Rhys Padarn on filming an iconic quiz show in Wales.

My name is Rhys Padarn. I'm originally from Swansea, but I live in Cardiff now. I was the studio director on Pictionary for ITV, the show that brings the iconic board game to life.

As studio director, I worked with various teams. We had a tight schedule on set, working on up to seven episodes a day. My typical day involved chatting with the lighting, camera and set design teams and checking they were happy. After that, we’d do a costume and wardrobe check and then start recording.

At the beginning of Pictionary, we had a rehearsal day and once the vision was set, it was about making sure there were no hold-ups and ultimately making sure we were always moving forward. I’m also the edit producer on the show, so it’s also my job to cut down the episodes and tighten them up. I've done Tipping Point for nine years, so I've got a strong quiz show background and knew what we'd need in the edit, which meant I could make those decisions quite quickly.

I like to think of my role in the studio as someone who steers the ship. I want to create a platform for the team – on Pictionary, people like Andy, our incredible lighting director and Sion, our brilliant camera supervisor – and let them do their jobs.

We filmed the show at Enfys Studios in Cardiff, which was like coming home to me. I started out in Welsh language kids’ shows and used to do a lot of shows in Enfys. It was lovely working in Cardiff because I work away quite a lot, usually across the border or abroad.

I love the variety I get with my job as a studio director; I work across loads of different genres. I do quiz shows, a bit of sport, and some reality; no two days are the same. Two weeks before I worked on Pictionary, I was in Cyprus doing a reality show for Channel Four, which was completely different.

For me, it all started in Aberystwyth where I studied film and TV. Then I got a job in the S4C tape library. At the time, the kids’ TV department was in-house at S4C. I became a researcher and later an assistant producer. I kept asking for a go at directing and eventually, they gave me a shot. I went freelance almost 10 years ago now; a few directors gave me some opportunities and I haven't looked back since.

For those interested in the role of a studio director, one of the main skills you need is having attention to detail. That's quite a big one because the buck stops with you. Also, you need good people skills because you've got to liaise with various teams. Being calm is important too, especially when problems arise.

One of the best bits of advice I ever got was the most important decision you can make is just to make a decision. The more you don't, the more problems spiral. The advice I’d give is the more genres you work on, the stronger you become. Like I said, I've done sports, reality, and quiz shows; I bring bits of all of those to every show with me, which makes me a stronger director.

When it comes to Pictionary, I’m proud and excited that we got to do it in Wales and bring it to a UK audience. It’s been going in America for a couple of years, but ours has a slightly different feel to it. Mel Giedroyc was an incredible choice as host. She brings real energy to it, and her personality really suits it.

Wales is well known for drama and sports coverage, but not so many quizzes – apart from Only Connect. It’s exciting to show what a Welsh crew can do when put in charge of a show like this. It’s huge for the creative industries that Pictionary comes here, and it's great that we’re able to show everyone the TV talent in Wales.

It's important that Creative Wales continues to champion the TV industry and shows like Pictionary, because we don’t want that talent pool to go elsewhere. We want to bring shows here so that people stay, and we can continue to make great shows long into the future.

For more information on the exciting projects happening across our screen sector in Wales, visit the film and TV section on our website.