A Chat With The Cork Screen Commissioner

A Chat With The Cork Screen Commissioner

We caught up with Niall Mahoney, the Cork Screen Commissioner for a chat about the work of the Cork Screen Commssion, and Niall’s views on the film making industry in Cork.

Can you give us an idea of the work of the Cork Screen Commission?

Niall with Shaun O'Connor @ Made in Cork screening Cork Film Festival

Niall with Shaun O’Connor at Made in Cork screening Cork Film Festival

The Screen Commission’s remit is basically twofold; to help, support & nurture the indigenous Screen Industries (I say ‘Screen’ rather than Film or TV, as the whole industry is changing & it’s becoming more about on-line platforms), plus establish Cork City & County as a ‘prime filming destination’ to both National and International screen producers.
Simple as that may sound, it’s actually a lot of work for one person, as it involves all sorts of things like meeting Producers, Writers, Directors, Location Managers etc.; giving advice & help; providing free location recces to incoming companies, hooking up Cork producers with funders and other experienced Producers in Dublin & the UK, gaining permissions to film, writing articles and doing PR to help raise awareness of Cork generally, running Seminars and Courses/Workshops that will help the indigenous industry plus running the portal website, www.corkscreencommission.com & keeping that updated with News, information and new locations, production support, facilities and local crew/cast.
I’m also asked to speak at Festival openings and seminars quite a lot, so there’s a high public profile involved, which is new to me!

Of course, as a publicly funded position, there’s a lot of report writing and accountability going on in the background, which people don’t often see, and that’s a time-consuming and laborious task! I’m an Industry animal, so am used to getting on with the actual production rather than writing about what I’m doing, but in a way it’s justified as any public money should be well spent & every penny accountable, so it’s a necessary evil!

I try to spend an increasing amount of time meeting local Producers, writers, DoP’s & Directors to try to help them establish themselves as professional working teams and production companies so they can present a professional front to funders like the Film Board. This is a crucial ‘next step’ I believe for many of the great teams working in Cork on low or no-budget projects. In my mind, it’s one thing to produce things for little or nothing using friends & colleagues, but they must move on & up at some point to become professional entities that can apply for proper funding – otherwise nobody can make a living & stay in the industry full time. If just one team gets together and is successful in getting funding for a project, whether that’s a Short, a Feature or a TV program, through my help I will have considered my time as Commissioner to be well spent.

One of the bits I enjoy best is meeting local Producers at functions & screenings, such as we did during the Cork Film Festival with Southern Screen Professionals, Egomotion & the Cork Media Freelancers Group – that’s when I get a chance to talk with real film makers and connect with the people that I really want to help. I come from a hands-on, production background so this is where I feel most at home, talking about shoots and scripts etc. The Commissioners job can be a bit isolating at times, as it is an ‘official’ position I guess and I work essentially on my own and not part of a production team, so it’s good to connect with the ‘coalface’ if you like & talk about actual productions that are happening.

What’s the best part of the job?

Free Corona at the Cork Film Festival opening!! Seriously, the biggest sense of satisfaction I get is seeing a team of local film makers come into me to ask advice about how to move to the next level and see their confidence grow as we go through their skills and future possibilities. Sometimes people just need a bit of affirmation and a point in the right direction, or maybe a crucial contact with a Producer or Funder, and that’s where I come in. I see my job as someone who ‘joins the dots’ if you like & helps people get on in whichever area they want to. The Commissioner’s position is well needed, in that it allows someone to have an overview of the industry and an official title which outside organizations respect, so I can open doors at the start & give people a chance to sell themselves & their ideas. That’s important in Cork, as there’s no centre of production or commissioning editors down here, so there’s a geographical distance which can make things seem difficult.

Other than that, I come from a Drama background, so there’s nothing like being with a full crew on location surrounded by all the Departments – I love the ‘circus’ atmosphere it brings! For me, there’s nothing quite like Drama.

What is the biggest challenge for the Cork Screen Comission?

That’s a tricky one, as there are so many big challenges facing us! I suppose in general terms it has to be securing finance; both for productions, infrastructural projects (like the creation of a decent sized studio for example), training, distribution and of course to keep the Commission growing into the future. I’d love to see a Film Award in Cork and money to help people enter films into Festivals & to go there to network too, but that all takes serious investment and times are very tough as you know. Other challenges include getting established Dublin/Wicklow Producers and Production Companies to see Cork as a realistic alternative to shoot in (and get crew/cast from), and to find a way to financially support Start-Up companies where the individuals concerned don’t have hard cash to invest. Currently, if you can bring hard cash to the table, you can access public funds, but if you don’t, you can’t – that doesn’t seem right to me, as they are the very people we should be trying to help! There’s a huge amount of skill, energy & enthusiasm in Cork, but that’s being stifled by the inability to progress to setting up proper companies which can then apply for Development & Production funding and create some real jobs and stability for people trying to live & work here.

Are there any areas you feel that need to be developed with regards to film-making and the industry in Cork?

Commissioner and Expert Panel at Cork Film Fest Industry Seminar

Commissioner and Expert Panel at Cork Film Fest Industry Seminar

Yes, very much! We need to create the basis of a proper industry here across the Screen Industries, and I am convinced that if we can reach a critical level it will be catalytic; spawning more production companies and freelance work, plus raising awareness of Cork as a serious player & therefore attracting more people in, and so it goes! It’s a bit ‘Chicken & Egg’ of course, which is a problem, but what I’m trying to do, or at least start, is in getting people with complimentary skills together, e.g. Writer, Producer, Director, DoP, to form proper, professional teams and production companies. This is vital in order to go for proper funding and to start working professionally together. Companies need to start working on a slate of development & production ideas; demarcating the work and roles so that they’re focussed and share the load equally. I, in turn, am simultaneously trying to set up key infrastructural projects which these companies can use so that they can establish a rolling slate of projects that will keep them in work full time and grow their experience & profile. These are things like the Studio that I mentioned, plus getting a proper high-end Grading f acility together in Cork and also securing money and/or premises for Start-Up companies who can cross fertilize with each other in the same building.
I am currently working on all of these ideas, plus identifying key growth areas and skilled, Cork based professionals, in the areas of Animation, Finishing, high-end digital camera rental and On-Line Content. Things are growing here – we have proper Post Production Sound mixing here now, plus excellent lighting hire and four or five small production companies, but we need to develop more of these.

The biggest thing missing, in my opinion, is in production – we seriously lack experienced Producers and Production Managers to organize and drive projects from inception through to exhibition; to lead the team, deliver the product and, of course, chase the money! Without these key people things just don’t develop enough. We have one or two production people resident here who have the potential to be really good producers, but in that old ‘chicken & egg’ scenario again they are not getting the right experience on properly funded projects that will enable them to grow projects and companies here.

I am trying to resolve this by identifying key people here & putting them in touch with more established companies in Dublin & seeing if they can ‘shadow’ Producers & PM’s on shoots up there to get that vital experience. The events I ran at the Film Festival worked really well in bringing top industry professionals down here to see what’s happening and to meet the key teams & production people, so I have hopes for that in the long term. I’m also identifying experienced Producers around Ireland who either have some connection to Cork or who are willing to work with people here on ideas and am putting them together to see what comes of it.

What are the benefits film can bring to a county or indeed a country?

As a Regional Screen Commissioner I’m obviously focused on the County benefits rather than the National ones – that’s the job of the Film Board and RTE officially and they are designated as the national organizations to represent Ireland as a whole abroad. The local benefits I see are fundamentally to bring freelance work in to professionals based here, to create freelance & ultimately full time employment in highly skilled, ‘clean’ creative areas, and the subsequent economic spin-off directly to the local economy via location fees, production spend and Tourism on the back end.

Creatively, the Screen Industries offer a way for us to communicate our ideas, messages and creativity to a worldwide audience from our unique perspective, and that is important for any Region in the World. The set of social, economic and cultural values that we have here in Cork allows us to comment and add to the international discourse in an increasingly connected and converging World where we share common issues and concerns about the future and the way we see ‘society’ going for better or worse. Cork has as valid an input into this as any other place in my opinion, including the big cities of the World, and with the New Technologies we can overcome the geographical obstacles that have kept us on the perimeter of this discussion in the past.

What are the unique things Cork city and county can offer film and TV producers?

Niall with Dark Secrets of the Lusitania Doc crew

Niall with Dark Secrets of the Lusitania Doc crew

OK – here comes ‘The Sell’!! As the largest County in Ireland, Cork is unique in the range of photogenic, underused location in the Country; comprising 4 distinct geographical areas plus the second biggest City, which has it’s own wealth of preserved period as well as modern architectural features. Add to this newly improved motorway links to Dublin and a brand new International airport that can get you to & from central London in less than an hour & you have a very attractive destination! And there’s more….. Cork is blessed with a range of Towns, all within easy reach of the City, that are both beautiful and big enough to support a full sized crew, with enough beds, restaurants & support services nearby to make filming cost effective. They also possess a range of great natural & historical/architectural locations within a very small radius, meaning you don’t waste time & money moving the crew around. You always have the infrastructural back-up of the City behind you as well, so you can get most anything you need. Finally, having a dedicated Screen Commission in place to help with official permissions, location recces and sourcing all manner of facilities & production support locally makes life a lot easier and cheaper for Producers. A Producer can access these remotely via the portal website and then speak directly to an experienced production person (me!) anytime, which is really important in this fast-moving industry.

In fairness, thanks to the stated aims of both Councils, we can honestly say that we are a film friendly Region, and having that official goodwill on our side is invaluable, as all good Producers know how difficult & expensive it can be to film in a place where they are either not very welcome or people are fed up with film crews!
I could go on, but you get the idea!

What is your impression of the film industry in munster, and in particular in cork at present?

Niall with Paddy O'Shea & Declan Recks, Director at Studio 5108 Canon Masterclass

Niall with Paddy O’Shea & Declan Recks, Director at Studio 5108 Canon Masterclass

I think the industry is still very fragmented across Munster, and in many ways embryonic, but things are improving slowly. I honestly feel that Cork is taking the lead, however, and the evidence for that can be seen in both the amount & quality of work being produced here last year and this year, and the reaction of Industry leaders from Dublin who came down to the Film Festival and expressed their interest and surprise at how much was going on! The word is coming back that people are starting to talk about what’s going on in Cork on sets around Dublin, and that’s got to be a good thing!

I noticed a definite and immediate upturn in confidence and determination in the indigenous industry after the Film Festival and in the New Year – the phone started ringing on the 2nd January with people looking for meetings re developing projects and Dublin-based Location managers wanting to come down on recces. I’ve put a lot of work into the latter, and am glad to see that it’s starting to pay dividends. Creating an whole industry is always going to be a ‘slow burn’ as you build trust, awareness and confidence, and the last year’s work was all about doing just that to get to this point. Some people expect immediate, tangible results, but I’m afraid our industry is just not like that!

I have a real confidence that we are on the road to creating a viable industry here – what we need now is to create some proper Production Companies and get Producers on board to secure decent funding for productions. Once that happens, they can develop their slate of productions, raising their skill level, experience and reputation to get further work & expand the industry here.

Strangely, I think we’re fortunate in a way here, as opposed to traditional production centers like Dublin. The industry is changing massively, and budgets/advertising and production revenue is plummeting. That’s bad news for the big players and established companies, who have the weight of expensive Rents, rates, employees and ways of working which are becoming just too expensive in the face of fierce international competition.

As we don’t have all that, we are free to grasp the opportunities that the New Technologies and platforms offer us and can start producing material that is both creative, cost-effective and audience-centred, which is what the market wants these days. If I could say one thing to the industry here it would be ‘Go out & do it – you have nothing to lose!’

For further information or advice you can contact Niall at: info@corkscreencommission.com

Treekeeper on DVD & Bluray

The independent Irish feature film ‘Tree Keeper’ will be released by Southernman Films on DVD and Blu-ray on the 1st of November 2012 and as a HD Download on November 21st.

The DVD, Blu-ray and HD Download will be available to buy directly from the Tree Keeper website, www.treekeepermovie.com and the DVD will be for sale in Plug’d Records in the Triskel in Cork city centre.

‘Tree Keeper’ is the debut feature from writer/director Patrick O’Shea and stars James Browne (Strength and Honor, Ealú), Pascal Scott (Grabbers, Killinaskully) and Charlie Ruxton (Titanic: Blood & Steel, Into the West).
A Selfless Act

A Selfless Act

Winner of the Ford 8minutes Short Film Competition.

Written by: Dan O’Connell & Frank Hurley
Directed by: Dan O’Connell
Starring: Frank Hurley & John Ryan Howard
Director of Photography: Jason Keane

Available to watch online now on the irish film boards website

‘A Selfless Act’ was made especially for the Ford 8minutes Competition and addresses the themes of hope, selflessness and the division of classes from the Titanic 100 Celebrations. The film features an old homeless man (played by Frank Hurley) who has a brief encounter with a wealthy young business man (played by John Ryan Howard).

Set in Cork City on a wet and dreary night and shot entirely on location by Director of photography, Jason Keane, the film uses 100% natural lighting and features an amazing soundtrack performed by Odi, entitled ” One in a Million” which can be purchased online http://www.odimusic.co.ukhttp://www.itunes.com/odi

We had a great time making this film, which was all shot in one night and the edit was finalised only 3 days later, we had great help and support making it from some really great people, including the fantastic Staff and Management of Londis on Bridge Street, they even gave us free Coffee!! Catherine Crowley who ran around ragged trying to piece together the costumes and props, Valerie Hely who helped us get the awesome ‘Odi’ soundtrack, Desiree Murphy for feeding us all as we ran around like blue arse flies.

 

A Double Bill Premiere

A Double Bill Premiere

Two new short films from Cork based directors to get their première in The Pavilion, Carey’s Lane, Cork on the 23rd of May, 9pm.

Cork based directors Dan O’Connell and Seán Breathnach from Egomotion, will première their latest short movies in The Pav on the 23rd of May. This is a free event which will be followed by a short Q & A with both directors aimed at anyone who is interested in learning more about the films, or about film making in Cork.

First up is ‘Searching For Ten’, written and directed by Seán Breathnach and beautifully shot by cinematographer Páraic English. It features performances from a host of talent including James Browne (Tree Keeper), Irma Mali (Breakeven – The Script), Pascal Scott (Grabbers, Intermission) and Ruth Hayes (Th3 Room). Shot on location in Cork and Waterford, the short film follows the journey of a chick lit author who is desperately searching for a 10 out of 10 book review, a goal that both drives him and frustrates him. He wants the perfect book review, and he will do anything to get it.

Entirely self funded, ‘Twinkle Toes’ is the latest offering from director Dan O’Connell, produced by Frank Hurley with cinematography by Jason Keane. The film features the acting talents of Mary-Louise McCarthy (Penny, Tunnel), Frank Hurley (Baby Boots, I Remember) and introduces Clara Harte and James Murray. Shot entirely on location in Cork, ‘Twinkle Toes’ is the gruesome story of an enduring friendship even in times of extreme darkness. When two childhood friends find themselves injured and hunted they must stick together at all costs.

Dan O’Connell is writer/director and the co-founder of Egomotion, a Cork based film-making community and production company. His films range from documentary (Rock with your Cork Out, Letting Mr. Blue Sky In! – Flashmob) to drama (I Remember, Voices) but more recently he has focused on the horror genre. His previous film ‘Baby Boots’ featured in Cork Film Festival, Cannes – Court Metráge and Schull Fastnet Film Festival. Dan likes to surround himself with talent and learns more and more on each project big or small.

Seán Breathnach is an Irish film director, writer and editor. His films have been screened in festivals worldwide, including Cork, East London, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maine and Galway. He is currently writing feature film scripts and comedy shows. He continues to produce short films and music videos.

Egomotion is an online film-making community based in Cork which exists to promote local film and video production. It also provides an online forum where members can meet each other, discuss ideas, and put together teams for film production. Egomotion also produces short films, and has an excellent record on the global film festival circuit, having films shown in Cannes, Nevermore (U.S.A.), East London Film festival, Cork Film Festival, Galway Film Festival, Waterford Film Festival and many more.

You can check out www.egomotion.netwww.seanbreathnach.com and http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3810124/ for more or check out the trailers for both films below:

Twinkle Toes

Twinkle Toes

UPDATE: Premier Date announced, Wenesday 23rd May, 9pm Pavilion, Cork.

more info here

 

Twinkle Toes is egomotions latest offering, its a short about two girl’s enduring friendship in times of darkness.

Starring Mary-Louise McCarthy, Clara Harte, James Murray & Frank Hurley.

The film is a gruesome slasher horror, set in an abandoned church, where two childhood friends find themselves in a whirlpool of a situation, fleeing the scene of something terrible, how did they get to this point, what drove them so deep into this awful situation and what are they running from?

Twinkle toes began shooting in late September 2011, Where we shot the bulk of the film in a three day shoot on location at Our Lady’s Hospital, Cork. The budget was on the minuscule size, as in – there wasn’t one, and the challenge of some of the practical effects was more than we had ever tried to accomplish but we couldn’t be happier with the results.

We had a really tight crew, featuring Jason Keane as D.P., Adrian Looney on Sound, Frank Hurley as producer and myself Dan, as director. Sean Breathnach also helped out and did a few stills for us while we toiled away. The remainder of the shoot wasn’t completed until February of 2012 as it was hard to find two younger dancers who looked somewhat like our leading characters. We shot the scenes  in a large warehouse, currently being used as a circus space in Cork City Centre.

The next challenge that faced us was the overwhelming edit, as the film is deliberately a fractured timeline the edit was a huge challenge, We know we had all the right pieces to the jigsaw but it was a matter of how to best fit them together to get the most bang for our buck. Finally the film edit was locked down in March 2012, and so the sound and grading began, the film is now finally ready ( besides a few tweaks here and there ;D ) to be screened, which we are working hard to organize and Twinkle toes will be coming soon to a screen near you…

Dan