Find out more about the twelve delegates who will be taking part in the second edition of FutureProof, TRC’s programme aimed at unscripted production companies in the Nations and Regions.

FutureProof aims to equip unscripted TV production companies in the Nations and Regions with the skills, tools, and strategies needed to thrive in the digital-first landscape by looking at emerging technologies, platforms, and business models.

Alasdair is a TV producer and director with more than 20 years experience in the industry. He began his career at the BBC before founding Beezr Studios in 2004. He oversees a diverse slate of programmes across factual, fact ent and entertainment shows. Recent credits include “Tool Club” for C4, “Screengrab” for BBC Scotland and “Project Punchline” for BBC ALBA. Alasdair’s family roots are in North Uist, he is also a professional musician and a keen golfer.

With over 25 years of experience in factual television, Jen is co-founder and Executive Producer at F22 Films, a female led production company in Glasgow. Specialising in documentary and factual entertainment, most recent commissions include “Lucy Letby: Did She Really Do It?” (Channel 5), “Lucy Letby: The New Evidence” (Channel 5) and an 8-part series “Coastal Adventures with Helen, Jules and JB” (Channel 5).

With previous companies as Exec Producer, Jen has delivered a range of popular factual content and was Showrunner for “Strip” a 6-part reality show filmed in Las Vegas for Paramount Plus. She is passionate about creating compelling content that resonates with audiences while championing the growth of production in Scotland.

Pauline is Lion Scotland’s Head of Development and responsible for increasing programming output across genres in unscripted and scripted for a UK and international market. Recent commissions, developed and made in Scotland include “Balamory” for CBeebies, “Re/Style” with Emma Willis for Amazon Prime, award-winning specialist factual documentary “Stolen: Catching the Art Thieves” for BBC, BBC daytime’s “Virtually Home” and “Alan Cumming’s Paradise Homes” for Discovery UK.

Seumas is a highly regarded senior broadcast professional with an extensive and successful career across the UK and international creative industries. As a TV Producer and Senior Executive with both the BBC and MacTV, he has built a strong reputation for creative leadership. His work includes numerous landmark and award-winning projects across a wide range of genres and platforms.

Recent years have seen Seumas drive MacTV’s international growth through high-end co-productions. In 2025, he led as Executive Producer on MacTV’s first digital-first commission – “Rudan Beaga Bòidheach (Life’s Little Things)”. The short-form series—a collaboration with Skye-based digital creator Niamh Mackinnon—was co-commissioned by BBC ALBA and BBC Scotland and launches on YouTube and BBC iPlayer in late February.

Harry is Chief Creative Director at Zinc Media Group and Executive Director (MD) Tern TV, and one of the UK’s leading creative content companies specialising in factual storytelling, entertainment formats, ground-breaking documentaries and multi-form branded.

Harry is charged with leading the creative vision of the group’s nine bespoke indie labels from Tern TV to Rex, Atomic to Raw Cut, Brook to Electric Violet. Recent Zinc TV output includes: “Race Against the Tide” (Tern for BBC), “The Inner Circle” (Tern for BBC), “Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour” (Rex for BBC), “Top Guns: The Next Generation” (Rex for Nat Geo), “Police Interceptors” (Raw Cut for C5), “Tiny Islands” (Tern for C4), “Sunday Morning Live” (Tern for BBC).

Originally from the Scottish Highlands Harry built his career and original company, Tern TV, in Scotland and Northern Ireland before selling to Zinc in 2018. Tern is still his first love where he’s always been passionate about championing regional and diverse talent, breaking the rules and creating returning formats. He’s also learn to live with a life that’s 95% rejection.

Rachel has 30 years’ experience in the TV industry; first working as a journalist at BBC newsrooms in Cardiff and London before moving into longform documentary and factual programming. She’s now responsible for delivering a slate of content in Welsh and English to multiple broadcasters from Boom’s Cardiff base including live OBs, entertainment shows and drama. She also heads up Boom Social, the company’s digital division, delivering broadcast and branded content across all social platforms. She’s committed to finding opportunities to create and produce high quality content in Wales to support the indigenous talent base.

Tom is currently Head of Development at Stellify Media in Belfast. With over 15 years’ experience in television, he began his career in production, working across a range of high-profile factual and entertainment series including “The X Factor“, “This Morning” and “Robot Wars”, and even spending a brief stint as an editor.

In recent years, Tom has focused on his true passion: development. He has held senior development roles at companies including The Garden, BBC Studios and Twenty Twenty, and his commissions include “Squid Game: The Challenge” (Netflix), “Emergency” (Channel 4), “Alone” (Channel 4), as well as Stellify’s recently secured reimagining of “Blind Date” for Disney+.

Emma is co-creative director of Northern Ireland’s Alleycats TV and a BAFTA- and RTS winning and Grierson nominated director, executive producer and content maker across multiple platforms.

Emma’s work covers genres from travel (“Clive Myrie’s Adventures” for iPlayer/BBC2) to pop science (BBCWW/Google’s “Head Squeeze”), from popular factual (C4’s “Naughty and Nice: Sex Toy Britain”) to specialist factual international co-pros (BBC/Lionsgate’s “Raiders of the Lost Past with Janina Ramirez”). Emma has developed and delivered content for platforms including Google, The BBC, the EU, C4, Lionsgate, Yahoo!, Discovery/Warner Bros, A&E, ARTE and RTE.

Format Factory Ltd, established in 2017 by Barry and David Walton, is an award winning independent production company based in Birmingham, West Midlands. As the unscripted production and development arm of Free@Last TV, Format Factory specialises in creating, curating, and producing original content across various genres, including factual, features, entertainment, game, and quiz formats.

The company collaborates with intellectual property (IP) creators, bridging the gap between creatives and commissioners to facilitate the realization of innovative projects. Incorporating Albert Road Studios, Format Factory also produces digital content such as podcasts, audio, and radio, delivering first-class formats for television, radio, online, and other content platforms.

With a commitment to nurturing and supporting creativity, Format Factory consistently attracts top-tier on- and off-screen talent, as well as writing and production professionals. This approach has enabled the company to build a diverse portfolio of critically acclaimed and award-winning programming for major UK broadcasters and international networks. Our credits include award winners “My Life: I’m Leading the Dance” and “My Life: On the Fast Track” for CBBC, and the Feature documentary “Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted”. In 2026 the company is producing “A Year in the Life of Leeds Castle” for Channel 4/Abacus Media Rights and 2 feature length music documentaries on Birmingham legends, “The Story of Slade” and “We Had a Fuzzbox & We Used it” in association with the West Midlands IP fund. Through its innovative content and dedication to storytelling, Format Factory plays a significant role in enhancing the creative landscape of the West Midlands and beyond.

Becky is Head of Development & Editorial at BAFTA-, Grierson- and RTS-winning indie Candour Productions, based in Leeds.

A former Broadcast Hot Shot, she has 19 years’ experience across production and development in unscripted television, with credits spanning documentary, specialist factual and factual entertainment. Reporting to Chief Content Officer Anna Hall, Becky now leads the development and delivery of Candour’s slate, playing a key role in shaping the company’s creative direction.

Proud to represent her home county of Yorkshire, she is passionate about nurturing local talent and keen to gain new skills and insight to help futureproof both Candour and the regional industry.

Nicole has over sixteen years’ experience in film and television, with expertise across production management and development. She transitioned fully into television in 2015 with Nine Lives Media, where her passion for developing original formats quickly took shape. Nicole has played a key role across numerous productions at Nine Lives, including both series of “TikTok: Murder Gone Viral” for ITV, “Ricky, Sue and a Trip or Two” for Channel 4, and multiple Panorama programmes for BBC One. Based in the Northwest, she is passionate about pushing creative boundaries and exploring fresh, engaging ideas in development.

Gareth joined Signpost in 2017 tasked with building the company’s production business. Since then, Signpost has produced hours of award-winning factual and fact ent content for a range of broadcasters including “Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes” for the BBC and “Deaf Away Days” for TNT.

Get to know the twelve successful applicants from across the Nations and Regions who are taking part in this year’s SuperSizer programme.

SuperSizer is a professional development programme for ambitious Development Executives based in the Nations and Regions who want to win high value commissions.

This programme is funded by Screen Scotland, BBC Nations and Channel 4.

 

Anne-Claire founded Specky Productions in 2020 and has since produced documentaries broadcast on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Scotland, Channel 4 and ITVx. She has won three Scottish BAFTAs, with Specky’s productions nominated for nine awards including Scottish BAFTAs, RTS Scotland and Indielab Innovation awards.

A graduate of Channel 4’s Emerging Indie Fund and Indielab Accelerator, Specky was named Best Breakthrough Company at the 2025 Focus Awards. Recent credits include BBC Scotland’s “Lena Zavaroni: The Forgotten Child Star”, BBC One’s “Female Fishermen: Beyond the Buoys” and Channel 4’s digital-first investigation, “The £12 Million Rental Scam”.

Proudly Glaswegian, Anne-Claire is passionate about nurturing local talent, particularly new female directors. With the company tagline ‘real lives in focus’ as its compass, Specky makes documentaries about real people navigating extraordinary circumstances – with the access, editorial rigour and storytelling craft that these stories deserve. Specky is currently looking to supersize its offering and move from award-winning single docs into series.

 

Balnek is a Producer and Development Producer with a specialism in science-based content. With over 15 years of experience in the television industry, he’s worked across many formats and genres, from shiny floor game shows to sketch comedy; winning commissions and creating award-winning formats for major broadcasters.

Over his career he’s been involved in a range of developments; he developed the two-part BBC One series “What They Really Mean For You”, worked up the 7th series of “How The Universe Works” and developed the RTS award winning “CBeebies Stargazing”.

More recently, he served as a Science Producer for CBBC’s “Horrible Science”, the science spin-off of the hit multi-award-winning comedy sketch show “Horrible Histories”.

He’s looking forward to further developing his skills and being a part of the next wave of TV commissions.

 

Beth White is a Manchester-based Development Producer working across factual, documentary and entertainment. She leads the development slate at King of Sunshine Productions alongside the Managing Director, where she originated Channel 4’s “Alpine Train at Christmas” and went on to receive a second commission with “Nordic Train at Christmas”. Beth specialises in idea generation, format building and pitching, with a strong track record of shaping projects from early concept to screen. Her credits include “The Bridge” (Channel 4), “Idris Elba’s Fight School” (BBC Two), “Murder Town” (Crime+Investigation) and “Love Triangle” (Channel 4).

   

With over 12 years’ experience in the TV industry, Cathy started her career in Production, working on a range of multi-genre BBC network programmes like “The One Show”, “Wanted Down Under” and “Sunday Morning Live”.

In 2018 she made the move to Development, where she spent six years with BBC Studios Fact Ent development team winning new business across Belfast, Bristol, London and Cardiff.

This year Cathy joined Spark Media’s newly launched Belfast base, where she’s excited to develop a slate of ambitious, returnable series made in Northern Ireland.

Cathy specialises in originating bold ideas, securing exclusive access and casting unforgettable characters, with commissions including: “Maximum Security” (BBC One), “The Unique Boutique” (Channel 4), “Rescue 999” (Channel 5), “The Great Home Transformation” (Channel 4), “Crime: Are We Tough Enough?” (BBC One), and “Christmas in New York: Inside the Plaza” (Channel 4).

 

Danielle has returned to Scotland after thirteen years working in TV in London. For the past decade she has predominantly worked in development, including senior roles at cutting-edge indies like Voltage, Dragonfly and Wall to Wall.

She enjoys working on a broad slate of ideas, ranging from returnable fact-ent formats to landmark documentaries, for British and international broadcasters. Previous commissions include “Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club” (BBC), “The Diagnosis Detectives” (BBC) and “Castle Impossible” (HGTV US).

Now at Firecrest Films in Glasgow, Danielle is passionate in creating thought-provoking and entertaining telly.

 

Eleanor Wight is a Senior Development Producer with eight years of experience in development across returning series and one-off films. She helped develop BAFTA-winning work including “Libby, Are You Home Yet?”, and has created projects for HGTV, Discovery+, Channel 5, Channel 4 and the BBC. Her credits range from lifestyle and property formats to high-stakes factual documentaries, from major police access to international con investigations. She specialises in premium feature documentaries and box sets, securing access to headline stories and shaping them into clear, compelling films. She is committed to helping deliver work that can drive change.

 

Fabian is a freelance Development Executive and Series Producer based in Manchester, with experience across reality, entertainment, factual entertainment and documentary development.

Most recently, he has developed an upcoming docu-series for Channel 5 and has previously contributed to the development of programmes including the ITV documentary “Georgia Harrison: Porn, Power, Profit” and the MTV reality series “Living the Dream”.

A former Edinburgh TV Festival “One to Watch” and a 2025 Broadcast “Hot Shot”, Fabian is passionate about the continued growth of the television industry in the North West and also sits on the RTS North West committee.

 

Gareth is a Cardiff-based Head of Development and Series Producer at Nimble Dragon, with over ten years’ experience working across a range of genres including entertainment, reality, factual entertainment, daytime, quiz and factual. Some of his credits include “Six Nations: Sin Bin” with Gabby Logan and Gareth Thomas (BBC), “The Wedding Dress Shop” (BBC) and “Back In The Day” (BBC), alongside an upcoming Channel 4.0 commission. Gareth also developed and series produced S4C’s latest reality series, “Bar Hansh”, filmed in Zante. He’s passionate about developing bold, playful formats that can run and return with a keen eye on digital-first commissioning.

 

Laura-Jane McRae is a Development Executive, Series Producer and BAFTA-nominated Producer/Director with 20 years’ experience across factual. As a Development Executive at Flabbergast TV, she has had success landing the Channel 4 Features single “Can You Make 10K in 10 Days? with Scarlett Moffatt” and is focused on developing bold ideas with the potential to grow into returning formats. Alongside development, she continues to produce at series level, including “Outrageous Homes with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen”. Her credits span BBC One, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Laura-Jane is driven by ideas with heart, and strong audience connection, and is actively stepping into senior creative leadership.

 

Natalie has an extensive track record in making and developing premium singles, series, box sets and talent-led documentaries. At Walk On Air Films in Belfast, she is currently helping drive the development slate and helped secure the commission of “Death of a Showjumper” for Sky which she went on to Series Produce.

Prior to Walk On Air, Natalie worked at one of the UK’s most successful unscripted production companies, Blast Films. She also spent several years as a documentary maker and journalist at the BBC.

Natalie’s credits include BAFTA Cymru nominated “The Disappearance of April Jones” and “Night Coppers” for Channel 4, plus RTS award winning “Forensics: The Real CSI” and “Patrick Kielty: 100 Years of Union” for the BBC.

 

Tony is a Director, Producer and Development Executive with Solus Productions. He prides himself on creating compelling factual, factual entertainment and human-interest programming for BBC Scotland, BBC Two, BBC ALBA, STV and international platforms. Tony began his television journey as a young actor appearing in ITV’s Dramarama at age 15 before becoming a well-known face on BBC Scotland’s Flagship drama “River City”. His move behind the camera in 2009 began with an award-winning BBC documentary about two young brothers with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Since then, he has specialised in finding the human heart in every story — from trainee priests in Rome, to drag performers living with illness, to globally recognised fashion legends. As Director of Solus Productions, he combines creativity, innovation and editorial rigour with a proven track record of turning ambitious ideas into critically recognised, emotionally resonant television. Tony has just completed his first feature doc about the world-famous cabaret The Moulin Rouge. Recent credits include 3 series of “Jules and Greg’s Wild Swim” BBC Scotland/BBC Two. “Priest School” BBC Scotland/BBC Two, “Scotland’s Model Teenager”, BBC One.

 

BBC, Screen Scotland and Glasgow-based training provider TRC have now revealed the six indies taking part in new programme SuperSizing Entertainment Formats.

Developed with the ambition of finding the next exciting entertainment format to capture imaginations and get audiences talking, the fully funded programme will run from November 2025 to April 2026. 

The initiative will support BBC Entertainment and BBC Scotland’s aspiration to find ambitious and distinctive entertainment formats to develop as potential co-commissions., with a commitment to build the Scottish entertainment industry by spotlighting Scotland based ideas and talent.

Building on the success of FormatLab, TRC’s training programme designed to nurture the next generation of entertainment development talent in Scotland, this new programme reinforces TRC’s role in championing the companies behind original, market-ready formats that reflect the creative ambition of Scotland’s screen sector.

In addition to regular training, delegates will benefit from case studies and masterclasses led by former entertainment and factual entertainment format devisers, offering invaluable insights into both UK and international markets, as well as dedicated one-to-one support from the BBC, providing tailored guidance to refine their slate and help shape ideas into compelling scalable formats.

The selected participants are:

• David Marshall and Ronan Osborne, Tern TV
• Edwina Madden-Egan and Tom McNerney, Tuesday’s Child
• Rob Butterfield and Lucy Bacon, Ricochet
• Danny Rawling and Martha Lochhead, Beezr Studios
• Ryan Meloy and Zara Duncan, Bandicoot TV
• Ian Greenhill and Sadie Heather, Studio Something

This programme is funded by the BBC and Screen Scotland. Screen Scotland drives development of all aspects of Scotland’s film and TV industry, through funding and strategic support from the Scottish Government and The National Lottery.

Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning for BBC Scotland said:

“This is an important step in our search for the next big entertainment television formats of the future.  It’s great to see our first cohort getting started and we’re excited to see what ambitious original ideas emerge from them.”

Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC says:

“One of the most exciting elements of this programme is witnessing the incredible passion and creativity of the cohort we’ve selected. Each of these delegates bring a distinctive voice and a real hunger to develop bold ideas that can capture audiences’ imaginations as well as boost the creator economy in Scotland.  Really looking forward to getting started.”

Dani Carlaw, Head of Unscripted at Screen Scotland said:

“This programme is a game-changer for Scotland’s entertainment indies. It brings together the BBC’s commissioning insight, TRC’s proven development expertise and Screen Scotland’s commitment to growth — creating a pipeline for bold, original formats with real market potential. It will strengthen our creative economy, expand Scotland’s footprint in the global formats market, and unlock new opportunities.”

Claire Scally, Managing Director of TRC commented:

“We were impressed by the calibre of applications received for our new SuperSizing Entertainment Formats programme and are excited to announce the successful companies.  With the support of the BBC and Screen Scotland, the companies will learn how to shape ideas into compelling, scalable formats that celebrate the Scottish voice. We look forward to continuing to support the developing entertainment sector in Scotland.”

The BBC, Screen Scotland and leading broadcast and digital training provider TRC, have come together in partnership with the ambition of finding the next exciting entertainment format to capture imaginations and get audiences talking.

Supersizing Entertainment Formats will be open to independent production companies based in Scotland and will run from November 2025 to April 2026. The fully funded training programme has been developed to support BBC Entertainment and BBC Scotland’s aspiration to find ambitious and distinctive entertainment formats to develop as potential co-commissions. Central to this vision is a commitment to growing big ideas from Scotland, seeing talent in Scotland on network screens and building the entertainment industry in the country.

Through a combination of in-person training, masterclasses, cases studies and business advice, successful applicants will learn what it takes to develop impactful formats of scale and benefit from direct access to experienced entertainment executives who’ve built global hits and returning series.

Louise Thornton, Senior Head of Commissioning at BBC Scotland: “Scotland is full of creative talent and we know the next big smash hit entertainment format could be sitting here, we just need to find it. We have a great heritage in scripted and unscripted factual brands and now we want to support growth in the entertainment genre. This training programme is a catalyst which will nurture and support the development of ideas that could be tomorrow’s next television obsession. Working alongside our partners Screen Scotland and TRC I am excited to see what ideas and formats this new training programme can spark.”

Kalpna Patel Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC says: “We are passionate about discovering bold, original entertainment formats that resonate with audiences across the UK and beyond. Supersizing Entertainment Formats is a brilliant opportunity to tap into Scotland’s creative energy and support the next generation of standout ideas. We can’t wait to see which ambitious ideas emerge from this initiative”
Dani Carlaw, Head of Unscripted at Screen Scotland said: “We’re thrilled to join forces with BBC Scotland, BBC Entertainment and TRC on this ambitious new initiative. It’s all about unlocking potential — giving Scotland-based production companies the insight and tools they need to lead the way in entertainment, at home and across the globe.”

Claire Scally, Managing Director of TRC commented: “Following the success of FormatLab, our training programme aimed at creating the next wave of entertainment development talent in Scotland, we are delighted to launch SuperSizing Entertainment Formats, a new programme developed in partnership with BBC Entertainment, BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland. This programme will empower creative teams to shape bold scalable TV formats and position them for success on the global stage. We look forward to continuing to support the developing entertainment sector in Scotland.”

This programme is funded by the BBC and Screen Scotland. Screen Scotland drives development of all aspects of Scotland’s film and TV industry, through funding and strategic support from the Scottish Government and The National Lottery.

Details and T&C’s of SuperSizing Entertainment Formats can be found here. The deadline for applications is Wednesday 5th November 2025, 5.00pm.

Our latest digital-first FutureProof programme is returning in early 2026. Read on to find out the impact it’s had on companies who did the first programme!

Launched to support independent production companies in the Nations and Regions, TRC’s new Future Proof programme was designed to help senior leaders navigate a digital-first media world and seize new opportunities for growth. Between May and July, delegates took part in a combination of in-person sessions, online case studies, and one-to-one consultancy, gaining insights into emerging industry trends and experimenting with practical strategies that can be applied to their own businesses.

Our aim was to make indies in the Nations & Regions more competitive, elevate their position in a crowded media landscape, and give senior leaders the confidence to expand into new content areas.

The programme, developed with TellyCast’s Justin Crosby, covered a huge range: digital-first trends, direct-to-audience strategies, AI tools for content, multi-platform IP and monetisation, data-driven decisions, brand partnerships, the buyers’ landscape, podcasting, and how to scale digital-first production.

Delegates have described the experience as “genuinely one of the best courses” they’ve ever attended, with speakers that were “incredibly inspiring and useful” and that it was a “fantastic and timely course.”

Naomi, Creative Director at Afanti Media, summed it up perfectly:

Emma, Director of Business at Fiercest Films added:

And Katie Lander, Managing Director of Finestripe Productions reflected:

The impact is already evident, since completing the programme: Firecrest are refining their digital content strategy with meaningful progress being made around IP exploitation in the digital space; Finestripe are in the process of digging into their back catalogue to see what would be possible to repurpose and Afanti Media have kicked off a new YouTube channel focused on archive material from their early 2000s music show The Pop Factory.

Another of the companies has hired a YouTube Content Producer and another has repackaged existing IP and created over 80 new videos, ready to launch on to their rebranded YouTube channel.

All of this underlines the ambition of FutureProof: to make sure indies in the Nations & Regions have the confidence, knowledge, and support to thrive in a fast-changing landscape. We’re excited to see the progress made already – and can’t wait to watch what comes next.

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Find out more about the nine selected indies taking part in the second iteration of International Horizons: Scripted.

Aimed at boosting production of scripted drama in the three nations, International Horizons: Scripted will provide companies with the skills, knowledge and networks necessary to thrive in international markets.

The nine successful delegates who have been selected to take part in International Horizons: Scripted are:

Bethan’s TV credits include “Sherlock”, “Aberfan:The Green Hollow”, “A Poet In New York”, “Mistresses”, “Under Milk Wood”, “War And Peace” (Bbc), “Les Miserables” (Lookoutpoint/Twc & Masterpiece) “Dangerous Liaisons” (Playground Entertainment/Startz/Lionsgate).

Co-founder/Co-Creative Director with Michael Sheen of REDSEAM – a company dedicated to developing/producing innovative film and tv drama made in Wales. Their first production, “The Way”, co-created with writer James Graham, Michael Sheen and Adam Curtis was broadcast on BBC ONE early in 2004 – “thrilling new drama is like nothing else on TV – the Guardian.

A recipient of BBC’s Small Indie Fund they work with both experienced and new writers and are exploring future technology in performance with Welsh National Opera and VERE VR funded by Media Cymru.

Emmy, Bafta and Grierson Documentary Award nominated and Bafta Cymru winner, Bethan was the recipient of the BAFTA CYMRU 2019 Sian Phillips Award for significant contribution to TV drama.

Brian is an award-winning TV and Film Producer. He has produced the 2026 9 part thriller/comedy “How To Get To Heaven from Belfast” for Hat Trick/ Netflix , the 2023 international Emmy Award and BAFTA winning film series of Channel 4’s flagship comedy “Derry Girls”, ITV’S 2024 3-part drama “Breathtaking” from creator Jed Mercurrio, the 2024 IFTA Awards Short Animation Winner “A Wind And The Shadow”, the 2020 IFTA Awards Best Picture Winner “Ordinary Love” starring Academy Award nominee Lesley Manville and Liam Neeson, the 2019 IFTA and BIFA Nominee “The Dig” executive produced the 2024 “The Wise Guy” co-produced the 2023 feature “Ballywater” and produced over 20 short films including the 2015 Academy Award nominated and BAFTA Award Winner “Boogaloo And Graham”, the 2019 IFTA Awards Short documentary Nominee “El Hor” and Royal Television Society Winner “#WeAreYou”.

Chris is a film producer with over twenty years of experience in scripted and documentary content. He is working with local writing talent and building a strong scripted slate. His credits include “The Invention”, “Hellboy: The Golden Army”, “Quantum of Solace”, “Hostage to the Devil”, and 2023’s award-winning “Lie of the Land”. A BFI Vision Award recipient, he is developing “Monster(s)”, “Frontiersman”, “Appropriate Adult”, and “American Trailblazer: The Debra Hill Story”. He recently produced Netflix’s “Senna”, Brazil’s most expensive TV series, acclaimed for its authentic depiction of Ayrton Senna. Currently, he is producing the feature documentary “The Day After” and the film “Turret”.

David is a writer and showrunner best known for his debut show ”The Rig”. Released on Amazon Prime in January 2023, the first series topped the Prime chart for four consecutive weeks, making it one of the most watched streaming shows in the UK for that quarter. It also topped streaming charts around the world, including reaching No.2 in the US and No.1 in many other international territories. One of the largest home-grown productions ever made in Scotland, both the first and second series were wholly shot at First Stage Studios in Edinburgh making extensive use of both practical sets and effects, and cutting edge VFX. The second series of ”The Rig” launched in January 2025, again reaching the No.2 spot in the US and showing strong viewing numbers around the world.

David was named a Screen International Rising Star in 2022 and was one of the selected writers chosen for Chris Chibnall’s inaugural Future UK Showrunners scheme across 2023/24. Alongside developing projects with a number of leading indies and broadcasters, David recently created his own company, Inconceivable Productions Ltd, to allow him to develop work independently and bring projects direct to market.

Ed is the founder of Wales based Fiction Factory Films where he has written, directed or produced over 250 hours of award-winning drama across all genres earning more than 90 nominations and awards and distribution to over 100 countries, streaming on Netflix, ITVX, Britbox U.S. and BBC iPlayer. Some of his credits include “Tree on a Hill/Pren Ar Y Bryn”, “Hinterland/Y Gwyll”, “Pen Talar” and “House of America”. Ed is also a playwright whose work has been translated into 10 languages and performed all over Europe Australia and the Americas. They include “Song From A Forgotten City”, “Gas Station Angel” and “On Bear Ridge” (Royal Court London). He is an Arts Foundation fellow and Honorary Fellow of Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and University of Wales Aberystwyth.

Jenny develops and produces scripted content at Pirate Productions. Recently she co-produced “Recipes for Love and Murder”, 10-part drama series for MNET and Acorn TV.

Pirate is an award-winning writer-led Scottish company with a local and international outlook. Pirate collaborates with the best creative talent behind and in front of the camera to bring stories to an audience which wants to be challenged and entertained. Projects focus on strong female characters on complex emotional journeys and like their audiences, Pirate is always looking for new ways of storytelling.

Prior to joining Pirate, Jenny ran the Glasgow Film Office, promoting Glasgow as a world class production hub. Before that she worked freelance in TV, film, and theatre production. Jenny’s passion is finding exceptional projects and working with others – local talent as well as international production and distribution partners – to bring these projects to the screen.

John runs Good Gate Media, a Cardiff-based film, HETV & gaming studio. His films have won awards at BAFTA Cymru, BIFA, Berlin, Toronto & Tribeca. His film “The Machine” won three BAFTA Cymru’s (Best Picture, a BIFA and the Screen Award for UK distribution) and was then commissioned to be made into a $9m TV Pilot by NBC Universal. Over the past year, Good Gate projects have included “The Man in My Basement” (in partnership with Disney, starring Willem Dafoe and Corey Hawkins, directed by Nadia Latif), which is set to premiere at TIFF; “H is for Hawk” with Plan B and Lionsgate (starring Claire Foy and Brendan Gleeson, directed by Philippa Lowthorpe); and a BFI/Film4-backed thriller feature shot in Lagos, Nigeria. GGM is now expanding into scripted television and has a strong slate of projects in development with studio partners. 

Louise is Co-Creator and Executive Producer on BBC’s BAFTA award winning “Blue Lights”, which has been recommissioned.  She started her career at the BBC in Belfast working in production across radio, TV and online services. She flew the BBC nest and started working on independent shorts and features, producing her first feature film, “A Bump Along the Way” in 2018. She joined Hat Trick at the start of 2020 to run their most westerly outpost in Belfast, seeking out new and exciting projects across Ireland.

Morven is the Head of Development and Executive Producer at Mam Tor Productions. In collaboration with Tally Garner, she has executive produced the BBC One and Amazon series “Chloe” and the BBC and HBO series “Half Man”. Additionally, she leads Mam Tor Productions in Scotland.

Prior to her current role, Morven script edited “Pure” (Drama Republic), the second season of “A Discovery Of Witches” (Bad Wolf), and “River City” (BBC Scotland). She also worked across development slates for the BFI Film Fund and BBC Scotland Drama Development.

 

rad is a paid eight-month traineeship within a Scottish independent television production company which includes full training throughout the placement.

The programme is aimed at those who are underrepresented in the TV industry: those who are either deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent, from Black, Asian or minority ethnic communities or from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The programme is funded by Screen Scotland, BBC Nations, Channel 4 and BBC Studios.

Find out more about the selected trainees below.

 

rad Trainees 

Aidan is a graduate of the BA in Filmmaking from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and holds an MA in TV Fiction Writing from Glasgow Caledonian University. He has gained hands-on experience through production placements at Create Anything and The Comedy Unit, as well as crewing on RTS and award-nominated short films and is fascinated by how unscripted TV can tell real stories in creative ways and provide entertainment in continuingly innovative format. Aidan is looking forward to putting into practice the production skills he has gained from these experiences and testing himself within the rigours of a full-time working industry environment. In his spare time, he can often be found writing, watching the latest TV and Film releases, walking his beloved Labrador Indy or following his favourite football team, Greenock Morton. Aidan is excited to start his career in television through the rad programme and learn from every opportunity along the way.

Alyssa graduated with a film degree from Edinburgh Napier University, where she discovered her passion for post-production. What was initially a fun way to create music videos using archived family film; Alyssa’s work as an editor eventually led to a deep appreciation of the creative potential that the edit holds. At the age of 17, Alyssa began her work in the screen arts as a Young Programmer volunteer for the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and has since gone on to edit an array of award-winning short films with creatives across Scotland. Last year, Alyssa attended the Scottish BAFTA’s where “Care”, a short drama that she edited, was nominated for best short film. Alyssa now looks forward to further developing her skillset and deepening her understanding of post-production as she delves into the exciting world of television.

In May 2025, Gabrielle completed a BA (hons) in Film at Edinburgh Napier University. During her time in Edinburgh she volunteered at local film festivals, did sound design and recording for shorts currently running the festival circuit, and volunteered in a production assistant role recording and collecting local stories for 900 Voices, a sound art installation at St. Giles summer 2024.
Now at a liminal point in her career, she is excited to get involved in the TV industry and to further her production skills. She has a variety of ecological based work experience, in both film and as an educator on a farm. Wildlife filmmaking and TV Docs are an important part of raising awareness on our climate and ecosystems, and she is excited about their potential and place on the world stage to spur on important conversations.
She is looking forward to supporting and developing the making of these series and films as a Production Assistant/Researcher, and is thankful to TRC and Maramedia for their dedication to inclusivity in the TV landscape.

Jed has always been interested in storytelling from a young age. Whether it was books, film and TV or songs, stories have always been at the heart of his interests. This led him to study journalism at the University of Stirling, which further emboldened his desire to seek out and tell the stories of everyday people. After graduating he undertook a course as a production runner where he discovered an interest in working in film and TV. He’s excited to put his ability to write, brainstorm and uncover interesting stories and people to use working as a Development Researcher.

Lee had a love of TV from an early age, creating imaginary live broadcasts with his cousins from his living room during his childhood. After working in an abattoir in Wexford, Ireland, Lee decided it was time to pursue his dreams in media.. After completing courses in North East Scotland College in Aberdeen he progressed to study Broadcast Production in the University of the West of Scotland in Ayr. Throughout his studies Lee took every opportunity that came his way to build his experience and knowledge, leading to opportunities as lead camera for Glasgow City Football Club for 23/24 season and freelance Main Control Room Operator in QTV before graduating in July 2025. Lee loves watching documentaries and property shows, and can’t wait to play his part in creating entertaining TV for a diverse audience during his placement with IWC during the rad traineeship.

Lori is a creative from West Lothian with a background in events, digital content creation, and grassroots film. After graduating from Queen Margaret University with a degree in PR, Marketing and Communications, she worked across major events like the Edinburgh Fringe and the Scottish Open, while developing her production skills through community film and short-form projects.

She now co-runs Abstract Camera, an Edinburgh-based production group, and has taken part in programmes like NFTS: Set Ready and SEE: Through the Lens. Lori has a love for the weird, wonderful, and real-life stories that unscripted thrives on, and is excited to bring her creativity, curiosity, and ever-growing collection of production mood boards to the rad traineeship.

Mairi, originally from the Scottish Highlands, graduated from Queen Margaret University with a BA in Film and Media, developing both practical filmmaking skills and a strong understanding of screen theory. More recently, she has gained hands-on experience in short film production, taking on a variety of crew roles while balancing a full-time job outside the industry. Now ready to step into professional TV through the rad traineeship, Mairi is committed to making the most of this opportunity to build a career in film and TV, with a long-term goal of using the medium as a tool for social change.

Thomas has always had a passion for storytelling and realised media was the way to go after a short Glasgow Conservatoire filmmaking course. After working on some short films and with an orchestra early on he discovered his love of editing in unscripted and scripted content. He went on to do a BA in Film at Edinburgh Napier University during which he worked on many projects, from TEDx talks to filming Edinburgh Fringe shows and has loved working on sets all over Scotland. Thomas developed his skills in all aspects of production but has kept his aptitude and love for editing. He currently plays for an all-inclusive rugby team and contributes to creating content for their social media and works on small film projects when he can. He is thrilled at the opportunity to train and work with TRC and Serious Facilities to help guide him along his path into the world of unscripted TV editing and looks forward to meeting others in the industry.

 

Reset is a paid placement programme designed to inspire and empower both new entrants and junior professionals within the Scottish Animation, VFX, and Games sector.

For those starting out, Reset provides a structured path into the industry as a Trainee, offering invaluable hands-on experience. For emerging talent, the programme focuses on refining skills, advancing careers to Junior roles, and unlocking long-term growth opportunities.

Reset is funded by Screen Scotland via the BFI National Lottery Skills Cluster Fund.

Find out more about the selected Trainees and Juniors below.

Reset Trainees 

Anna‘s been interested in all things to do with art and video games from a young age, which naturally translated into pursuing a degree in design & illustration.

After graduating in 2024 she’s worked in a jewellery studio, a paint store and has participated in game design competitions in her free time. These collaborative projects along with continuing to draw and slowly tackling 3D modelling  have allowed her to continue learning and growing as an artist. Now she’s ready for the next step in her career and is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get involved and learn more about all parts of the game development process. When she’s not working she likes to draw robots, cute girls and play souls-like games.

Having always enjoyed the medium of animation, Adam began creating his own animations in high school. This drew the attention of one of his art teachers who recommended a university course to him. He took the advice and studied 3D animation at Glasgow Caledonian University, graduating with a first-class honours degree. Throughout his studies he continued to consume the media that inspired him to go down this path in the hopes that one day he could be the one inspiring others through his animation.

Winner of UK’s Young Animator of the Year in 2020, graduate of CSSSA animation summer school 21’, Mentee at Boulder Media and newly graduated from Dundee University in June 2025 with a first-class degree in animation. Amelie has been dreaming about being an animator since she was 13. She is excited to start applying her skills to some awesome projects and bring everything she has to her role! Her passion’s outside of animation, crafting, travel and reading, inspire her to make short films and invest in coffee snobbery.

Angus‘s passion for filmmaking began early and led him to study Audio Visual Technology at Edinburgh College, where he discovered a love for motion design and video editing. In 2020, he ventured into 3D, learning Blender and Unreal Engine to bring ideas to life. Since then, he’s worked on music videos, adverts, and short films, including Collide, an immersive audiovisual performance at CCA Glasgow that blended motion capture with real-time immersive environments.

Ben has loved drawing for as long as he can remember and has always been obsessed with animation. While studying animation at DJCAD, he specialised in character design and 2D animation and directed his own short film. After graduating, he improved his portfolio while working in retail and continued pursuing his journey into the animation industry. Outside of animation, he is passionate about music and loves reading comics.

Fiona has had an eye for storytelling and detail in movies since she was a bairn. A degree in Animation didn’t seem to help, she continues talking about the craft of media production to any who listen. She has kept a hand in both worlds; volunteering at many animation festivals around the country to see more and learn from the industry and working to make ends meet in the leisure and retail spheres where she developed a cool head under pressure and an appreciation for the pride that a job well done gives someone. Fiona is now making the leap into VFX after producing award winning short films and finding the industry bursting with vibrant personalities she’s excited to meet.

Since childhood Lauren has always loved to draw which led to work in traditional animation. Since graduating from DJCAD in 2019 she has worked as a clean-up artist and rough animator on features and TV shows and is now branching out into the world of CG. Lauren can be found outside exploring the Scottish hills when she is not at her desk.

Lucas is a producer turn VFX and Technical artist. When starting undergraduate studies Lucas discovered his interest in Technical art but decided to pursue the career in production instead. Once he graduated and spent some time in the games industry he decided to pivot to a more technical, creative, and fun line of work. After a year of working on side projects as a VFX and Technical artist. He decided to join Abertay University on the new Technical Art and VFX masters.

Here is learned how to be a true self starter and solidified his passion. Now he is finally pursuing his dreams professionally at Wild Child Animations! Using all the experience he has accumulated to become the best he can be.

Mathilde van Ooijen is a Visual Medium Creator who has worked across various creative disciplines. She has a bachelors in Fashion and Design, Theatre, and Broadcast Production: TV and Radio. She has worked on a collection for Paris Fashion week, which led to work as a costume designer on various Theatre and Film projects, after which she specialised further in the field of Film and TV production. Recently, she received a hat-trick of RTS award wins for the short wildlife documentary that she directed and produced for her graduate project at UWS in Scotland, and Mathilde is now expanding her horizons into the field of virtual production as well by taking part in the Big Real Virtual Production Film Academy Programme in Dundee. She is extremely passionate about finding new approaches to engage audiences through immersive storytelling and loves to explore the bridges between creative disciplines to do so.

Scott graduated from Abertay University in 2025, with a first-class honours degree in Game Design and Production. During his time studying, he released his first small game on steam “I SUPPOSE” and got involved in the modding scene for the indie game “Rain World” for his honours. One of his favourite aspects of the games industry is how communities come together and innovate on what they enjoy, which is where his love of modding, DnD, and art came from. His goal is to develop another full indie game in the future. For now, he wants to gain some experience in industry and develop his skills within a professional creative environment, while also exploring his interests in drawing and graphic design in his free time.

 

Reset: Level Up – Juniors

Agata loves making things. If she’s not drawing, she will be knitting or printmaking or doing some other kind of craft.

Passionate about comics from a young age, it was a natural progression to choose animation as her career. The path there was not easy but hard work paid off when she was accepted into the Reset Trainee program.

After that, Agata has been working freelance focusing on illustration; now returning to her Reset host company as a junior 2D artist. She is excited to continue developing her skills in all different directions and pushing her creativity further through that.

For the last year and a half, Christian has worked in the creative industries as a Motion Designer. He started his journey at Edinburgh Napier University, where he studied BSc (Hons) Digital Media and Interaction Design. While at university, he engaged in a wide range of projects and spent a semester abroad in Stuttgart, Germany. It was during his higher education that he discovered a passion for Motion Graphics, which he decided to pursue as a career.

He gained his first industry experience through TRC Reset 2024, interning at Revenant as a Junior Artist. Since then, Christian has continued to work there permanently as Junior Motion Designer.

 

Originally from Germany, Lesley came to the UK to study for a BA in Visual Communication (Birmingham) and an MA in Illustration (Edinburgh). During her studies, she explored creative storytelling in comics, animation and video games, and developed an illustration practice driven by narrative and observation.

Her comic “Which Way?” was the winner of the 2024 Observer/Faber Graphic Short Story Prize. She loves telling stories that connect with people, not just through illustration: the TRC Reset traineeship allowed her to combine her creative and organisational skills as a Production Assistant. Following her Reset placement, Lesley has continued to work at Wild Child and is now stepping up to Production Co-ordinator. When not working, she is usually up a hill somewhere.

With a First-Class undergraduate MA in Film & Visual Culture/Gaelic Studies and a Masters in Screenwriting with distinction, Kitty never expected to find herself in the world of VFX.

Now, after working over a year as Production Coordinator following her Reset placement with the 2D VFX studio FixFX, she has been credited on an array of notable projects including (but not limited to): “The Penguin” (HBO); “The Buccaneers” (AppleTV); “Blood of my Blood” (Starz); and the upcoming final season of “Outlander” (Starz). Outside of VFX, Kitty is an emerging screenwriter, participating in the 2024/25 Channel 4 New Writers Scheme, which ran alongside Reset across nine months. Most recently, she was the writer on the award-winning short film “Last Train Home” for the Edinburgh 48 Hour Project.

Next year, she and the team will be going to Filmapolooza in Lisbon, to see their film be screened alongside the other international city winners. Following her placement with FixFX, Kitty is now stepping up from VFX Coordinator to Junior VFX Producer and is excited for the opportunity to further develop her leadership skills and expertise in Production.

Graduating in 2022, Max began his career as an intern in the games industry in the Netherlands. Returning to the UK, Max made the transition to animation with Fye Network and co-founded Studio Zubaa, joining African artists to make a brand new kids show. To build his CV, Max volunteered as a Visual Development Artist at Nuboom Studios and joined the PIXAR Co-op Program, which led to working with BBC Kids & Family.

Joining TRC’s Reset program allowed Max to take everything he learned from animation development and vis dev and come back to game development to further enhance his skills.

Rebeccah has always had a love for storytelling, spending much of her childhood dreaming up characters, worlds, and adventures. That early passion naturally led to an interest in animation and games, and in 2021 she took her first steps into the industry. The path wasn’t always smooth, with a few false starts and challenges along the way, but things began to click after joining TRC’s Reset programme, this was a turning point that helped build confidence, structure, and a clearer direction. Since then, she’s gained a wide range of skills, from 2D art and animatics to 3D modelling and texturing. Now firmly on her feet, she’s continuing to develop as a multidisciplinary artist, with a strong drive to bring creative worlds to life through animation and games.