Screen Check

In our first audience Q&A, Jamie and Ash answer your questions about rejection, success, breaking into film and TV and building a career in the screen industry.

They also chat about the kind of Scottish TV we should be making, advice for aspiring screenwriters and why there’s no single “right” path into the industry.

Some brilliant questions this week, and we’ll definitely be doing more episodes like this.

Produced by Ashley Dick and Jamie Mackinlay
Edited by Ashley Dick
Graphics by BS Design
Music by Blaine Thompson

Join us every Tuesday for more conversations and insights from across the screen industry.

Follow Screen Check:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/screen_check/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@screen_check

This week, Ash and Jamie discuss the impact of social class on the film and TV industry, from who gets through the door to who gets to stay, progress and make decisions.

Using new research from the University of Leeds as a starting point, they look at informal hiring, freelance insecurity, regional inequality, working class representation on screen and why class needs to be treated more as a structural issue within the industry.

They also reflect on their own experiences of class, money and masking, and explore how identity still plays a huge role in how people understand and talk about class.

Can we solve the class struggle in film and TV?

Read the reports discussed in the episode:

https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/240507/1/Johnson_UoL_WhatsOn_IndustryReport_Digital.pdf

https://www.thetvfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lets-Talk-About-Class_v5.pdf

Produced by Ashley Dick and Jamie Mackinlay

Edited by Ashley Dick

Graphics by BS Design

Music by Blaine Thompson

Join us every Tuesday for more insights on the screen industry.

Follow Screen Check:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/

screen_check/

TikTok

: https://www.tiktok.com/@screen_check

In this episode, Jamie and Ash deep dive into all things pitching. From standing up in front of commissioners to writing treatments & pitch decks we unpack what actually helps an idea land.Ash shares what she learned from winning the Animatic pitch earlier this year, while Jamie reflects on pitching through scripted TV development and his recent experience pitching for this years random acts C4.--------------------------------------------------------------------Produced by Ashley Dick and Jamie MackinlayEdited by Muratiwa ChinakeGraphics by BS DesignMusic by Blaine Thompson--------------------------------------------------------------------Join us every Tuesday for more insights on the Screen IndustryFollow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/screen_check/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@screen_check

Ash & Jamie take a deep dive into how they got their start in film & TV, from first production jobs and unexpected routes into the industry to the big breaks that changed their careers.

They look back at balancing day jobs with creative work, working six and seven-day weeks, low pay, long set hours and the moments that made them realise just how difficult building a sustainable career in the screen industries can be.

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Produced by Ashley Dick and Jamie Mackinlay

Edited by Muratiwa

Graphics by BS Design

Music by Blaine Thompson

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Join us every Tuesday for more insights on the Screen Industry

Follow us on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/screen_check/

TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@screen_check

In this special episode of Screen Check, we hear from some of the team behind River City as the long-running BBC Scotland soap comes to an end.

Jamie and Ashley speak to members of the crew during their final week filming the last ever episode of River City, including Executive Producer Martin McCardie, about their time on the show, what went into making it and what it was like saying goodbye to Shieldinch.

📺 Want to see inside the River City set?

We filmed a final tour of Shieldinch before the set was demolished, including the street, Scarlett’s One Stop Shop, the Oyster Café, the studio and more.

Watch the full behind-the-scenes video on our YouTube channel

https://youtu.be/EQ3MkpzT3dM

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Produced by Ashley Dick and Jamie Mackinlay

Graphics by BS DesignMusic by Blaine Thompson

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Join us every Tuesday for more insights on the Screen Industry

Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/screen_check/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@screen_check

Has the spirit of the Edinburgh Fringe changed? What does the move of the Edinburgh TV Festival away from Edinburgh mean for the future? And how can creatives still catch a break?

In this week’s Screen Check, we’re live from the Edinburgh Fringe exploring its long-standing relationship with the screen industry from launching careers and discovering new talent to Fringe shows making the leap to screen, including Fleabag and Baby Reindeer.

We also discuss the growing cost of taking part in the Fringe, accessibility and class within the screen industries, and whether the traditional routes into film & TV are changing.

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🎟️ Join us for our live show at Outwith Fest:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/outwith-fest-live-podcast-screen-check-w-ashley-dick-jamie-mackinlay-tickets-1992603034315

--------------------------------------------------------------------Produced by Ashley Dick and Jamie Mackinlay
Edited by Muratiwa Chinake
Graphics by BS Design
Music by Blaine Thompson

--------------------------------------------------------------------Follow us on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/screen_check/

Follow us on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@screen_chec

We’re thrilled to welcome Sanjeev Kohli on to Screen Check this week! 🎬

Best known for playing Navid in Still Game, Sanjeev’s career spans some of the country’s most-loved comedy and drama, including Chewin’ the Fat, Fags, Mags and Bags, River City and, most recently, Netflix’s Dept. Q.

Sanjeev joins Ash & Jamie for a brilliant conversation about what actually makes something funny, the craft of writing comedy, finding your own creative voice and his unconventional journey into the industry.

We also chat about the enduring legacy of Still Game, his experiences across TV and radio, and why there’s more maths involved in comedy than you might think...

It was an absolute treat having Sanjeev on the podcast!

See more from Sanjeev:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/terminatorsanj

--------------------------------------------------------------------Produced by Ashley Dick and Jamie MackinlayFilmed and Edited Live on location at Glasgow Podcast StudioGraphics by BS DesignMusic by Blaine Thompson--------------------------------------------------------------------Join us every Tuesday for more insights on the Screen Industry

Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/screen_check/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@screen_check

In this week's Screen Check deep dive, we explore whether a university degree is really necessary to have a career in the screen industry.

We reflect on our own experiences of university, the benefits and drawbacks of getting a degree, alternative routes into film & TV, and why there’s no single “right” way to build a career in the industry.

We also discuss the challenges facing young people entering the workforce, the parallels with the current work crisis in TV, and once again share some Good Advice, Bad Advice.

🎬 Join us every Tuesday for more insights on the screen industry.

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@screen_check

---------------------------------------------------------------Produced by Ashley Dick & Jamie Mackinlay

Edited by Muratiwa Chinake

Graphics by BS Design

Title Music by Blaine Thompson

From viral sketches to TV commissions, Paul Black has become one of the country's most exciting comedians and creators.

In this episode, Paul joins us to discuss how he built an audience online, the reality of getting a TV show made, life on tour, his filmmaking ambitions, the films that inspire him, and why creators can't afford to wait for permission.

Find out more about Paul's tour below:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulblack_/

📲TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@paulbiack

Produced by Ashley Dick and Jamie Mackinlay

Filmed and edited at Glasgow Podcast

StudioGraphics by BS DesignTitle

Music by Blaine Thompson

Screen Check is the weekly podcast unpacking what's really happening across the screen industry through honest conversations, industry insights and interviews with the people shaping film, television and digital media.

🎙️ New episodes every Tuesday.

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/

screen_check/

📲TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@screen_check

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033QnZ1B10CNE9I9pKlOcb?si=68d6d0c5899a4c61

Welcome to the very first episode of Screen Check! 🎬

In this episode, we introduce ourselves, explain why we started the podcast, and explore what it's really like working in the screen industry today. We discuss becoming a freelancer, highlight opportunities and events worth knowing about, and introduce our Good Advice, Bad Advice segment, where each week one of us brings a piece of career advice worth following, while the other brings a piece that's best ignored.

Whether you're already working in the screen industry or hoping to break in, this is the perfect place to start.

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This week's episode is sponsored by Sonja B Photography 📸

For professional photography, visit: https://sonjab-photography.com/

---Produced and hosted by Ashley Dick and Jamie Mackinlay Edited by Muratiwa ChinakeGraphics by BS DesignTitle Music by Blaine Thompson

Follow Screen Check

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/screen_check/

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@screen_check

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ScreenCheckPodcast