Behind the Scenes — Bringing Virtual Production to Apple TV+'s Silo and Hijack

Bringing New Technology Into Live Production: Lessons from leading virtual production on two Apple TV+ series

Shannon Harvey led virtual production on Apple TV+'s Silo and Hijack with Lux Machina, bringing new real-time technology onto working film sets. A production set is a hard test for any new tool: the schedule is fixed, the crew is large and every failure costs shooting time. Shannon explains what it took to move a young technology from demo to dependable on those two series, and how the same lessons carried into early platform adoption work with disguise and into setting up the research lab at Production Park. The story shows why deployment, not invention, is where most new technology succeeds or fails. Listeners leave knowing what a team needs in place before trusting new technology in a live setting.

About Shannon Harvey

Shannon Harvey, podcast guest

Founder

15+ years Founding and leading studios and research initiativesApple TV+ Virtual production leadership on Silo and HijackProduction Park Established its research labReflection Labs Founder, independent governance for human-facing AI

Shannon builds ventures and innovation systems at the intersection of technology, creativity, and human experience.

Over the past 15+ years, he has founded and led studios and research initiatives, built and scaled complex technical and creative systems, and worked across industry, academia, and cultural institutions. His work focuses on translating advanced research into real-world deployment, particularly where technology shapes trust, behaviour, and lived experience.

He is currently building an early-stage venture in stealth focused on responsible human-facing technology in high-trust settings. His approach is shaped by a background in performance and embodied practice, where timing, restraint, and attunement determine whether an interaction remains safe. The work sits between applied research, venture building, and real-world delivery. Further details are available privately.

He has worked in senior roles across immersive media, real-time systems, and large-scale production environments. This includes virtual production leadership on Apple TV+ productions including Silo and Hijack with Lux Machina, early platform adoption work with disguise (d3), and research leadership at Production Park, where he established a research lab and contributed to the ERDF-funded XPLOR programme.

He supports early-stage founders and teams working at the edge of research and deployment, particularly where responsibility, risk, and operational reality matter.

He was Course Leader for the BA (Hons) Visual Production degree at Backstage Academy, now the Academy of Live Technology.

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