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Two Scots‑language films produced in just one day using cutting‑edge virtual production
A groundbreaking new Scots language learning resource has been brought to life at the CoSTAR Realtime Lab, where the Scots Hoose Yaldi team filmed two ambitious productions using the lab’s cutting‑edge virtual production technology.
ScotsHoose Yaldi is a Scots language learning and creativity resource for children, young people, teachers and parents. The project brings together the long‑running ScotsHoose initiative with Yaldi Books, combining their expertise to offer high‑quality creative content in Scots.
Led by writer and educator Matthew Fitt – an honorary graduate of Abertay – ScotsHoose provides free poems, stories, films, comics, animations and other learning materials for Early Years, Primary and Secondary learners. ScotsHoose Yaldi has already produced a wide range of engaging resources, but the team says the opportunity to work at the CoSTAR Realtime Lab marks a major shift in what they can deliver.
Matthew said:
Young Scots speakers deserve the best. Our project is committed to improving provision for Scots in schools, and the chance to work at CoStar is a real game changer. Filming at CoStar is a first for us. The ability to change film sets so dramatically and quickly is as exciting as it is challenging. The finished films, made by Scotland’s creative industries at their finest, will give young Scots speakers engaging and innovative resources to study, enjoy and be inspired by.
Filming took place on 28 January 2026, with filmmakers from D Fie Foe creating two contrasting films in a single day, demonstrating the versatility and speed of virtual production at CoSTAR.
The first film transports viewers to the 16th century and features a corbie – or crow – voiced by acclaimed poet Liz Lochhead and River City actor Joyce Falconer. Two young performers appeared as Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I of England, offering a lively and imaginative Scots‑language window into the past.
The second film shifts dramatically from Renaissance Scotland to the surface of Mars. A young actor in a spacesuit shared his inner thoughts about life in a remote colony, speaking entirely in Scots. Shooting both films in the same studio on the same day showcased the CoSTAR Lab’s ability to change locations and environments instantly.
The new productions will join Scots Hoose Yaldi’s growing library of digital learning materials, continuing the project’s mission to support families, teachers and young people across Scotland to connect with and celebrate the Scots language.
Phillip Vaughan, Senior Lecturer at Abertay University, said:
Scots Hoose Yaldi are committed to delivering world-class resources to schools. Accessing the technology at CoSTAR Realtime Lab has been a genuine game changer for this project, allowing us to leap from the 16th Century to the surface of Mars in a single day. None of this would have been possible without the CoSTAR Realtime Lab team and the incredible production crew at D Fie Foe, whose film expertise brought these worlds to life. We were also privileged to work with an absolutely stellar cast. Seeing icons like Liz Lochhead and Joyce Falconer perform alongside the exceptional Samuel Lee Johnston from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland was a highlight. It was also inspiring to see the brilliant young talent of Grace Whelan and Rebecca Anderson from the Dundee Rep Theatre stepping into such significant roles. This project represents Scotland's creative industries at their very finest.
The CoSTAR Realtime Lab is a £9 million virtual production facility led by Abertay and designed to drive research, innovation and economic growth across Scotland’s screen, games, immersive and performance industries. It forms part of the UK‑wide CoSTAR network, the largest-ever investment in creative industries R&D, funded through UKRI’s £75.6 million Infrastructure Fund.
The Lab was officially launched in February 2025 at Water’s Edge in Dundee, marking the beginning of its operations and the opening of Scotland’s first dedicated virtual production studio.
