Daisy Doolan
Dúchas means heritage, ones native place. I created a short film based on four characters from Irish Celtic Folklore that were inspired by the words of Manchán Magan. The story follows our negative impact on each character in their natural environments, through our disconnection with our land and nature. Each otherworldly being, is caught up in our neglect, yet each is powerful enough to break free.
Ending on a positive note, my project suggests we find a way to reconnect with our Irish culture. What began as an organic process became a personal journey of reconnecting with my native Irish language, ultimately leading to my narration as Gaeilge in harmony with a piece by an Irish musician (Jamie Duffy) to produce this short film.
Through researching Irish mythology, I focused on Irish mythological characters in the context of our landscape and in consideration of current environmental concerns. This was a personal exploration of cultural identity and an investigation of folklore to reconnect with my cultural heritage, in the hope that I could share this experience and awareness through visual storytelling centred on these characters in their indigenous environments. My intended outcome is to convey the importance of reconnecting with and respecting our storytelling heritage. My aim was to visualise this message through the creation of a short film.
My skills in character design and makeup were central to the creation of the film’s characters, requiring a range of 3D techniques including sculpting, moulding, and gelatine/silicone prosthetics, alongside the application of makeup to bring these characters to life on screen.
My outcome was a short film (2:30) that I wrote, directed and filmed myself. It focuses on four Irish mythological characters, Bríd (Brigid), An Murúch (Selkie), An Faoladh (Wolfwalker) agus An Mór Ríogan (The Morrigan). It places each in environments that represent natural life cycle through the four seasons. I created a passage narrated for this short film in both Irish and English, inspired by the words of Manchán Magan.
My thesis research focused on early Film Noir (1939–1949). This led to an exploration of a range of films from this period, examining their creation and distribution within their social and historical context. In looking at the visual components specific to this genre, noting key characteristics and symbolic elements, I examined visual motifs such as threshold spaces, spatial design, light and shadow, rainfall, and cigarette smoke. I investigated how the use of these visual elements and techniques facilitated the creation of a distinctive Mise-en-scène, contributing to the tone and mood observed in these films. The visual language of Film Noir was therefore discussed as a key element in the construction of early Film Noir.
I created a digital artifact in the form of a video essay to document this research. This format allowed me to use film footage directly to discuss and demonstrate my findings to the viewer as I interrogated key scenes. It also enabled the inclusion of key photographs and film stills alongside animated sketches.
My specialist study is Character Design and Makeup. I have always been immersed in the arts, from theatre and musical theatre groups, to dancing and busking with my guitar, using creativity as a way to challenge and express myself. Having initially considered acting, I find most joy behind the scenes bringing characters to life through makeup. Over the past 4 years, I developed a strong interest in storytelling, focusing on developing characters through makeup in a variety of short films where I can use creative responses to communicate meaningful messages. Working on both student films and external productions has strengthened my understanding of the industry and helped to shape my creative voice.
