Institute of Art Design + Technology
Dún Laoghaire

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.

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 - 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.