Screen Academy Scotland

What Screen Academy Scotland does

Screen Academy Scotland is a higher-education film and screen arts institute operating as a department within Edinburgh Napier University's School of Arts & Creative Industries, founded in 2005 in partnership with Edinburgh College of Art and accredited as one of only three ScreenSkills Film Academies in the UK. It delivers nine core programmes spanning undergraduate (BA Film, BA Television, BA Stage and Screen Acting, BA Acting and English) and postgraduate (MA Film, MA Screenwriting, MA Online Creative Documentary Filmmaking, MFA Advanced Film Practice, MFA Acting for Stage and Screen) levels, enrolling approximately 350 students annually and serving a mix of domestic applicants via UCAS, mature and career-change entrants, and international students via the Erasmus+-funded Kino Eyes European Masters partnership with film schools in Lisbon, Tallinn, and Dublin.

The academy's production infrastructure is industry-standard rather than proprietary: ARRI Alexa Mini LF camera fleet, 180TB Avid Nexis collaborative editing, Dolby Atmos dubbing suite with Avid Pro Tools S6 and Genelec 7.1.4 monitoring, DaVinci Resolve grading suite with Resolve Mini Panel, and a 60-seat 4K/7.1 screening room are deployed across Merchiston Avenue (post-production) and Craiglockhart (production equipment) campuses. Its core technology is human capital — a teaching faculty of active practitioners with BBC, ITV, Netflix, and festival credits — supported by a digital archive of student work (Film Catalogue) stretching back to 2005 and integrated with Vimeo for showcase distribution.

Revenue is tuition-driven across annual degree fees and module-by-module online pricing (circa £8,505 for home students on MA Screenwriting Online), supplemented historically by BFI/National Lottery and Creative Skillset grant funding (2005-2017) and currently by BAFTA Scholarship Programme eligibility of up to £12,000 per student. The institution is not an independent commercial entity; it operates inside a Scottish public university with no venture, private equity, or institutional investment disclosed. Customer acquisition relies on UCAS, university central admissions, ScreenSkills/BAFTA credentialing, annual showcases, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe platform. Industry partnerships (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Netflix, Amazon Prime, National Theatre of Scotland, Traverse Theatre) function primarily as graduate employment channels and co-production collaborators rather than paying customers.

Name

Screen Academy Scotland

Legal name

Screen Academy Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University

Website

https://screenacademyscotland.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Screen Academy Scotland is a ScreenSkills-accredited film and screen arts school within Edinburgh Napier University, delivering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in film, television, screenwriting, and acting to approximately 350 students annually, with industry-standard production facilities and European mobility via the Kino Eyes Erasmus+ programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Television Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Animation, Game Art & Digital Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Screenwriting Workshops (Film/TV/Web) (EDAMAMAE), Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE)

Keywords

• Film education
• Screenwriting training
• Acting courses
• Postgraduate film degrees
• Vocational film training

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - Undergraduate Programmes: Full-time undergraduate degree programmes including BA (Hons) Film, BA (Hons) Television, BA (Hons) Stage and Screen Acting, and BA (Hons) Acting and English. Fees charged per academic year for UK/EU and international students.
2. Tuition Fees - Postgraduate Programmes: MA Film, MA Screenwriting, MA Documentary (Online), MFA Advanced Film Practice, and MFA Acting for Stage and Screen. Part-time and full-time options available.
3. Module-by-Module Tuition - Online MA Screenwriting: Online MA Screenwriting programme charged per module at start of each trimester. Approximate total programme cost circa £8,505 for home students, £8,685 for international students.
4. Kino Eyes International Masters Programme: European Masters programme funded by Erasmus+ scheme with partner institutions in Lisbon, Tallinn and Dublin. Involves international student mobility.
5. Bursaries and Scholarships: BAFTA Scholarship Programme providing up to £12,000 towards annual course fees for eligible UK students, with mentoring support and access to BAFTA events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Screen Academy Scotland delivers practice-based undergraduate and postgraduate film, television, screenwriting, and acting degree programmes at Edinburgh Napier University. Programmes include BA (Hons) Film, Television, Stage and Screen Acting, and Acting and English at undergraduate level; MA Film, MA Screenwriting, MA Online Creative Documentary Filmmaking, MFA Advanced Film Practice, and MFA Acting for Stage and Screen at postgraduate level, plus the Kino Eyes European Masters in Film partnership. Instruction is delivered using industry-standard film production and post-production equipment (ARRI cameras, Dolby Atmos suites, Avid/DaVinci workflows) by working industry professionals.

Product overview

Screen Academy Scotland is a film and television education institution offering a portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at Edinburgh Napier University. The core offerings include BA (Hons) Film, BA (Hons) Television, BA (Hons) Stage and Screen Acting, and BA (Hons) Acting and English at undergraduate level; and MA Film, MA Screenwriting, MA Online Creative Documentary Filmmaking, MFA Advanced Film Practice, and MFA Acting for Stage and Screen at postgraduate level. Additionally, it delivers the Kino Eyes International Masters in Film (European programme). Supporting these programmes are the Film Catalogue (digital archive of student works) and industry-standard Post-Production Facilities. The institution holds ScreenSkills accreditation for several programmes and has operated for over 30 years as Scotland's centre of excellence for practice-based film and television education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BA (Hons) Film Undergraduate programme providing an in-depth grounding in technical processes, creative skills and production practices for a career in media and film, covering script writing, producing, directing, documentary filmmaking, production design, cinematography, editing, and sound design.
• BA (Hons) Television ScreenSkills-accredited undergraduate degree providing technical production skills and creative practice through teamwork across drama and factual genres, with direct entry to Year 3 for Further Education students.
• BA (Hons) Stage and Screen Acting Two-year full-time vocational acting training course with direct entry into Year 3, designed for applicants who have completed HND, Foundation Degrees, or two years of Higher Education.
• BA (Hons) Acting and English Combined actor-training and English degree unique in the UK, allowing students to develop acting skills while studying English literature, split evenly between both disciplines.
• MA Film

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 2 UK modern university for Drama, Dance & Cinematics (2nd of 63) - Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered founding, core, major and minor.

• Edinburgh College of ArtfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Edinburgh College of Art was co-founder of Screen Academy Scotland in 2005 alongside Edinburgh Napier University, with initial capital and revenue funding from BFI/National Lottery to establish high-quality postgraduate courses.
• Kino Eyes Partner Schools (Lisbon, Tallinn, Dublin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKino Eyes International Masters in Film programme operates in partnership with film schools in Lisbon (Portugal), Tallinn (Estonia), and Dublin (Ireland), funded by Erasmus+ scheme. Students study across multiple European institutions.
• Screen Education EdinburghmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose links with Screen Education Edinburgh with many young people who have come through the BFI Film Academy programme progressing onto undergraduate courses.
• BFI Film AcademymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBFI Film Academy programme provides pathway for young people into film education, with graduates progressing onto Screen Academy Scotland undergraduate courses.
• ScreenSkillscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScreenSkills is the industry-led skills body for UK screen-based industries. Screen Academy Scotland is one of only three Film Academies in the UK accredited by ScreenSkills. Courses carry ScreenSkills Select endorsement.
• Screen Nets ProgrammemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScreen Nets programme coordinates on-the-job training placements with high-end drama productions across Scotland, operated from Edinburgh Napier University.
• Allfilm (Estonia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstonian production house Allfilm working with Nigel Smith on development of 'The Deep' thriller series for international television markets.
• Compact PicturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdinburgh-based Compact Pictures (John McKay) collaborating with James Mavor on 'Berwick Law' feature film in development with BFI/Scottish Film Talent Network and 'Chosen' TV series with Allfilm Estonia.
• Scottish Film Talent NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScottish Film Talent Network providing funding and support for 'Berwick Law' feature film development in partnership with BFI.
• Ian RankinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrime author Ian Rankin collaborating with James Mavor on adaptations including 'Reichenbach Falls' (2007) and 'Doors Open' (2012) ITV comedy thriller starring Stephen Fry.
• Will Anderson and Ainslie HendersonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdinburgh-based BAFTA-winning animation team working with James Mavor on script development for 'Dom', their debut feature documentary.
• Traverse TheatremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraverse Theatre's Class Act engagement programme discovers young writers whose work is filmed at the Traverse Theatre and showcased at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Glimmers project exemplifies this partnership.
• National Theatre of ScotlandmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStudents have worked with National Theatre of Scotland on professional productions. Edinburgh location provides proximity to Scottish theatre industry.
• Edinburgh Napier UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdinburgh Napier University's School of Arts & Creative Industries houses Screen Academy Scotland, providing institutional infrastructure, admissions, and academic governance.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA): London conservatoire offering vocational acting and screen-acting training. Comparable as a UK higher-education institution delivering screen-acting programmes competing for the same prospective acting student cohort.
• London Film School: London-based postgraduate film school offering MA Filmmaking, Screenwriting and other specialist programmes. Comparable as a UK specialist film higher-education institution competing for the same ScreenSkills-recognised, practice-based postgraduate cohort.
• Met Film School: Private UK film school offering undergraduate and postgraduate film programmes with industry-placement emphasis. Comparable as a ScreenSkills-aligned film higher-education provider with applied, industry-facing pedagogy in the same ScreenSkills accreditation tier.
• National Film and Television School: The UK's flagship postgraduate film school (Beaconsfield) offering MA programmes in film, screenwriting, cinematography and producing. Direct peer as a higher-education film academy with ScreenSkills recognition, government funding heritage, and a similar focus on practice-based postgraduate training.
• Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: Edinburgh-based conservatoire offering acting and performance training. Comparable as a Scotland-based performing-arts higher-education institution with acting programmes, shared Scottish arts ecosystem, and similar ScreenSkills-aligned vocational training.

Broad incumbents

• Falmouth University (School of Film & Television): Public UK university with a long-established Film & Television school. Comparable as a ScreenSkills-recognised UK film higher-education provider, though a broader university rather than a specialist film academy.
• University of the Arts London: Large UK specialist arts university encompassing London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and others. Comparable as a UK higher-education institution offering film, screen and performing-arts programmes at scale, competing for the same international student pool.
• Bournemouth University (NCCA): Public UK university hosting the National Centre for Computer Animation and media programmes. Comparable as a UK higher-education provider with ScreenSkills-recognised film/media offerings, though broader than a pure film academy.

Regional players

• Estonian Academy of Arts (Kino Eyes partner): Tallinn-based Kino Eyes partner institution delivering film education within an Erasmus+ consortium. Comparable as a European higher-education film programme partner with which Screen Academy Scotland shares student mobility and curriculum.

Others

• BFI Film Academy: Industry-run UK-wide skills programme for 16-19 year-olds delivering taster film courses and feeding the talent pipeline. Comparable as the upstream feeder for Screen Academy Scotland undergraduate enrollees and a co-funding/funder body for film skills training in the UK.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/screenacademyscotland
• Xx.com/screenacademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/1808192353
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/screen-academy-scotland

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Screen Academy Scotland