The Apple and Biscuit Show – Details, episodes & analysis

Over a 30-year career, UK indie Producer and Director Pip Piper has Produced nine feature documentaries, including 'Mountain Biking: The Untold British Story' and 'Bicycle', both with two-times BAFTA winning director Michael Baig-Clifford; directed six feature documentaries, including the music industry trilogy 'Last Shop Standing', 'The Vinyl Revival' and 'Long and Winding Road'; and Exec Produced three more. He also Produced the critically acclaimed drama feature 'The Insatiable Moon'.

But Pip has also been busy in other areas, too; for 30 years he has run the One Small Barking Dog charity; spent 16 years running production company Blue Hippo Media; 10 years as the Chair of the West Midlands Producers Forum; 10 years teaching an MA in film distribution and marketing; and he has run three film festivals. 

Pip has a new feature documentary coming to British cinemas in March 2026, called 'Jo In The Water'. It was filmed throughout 2025 and it follows Jo Bateman, an Exmouth-based sea swimmer, who became a "reluctant activist" campaigning for clean water in UK rivers and seas when the dumping of millions of litres of raw sewage by her local water company impacted her physical and mental health — a familiar story all over the UK; and such has been the impact of the documentary, on March the 2nd, British MPs attended a special screening of the film at Westminster.

For his work in highlighting social issues to bring about awareness and change, we might fairly describe Pip as an "active activist".

About the presenters:
You can find out more about Pip Piper's work here and here; and a selection of his films can be found on the Vimeo on Demand site, for instance here and here.

Details about Neil Hillman and Jason Nicholas's work as dialogue editors and mixers and how to contact them is here.
Details of our 1-to-1, training and coaching programmes for ambitious media professionals are available at:
https://www.drneilhillman.com and https://soundproducer.com.au/coaching and www.soundformovingpictures.com

Details of Neil's books, including his best-seller 'Sound for Moving Pictures', are available here.

Technical notes:

Written, produced and presented by Jason Nicholas and Dr Neil Hillman – IMDb
Recorded using the CleanFeed remote recording system
Programme edited by Jason Nicholas

YouTube fair use disclaimer:
Where copyrighted material appears in episodes of The Apple and Biscuit Show, it is used under the 'fair use' guidelines of the Copyright Act: i.e. "Use of these clips follows Fair Use laws regarding commenting and criticizing", where Fair Use allows for the unlicensed use of copyrighted material for purposes such as Commentary, Criticism, Parody, News reporting, Teaching, Scholarship, and Research.
In instances where copyright or credit is questioned, please contact us directly to discuss receiving credit, or removing the featured content.

Jonathan Glazier is one of the television industry's leading lights in television Light Entertainment. Over a 40-year career, Jonathan has directed and produced some of the most popular TV shows, such as 'Stars in Their Eyes', 'Gladiators', 'The Weakest Link' and 'Asia's Got Talent' (and he has the awards to prove it). He has the rare experience of firstly consulting to, and then leading, one of the BBC's most historically significant and influential departments as the Editor of BBC Light Entertainment and International Formats. Today, he works with global clients as diverse as CBC and NHK and creates formats for widely different cultures from 'Suka Lattew' in Malaysia to 'How Normal are You?' in New Zealand.  

But Jonathan's remarkable television career started in the sound department at the famous ATV Elstree studios. Jonathan explains how this background has been the foundation of his incredible career.

About the presenters:
You can find out more about Jonathan Glazier's consultancy company here 

Details about Neil Hillman and Jason Nicholas's work as dialogue editors and mixers and how to contact them is here
Our 1-to-1, training and coaching programmes for ambitious media professionals are available at: https://www.drneilhillman.com and https://soundproducer.com.au/coaching and www.soundformovingpictures.com

Details of Neil's books, including his best-seller 'Sound for Moving Pictures', are available here

Technical notes:

Written, produced and presented by Jason Nicholas and Dr Neil Hillman – IMDb
Recorded using the CleanFeed remote recording system
Programme edited by Jason Nicholas

YouTube fair use disclaimer:
Where copyrighted material appears in episodes of The Apple and Biscuit Show, it is used under the 'fair use' guidelines of the Copyright Act: i.e. "Use of these clips follows Fair Use laws regarding commenting and criticizing", where Fair Use allows for the unlicensed use of copyrighted material for purposes such as Commentary, Criticism, Parody, News reporting, Teaching, Scholarship, and Research. In instances where copyright or credit is questioned, please contact us directly to discuss receiving credit, or removing the featured content.

In this episode (Part 2 of 2) Neil and Jason talk in-depth and 'totally technical' about the musical Wicked with the Oscar-winning Production Sound Mixer Simon Hayes and on set music editor Josh Winslade. We discuss the creative decisions behind Simon's sound recording strategy, his timing and justification for switching to digital radio mics and the low-down on how a great relationship with the Visual Effects supervisor is so important in the quest for capturing the best possible performance from artists on set.

About the presenters:
You can find more about Simon and his work here
Josh Winslade on IMDb
Details about Neil and Jason's work as dialogue editors and mixers and how to contact them is here
Details of our 1-to-1, training and coaching programmes for ambitious media professionals are available at:
https://www.drneilhillman.com and https://soundproducer.com.au/coaching and www.soundformovingpictures.com

Technical notes:
Written, produced and presented by Jason Nicholas and Dr Neil Hillman – IMDb
Recorded using the CleanFeed remote recording system
Programme edited by Jason Nicholas

YouTube fair use disclaimer:
Where copyrighted material appears in episodes of The Apple and Biscuit Show, it is used under the 'fair use' guidelines of the Copyright Act: i.e. "Use of these clips follows Fair Use laws regarding commenting and criticizing", where Fair Use allows for the unlicensed use of copyrighted material for purposes such as Commentary, Criticism, Parody, News reporting, Teaching, Scholarship, and Research.

In instances where copyright or credit is questioned, please contact us directly to discuss receiving credit, or removing the featured content.

In this episode, (Part 1 of 2), Neil and Jason talk in-depth and 'totally technical' to the Oscar-winning Production Sound Mixer Simon Hayes, and on set music editor Josh Winslade, about their complex and unique playback and recording arrangements for capturing live vocals and authentic performances from lead actors Cynthia Erivo and Ariane Grande; as well as providing an insight into how to keep Jeff Goldblum happy in-between takes (and it partially involves jazz…).   This is the most comprehensive account of the Wicked gig and rig yet recorded, and best of all, it's in the words of Wicked's own sound wizards.   About the presenters: You can find more about Simon and his work here: https://www.simonhayes.com Josh Winslade is here on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7016150/ Details about Neil and Jason's work as dialogue editors and mixers and how to contact them is here: https://www.theaudiosuite.com Details of our 1-to-1, training and coaching programmes for ambitious media professionals are available at: https://www.drneilhillman.com and https://soundproducer.com.au/coaching and https://www.soundformovingpictures.com   Technical notes: Written, produced and presented by Jason Nicholas and Dr Neil Hillman –  IMDb: www.imdb.me/neilhillman   Recorded using the CleanFeed remote recording system   Programme edited by Jason Nicholas   YouTube fair use disclaimer: Where copyrighted material appears in episodes of The Apple and Biscuit Show, it is used under the 'fair use' guidelines of the Copyright Act: i.e. "Use of these clips follows Fair Use laws regarding commenting and criticizing", where Fair Use allows for the unlicensed use of copyrighted material for purposes such as Commentary, Criticism, Parody, News reporting, Teaching, Scholarship, and Research. In instances where copyright or credit is questioned, please contact us directly to discuss receiving credit, or removing the featured content.

Dr Mark Deeks is someone who likes to challenge our assumptions about music, and in particular Heavy Metal, which he suggests has more than a passing resemblance to folk music (as someone with a Ph.D. from researching Heavy Metal music, he's able to say). But not only is he a Heavy Metal performer with his band Winterfylleth and as a solo artist, he's also a piano teacher, a musical director for various professional artists, as well as a conductor for ensembles as diverse as workplace choirs and the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Mark's passion is helping people to understand the important role that music can play in mental wellbeing; and his workshops and seminars on subjects surrounding the use of music to improve mental health and reduce stress are hugely popular. In this interview, Marks speaks candidly about his own experience of trauma; coming to terms with the loss of a child, and the role that music played in his recovery. This is an unusual and remarkable interview that may very well change your life.

About the presenters:
Mark's website is here (https://markdeeksmusic.com/)

Details about Neil and Jason's work as dialogue editors and mixers and how to contact them is here (https://www.theaudiosuite.com)

Details of our 1-to-1, training and coaching programmes for ambitious media professionals are available at: https://www.drneilhillman.com and https://soundproducer.com.au/coaching and www.soundformovingpictures.com

Technical notes:
Written, produced and presented by Jason Nicholas and Dr Neil Hillman – IMDb
Recorded using the CleanFeed remote recording system
Programme edited and mixed by Jason Nicholas

British Supervising Sound Editor and Sound Designer Stephen Griffiths is responsible for some of the most intelligent and entertaining soundtracks of the last two decades or more, seamlessly moving between multi-million-dollar movies and high-end television dramas.

In this episode Neil and Jason are in conversation with Stephen about his role in helping to create one of the most complex yet subtle soundtracks of the recent era, the 2022 movie, TÁR. 

In this thorough exploration of the film's precise sound, Stephen describes the meticulous attention to detail demanded by Writer and Director Todd Field and details how bringing together live orchestral recordings alongside dialogue was achieved, why dialogue perspective was so important, and the benefit of fully loading temp mixes.

About the presenters:

Stephen's IMDb page is here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0341756/

Books mentioned in the podcast:

The Routledge Handbook of Sound Design (with a Chapter on Tár by Neil Hillman)

and

Sound for Moving Pictures by Neil Hillman

Details about Neil and Jason's work as dialogue editors and mixers and how to contact them is here: https://www.theaudiosuite.com

Details of our 1-to-1, training and coaching programmes for ambitious media professionals are available at: 

https://www.drneilhillman.com and https://soundproducer.com.au/coaching and www.soundformovingpictures.com

Technical notes:

Written, produced and presented by Jason Nicholas and Dr Neil Hillman – IMDb

Recorded using the CleanFeed remote recording system 

Programme edited and mixed by Jason Nicholas

In this episode (part 2 of 2), Neil and Jason talk to the Oscar-winning Production Sound Mixer Simon Hayes about the work-ethic he learned from filming with his father, Production Sound Mixer John Hayes; other Production Sound Mixers that have inspired him; the importance of a life lived outside of the film business (to both your health and your finances); and his close and long-standing friendship with the film director, Guy Ritchie.

And stay tuned to hear how Neil throws caution to the wind and offers to grapple with Simon in the dojo to decide who between them should mix the next James Bond Film…

About the presenters:

You can find more about Simon and his work here: https://www.simonhayes.com

Details about Neil and Jason's work as dialogue editors and mixers and how to contact them is here: https://www.theaudiosuite.com

Details of Neil's 1-to-1 and Coaching Programmes for ambitious media professionals are available at: https://www.drneilhillman.com and https://soundproducer.com.au/coaching and www.soundformovingpictures.com

Technical notes:

Written, produced and presented by Jason Nicholas and Dr Neil Hillman – IMDb

Recorded using the Squadcast remote recording system

Programme edited by Jason Nicholas

All original motion picture soundtrack clips are licensed through SceneClipper Inc.

In this episode (part 1 of 2), Neil and Jason talk to Oscar-winning Production Sound Mixer Simon Hayes about his demanding work on location film sets and deep-dive into Simon's philosophy and approach to modern location recording techniques. We discuss the importance of a fully-digital signal chain, the understanding with directors he establishes at the beginning of each project and the very different considerations he applies to recording and mixing musicals such as Les Misérables, Cats and Wicked or action films such as James Bond's No Time To Die, X-Men: First Class and Guardians of the Galaxy. Simon talks about the refreshing nature of shooting low-budget, single camera productions epitomised by the spirit of his early work on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. This is a compelling and unique insight into film sound for experts, novices and movie aficionados alike.   About the presenters:   You can find more about Simon and his work here: https://www.simonhayes.com

Details about Neil and Jason's work as dialogue editors and mixers and how to contact them is here: https://www.theaudiosuite.com

Details of Neil's 1-to-1 and Coaching Programmes for ambitious media professionals are available at: 

https://www.drneilhillman.com and  https://soundproducer.com.au/coaching and www.soundformovingpictures.com

Technical notes:

Written, produced and presented by Jason Nicholas and Dr Neil Hillman – IMDb

Recorded using the Squadcast remote recording system

Programme edited by Jason Nicholas

All original motion picture soundtrack clips are licensed through SceneClipper Inc.

In this episode, Neil and Jason talk to the Oscar-winning supervising sound editors and sound designers, Nina Hartstone and John Warhurst, about their work and specifically, in-depth about the sound design considerations for the feature films Les Miserables, Gravity, Cats, Bohemian Rhapsody and the documentary of David Bowie's life, Moonage Daydream.

Whilst the David Bowie vinyl album cover of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars boldly stated, "To Be Played At Maximum Volume" (which we caution against) we do suggest that the examples of the subject material in this episode of The Apple & Biscuit Show are "Best Listened To On Headphones".

About the presenters:

Nina Hartstone – IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0367243/

John Warhurst – IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1341243/

Neil and Jason –

Details about Neil and Jason's work as dialogue editors and mixers and how to contact them is here: https://www.theaudiosuite.com

Details of Neil's 1-to-1 and Coaching Programmes for ambitious media professionals are available at: 

https://www.drneilhillman.com and  https://soundproducer.com.au/coaching

Technical notes: 

Written, produced and presented by Jason Nicholas and Dr Neil Hillman

Recorded using the Squadcast remote recording system

Programme edited by Jason Nicholas

In this episode, Neil and Jason talk to 'Mr. Loudness', Mike Thornton, about the issues of television programme loudness and dialogue intelligibility. Why is the background music too loud? Why can't the viewers hear what the actors are saying? And why are films so loud in the cinema?

In a comprehensive and compelling journey starting with radio transmission concerns in the 1930s, to the present-day woes of broadcasters and streaming platforms, Mike's accessible and understandable explanations demystify the raft of complex sound challenges that filmmakers continue to face in delivering effective soundtracks.  

About the presenters:

Mike Thornton - 

Web: https://www.production-expert.com/author-bios/2019/11/26/mike-thornton 

Loudness tutorials: 

Start here for Part 1 of Mikes series of 6 videos: https://youtu.be/jvcfwtrL0uw?si=QVhc9ee-wgWb-cO8

Neil and Jason –

Details about Neil and Jason's work as dialogue editors and mixers and how to contact them is here: https://www.theaudiosuite.com

Details of Neil's 1-to-1 and Coaching Programmes for ambitious media professionals are available at 

https://www.drneilhillman.com and  https://soundproducer.com.au/coaching

Technical notes: 

Written, produced and presented by Jason Nicholas and Dr Neil Hillman

Recorded using the Squadcast remote recording system

Programme edited by Jason Nicholas