Newspaper feature doubles up as short film download

THE TV production skills learned by the Sunday Herald investigations editor while working for stv owners, SMG, has manifested itself into a ten-minute social documentary downloadable from the newspaper’s website.

Neil Mackay has just embarked on a three-month sabbatical, to continue working for SMG TV Productions, the company with whom he last year produced BAFTA Scotland-nominated documentary about extremist right-wing rocks band trying to win over school pupil fans, and which was broadcast on Five.

But, before going, he wrote a four-page report on child poverty in Scotland, published on Sunday. Said Mackay: “Having picked up some camera and sound skills on Nazi Hate Rock, I decided to try to film the story too. Ten hours of footage became a ten-minute film.”

It is the first social documentary published on the Sunday Herald website and is evidence of the much anticipated convergence between the newspaper and film media.