Screen Directors Guild Of Ireland

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

The Write Way To Speed-Date

June 13, 2009 By Fiona Ashe 4 Comments

Speed Dating. What does it conjure up for you? Horror at the idea of being considered a desperate singleton? Fear of putting yourself on the line and not getting any dates? Or – if you’re a newbie writer – is it a chance for a trial separation from your computer and fleeting fling with a director? Or even better, a bunch of directors! Well, you know what they say about filmmakers…

On 27th May in Dublin, dozens of writers took the leap into professional speed dating, with the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland and the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild playing Cupid. I am usually on the other side of the table i.e. being the pitcher not the pitchee. This change of seats was an eye-opening experience which makes me reflect with a red face on the previous pitches I’ve given. What I learned is that being pitched at is like being hit in the face repeatedly and I promise to atone to anyone I’ve metaphorically assaulted if they ever let me pitch to them again.

There’s an art to pitching, especially when the meetings are very brief. The instinct is to launch straight into pitching the story in order to make the most of every second. The problem is that no pitchee can absorb information constantly for 9,000 seconds. So it’s better to impart a concise summary of the story which hooks the listener. What’s that called again? Oh yes, a Logline! Say it with me: Logline. It’s not an anti-social disease. If you have one, you won’t need to go to the Betty Ford clinic to get rid of it. For those writers who are allergic to loglines (you know who you are), read the first chapter of Blake Snyder’s book ‘Save The Cat’, which explains why they’re essential. For those of you who still want a career in screenwriting after a pitch session with me, read the whole book.

There are excellent online resources for learning to write loglines and synopses. One of the best is www.scriptforsale.com. You could also read the loglines on www.inktip.com to learn which ones work. Ask yourself: how does your logline compare? (Cue ‘Jaws’ music)

It’s not all about the script though. You have a personality too. If it’s covered in dust due to the fact that your computer – which is your constant companion – doesn’t require its use, polish it up and bring it with you. Passion for your project will be your trump card. It’s also good to have a non-Fifth-Amendment answer prepared about why you want to spend your life in poverty, allowing other filmmaking-addicts to desecrate your treasured masterpieces.

So let’s imagine for a moment that the meeting goes well and the pitchee wants to read the script. How will they get it? Do you:
(a) hand them a hard copy, which they must then carry to the pub afterwards for much-needed scoops, resulting in an inebriated loss of your copyrighted (you have protected it, haven’t you?) screenplay?
(b) take out your iPhone and e-mail them a wrongly-formatted script with no page numbers but with spelling mistakes?
(c) hand them a superbly-written one-page, which also lists your contact details?
(d) hand them the superbly-written one-page along with a well designed business card listing your contact details and social media links?
Answers on Twitter please to @FionaAshe

If you survive the pitch, convince the pitchee to read your script and are still married to the idea of a screenwriting career, what’s the next step? You’ve got approximately four days before s/he forgets who you are. So should you:
(a) wait for her/him to get in touch with you?
(b) send a thank-you e-mail to the pitchee without attaching the requested script?
(c) send a thank-you e-mail to the pitchee with the script attached in Final Draft when s/he uses Movie Magic Screenwriter?
(d) send a thank-you e-mail to the pitchee with the script attached in the correct file format but without your contact details, website or social media links?
(e) send a thank-you e-mail to the pitchee with the script attached in the correct file format and your contact details / website / social media links, but without any reference to the pitchee’s work (doesn’t s/he have a website)?

So the moral of this blog-story is that making a living from screenwriting isn’t all moonlight and roses. You need to work your business muscles. Pump that professionalism!

If you were at the joint-Guild speed-dating: remember that we – the directors – met dozens of people in quick succession, so help us out to remember you. Thanks to Niall Queenan who e-mailed me the following reminder:
“I saw you toward the end of the second group, spiky haired chap”.
That’s the way all dates should end: with a good memory and a smile on my face!

Filed Under: Writing Blogs Tagged With: directors, Screen Directors Guild of Ireland

Do Not Go Gently Onto That Film Set

March 22, 2009 By Fiona Ashe Leave a Comment

Fiona Ashe on the set of BBC drama 'George Gently'

It was early (7am). It was cold (0 degrees). It was the 1960’s (well, on set anyway). This was my first day shadowing the director of BBC period drama ‘George Gently’, which was being filmed in Ireland. As I arrived at base, I was quickly warmed up by a welcoming reception from the cast and crew. A healthy breakfast of porridge and soya milk (offset by less healthy – but very tasty – sausages) further built my anticipation.

I was bussed with the crew down to the set: a captivating disused mill beside a fast-flowing river. Vintage cars added to the aesthetic landscape. There I met up with director Ciaran Donnelly, whom I was delighted to have the opportunity to shadow. I think the episode of ‘The Tudors’ for which he won the 2009 Directing IFTA was one of the finest episodes of television drama I’ve ever seen.

Ciaran started the day with establishing shots of Chief Inspector Gently (Martin Shaw) and Detective Sergeant Bacchus (Lee Ingleby) arriving at the mill. After getting coverage of this shot, three boys with toy guns joined the cast. They had to run through the mill shooting each other. They performed very well, but it was interesting to see how filming children requires a different approach from the director and 1st AD.

Cups of hot ginseng kept the team pepped up while shooting the exteriors. Later the cast expanded to include more featured characters and a group of extras. I really felt for them on the chilly afternoon, since their costumes were light. I paid close attention to the staging and shots that Ciaran chose to ensure coverage. These scenes involved more hands-on directing of the actors, which I enjoyed watching.

During a break in filming, I had a wonderful conversation with Martin Shaw. A consummate professional, he put in an excellent performance during the shoot, despite acute back pain. He shared with me personal stories of how his son got his break in directing and we had a lengthy discussion about the fantastic collaboration that can happen between directors and actors during rehearsal time.

The following Monday, I arrived on set, enthused about spending a second day on this exciting production. I was greeted like a member of the crew (thanks for that!) The production crew were refreshed after catching up on sleep over the weekend – and full of craic after catching up on their social lives at a Saturday night party.

The scenes that day were all interiors in attractive locations. One room contained a dozen vintage red milling machines. Another featured wooden beams throughout, which looked fabulous when semi-obscured by smoke. However, the compactness of the locations created challenges in terms of laying tracks and selecting camera angles. I was very impressed with the crew, who good-humouredly lugged heavy tracks, dollies and lights up five flights of stairs.

Much of the day’s shoot centred on a hanging. I learned that it requires 30% more setup time to film a stunt. It was exciting to see it being staged and filmed. One of the key responsibilities of a director is to get the job done on schedule. The stunt hanging put the production under time pressure, and Ciaran efficiently stepped the filming up a gear – with the cooperation of the very professional cast and crew – only going four minutes over schedule.

The benefits of the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland (SDGI) Mentoring Programme go far beyond observing the process of filming drama. The opportunity for the emerging director to ask questions of and seek advice from the mentor adds significant value to the process. I am extremely grateful to Ciaran who – despite the challenges the shoot presented – was generous with his time and forthcoming with advice. I am also grateful to the superb cast and crew who made me very welcome and to Claire, Liz and Birch (in abstentia) at SDGI for this progressive mentoring initiative.

email: director@fionaashe.com
website: http://www.fionaashe.com