey, director of post production at Sky, tells TVBEurope how seeing a harmonious team working to deliver a project is like watching a ballet
