My name is Eoin Byrne, I am a Dublin-based director with a passion for storytelling. As a final year student of Film and Television in the National Film School at IADT I have had the opportunity to build my knowledge of all aspects of the filmmaking process. My priority is thinking outside the box and pushing boundaries for both myself and the medium I am working in. I’ve developed short films, advertisements, live-performances, and music videos. Each of these projects have further honed my skills and taken me a step closer to producing my debut feature film.
This thesis explores the nuances of building character, and examines how Mike Leigh used improvisation to create the character of 'Johnny' with David Thewlis.
The first chapter dives into Mike Leighs unique working methods in which he begins with a series of improvisations with actors in order to build the script and characters. We look at how this shaped the Johnny, and how improvisation can be used to reflect experiences in real life.
The second chapter tracks what we learn about through his various encounters across the course of the film.
The third chapter explores to abstract aspects of Johnny's character. His intellectual abilities and sexual aggression, two main aspects of the character which provide a deep insight to the character himself.