MediaCity Eyewear Stylist talent spotted by movie makers

Award winning eyewear stylist and optician, Dan Scott, has set his sights on the big screen after dressing the eyes of actor Paul Mescal who stars in The History of Sound out in cinemas this week.

MediaCity-based Dan focussed his attention on no-reflection glasses after rubbing shoulders with broadcast journalists at the creative, tech and digital destination who were struggling to find stylish and suitable eyewear to wear on screen.

Founder of the Eyewear Stylist, Dan said: “I realised very quickly that there was a gap in the market in terms of specialist eyewear for those working in front of the camera. The last thing a presenter or actor wants are reflections and distorted eyes on screen so I set about researching and working with suppliers to hone stylish, no reflection glasses.

“With support from my MediaCity neighbours on promoting this niche service, enquiries soon started to come in. I was so excited when the movie’s New York based props and costume department contacted me directly.”

Dan’s brief was clear – the eyewear had to be historically accurate, technically sound for filming, and visually unobtrusive on screen. The glasses needed to support the character without distracting from the story being told.

Set around the time of the First World War, ‘The History of Sound’ follows two young men played by Paul Mescal – Lionel, and Josh O Connor – David, whose connection is shaped by music, memory and separation.

With a production team working in multiple locations across the States, Dan handled the commission remotely in the UK.

Working closely with the costume and props department, Dan reviewed period references, character context while narrowing down eyewear styles typical of the early 20th century.

“Balancing historical accuracy with the technical demands of the film was at the heart of this project. Through that process, we settled on a rimless, soft oval frame.

“The lenses also needed to eliminate reflections, maintain optical clarity from every angle, and avoid altering the appearance of the eyes on screen.

“My background as a qualified optician allowed me to ensure the lenses performed technically without compromising the period look. The goal was to support the film visually while keeping the eyewear discreet and unobtrusive.”

The project wasn’t without its challenges; the first pair Dan shipped ended up stuck in customs: “There was a real risk that Paul would be without his glasses for when the scenes were scheduled to be shot. Normally the glasses take three weeks to manufacture but I had to pull out all the stops to turn them around in five days while a member of the production crew flew from New York to Manchester to collect them and fly straight back. Luckily, they reached Paul in time.”

Dan has also been catching the attention of UK based TV stars including Alison Hammond who is a fan of his stylish, no reflection glasses which she regularly wears on This Morning while Coronation Street’s Ken Barlow and Roy Cropper have also donned Dan’s specialist eye wear.

“Alison has been hugely supportive in terms of spreading the word in the industry and my glasses have also been worn by the cast in Eastenders and featured in Andy’s Adventures on CBeebies.”

With a number of prestigious accolades under his belt including EyeCare’s Optician of the Year Award 2025 as well as being voted one of the top opticians in the world by the International Opticians’ Association Dan continues to set his sights high.

“For the future, I’d like to expand the business and train even more independent opticians across the world in eyewear styling. Ultimately, I would love to appear in front of the camera myself, sharing my tips on how to look stylish in glasses as well as have the opportunity to style a prominent figure at New York’s Met Gala. It would be a dream come true.”

Watch this space.

MediaCity Eyewear Stylist talent spotted by movie makers