Scottish edit assistant Aidan Lynn caught the screen bug early, “Since I was a wee boy. I got inspired by DVD bonus features, hearing directors like Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter talk about how they made their films and that's when the lightbulb went off of "Oh I want to do that!" It helped give his imagination and enthusiasm for storytelling a new focus, one that he was eager to explore further.
After studying at college, he gained practical experience with a media group in his local area, Ayrshire Film Company, which he credits for helping “not only my practical skills but personal skills too, building confidence and self-esteem.”
Having acquired these new tools, Aidan took his next step. “In 2022 I was selected for the TRC Rad training programme in Scotland and got my foot in the door of the industry as a trainee edit assistant with Firecrest Films in Glasgow. Through this placement I was able to gain my first professional credits in television, working on factual programmes for BBC Scotland and Channel 4.”
It wasn’t long after that time that Aidan’s laptop stopped working, forcing him to seek out a replacement and a bit of an upgrade. “I've always been resourceful and looked at tech on the second-hand market and I was able to find a model that met my requirements for a very good price.” By purchasing a used laptop, Aidan was able to make the most of a ScreenSkills bursary which award a greater percentage of funds for second hand or refurbished equipment in a bid to promote sustainability.
ScreenSkills bursaries are cash grants designed to remove financial obstacles to career progression within the screen industries. They can be used to cover the costs of training, travel, driving lessons, and, in Aidan’s case, equipment.
“I first heard about the ScreenSkills bursary back in 2021/22 when I was taking some online learning courses on the ScreenSkills website and always thought it would be a helpful resource if I ever wanted to apply in the future,” he explained, “and as it happens, I did!”
“The application process was very straight forward and easy to understand, such as what information I needed to gather before applying, references and detailing how the bursary would help me. The communication from the ScreenSkills team was always very clear and considerate.”
He described what impact the new purchase will have and how it will develop his career: “It allows me to work on the go and not have to stay at home and a new laptop will help speed up my ability to edit videos. Also just having access to a real webcam will come in handy for any video calls I mean need to undertake, instead of having to use my phone.”
Having seen the benefits of a bursary first-hand, Aidan is positive about the impact they can have on those looking to begin or progress in their screen careers: “I think bursaries are important for people from working class and low-income backgrounds to allow them to gain entry to the screen industries and access any training or resources that might otherwise be unavailable or unaffordable to them.”
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