Drama pupils at Lochgelly High School meet Martin Compston on tour of TV show set

Pupils studying drama and media at Lochgelly High School learned that they can work in the film and TV industry and stay close to home during a visit to the set of new TV show thriller The Rig.

The Prime Video show's being filmed in Leith and stars Martin Compston, who the youngsters also got to meet.

They're working towards their higher qualification and learned more about the industry they may want to work in at the FirstStage studios, having been invited by Prime Video.

The aspiring young TV and film stars got the chance to see the show being filmed and got some tips, advice and insights into the industry from some of its crew, including executive producer John Strickland, and writer David Macpherson.

The Rig is a show that follows the crew of Kinloch Bravo oil rig, stationed off the coast in the North Sea. It's currently filming its second series.

The show's producer Suzanne Reid hopes the youngsters learned a lot from their visit.

She said it let the youngsters see they can work in the film and TV industry but still live close to home, and they can be successful both behind and in front of the camera.

Suzanne added: “It was a pleasure to host the students from Lochgelly High School in our studio. The cast and crew, who are largely Scottish locals, loved speaking with the students, hearing about their goals, sharing advice from their own careers, and encouraging them to consider a career in Scotland’s screen sector.

“Being from Fife myself, I am passionate about encouraging homegrown talent to join our industry.

"I was lucky enough to attend a weekend performing arts club in Lochgelly when I was at school, which was a huge inspiration to me, so I know how valuable it is to raise young people’s aspirations and give them first-hand insight into the future careers available to them in Scotland.”

Olivia Porteous, English and Media Studies teacher from Lochgelly High School, added: “Our students absolutely loved visiting the production of The Rig in Leith and we were blown away by the kindness and generosity of the cast and crew. It was an amazing experience that will stick with our pupils and has given them a great taste of what a career in acting, script writing, or production might look like. I’m hopeful that it will provide huge inspiration for their future careers.”

Eugenie Teasley, Head of Impact at Amazon, said: “Inspiring young talent a priority for us at Amazon, and we have a great opportunity to do this in Scotland’s creative industries. From The Rig to Anansi Boys, we are filming a number of high-end TV productions in Scotland and supporting hundreds of jobs across the sector. We hope the students from Lochgelly High School were inspired by their visit to the studio in Leith and can’t wait to see a new generation of talent flourish.”