Institute of Art Design + Technology Dún Laoghaire
Ireland’s campus for the Creative Industries

Ciara Drinan 

BA [Hons] Production Design

As a graduating production design student, I have spent the last four years developing my skills in concept artwork, storyboarding, drafting, and 3D modeling. Combining my passion for storytelling with a long-time love of fine art, I aspire to create immersive worlds that bring narratives to life, with a specific interest in set decoration. Having gained hands-on experience working on various film projects throughout my time on the course, I am eager to further immerse myself in the realm of film and TV. With a keen eye for detail and a strong collaborative mindset, I look forward to applying my skills to crafting visually captivating environments.

'The Island of Dr Moreau' by H.G. Wells & 'Piranesi' by Susanna Clarke

Minor Project: The Island of Doctor Moreau
This classic science fiction novel, which is set on the private island of a mysterious scientist, explores themes of morality, ethics, and the boundaries of scientific experimentation. Inspired by the Hieronymus Bosch triptych 'The Garden of Earthly Delights', in this project I aimed to create a design for a film adaptation of the novel which would strike a balance between the allure of the tropical paradise and the horrors that lie beneath its surface.
Major Project: Piranesi
'Piranesi' follows the eponymous character as he navigates a vast and mysterious house that contains a sea within its labyrinth of endless halls. As Piranesi attempts to unravel the secrets of the house and of his own existence, his perception of reality is called into question. Drawing inspiration from the intricate and otherworldly etchings of Italian architect and artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi, my design aims to capture the labyrinthine grandeur of the novel’s setting and the mysterious and surreal atmosphere that envelops the protagonist’s isolated world.



Postmodern Television for the Gen Z Audience: The Appeal of Euphoria and Stranger Things

In my thesis I discuss the elements of the television shows Stranger Things (2016) and Euphoria (2017) that categorise them as examples of postmodern television: their mixing of genre conventions and filmic styles, their engagement with nostalgia and pastiche, and most of all their heightened use of intertextual referencing in both allusion and explicitly in-text. I examine how both series use these elements to reflect our postmodern culture – they extensively break down the boundaries between film, television, literature, art and music, and explore how closely the culture of mass media intertwines with ‘youth culture’ and impacts those growing up under its influence.