A Salisbury company supporting television studios with calm, reliable operational coordination since 2012.
showlixir began in 2012, founded by Helen Marsh after many years in studio management. She had seen how often good programmes were made harder by scattered spreadsheets and last-minute messages. The platform grew from the wish to give studios one clear, shared plan.
Our approach starts with how a studio really runs rather than how a diagram says it should. Helen came from studio management, and Daniel Prewett brings experience as a floor manager and technical coordinator on live programmes. Their habits shape the tools: plans are written so that a camera operator, a lighting technician and a producer can each find what they need without asking someone else.
Priya Nair leads development of the scheduling and equipment tracking tools, with one rule in mind: the platform should stay simple and dependable. A studio on a busy morning has no time for a complicated screen. We prefer fewer features that work every time over many that need explaining, and we test changes against real studio routines before they reach clients.
Studios do not run on equipment alone, so our services cover cameras, lighting, sound, crews and gallery time. Tom Ashworth advises on audio and lighting workflows and helps clients set up planning templates. This means a news bulletin and a live entertainment show can both be planned with the same care, whatever their size.
We work with studio managers, producers and technical crews at broadcasters and production companies. Helen looks after client relationships personally, and the team is available to adjust templates and records as programmes change. We would rather return to a setup and improve it than leave a client with something that no longer fits.
A few working habits run through everything we do for studios. They explain why clients can rely on the plan being current and understandable.
A studio day is built around fixed transmission times. We design planning tools so that changes are visible quickly and nobody works from an outdated running order.
Each camera, lens, monitor and cable run has a record. Booking and maintenance history makes it easier to see what is available and what needs attention.
Directors, vision mixers, sound staff and floor crews each need a different view of the same plan. We build for that, so that no group relies on second-hand information.
Audio checks, lighting cue lists and camera move plans are prepared in advance and shared. This leaves the final minutes before transmission for confirming, not discovering problems.
You can phone or write to the team directly. Questions go to people who understand studio work, and we answer in plain terms.
We keep the platform steady and predictable. A tool that behaves the same way each morning is worth more to a studio than a long list of extras.
Television production leaves little room for error, and the people involved often work under real time pressure. Our principles are practical, not decorative. They affect how we write plans, how we record equipment and how we speak to a crew member who needs an answer quickly.
Reliability means the platform behaves the same way on every shift. Records are kept up to date, schedules reflect the latest agreed changes, and equipment histories can be trusted. When a producer opens a plan at the start of the day, they should not have to wonder whether it is current, and we design every tool with that expectation in mind.
Clarity means plans that can be read at a glance by someone standing on the studio floor. We use plain wording, consistent layouts and sensible names for cameras, microphones and lighting cues. A running order should be understood by a new freelancer on their first day as readily as by a long-standing member of the crew.
Craft means attention to the detail that makes a programme look and sound right. It shows in lighting plots that match the set, camera moves that suit the presenter and audio setups that anticipate guests. We draw on floor experience, and we treat each studio's routines as something to understand before suggesting changes.
Clients often ask what changes in their studio once the platform is in use. The answer is usually small, steady improvements in how information moves between people, rather than a sudden change in routine.
We support studio managers, producers and technical crews at broadcasters and production companies. Some clients run newsrooms with several bulletins each day, while others produce live entertainment programmes with larger gallery teams. The size of the studio matters less than the number of people who rely on the same schedule and the same equipment. If you share rooms and kit between programmes, the coordination problems we address will be familiar to you.
We ask for an honest description of how your studio works now, including the awkward parts. Lists of equipment, recurring programmes and typical crew sizes help us enter your records accurately. We also ask who needs to see which part of the plan. This keeps the setup focused on real needs, and it spares your crew from screens they will never use.
Once the setup is complete, we stay available for questions and adjustments. Programmes change, studios acquire new equipment and crews rotate, so templates and records need occasional attention. You can contact us by phone or email, and we will help update planning templates or correct records. We prefer steady, small changes to large rebuilds.
Call us and describe your programmes and crews. We will ask a few practical questions and explain how our services could fit your studio routine.
Call us directly
01722 410286
showlixir supports television studios in Salisbury and beyond with equipment, crew and schedule coordination.