A tweet sent out from Screen Scotland has kicked off the annual recruitment drive from Screen Scotland, Starz, and the hit television show Outlander.
Outlander is an internationally acclaimed television series based on the novels written by Diana Gabaldon.
The show is broadcast across 214 countries and territories across the world, and stars Caitriona Balfe, Sophie Skelton, Sam Heughan, and Richard Rankin.
It is the story of a World War II combat nurse, Claire Randall, played by Caitriona Balfe, who, in 1946, is transported back in time to appear in Scotland in the year 1743.
There she meets Jamie Fraser, played by Sam Heughan, and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite Rebellion.
The series is primarily filmed in locations across Scotland, with many scenes being shot in the town of Cumbernauld in Northern Lanarkshire.
This does not mean that the crews do not move to other international destinations. Some parts of the show have been filmed in locations such as Prague in the Czech Republic and Cape Town in South Africa.
The series producers have annually co-funded trainee programs that allow the lucky participants the opportunity to work on the show.
They gain invaluable experience working under highly skilled technicians in the film and television industry. This provides each trainee a strong foundation in the industry and an excellent credit on their CV.
The sixth series is due to start filming soon, and the production leadership is looking for trainees for a range of skills covering production design, costumes, plastering, painting, and locations.
These are required immediately. But later in the year, the same company are hoping to recruit armorers, assistant directors, camera operator, grips, props handlers, special effects technicians, sound technicians, and visual effects technicians.
The trainee program is well structured, and each trainee can be guaranteed proper work and will not be seen as a gopher and spend the day collecting coffee and doing not much else.
Each trainee has a structured and documented training plan with regular meetings held with their supervisor and mentor to ensure that they are receiving the best training experience.
On the other hand, trainees are expected to take full advantage of this fantastic opportunity and apply themselves wholeheartedly to their programs and make full use of their exposure to a mentor.
The training program supports diversity and will draw their recruits from all sectors of the community. The program is not looking for formal qualifications.
Still, the applicants must fulfil some basic requirements such as be 18 years or older, resident in Scotland, and eligible to work in the UK and have a clean driving license.
They must also have no more than a year’s paid experience in the department they are applying to, and the producers would prefer the applicant to have a little experience in the television and film industry.
The Outlander show has provided many economic benefits to Scotland since its inception in 2014.
Each series has taken on approximately twenty trainees each year, which represents a significant investment in developing the skills of young Scots in the entertainment industry.
In addition to the training programs offered, the Outlander Effect has drawn many hundreds of tourists to Scotland to see the locations from the story, visit the filming locations and, in some cases, re-enact the scenes from the series.
For more information on or to apply for any of the trainee positions available, visit the Starz website.
Many of the castles and battlefields displayed in the series have reported significant increases in visitor numbers since the series was screened in 2014, with some stating increases of up to 54%.
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These visitors also positively affect the local hospitality industry.
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