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Ruairí O’Neill 

BA [Hons] Film + Television Production

I am a final year student in Film and Television Production, specialising in Screenwriting. During my four years in the course, I have written a number of projects, including a feature film, a number of shorts, and a sitcom that was adapted and recorded by a variety of different students in the TV Studio. I am also experienced in many other aspects of filmmaking, including directing and script supervision, but my passion is in writing, particularly in writing for television.

Clockwork - Feature Film Script - Writer - Synopsis: Two siblings, David and Julia, return to their childhood hometown in rural Ireland to attend the funeral of their estranged father, John. However, as they begin to investigate the suspicious circumstances of his death, they discover that it takes a town to hide a secret, and that sometimes it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie. Part family drama, part science-fiction thriller, Clockwork explores sibling relationships and the ties that bind through the lens of a sci-fi romp. This script was the biggest undertaking of my final year, but also the most rewarding. Excerpt from the opening of the screenplay attached below.
Better Half - Short Film Script - Writer - Synopsis: The lives of a married couple, Martin and Denise, are turned upside-down when their neighbours decide they are not soul mates and attempt to replace Martin. The couple must attempt to escape their creepily idyllic neighbourhood if they want to stay together - and stay alive. Think Night of the Living Dead, but with smiling neighbours instead of flesh-eating zombies. This script was written with directing major Jack Fahy, with the intention of getting it made this year as his graduate film. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions this did not come to fruition, but we have every intention of getting it made in the near future. Script attached below.
Father - Radio Play - Writer/Director - Synopsis: While visiting his demented mother Christine, a young man, Eddie, discovers that the father he thought dead may still be alive after Christine lets it slip in conversation. Eddie sets out to uncover the truth, and discovers both the destructive power of lies, and the healing potential of forgiveness. I wrote this piece in the first half of the year, and despite Covid restrictions I was lucky enough to be able to direct it using web calls. The final piece was edited together by sound major Alan Power. Script attached below.
Stockhome - Multi-Camera Sitcom - Writer/Director - Synopsis: Two amateur kidnappers get more than they bargained for when the parents of their undeniably annoying victim refuse to pay the ransom. But things only get from bad to worse when they try to set him free - and he refuses to leave. I came up with the idea for Stockhome when we were pitching sitcom ideas in class, and with the help of a writers’ room developed it into a script. The script was adapted by multiple directors while we were shooting in the television studio, each with their own unique spin on the material. Attached is the version I directed myself, based on the original script.
Press Start - Multi-Camera Studio Talk Show - Director - Synopsis: Press Start showcases the work of up-and-coming indie game developers. Presented by Aidan Buckley in a humorous fashion, the show aims to give developers a platform for getting ahead in the competitive world of video game design.
Insomniac - One-Hour Pilot Script - Writer - Synopsis: A man with chronic insomnia discovers that brutal vigilante justice is the only thing that helps him sleep at night. This script was written outside of my college work, and is a passion project of mine. Semi-Finalist in the Filmarket Hub International Screenwriting Contest for English Language Pilots 2020.

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Paranoia, Politics, and Pod People: The Ever-Present and Ever-Mutating Paranoia in American Film and Television

I wrote my thesis this year on paranoia in American film and television, particularly during the twentieth century. Conveyed in a number of ways in different films, paranoia is one of the most enduring themes of cinema, be it through the lens of real world events like the Cold War, or through the concept of alien invaders. The main periods I delved into were the 50s, the 70s, and the 90s, which I linked through the fact that each of these decades had an adaptation of Jack Finney’s novel, The Body Snatchers. The Body Snatchers is a classic paranoid tale, and is used as an allegory for different fears depending on the period.


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