Super Success for Jane

Jane Gruffydd, from the Vale of Glamorgan, participated in Sgil Cymru’s intense two-week Script Supervisor course in November 2016.

Before spending 15 years as a Secondary School teacher, Jane had worked in the industry as a Researcher/Assistant Producer. She was eager to get back into the industry having felt that she needed to be in a more creative and varied environment. Through her mother, who had been working as a PA/Script Supervisor for 55 years, Jane gained work as a 2nd Unit Script Supervisor on BBC One’s Decline and Fall.

Jane said:

Once that production ended, I found myself unable to get work since my CV was sparse in terms of credits, and although I applied for a multitude of jobs, no one seemed to want to touch me.  I worried that my lack of experience, tied in with my age, was a hindrance.

Having acknowledged that she had the transferrable skills but not the credits nor experience as a Script Supervisor, Jane applied for Sgil Cymru’s Script Supervisor course.

Sgil Cymru’s Script Supervisor course, backed by Creative Skillset and the BFI, was the first of a new range of film training programmes for industry professionals. The two-week intense course, led by Sue Jeffries and Ceri Evans-Cooper, featured a number of practical workshops, discussions with experienced industry professionals and a simulated production experience.

Jane said:

The course provided excellent grounding and covered all aspects of script supervision.  Sue and Ceri have such a wealth of experience, and are so respected in the industry that their training was real, on the ground, practical training that would be difficult to match.  It benefited me personally because it filled in the gaps in my practical experience, which was the preparation process of breaking down a script. The studio-based practical work, intended to emulate a real shooting experience for a Script Supervisor, was also excellent, as it enabled me to both work under the real pressures of a shoot, but with the benefit of being able to stop and ask question.

Post-course Jane spent 6 months applying for roles within the industry but to no avail. At that point Jane felt like she had made a mistake and that she would never get into the industry. After nearly 7 months Jane got a call from a production company asking to meet with her. The fact that Jane could speak Welsh attracted the production company and got her foot in the door.

Following her appointment of Script Supervisor on Byw Celwydd (S4C, Series 3) Jane said:

Loss of confidence isn’t easily overcome, but persistence and tenacity does eventually pay off.

Sue Jeffries, Managing Director of Sgil Cymru said:

Jane was a great example of an experienced industry professional who needed to refresh her skills in a positive, safe environment, and while it’s wonderful that she acknowledges how important training with Sgil Cymru has been for her, we know that she is a fantastically capable individual who truly deserves the success she is having in her career.