Hot Shots 2024: Isha Krishnan

Isha Krishnan joined Red Sky Productions in 2021 through the TRC RAD trainee scheme, which supports people under-represented in the industry with on-the-job training. Three years later, Red Sky held onto her once the scheme finished and facilitated her rapid growth from production assistant to production secretary to junior production co-ordinator.

Her ability to roll with the punches was tested on the first series of Scotland’s Greatest Escape (BBC Scotland) in 2022. Early on, the production co-ordinator left on long-term sickness, and Krishnan stepped up to the challenge of taking on their duties. It was “a baptism of fire”, Krishnan says, but one in which she earned her first junior production co-ordinator credit.

“Constantly pulling rabbits out of hats, Isha has established herself as a rising star in production management in just three years,” says Red Sky head of production Alison Lewis. “If a production needs a calm, collected and safe pair of hands who’ll find innovative solutions to tricky problems, then Isha is the one for the job.”

Krishnan cut her teeth in factual entertainment for Discovery and the BBC, working on programmes such as Life On The Bay (BBC Scotland) and The Saved And Remade Workshop (BBC2). Despite the complexity of these shoots – including an eight-week stint on location – she found herself hooked on the sense of teamwork and pride in a job done well.

Her next move is exciting and speaks to a potential shift in genre, tone and scale – she’s moving to popular entertainment with Hungry Bear’s BBC1 hit Gladiators.