For Scotland-based grips assistant, Jack, an ambition to work in film and TV began early. After graduating from university, he “worked in IT for a while before hopping over” into the screen industries and since then, he “hasn’t looked back”.
His journey in screen started with a production trainee role on ITV’s crime thriller, Six Four, finding that his skills in IT were a “good fit” for his first role working in TV.
It was on this production, however, where he’d find inspiration for his next step.
“As a production trainee, I met the grips. I was fascinated by their kit and knew pretty quickly this was where I wanted to end up. I went onto my next job with the same team and was offered another trainee role in a different department and started in grips.”
Jack recalls his “first real job” as a grip on Shetland, season 9: “it was during this I found out how important really good weather gear is. The waterproof jacket I was using at the time had seen better days and really needed to be replaced”. Then, through a conversation with the key grip he was working with, Jack heard about the ScreenSkills bursary.
ScreenSkills bursaries are cash grants of up to £3,000 designed to remove financial barriers to career progression. They are open to anyone and can be used to cover training fees, travel, driving lessons, accommodation, access costs or equipment, including wet weather gear.
Jack decided to apply to help towards purchasing “a really good waterproof jacket”. For him, the funding had an immediate impact.
“Having this amazing piece of wet weather gear meant that I was able to focus on my work instead of how soggy I was. It also meant that I wasn’t getting wet all the time and therefore got ill much less!”
Jack has since continued to progress and has been “fortunate enough to work with and learn from many brilliant people on shows” including Shetland (seasons 9 and 10), Coldwater, Summerwater, Dinosaur (season 2) and “even my first feature film, Tornado”.
Reflecting on his experience with the ScreenSkills bursary he says: “I think bursaries are a really good way to support crew. Without it, it’s likely that I wouldn’t have been able to buy [a waterproof jacket] that was as good”. Coming at a time when he needed the new gear, he found the application process “very easy” with “great communication back and forth”.
And it seems Jack’s wet weather gear will be getting some more wear in the near future: “I am currently working on another drama at the moment that will take me into January. As the weather worsens towards Christmas, I know I’ll be very grateful for the bursary I received as shooting outside in adverse weather is tough and being dry is key!”
