AI specialist production company adds former ITVS and BBCS exec to spearhead AI programming push
AI specialist indie Deep Fusion has appointed its first development exec to spearhead the company’s push into AI-powered unscripted content.
Charissa Coulthard, who has held senior development positions at ITV Studios, BBC Studios, Fremantle and Curve Media, has joined as development executive to help develop talent-led ideas, inspired by both audience behaviour and emerging technology.
Coulthard will be tasked with building the infrastructure to create scalable, cross-platform IP that reflects both what audiences are watching now and what they will expect to watch in the future.
She will also build on Deep Fusion’s background in ethical AI production to drive new applications that challenge the ways that unscripted content is developed, funded and distributed.
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Deep Fusion, launched in 2023 by Benjamin Field and Jamie Anderson, works across both digital-first and traditional broadcast slates, with chief executive Field saying that Coulthard “embodies exactly the kind of creative intelligence and pragmatic ambition we value at Deep Fusion.”
“She understands the needs of commissioners and the complexities of the market, but she also recognises that the system is overdue for reinvention. At a time when our industry is evolving rapidly – creatively, financially and technologically – Charissa’s experience with major broadcasters and her instinct for innovation will help us lead from the front.”
Coulthard’s credits include Channel 4 fashion format The Unique Boutique, BBC daytime series Maximum Security and Channel 5’s Britain by Balloon: Minute by Minute.
She added: “Whether it’s an unexpected format device, a fresh perspective or a new technology, I’ve always loved finding new ways to tell stories.
“I’m so excited to be joining Deep Fusion – this exceptional team of creatives knows how to use AI ethically and in a way that enhances storytelling without compromising authenticity. There are so many opportunities to explore and I can’t wait to get started.”
The nascent indie company has already seen a feature-length documentary commission from Sky to celebrate Hammer Films’ 90th anniversary in Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters and landmark feature documentary We Need to Talk About James about the legendary British racing driver James Hunt.
Deep Fusion is also behind the podcast series Virtually Parkinson, which is hosted by an AI version of the late chat-show host Sir Michael Parkinson. The eight-part series was the first major commission from new digital content agency Night Train Digital.
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