An Oxford production company that works from the plan outwards
celebyzo
We design and plan the technical side of television and live events, and we explain our reasoning in plain terms so clients can judge the work for themselves.
Our story
How celebyzo came to work the way it does
celebyzo was founded in Oxford in 2012 by Oliver Hartley, after years in studio and outside broadcast production. The company grew out of a simple observation: productions run better when someone has written down how they will work before the crew arrives.
01
Starting from the production
We begin with what the audience will see and hear, and what the crew must do to deliver it. Equipment comes second. This order keeps conversations practical, because a producer can say what they need from the programme without knowing the model numbers of cameras or mixing desks. We translate that into a technical plan and explain each choice as we go.
02
Four disciplines, one team
Studio design, lighting, sound and workflow planning are handled by people who sit in the same office and talk daily. Priya Nair, Daniel Whitfield and Hannah Griffiths each lead their own field, and Oliver coordinates the whole. When a lighting decision affects a camera position or an audio path, the answer is already on the table before a client has to ask.
03
Documents that survive the day
We write things down in a form a crew can use: patch lists, plots, routing diagrams, rotas and running notes. They are kept short and clear so a freelancer arriving at short notice can follow them. Good documentation also protects the client when staff change between planning and delivery, because the reasoning does not live only in someone's head.
04
Who we work for
Our clients are television network producers, event organisers and technical crews planning audiovisual work, from studio fit-outs to concerts and festivals. Some want a full design; others want a second opinion on equipment or a written review before they commit budget. We take on the scale of work that a small team can do carefully.
Working method
What you can expect from us
These are the habits behind each project, whatever its size. They are practical commitments about how we communicate, document and deliver.
Written scope first
Before work begins you receive a written quotation that sets out what is included and what could change the cost. It means both sides know what has been agreed.
One coordinated team
Design, lighting, sound and operations are planned together. Conflicts between departments are found and settled on paper rather than during a rehearsal.
Plans a crew can use
Drawings, plots, patch lists and rotas are made for the people who will do the work, in plain language and a tidy layout that holds up on a busy day.
Schedules that hold
Hannah plans signal paths, load-in and crew rotas around the real running order. Where something is tight, we say so early rather than hoping it works out.
Honest equipment advice
We recommend what the production needs and say when existing kit is good enough. Equipment lists are matched to the programme, not padded.
Direct contact
You deal with the people doing the planning. Questions go to the relevant specialist, and replies come from someone who has read your brief.
Principles
What guides the work from first call to handover
Broadcast and live work leaves little room for guesswork. A crew on show day needs information they can trust and decisions that were made for good reasons. Three principles shape how we plan, write and deliver, and they show up in small, daily choices.
01
Clarity
Clarity means that a producer, an operator and a freelancer can each read our documents and understand their part. We avoid jargon where a plain word will do, label diagrams fully and explain why a choice was made. If a plan is hard to follow, we treat that as a fault in our work, not in the reader, and we rewrite it.
02
Reliability
Reliability means doing what the written plan says and flagging early when something changes. We build in checks, keep routing and schedules realistic, and prefer proven set-ups to experiments on a live day. If we cannot deliver something, we say so at the quotation stage rather than during the production.
03
Craft
Craft shows in the details a viewer never notices: tidy cable routes, balanced lighting across cameras, clean monitoring, sensible labelling. Each of our specialists has spent years in the field, and we take the time to finish the small things properly because crews depend on them when the pressure is on.
celebyzo plans broadcast studios, lighting, sound and live event workflows for television and festivals from Oxford.