Janka Neustupova

After completing her civil protection and crisis management degree in the Czech Republic, Janka Neustupova embarked on a journey across several EU countries before settling in the UK. There, she earned her BA (Hons) in Film Studies and Practice and an MA in Directing Digital Film and TV. Beginning her career in independent features, she transitioned seamlessly into broadcast TV, leveraging her technical expertise, managerial acumen, and background in health and safety. With acute analytical skills, Janka swiftly carved a niche for herself as a versatile production professional capable of overseeing every aspect of production, domestically and internationally. A few years preceding the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Janka became involved in mental well-being support for crew members, drawing from her own experience of work-induced burnout and subsequent hospitalisation. As COVID-19 cases surged globally, Janka redirected her focus to health and safety, supporting international projects as an H&S/C-19 supervisor. Recognising the profound impact of the pandemic on mental health within the entertainment industry, she advocated for enhanced support both on and off set. Her advocacy led to the creation of the Insight initiative, spearheaded by New Era Safety with the support of Motivation Labs, inspired by the need to address workers’ mental and physical well-being and satisfaction levels. Janka’s ongoing objective is to combine psychological health & safety and intimacy support for the cast and crew and to continue the advocacy of these important topics across the international audiovisual industry.