A pair of Edinburgh College Broadcast Media students have won a national one-minute film competition organised by the Scottish Parliament to celebrate 20 years of devolution.

As part of the competition, which was open to students and modern apprentices across Scotland, HND Television students Lewis Gillespie and Robbie Crawford were tasked with coming up with an idea for a one-minute film that best encapsulated the theme: What 20 years of the Scottish Parliament and decision taking in Scotland, for Scotland, has meant for my region.

(l-r): Lewis Gillespie and Robbie Crawford.

The brief was to create a range of concise and punchy local stories, reflections and opinions, not just about the Parliament, but also about the impact of making decisions and laws in Scotland.

Lewis and Robbie from Livingston and Edinburgh were one of a number to be shortlisted and asked to present their proposal at the Scottish Parliament in front of a panel of leading industry figures. The duo will now work alongside media professionals to develop their ideas before producing their final one-minute film. The film is one of twenty to be commissioned and will be screened throughout the year on the Scottish Parliament channels and may feature in a permanent exhibition in the Parliament.

Lewis Gillespie said: “Taking part in this initiative has been an amazing experience and I’m really proud of the work Robbie and I have produced so far. I can’t wait to start developing our ideas further as we work towards creating the final film.”

Robbie Crawford said: “It feels fantastic to get to the point where our project has been commissioned. We’ve worked really hard putting our proposal together and it feels great to have all that hard work rewarded.”

Broadcast Media curriculum manager Marjory Crooks said: “Robbie and Lewis have worked tremendously hard to develop their proposals over the last few weeks and I’m delighted their plans have been commissioned.”

Broadcast Media lecturer Jim Mason, who encouraged both Robbie and Lewis to submit their idea, said: “I’m delighted for both of our students. The opportunity to work with such a high-profile client will be a highly valuable learning experience. The hard work begins now.”