The BECTU Vision Skills Boost programmes support existing crew looking to upskill in their departments, and also allows professionals working out-with the sector to transfer their skills to the Film and TV Industry.
Our Script Editor Traineeship is designed to provide aspiring script editors with the skills, knowledge and confidence required to excel in the role, combining hands-on experience with professional development opportunities.
The year-long placement explores: the fundamentals of script editing, including conceptualising and developing an idea; how to communicate effectively with writers and executives; and the importance of gaining proficiency in industry-standard software such as Final Draft.
Andrew Jameson was selected as the Script Editor Trainee for the 2024-25 edition of the programme.
We spoke to Andrew about taking part in the traineeship and how it has impacted his career so far.
“My first job in TV was as a runner and driver on Antiques Road Trip. It was an intense but great experience and led to more jobs as a runner and then researcher on the unscripted side of TV. I had been keen to get into film and TV for a while before that, having studied a masters in screen writing.
“When I applied for the traineeship, I was working as a script coordinator which provided the chance to work closely alongside script editors. This gave me a clearer idea of what they did and that I’d be keen to pursue that path. When the traineeship came up, I thought it would be a great opportunity to develop my editorial skills and progress my career.”
Starting the Traineeship
“I gained lots of valuable experience working across various blocks of River City episodes, shadowing meetings, covering notes, assistant script editing and then script editing my own block. I worked alongside a variety of great writers and producers and also gained experience in the edit and on set too. It was brilliant to have a year of training which provided a stable period to focus on developing my skills, supported amazingly by everyone at BECTU Vision.
“The days varied quite a lot depending on where we were in production: some days new drafts of scripts would come in and I’d spend most of the day reading and preparing notes for a meeting; other days would mainly be occupied by edit meetings where we discussed the draft and then wrote up the notes from these meetings that would be sent back to the writers. During filming, you might be preparing a block of scripts to go out to all cast and crew as shooting scripts; or you might be working with the writer on any changes to the scripts that would go out as amendments. There was a lot of variety from day to day which was partly what made it so valuable.”
Working at Freedom Scripted
“As part of the traineeship, I had the opportunity to shadow for a couple of days at Freedom Scripted which was partly what helped lead to my current position. Starting at Freedom has been a really great experience – the team are all lovely and welcoming and there are lots of exciting projects on their slate. I’m now working as a development script editor which is slightly different to what I was doing on River City. It involves lots of reading as I’m mainly across all new submissions and books as well as the slate too which is very valuable experience and I’m really enjoying it so far.
“I feel really lucky and grateful to have been working fairly consistently in TV since starting as a runner about four years ago. While different, each project I’ve worked on has provided valuable and exciting opportunities and I’ve met some really good friends through it.”
Reflecting on the traineeship
“The Script Editor traineeship provided a brilliant space for me to focus on developing and expanding my skills and furthering my career, supported expertly by the BECTU Vision team. I’m so grateful to have experienced it.
“My advice for people looking to get into script editing? You’ve probably heard it before but reading and watching as much as you can is really helpful. Staying across new drama (particularly programmes made in the UK) helps you keep developing your critical thinking and also stay up to date with writers and trends. You can find lots of scripts online, particularly from the BBC script library.”
Find out more about our Skills Boost programme here: bectuvision.org/training/skills-boost/
The Script Editor Traineeship is supported by BBC, Screen Scotland, Scottish Union Learning and Bectu.
BECTU Vision is supported by Screen Scotland, Scottish Union Learning, and BBC in partnership with Bectu.