Education

September 2009- September 2010

MA TV Fiction Writing with Distinction

Created by Shed Media and led by acclaimed writer Ann Marie Di Mambro, this course is fantastic for anyone who wants to write for television. To name a few, guests over the year included course creators Eileen Gallagher and Ann McManus; then head of BBC Scotland Drama Anne Mensah; Casualty producer and storyliner Jane Dauncy; River City and The Street writer Marc Pye; Shed Media Scotland producer Kate Croft; then executive producer of River City Morag Bain; Tinsel Town writer and Cracked actor Martin McCardie, River City actress Libby McArthur; Hollyoaks script editor Claire Bell; acclaimed Glasgow actor David Walshe; Waterloo Road writer Louise Ironside; Takin’ Over The Asylum writer Donna Francischild and many more.

Throughout the year, us students had the opportunity to take part in story conferences with representative writers and producers for River City, Casualty, Doctors, Waterloo Road and Eastenders, nurture and develop our own script ideas, write our own hour long drama scripts, adapt short stories into scripts and most importantly, work alongside current TV output creating fresh stories and new characters on the way.

My dissertation consisted of a script idea I had been working on for some time which brought together Scottish identity and drug culture. In November 2010 I graduated with Distinction and also gained the ‘Student of the Year’ award for maintaining the highest overall marks.

Modules taken:

• Researching the Television Fiction Market
• Developing Original Television Drama
• Writing Original Television Drama
• Story and Script Techniques
• Writing for a Long- Running Television Series
• Researching the Cultural Sector
• Independent Script Project

September 2004- June 2008

BA Media (Hons) 2:1

During my four years at UWS I applied myself in various areas of the media in an attempt to find my passion. From radio production, to journalism, onto filmmaking, directing, editing, and, finally,  Television Production and Writing.

In my 3rd year I undertook a double module named Independant Production. Half of this module consisted of watching the pilot episode of Dead Like Me (2003) and then scripting the second episode script plus a full Series Bible complete with character biographies and arcs, story arcs and episode synopses for the remainder of the first season- all without watching the rest of the series. I absolutely loved this assignment and spent hours on it gaining a high B1 overall. In 3rd year, I also wrote a short film titled ‘Stockholm’s Daughter’which was made as the second part of the Independant Production module. It is my intention to re-shoot the script at some point in the future.

In my honours year, I decided that for my Creative Project I would stick to television writing. After hours of watching countless British Drama’s, I decided to create a series based around a drug and prostitution ring in a small tourist town. Inspired by Jimmy McGovern’sThe Lakes, Paul Abbott’s Shameless and the infamous Skins, my 6 part television series Look, Harder (2008) was born. The sweat and blood which I poured into my research and theory project, the 60 minute pilot script and the full series bible gained me an A grade and a nomination for a scriptwriting award at the 2008 Student Showcase.

In June 2008, after 4 years of hardcore studying, I graduated with a high 2:1 Honours degree.

Modules include:

• Scriptwriting
• Independent Production 1 & 2
• American Broadcasting
• British Television Drama
• Creative Video
• Broadcast Journalism
• Reading Texts
• Subcultures
• Radio Production
• European Cinema
• New Asian Cinema
• Cinema Aesthetics
• Cinema: Modes of Production
• Becoming Posthuman