Hot Shots 2023: Laura Taylor

Picture Shop Manchester managing director Paul Austin doesn’t hold back in his praise for Laura Taylor. She is, he says, “the most impressive young post-producer I have had the pleasure to manage in my 25 years in post-production”.

Hired by Picture Shop in 2021, when it was still known as The Farm, Taylor was promoted to junior post-producer within six months. Stepping up recently to post producer, she was thrown in at the deep end, managing the complex and demanding production of Channel 4’s 24 Hours In A&E, while also juggling BBC3’s Project Icon and CBeebies staple Justin’s House.

“Laura has the perfect combination of technical, commercial, project management and client service skills,” says Austin. “On top of that, she has an amazing attention to detail, is organised and has an impressive work ethic.”

As well as junior roles on Cheshire Housewives, Morning Live and The Cruise, Taylor has provided a “cornerstone of stability” during a restructure of post on Dragons’ Den, says executive producer Sam Davies. With a lot of remote editing, some of it in a different country, and a new team of editors and edit producers, Taylor’s in-depth knowledge of the process has proved invaluable in keeping edits running smoothly.

“Laura has helped us navigate the evershifting sands of edit schedules with an air of calmness and confidence that belies her years,” says Davies.

“Even in the most trying times, when it seemed like there was too much to do in too little time, Laura remained composed and shifted things around at a moment’s notice, making what seemed like the impossible possible. I found her ability to keep calm under pressure astonishing and inspirational.”