Biography
Alistair is Associate Professor Film and Television. He is the University Research Theme Lead for Culture and Communities. He is a member of the Media Studies Commission of FIAT/IFTA (the International Federation of Television Archives). His research and creative practice focuses on film and TV production history; and the Franki Raffles Archive project.
Alistair has been working in higher education since 2005 following a career in film and television. After graduating from the University of St Andrews, MA (Hons) in Modern History, he worked on community arts projects as a documentary film-maker. After full-time post-graduate training at the National Film & Television School, he spent over 25 years working as a director and producer for the BBC, Channel 4 and Scottish Television. He joined Edinburgh Napier University as a Visiting Lecturer in 2005, acting as an industry consultant for the bid to establish Screen Academy Scotland. From 2006-9 he was Lecturer in Screen Media at the University of the West of Scotland.
He has taken a number of academic leadership roles in the School of Arts and Creative Industries: as Subject Group Leader for Photography, Film & Television 2009-2016; as Director of Screen Academy Scotland, the Creative Skillset Film Academy, (a partnership between Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College of Art) 2015-19, and as Director of the Centre for Media and Culture 2018-20.
Selected Publications and research:
Scott, A (2022) The Activist in the Archive, Conference Paper, FIAT/IFTA World Conference, Cape Town, South Africa
Scott, A. & Davidson, N. (2021) The challenges facing freelancers in Scottish film and TV: an analysis of 45 years of data from the Film Bang directory 1976-2020, London, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre.
Scott, A., 'STV at Sixty' in the International Journal of Scottish Theatre and Screen Studies Vol 11(1), 2018,Edinburgh, QMU, pp 29-50
Scott, A., 'Re-discovering feminist photographer Franki Raffles' in Studies in Photography, Summer 2017, Edinburgh, Scottish Society for the History of Photography pp 58-62.
Scott, A., 'Re-examining the aims and contexts of Raffles' photographic practice', in Brownrigg, J. & Scott, A. (2017) Observing Women at Work - Franki Raffles, Glasgow, GSA pp 15-21.
Scott, A., 'Representing Scottish communities on screen, chapter' in Malik, S., Chapain,C., & Comunian, R. (Eds) (2017) Community Filmmaking: Diversity, Practices and Places, London, Routledge, pp 60-75.
Scott, A. & Manderson, D. (2011) Local Hero, written and directed by Bill Forsyth Glasgow, Association of Scottish Literary Studies.
Scott, A. (2009) What’s the Point of Film School, or, What did Beaconsfield Studios do for the Scottish Film industry Chapter in Murray et al. (2009) Scottish Cinema Now, Newcastle upon Tyne Cambridge Scholars Publishing pp 206-221.
Professional Practice – selected credits:
Raploch Stories - Where are they now ? (60 mins BBC 2017), Raploch Revisited (60 mins BBC 2007), The Road to Melbourne (25 mins BBC 2005), Disaster at the Pit (30 mins BBC 1 Scotland 2002), Raploch Stories (6 x 30 mins BBC1 Scotland 2002), Postcards from Sighthill (25 mins Scottish TV This Scotland 2001), Dispatches – CCTV (52 mins Channel 4 2000), Execution at Camp 21 (52 mins Channel 4 Secret History series and The History Channel 1999), The Ring of Truth (30 mins film drama Channel 4 1996) Edinburgh International Film Festival, Children under Fire (30 mins Channel 4 1993), Songs for the Falling Angel - Lockerbie Requiem (60 mins ITV 1991), Supperman (52 mins STV 1991), NB (Scottish TV 1989-92), Leithers (52 mins Channel 4 People to People series 1987), Two Painters Amazed (45 mins Arena series BBC 2 1986), Getting in on the Action (30 mins NFTS 1982 Award for Best Documentary Celtic Film & TV Festival), On Site, Torness (29 mins 1979) included in Living Proof - Scotland's Climate Story (2021)
Exhibitions:
'Observing Women at Work - Franki Raffles', curated by Jenny Brownrigg, The Reid Gallery, Glasgow School of Art, 4 March - 27 April, 2017. Produced in partnership with The Franki Raffles Archive Research Project, Edinburgh Napier University.
Franki Raffles – curated by Alistair Scott, at the 1st St Andrews Photography Festival, August-Sept 2016.