Daniel Byrne
I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful to have spent the past four years immersed in filmmaking at IADT, working on narrative films, documentaries, commercials, and more. In that time I've learned so much about teamwork, authenticity, and dedication to the art of filmmaking and I could not be luckier to have had this opportunity. I will leave the college with an extensive network, as well as having made many lifelong companions.
I am confident in my chosen specialisation and excited to work in camera departments after college. My aim now is to continue working as a camera assistant with several talented DP’s in Ireland and New York, while also pursuing freelance work as a DP.
I was so excited to begin brainstorming the visual styles for this documentary, taking into account composition and actuality filming. With two drastically different locations in mood and character (Czechia and Ireland), I realised that I had a responsibility to accurately convey the main subject, Anna, and translate her inner emotions for the audience. The Director, Ana Francis, and I deciphered that we wanted the Czech Republic to feel calmer and more free than a bleak, cold Ireland. We wanted stillness and vivid colours in the Czech Republic, with lots of air for Anna to breathe. In Ireland, we wanted more cold and intimidating colours.
Ana wanted the film to feel real and insightful, with the reality of the situation to be depicted through the lens - almost observational in style. We wanted to capture her true emotions and make the viewer feel a sense they were meeting someone they wouldn't normally get to meet.
Ana also wanted to portray Anna’s journey with her story, and so decided that a lot of the film would also consist of car-interviews, driving through locations.
Although I had ambitions for parts of the visual story to be bleak and cold to reflect Anna’s experience, we devised methods to compliment this with humour and humanity in Anna’s experience. I was excited to research films and documentaries about empowering women, such as Introducing Selma Blair (2021) and the film The Outrun (2024) starring Saoirse Ronan.
Overall, I was so happy with the production of this documentary. I felt as though Ana and I worked really well together, scheduling, problem-solving, and acquiring coverage really efficiently. We stuck to our prep very well and really went for the vision we wanted.
There were several elements of my own work that I was slightly displeased with, such as lighting and movement. However, any mistakes that I made or risks that I took were such invaluable learning lessons. After going with more dependence on natural light in Ireland, I felt dissatisfied with under-exposed shots and vulnerability to digital noise. Many night-time shots and moody setups, such as in the car during the chipper sequence, were underexposed and noisy. In the future, I will make better use of my cameras ISO indexes, and also light the scenario better, filling in crushed-blacks and underexposed highlights.
I was very happy with the production of the film. I feel as though I have made a lifelong friend with Anna Rajmon and we really bonded during the production. I really benefited from working on such a sensitive documentary project, learning how to respect contributors and practicing this thoroughly. I also am proud of the mood and tone achieved in the film - I feel as though i took risks and stuck to Ana and I’s ambitions for the film, creating a difference between an airy-Czech Republic and a moody, gritty Ireland.
Representation is a theory discussed by Stuart Hall in his book Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices (1997) postulating the influences, effects, and importance of different methods of representation in media, culture, the world. Coming in abundances of races, genders, sexualities, and beings, humans tend to categorize themselves based on identities of these factors.
The essence of this thesis is deeply engaged in the representation of homosexual males in popular narrative films and dramatic narratives on-screen, particularly in Hollywood. The objective of the thesis is to investigate possible regressive representations that have been influenced by a homophobic, or patriarchal, society, in which hegemonic masculinity thrives, as discussed by Judith Butler in her book Gender Trouble (1990). This will be done through a combination of literature reviews from acclaimed scholars such as those already mentioned, textual analyses of films, and historical reference to gay and queer movements during the time of gay-male presence on-screen.
The hypotheses discussed by Hall circulating the concept of representation will be applied to previous findings and the credibility of regressive, inauthentic representations will be identified. Conversely, subjectivity in terms of Hall’s constructivism theory will be acknowledged and activism of the past will be accredited in providing steps towards authenticity in gay representation.
Daniel Byrne is an educated, trained, and skilled member in camera departments. He has worked internationally on a wide range of sets in both Ireland and New York, experience that brings a great level of professionalism to his work.
Daniel has works in a wide range of camera systems and has the ability to troubleshoot accessories efficiently on set. He has an emphasis on teamwork and respectful environments. He is extroverted, diligent, and incredibly focused on set. His work is accredited as seen in IndieCork, GAZE, and more.
