Director | Fiona Ashe

Filmflashe#7: Hybrid Distribution

August 20, 2011 By Fiona Ashe Leave a Comment

So, you’ve fed your film habit and the result is a completed feature film. Well done! Now how will you ensure that your target audience sees it? And how will you generate revenue from it?

Here’s an excellent article from Indiewire with film distribution tips from Peter Broderick, President of Paradigm Consulting, a company that helps filmmakers and media companies develop strategies to maximize distribution, audience and revenue.

What is your preferred method of film distribution? Have you had any success with new media distribution? Please share your opinions in the comments section below.

Filed Under: All Blogs, Distribution, Filmflashe Tagged With: blog, blog post, blogpost, director, directors, drama, feature, film, film director ireland, Filmflashe, Fiona Ashe, Indiewire, Ireland, Irish, movie, Paradigm Consulting, Peter Broderick, transmedia, YouTube

Filmflashe#6: Theatrical vs New Media Distribution

August 20, 2011 By Fiona Ashe Leave a Comment

All filmmakers dream of walking down the red carpet to premiere their feature film on the big screen. Films are the culmination of a lot of hard work and why wouldn’t we want to screen our work in style?

But is this eliminating opportunities to distribute our work more cost effectively to a wider audience through new media channels?

Steve Pond explores this issue in The Wrap: you can read his blog post here

It’s a fascinating debate. Check out the comments in response to his article.

Filed Under: All Blogs, Distribution, Filmflashe Tagged With: cinema, cross platform, director, directors, distribution, drama, feature, film, film director ireland, film premiere, Filmflashe, Fiona Ashe, Ireland, Irish, LA, Los Angeles, new media, premier, premiere, red carpet, Steve Pond, The Wrap, theater, theatre, theatrical

Rapunzel: Blondes Do Have More Fun!

February 1, 2011 By Fiona Ashe 1 Comment

I’m thrilled to announce that Rapunzel – The Blonde Years has passed the 450,000 views milestone on YouTube. Thanks a million for watching it! If you haven’t seen it yet and you’d like a laugh, here is it for your viewing pleasure.

If you have seen it and enjoyed it, you can watch Rapunzel – The Blonde Years – The Director’s Cut (what a mouthful!) in hi-res 16:9 below via my YouTube channel.

Our film seems to have started a trend. Disney has made a full-length feature animation about Rapunzel called Tangled. Here’s the trailer:

Rapunzel also featured in a GHD ad campaign – not surprisingly for hair products:

Rapunzel – The Blonde Years was written and produced by @TrishGroves and directed by yours truly. We’d really like to hear your comments on the film – please share them below. Thanks.

I’d also be delighted to hear from anyone interested in potential film collaborations: Director@FionaAshe.com

Filed Under: Directing Blogs Tagged With: @FionaAshe, @TrishGroves, director, directors, Disney, drama, film, film director ireland, Filmflashe, Fiona Ashe, GHD, Ireland, movie, Rapunzel, Rapunzel - The Blonde Years, Tangled, Trish Groves, Twitter, Virtual Cinema, YouTube

Filmflashe#3: Producing A Film For The Global Marketplace

September 19, 2010 By Fiona Ashe Leave a Comment

Stacey Parks of Film Specific to share her top strategies for how to plan for financing and distribution for $1m-budget films in a virtual seminar.

It’s called The Post-Cannes Report: How To Survive Producing A Film For The Global Marketplace – A Virtual Seminar.

For more details of Stacey’s seminar, click here

It’s well worth subscribing to Film Specific’s newsletter – it’s an excellent resource!

Filed Under: Directing Blogs, Film Industry News, Filmflashe Tagged With: Cannes, director, drama, feature, film director ireland, Film Specific, Fiona Ashe, movie, Stacey Parks

Social Media is a Success in Dundalk!

July 2, 2010 By Fiona Ashe Leave a Comment

It poured rain all morning (1st July). So it was up to me to bring sunshine to businesses in Dundalk. The recession has hit the North East hard, as is the case nationwide. But professionals in Dundalk turned out in droves at the Ballymascanlon Hotel to find out how social media could help to grow their businesses. The session was run by Dundalk Chamber and funded by the Louth County Enterprise Board. The Chamber tell me that 180 people signed in. 180 people! That’s a reflection of how businesses in Dundalk are engaging with the new digital world we live in, which orients around community and engagement. I look forward to the follow up sessions.

Bill Tosh (Dundalk Chamber), Ronan Dennedy (LCEB), Fiona Ashe (Social Media Consultant) & Paddy Malone (Dundalk Chamber)

Filed Under: All Blogs, Social Media Marketing Blogs Tagged With: Ballymascanlon Hotel, consultant, director, Dundalk, Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, Facebook, Fiona Ashe, Ireland, LCEB, Louth, Louth County Enterprise Board, social media, social media marketing, trainer, Twitter, YouTube

Filmflashe#2: “The Long Tail”

July 2, 2010 By Fiona Ashe Leave a Comment

Chris Anderson explaining “The Long Tail” i.e. why Hollywood has been interpreted as representing the majority of people’s taste in film, but why the internet proves this isn’t true. Niche markets have a “long tail”.

Filed Under: All Blogs, Directing Blogs, Film Industry News, Filmflashe Tagged With: Chris Anderson, director, directors, drama, Facebook, film director ireland, Filmflashe, Fiona Ashe, Long Tail, social media marketing, The Long Tail, Twitter, YouTube

GPS for your Online Marketing

April 20, 2010 By Fiona Ashe Leave a Comment

Imagine setting out on a journey with oodles of routes to choose from to get to your destination…

How do you choose the best route? What are your needs: shortest time vs cost-effectiveness (no tolls) vs safest roads vs nicest scenery?

The same criteria applies to online marketing. There are many ways to achieve growth and source new clients for your business through the use of online tools such as your website, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter to name but a few. But which one(s) are right for you?

My Social Media Marketing Audit analyses your current use of social media tools, what you would like to achieve using online marketing and creates a roadmap for you to get there.

It identifies the most effective route for you to get where you want to go and makes your journey a whole lot easier! So click here to drive more traffic to your website!

Filed Under: All Blogs, Social Media Marketing Blogs Tagged With: director, Facebook, Fiona Ashe, GPS, LinkedIn, online marketing, online marketing audit, online marketing consultant, online marketing roadmap, roadmap, social media, social media marketing, social media marketing consultant, Twitter, website, YouTube

Tribute to Michael Dwyer

January 3, 2010 By Fiona Ashe Leave a Comment

It is with great sadness that I heard of the death of The Irish Times’ film correspondent, Michael Dwyer.

Photo courtesy of The Irish Times

The warm comments posted throughout the blogosphere demonstrate the popularity of his film reviews, which elevated the appreciation of film in Ireland.

Michael was more than a film critic, though. His passion for film motivated him to become actively involved in ensuring that Irish audiences got to see arthouse films through his work with the Federation of Irish Film Societies, the Dublin Film Festival and its successor the Dublin International Film Festival. Through these, he was also instrumental in bringing international filmmakers to Ireland to share their expertise and experience with us.

He was also instrumental in furthering and promoting the careers of Irish filmmakers and he publicly supported political initiatives which strengthened the Irish film industry.

Tributes to him can be posted here

Michael was a man of integrity and influence, of personality and passion. May he rest in peace.

Filed Under: Film Industry News Tagged With: award, BBC drama, blogosphere, Bob Burg, Cracks In The Ice, Darklight Film Festival, director, drama, Dublin Film Festival, Dublin International Film Festival, Facebook, Federation of Irish Film Societies, film, film correspondent, film critic, film director ireland, Fiona Ashe, Irish Times, John David Mann, Michael Dwyer, Rapunzel, Rapunzel - The Blonde Years, Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, SDGI, short film, The Go-Giver, Trish Groves, Tudors, Virtual Cinema

Newspaper Article ‘Drogheda Director Tipped For Top’

September 24, 2009 By Fiona Ashe Leave a Comment

The name Fiona Ashe may soon be mentioned in the same revered tones that movie-fans used to utter the names of directors Jim Sheridan and Neil Jordan.

Indeed, the Drogheda woman’s short film ‘Shades of Gray’, which she shot in New York City, was described by Oscar-nominated Sheridan as ‘very good….very well directed”.

Murder Scene

Now, award-winning Fiona, who lives in Roschoill, is not only enjoying great success with her medieval comedy ‘Rapunzel – The Blonde Years’, filmed at Barmeath Castle in Co Louth, but is attached to direct the movie adaptation of Wall Street Journal bestseller ‘The Go-Giver’ by Bob Burg and John David Mann.

‘It’s a hugely exciting time, and from having always wanted to direct films or be involved in television in some way, it’s great to be realising my ambitions, and with such amazing writers,’ the former Sacred Heart girl says.

‘Rapunzel – The Blonde Years has already secured distribution and has screened at the Galway Film Fleadh, Dublin’s Darklight Film Festival, the 11/22 Comedy Shorts Film Festival in Austria and the Notting Hill festival, which toured London, Rome, Chicago and Cannes. Rapunzel asleep lo-res

‘It is due to screen at the International Film Festival Ireland in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, and the Silk City Fest in Connecticut, USA shortly, and it has had an amazing 50,000 hits on Youtube so far.’

A graduate of Dublin City University where she received an Honours Degree in Communications Studies, Fiona also graduated from the New York Film Academy with a Diploma in Advanced Film Directing.

Her digital short film, ‘I Love You Suzie’, received its world premiere at the Boston Irish Film Festival 2007 and the following year she completed ‘Save Tara Valley’, about a human aerial art project on the Hill of Tara opposing the construction of the M3 motorway through the historic Tara Valley. The film features Irish Hollywood star, Stuart Townsend. Stuart still 1 full

‘A real highpoint came in February 2003 when I was selected for the first ever Berlinale Talent Campus – a winter film academy which brought 500 filmmakers from 61 countries together on the fringes of the prestigious Berlin Film Festival,’ she says.

Fiona’s latest project sees her adapting the book ‘The Go-Giver’ by Bob Burg and John David Mann for screen, as well as taking on the task of directing this hugely popular tale.

‘I’ve always been a fan of the book, so it is amazing to have been selected to direct it,’ she says

More details on Fiona’s films and her marketing and communications company can be found on www.FionaAshe.com

Filed Under: Directing Blogs, Featured Posts Tagged With: Alison Comyn, award, Barmeath Castle, Berlin Film Festival, Berlinale Talent Campus, Blonde Years, Bob Burg, Cannes, Communications, Darklight Film Festival, director, Drogheda, Drogheda Independent, Dublin City University, Fiona Ashe, Galway Film Fleadh, Go-Giver, Jim Sheridan, John David Mann, Louth, marketing, movie, Neil Jordan, New York, New York Film Academy, Oscar, Rapunzel, Save Tara Valley, Shades of Gray, Stuart Townsend, Wall Street Journal

‘The Soloist’

September 15, 2009 By Fiona Ashe Leave a Comment

Who directed ‘Atonement’?

Tip 1: it earned him an Oscar nomination
Tip 2: he also directed ‘Pride & Prejudice’ a few years ago.

He’s not a “brand name” director, like Steven Spielberg or Quentin Tarantino. But he should be. And probably will be.

His name is Joe Wright and I just saw his latest movie ‘The Soloist’. It’s a moving story about how a disillusioned LA journalist, Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.), tries to help a schizophrenic, homeless musician, Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), who possesses extraordinary talent, even through his half-broken instruments. As their challenging friendship develops, each must confront their deepest frustrations and fears, resulting in a transformational journey for both.

This is the third collaboration between Wright and composer, Dario Marianelli, who won an Oscar for ‘Atonement’. A recent Dublin screening, arranged by the Irish Film & Television Academy, was the first time the Marianelli saw the finished film. He said parts of it made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.

The film is full of visual metaphors and smart editing. The sound design is amazing, integrating natural sound effects with Marianelli’s adaptation of Beethoven’s compositions. Featuring a fantastic performance from Jamie Foxx, this is an uplifting “must-see” movie and a reminder to directors like myself how to serve the needs of the audience.