Hot Shots 2025: Sophie Lavender

Extreme conditions, remote locations and tight weather windows make shooting in the Arctic a production co-ordinator’s worst nightmare – or for Bristol-based Sophie Lavender, a challenge to be relished.

Her experience co-ordinating a show about the Arctic, to be aired on major streamer, was “a rollercoaster, but one that I loved”, she says.

“Whether it’s leading a major shoot share, co-ordinating complex kit moves up to the most remote reaches of the Arctic, or on location and driving a 4x4 through a snow-covered forest in Finland, no two days have been the same and it has broadened my skillset beyond what I could have ever imagined,” she says.

Rising to the various challenges is all the more impressive given that it was Lavender’s first international shoot.

She had to tackle “a relentless filming schedule” that involved shipping supplies and kit months in advance, and multiple shoots that left on consecutive weeks, meaning she was grappling with emergency demands from crew on location while preparing for the next shoot to leave.

A planner at heart, Lavender quickly learned that even the best-laid plans go awry. She had to support a crew evacuation by otter plane and, after an ice-breaker vessel broke down on the ice sheet, spent a weekend renegotiating a major contract.

Silverback Films line producer Siobhan Brook says: “Sophie has become one of the most dependable members of the team – always calm under pressure, highly organised and confident in her decision-making. This year, her development has been clear to everyone. Her experience handling remotekit logistics has grown exponentially and she now tackles these challenges with confidence and sound judgement. She’s become a trusted voice in both editorial and logistical conversations.”

Lavender cut her teeth as a production management assistant at BBC Studios, working on Antiques Roadshow, Autumnwatch, Winterwatch and Springwatch. She moved into natural history when she started at Silverback Films as production co-ordinator on Wild Isles for BBC1, where she worked with David Attenborough – “a career highlight”, she says.

“One of the shoots I organised was on Skomer island, which meant bringing all our supplies and getting David off the tiny ferry and up 80 treacherous steps. I’m a big foodie so made a lasagne for the crew and David to eat together, rehearsing it in my tiny flat the previous week. It has become known at home as the ‘las-attenborough’,” she says.

Lavender also contributes meaningfully to the wider company. She’s an active member of the Diversity Steering Group, and led events for Mental Health Awareness Week, including an art class and a tag rugby taster session. She also organised Silverback’s female camera-operator showcase event, inviting women, trans and non-binary people to come into the offices to champion their work and meet producers. She’ll be running them again this year.

“Sophie is a thoughtful, highly dependable and steadily growing talent,” says Brook. “She’s a real rising star.”