First class Ardgay student embarks on new film venture
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An Ardgay student is looking forward to a promising career in the film industry after graduating with a first class honours degree.
Shannon Skinner overcame various challenges to achieve a BA with Honours in Contemporary Film Making in the Highlands from the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
The 29-year-old combined studying with helping her mum Linda to care for her dad, Stuart, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2017 and whose condition worsened while Shannon was at university.
And the organisation that had agreed to her producing a documentary for them as her final year degree project, which was required to be finished by April this year, dropped out at the last minute, leaving her scrambling for a replacement.
“They pulled out in January and it was a major setback,” said Shannon. “By that point my fellow students had almost finished their projects while I was back to square one, looking for a new subject."
But Shannon, who has always believed that how you respond to setbacks is how you grow as a person, was able to come up with a new project which contributed to her high marks.
She began the four year course in 2016 – it is the first time the degree has been offered through UHI – and has sadly, along with her fellow students, missed out on a physical graduation ceremony because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Last year she successfully applied for a two day work experience placement with Netflix who were filming parts of season four of their phenomenally successful docudrama, The Crown, near Kingussie.
“Netflix reached out to the college and said ‘Do you have any students who would be interested in applying for work experience?’,” said Shannon
“I applied and got it. I was at the bottom of the ladder, just generally helping out, but I got to speak to some of the cast including Olivia Coleman, who plays Queen Elizabeth. This experience reaffirmed how much I want to do well as a filmmaker and how hard I am prepared to work to make this happen.
“It was a huge production and we were way out in the hills – it was really amazing. I am looking forward to seeing the series when it comes out.”
Shannon is in the middle of setting up her own film business, Seeing, Making, Sharing (SMS), which will produce training and promotional films across a wide range of sectors, including tourism. A website she is establishing will go live in the next few months.
Mum Linda said: “Stuart and I are so incredibly proud of Shannon. It has been difficult for her with one thing and another but she has triumphed.”
