Film FastTrack – Interview

Amy Jackson is an Independent Spirit Award & British Independent Film Award winning, BAFTA & Gotham Award nominated film and television producer. Credits include: Sean Durkin’s 2020 critically acclaimed feature The Nest; Oscar-winner Graham Moore’s directorial debut The Outfit; and Charlotte Wells’ 2022 break-out debut Aftersun. In 2020, Jackson established feature and television company, Unified Theory. The company is focused on finding and growing distinctive new voices, and developing original stories in film and television for global audiences. Most recently Jackson produced Mahalia Belo’s debut feature The End We Start From, which will receive its world premiere at TIFF 2023.

Fundamentally, it was the financial support on offer and the space it would create – dedicated time to focus on development and prioritise building out the slate for my company.

The modules on deal making, negotiation, presentation – all of those were really beneficial. It’s good to have refreshers as you progress through the business and remember how important those things are.
But the biggest takeaway for me was growing a network within the Scottish community. That’s been the most beneficial part.
Connecting specifically with three other ambitious producers who are carving out solid careers felt really valuable.

I don’t know if there’s one in particular but the biggest takeaway was having access to John Letham as a business coach. He’s incredibly helpful in that space, and having him as a consistent point of reference for two years has been insanely beneficial.
Julia Short’s support throughout the two years has also been fantastic.
Most recently, the negotiation module stood out – it was amazing. But honestly, the standard has always been high. Everything we’ve engaged with has been useful and informative. There’s never been a day where I thought, “Why are we doing this?” Everything has been well thought through and beneficial.

The main challenge was figuring out how to create a sustainable business in the current filmmaking landscape. I’d been freelance producing for years, set up a company, produced films – but the question was: how do you build something sustainable?
That was the massive appeal of the course – it gave me focused time to think about what that build looks like. I went through an iteration of a business model early on, then stepped back from it because it didn’t feel viable long term.
By the end of the course, I’d had adequate time to reevaluate, re establish, and think about the business as it exists now. The landscape evolves constantly – financing structures, deals, audience appetite – everything changes. Coming out the other end, I now have a robust business plan, which I didn’t have going in.
The programme gave me space to fine tune and create something with potential for sustainability.
All of that work takes place in the background, and conversations take time to play out. You need space to think. The business plan and financial work take around six months alone. Two years is a good timeline.

Weirdly, when I came into the programme, I’d gone through a confidence dip – especially around presentation and public speaking. Our business rewards charisma, and I’d started to berate myself because I’m not naturally that person.

I came in with low confidence, especially in public forums. But I’ve successfully navigated through that. In August, my business partner Lauren and I curated a series for the Edinburgh International Film Festival – I was on stage with a microphone. So I think I can put that anxiety to bed. I’m capable when I try.

Honestly, being given the support and space by Screen Scotland to assess my business model and how I operate as a producer. Having time to investigate that, focus on the company, the development slate, and evolve it – that’s the biggest transformation.

It took me from questioning and trial‑and‑error to clarity. The challenges are still there, but now there’s strategic thinking behind the next five years. Without the stipend, I wouldn’t have had that space.

Just how much I appreciate the support from Screen Scotland. They couldn’t give places to everyone, but I’m very grateful. I hope it’s a scheme they continue – the benefits for my business and the community have been exceptional. I hope more Scottish producers get that support.