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Conor Ryan

BA [Hons] Film + Television Production

Conor Ryan from Dublin is a screenwriting major and editing minor. In their spare time, they play the drums and the harmonica, while strutting about in a variety of denim jackets. Unfortunately, they have so far been unable to convince anyone that they are 'the fifth Beatle’, although Conor believes a quick haircut may fix that.

A proof of concept image for my feature film screenplay, **Snap-Happy**. I had never before attempted any project of this scale until this script. It has been by far the most challenging project I have tackled in my four years at IADT. But it has also been the most satisfying.

A proof of concept image for my radio play, **Parent Teacher Meeting**. Myself and the other screenwriters spent a lot of time on these audio projects in the first term. Ultimately, after weeks of drafting and redrafting, we found ourselves collaborating and creating an anthology series. Each play was to contain some kind of connective tissue, carrying over various threads and plot elements across the production, with the goal of producing an immersive experience for the listener. Naturally, it was Halloween themed, as by that point we were approaching the end of October. It was fun piecing together the various pieces of this narrative puzzle. We examined a couple of potential running-orders, searching for a chronology of events. Once that was done, we needed to deal with specifics, tying up loose ends and creating cross-overs that made sense. For instance, my narrator, the comatose student, became Sencha, the missing sibling in Rachel O’Shea’s ‘Jupiter 66’. This added dramatic weight to both of our stories, hopefully giving the audience an emotional throughline to invest in. Personally, I believe that each episode / segment is underscored by a terrific sense of dread, a fatalistic attitude that successfully linked each one together, working in tandem with the seasonal theming, establishing a unique tone.

When I joined the **Redwood** production team towards the end of the first term, I was delighted to have the chance to edit a grad film. I knew that it would be challenging but I was excited to get to work with director Aaron Moloney and the rest of the crew. Of course, my job began in pre-production with the production pack. I had conversations at that time with Aaron and DOP Jakub Bajerski about our end goals for the film. These early ideas formed the basis of my notes and my approach to editing the short.

Snap-Happy: A Celtic Tiger Romance

As part of my final year assessments, I wrote a feature film screenplay. It tells the story of Sydney Boyle, a cynical wedding photographer who finds himself on the other side of the lens for once - and is forced to choose between wealth and romance if he is to discover the true value of love.

This romantic comedy is set against the backdrop of the Celtic Tiger and it explores the intersection between work and love - where sex, marriage, and money meet.

Comedy has always been my favorite storytelling tool. It can be used to disarm the audience and open them up to challenging narratives and ideas. However, often individual gags and routines take precedence over story. For my particular story to work, I needed the comedy to arise more naturally from characters and situations in a realistic and believable fashion.

Thesis PDF Final Year Portfolio PDF

Thesis - Billy Wilder: The Sweet and The Sour

In an effort to study how Billy Wilder used popular genre fiction to explore difficult subject matter, I examined a trio of political romcoms co-written by the filmmaker; ‘Ninotchka’ (1939), ‘A Foreign Affair’ (1948) and ‘One, Two, Three’ (1961).

The romantic comedy is often derided by film critics as saccharine and unrealistic. However, in this thesis I wanted prove that it is a suitable vehicle for serious social commentary - a melting pot for culture both high and low alike.

Ultimately, in bringing the optimistic form of the genre to the pessimistic subject matter of the satire, the filmmaker evokes hope, finding light in the
darkness.

Thesis PDF Final Year Portfolio PDF

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