This month, we're looking at the range of screen activity and ScreenSkills support across Scotland. As part of the campaign we caught up with Vici King, Animation Series Producer at Magic Light Pictures and member of ScreenSkills Animation Skills Council. With her company recently launching Stirling Animation Studio, we got her thoughts on the animation landscape in the nation and discovered how the latest training opportunities are shaping the local workforce.
How is Stirling Animation Studio working with ScreenSkills and the Animation Skills Fund to support local talent and workforce development?
Both our current productions, Zog and our next Christmas special (title to be announced!), have contributed to the ScreenSkills Animation Skills Fund because we genuinely believe that investing in people is one of the most important things we can do. We have an incredibly talented team here in Stirling, and one of the real joys of working on a long-running animation series is seeing people grow in confidence, develop new skills and take on greater responsibilities as the production progresses. The Animation Skills Fund helps make that possible, while also supporting training, mentoring and opportunities that benefit the wider animation community and help inspire the next generation of talent.
Can you share any recent or upcoming productions that highlight the strength of Scotland's animation industry?
Zog has just launched on CBeebies and we’ve been thrilled by the response. The quality of the series is a real testament to the creativity, skill and dedication of the team at Stirling. 90% of our HoDs are Scotland based as well as a large proportion of our crew and we are actively seeking out Scottish based crew when recruiting, as well as promoting internally from the Scottish base at every opportunity. By supporting and developing crew in the region we hope to create a sustainable skills base who can deliver world-class animated productions for international audiences.
What more can production companies, industry bodies and skills organisations do together to support the future of animation in Scotland?
The biggest impact comes when production companies, funders, broadcasters and organisations like ScreenSkills work together. Productions provide real-world opportunities to learn on the job by incorporating initiatives into their production plan and budgets, while ScreenSkills can coordinate training, mentoring and wider industry initiatives that individual productions couldn’t deliver alone. That collaboration helps create a stronger and more resilient workforce across the whole sector.
Why is this kind of collaboration important for the workforce and wider industry, and what impact do training opportunities and placements have?
Ultimately, investing in skills isn’t just good for individuals - it improves productions, strengthens the Scottish animation industry and helps ensure the UK remains internationally competitive. Animation projects, series in particular, are excellent places to grow and develop talent as the schedules are so long. The Screenskills fund allows specific allocated funding back into your production for this growth. As well as supporting the wider industry (and your crew) with an abundance of online training and resources. They also have outreach to the next generation of talent.
How are ScreenSkills and the Animation Skills Fund helping to address challenges in Scotland and create new opportunities?
Scotland has a strong pool of creative talent, but like much of the animation industry it faces challenges around developing experienced crew and creating sustainable career pathways. ScreenSkills helps bridge that gap by supporting training, career progression and opportunities for people at different stages of their careers, making it easier for productions to invest in their teams while strengthening the wider industry.
Is there anything coming up that you're particularly excited about, whether that's a production, training initiative or partnership?
One of the most exciting things is seeing the team who have developed their skills on Zog being able to carry that experience into future productions. For example: we have promoted a Production Manager to Line Producer on our new production with the support of both Make a Move funding, mentoring by a Magic Light producer and the Screenskills "Leadership and Management Essentials for Those Working in Animation and Children's TV” course.
Building a stable, highly skilled animation workforce in Scotland is every bit as exciting as launching a new show, because it creates the foundations for many productions to come.