Creating beauty on a budget

Programme budgets are shrinking but the standard of television programmes being produced is expected to remain the same, if not improve, with most programmes now being made in HD.

So how can we continue to keep up levels of production but on less time and money? When is it the best policy to use self-shooters instead of paying for a film crew, and when is it a false economy? How do you go about choosing cameras and kit to deliver the shots you need?

"The grade is another way for us all to put another stamp on our films." – Pamela Gordon

Joining Simon Smith are director Mickey Lachmann who worked on the BBC Two maths series The Code, Phil Smith, a freelance series producer who has worked on three series of Great British Menu, Clare Tavernor, director on The Culture Show and Pamela Gordon, a freelance documentary maker who recently directed the Saira Khan documentary Adopting Abroad.