Blog
I wake up every morning at 4.15am, have a small breakfast and am in the pool by 5.15am unless I go surfing instead. I’m in the office by 6.30am - 6.45am at the very latest. I don’t have a set time to turn my phone on, because it never gets turned off. I have two adult children and the reason my phone is always on is mostly them. However, on average it goes off with calls, texts, alerts and emails about 500 times a day and so it’s difficult to keep up!
I live in South Pasadena, California, but I was born and grew up in West Hollywood. My parents are from Co. Cork, Ireland. I’ve been working at Amazon for seven years and my favourite part of the job is being a part of building the company, both domestically and internationally. I travel a little bit now but I used to travel more. We are building teams in various countries which what I mostly travel for now. I love India and visiting India, but my least favourite part of my job is definitely flying over there in coach.
Working at Amazon
I started my career on Wall Street, then came to Amazon wanting to be their outside production company when they were starting to build the TV and Film studio. I had started up and built two small companies myself, but after several discussions I ended up selling them and joining Amazon full time. Typical tasks in an Amazon workday for me are a lot of meetings and making decisions so people can do their work in overseeing our projects. People frequently ask me for a ‘stand-out’ moment of my time at Amazon but I don’t really have just one – so much has happened in a short period of time. It’s been a very fun ride, because everything is possible here.
Education
I got my degree from California State University Los Angeles, and I now teach a course there: ‘The Business of New Media and the Future of Television’. I love teaching and giving insight to young people about what the industry is and what type of jobs are available. I’m very excited about the course I’m running for the Irish Film School in Dublin in June, ‘The Future of TV and Cross-Platform Production’. The part of that I think is going to be the most interesting is the parts about pre-production because everyone thinks shooting a project is the most exciting thing – I disagree. My ‘top tip’ for young filmmakers about getting work in the industry is make as many contacts as possible. And, don’t be a pain in the ass.
Time to Unwind
I finish work on a typical day between 6pm and 8pm depending if I have dinner or drinks to go to. I try not to work late evenings. I get a lot done early in the morning before most people get to work. I take holidays twice a year for a week each time and my favourite holiday destination is San Diego, for the beaches. To ‘unwind’, I surf, bike, woodwork and also collect coins – I’m a complete nerd. If I had an extra hour in the day I would use it to spend time with friends and loved ones.
Enrolling Now
The course will be held in Studio 2 at Bow Street Academy, Smithfield, Dublin 7 on Thursday and Friday June 6th and 7th 2019.
To enrol for ‘The Future of TV and and Cross Platform Production’ with John Lynch please do so through our website, or contact us:
T: +353(0)1 676 6588
T: +44 (0)208 0681706
E: info@irishfilmschool.ie
We have an exciting line up of instructors for our short filmmaking courses. Our film & TV courses will be run by our UK sister school, the London Film Institute in May 2019. The programme will be based at Waterloo Creative Studio in the cultural heart of London and we look forward to welcoming our student cohorts very shortly.
Guest Instructors
We are thrilled to announce that we will running our London courses in conjunction with film industry leaders. They include:
- Academy-Award nominee director John Boorman
- Academy-Award winners VFX House DNEG
- Academy-Award winner cinematographer Philippe Rousselot
- Casting Director Jina Jay of Jina Jay Casting
- Award-winning actress & director, Lia Williams
- Top UK film financier Great Point Media
3 Short Film & TV Courses
The London Film Institute will launch with 3 short courses.
- VFX with Academy-Award winning VFX House DNEG (Saturday May 18)
- This 1-day taster course will introduce you to how a VFX shot is created from inception to final composite, covering pre-production, shoot and post-production stages and includes a hands-on session with a digital stills camera.
- Filmmaking with John Boorman (Monday May 20 to Friday May 24)
- This practical, hands-on, immersive 5-day course in directing and contemporary filmmaking will bring you through the creative process of filmmaking from script to screen.
- You will learn the art of screenwriting, storyboarding, scheduling, casting, directing, lighting, camera work, sound recording and digital editing.
- At the end of this course you will have the necessary skills to make a short film for your business or for pleasure and will have made a short film to take away for your showreel or portfolio.
3. Business of Film with Great Point Media (Wednesday May 22)
- This intensive course in the Business of Film will give you an overview of the business of the film industry from start to finish.
- You will be given an overview of emerging international legal and financial issues, taxation and tax relief and production insurance.
- You will also explore financing sources, as well as sales and distribution issues and strategies.
Limited Availability
We still have limited places available on all courses. Fees include all tuition, course materials, lunches, networking events and refreshments.
Enrol Now
You would be very welcome to enrol online and join us! Or please contact us if you have any questions and our Admissions team would be happy to assist you.
Having launched in 2018 with its intensive film courses in Dublin, the Irish Film School will deliver short courses this year at its sister school, the London Film Institute, in the UK.
Founders John Boorman and Kieran Corrigan are excited to welcome our students to our London venue Waterloo Creative Studio this May. London Film Institute will deliver 3 courses with contributions from our partners DNEG and many other guest instructors from within the film and TV industry.
3 Courses at a Glance
- Filmmaking with legendary director John Boorman & guests: 5-day course covering the art of filmmaking from script to screen, including “the shoot” with trained actors
- Business of Film Production with executive producer at Merlin Films Kieran Corrigan & guests: 1-day course covering sources of funding, tax, legal, managing talent & more
- VFX with Academy Award winning VFX house, DNEG: 1 -day course giving you an overview of how to use VFX in your project effectively & on budget
Waterloo Creative Studio
An oasis of green in the heart of London, Waterloo Creative Studio's historic architecture, just 10 minutes’ walk from Waterloo Station, is the perfect space for learning.
This inspiring environment, surrounded by trees and planters, is where exciting ideas and innovative projects are mapped out.
We met with Eduard Solaz, who manages the studio, to ask him about this unique venue nestled in a dynamic area at the heart of London’s cultural scene.
A Space for Creatives
IFS: Please could you tell us a bit about Waterloo Creative Studio and how you came to be involved?
ES: Waterloo Creative Studio (WCS) started with the idea to offer a space for creatives and makers to work and develop exciting projects. Our aim is to connect with arts communities, organisations and social enterprises within Waterloo and beyond.
We want to create a space where inter-disciplinary practices can overlap in projects that explore processes and techniques and which address social and cultural developments.
I think it is important to have spaces where knowledge can be shared, especially these days where people tend to be more isolated sitting in front of our computers. I guess I started WCS because of my personal need to meet interesting people and to keep creating community-based projects.
A Sense of Community in an Old Tibetan Buddhist Centre
IFS: We have been struck by the great sense of community at the studio. What do you think it is about the space that attracts entrepreneurs and creatives?
ES: WCS is located at the Old Paradise Yard, a unique spot in the middle of Waterloo. The main building was initially a primary school. In the late 90’s the site became home for a Tibetan Buddhist community. I think the feeling of being in a little calm oasis that is full of history, where you are surrounded by trees and sounds from the birds really helps with getting inspired.
An Inspiring Environment
IFS: How do you think London Film Institute students will benefit from learning at the studio?
ES: London Film Institute students will enjoy the interior of the WCS building itself. Its high ceiling and the open plan will offer a relaxed environment during the stay. Hopefully from the moment the students step into the studio, they will immediately get a sense of creativity and inspiration that will last throughout the course. In addition, WCS has a small but great collection of film and art books and the students are welcome to dig in if they can find a free minute!
Cultural Centre
IFS: What are your tips for students who wish to explore the vibrant areas surrounding the studio?
ES: Waterloo is an exciting area and we are really close to some interesting places. In a radius of just a 10 minute walk you can visit the cinematic railway tunnels, the former house of William Blake, as well as Lambeth Palace and its beautiful gardens. You can also find a variety of food stalls and coffee shops in Lower Marsh with the options of exploring book shops, theatres and hidden galleries all along the same street.
Enrol Now!
The London Film Institute is now open for enrolments for our 2019 programme. Order your FREE brochure today!
Questions? Contact Us
- Call: +353 (0)1 6766588
- Message: info@irishfilmschool.ie
Scholarship
Come and join us in Dublin this year!
To mark the inauguration of the Irish Film School we are offering a limited number of scholarships to film students, film graduates, filmmakers, lecturers and academics.
Irish Film School is offering the opportunity to attend the Irish Film School for FREE this year. The Irish Film School will take place in the creative and cultural city of Dublin, Ireland over a two-week period this July and August.
Filmmaking Course
Study and work alongside one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, John Boorman.
Film and TV Production Course
Kickstart your career in production by studying and working with film and TV industry executives.
Visual FX
Do you want to step into the fascinating world of VFX? Take your first step with Oscar winning VFX industry leaders Double Negative.
Business of Film
Are you working in finance, accountancy, legal, insurance or marketing? Want to expand your services and add another skill to your CV? Get practical instruction in the business of film production from Kieran Corrigan and his team of film executives and professionals.
NOTE: There is a limited number of scholarships available.
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Gifts
John Boorman’s series of thirteen books entitled Projections published by Faber & Faber takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the world of filmmaking. Projections is a forum for film-makers in which the practitioners of cinema write about their craft. The books are a perfect way to get an insight into John Boorman’s life story and an insight into the lives of many of the big names that he has worked with during his career, including Martin Scorsese, Robert de Niro, Nick Park, Clint Eastwood, Wong Kar-Wei, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Ray Harryhausen, Paul Thomas Anderson, Jodie Foster, James Stewart and many others. The series of books are a “must read” for any aspiring filmmaker or cinephile.
In Adventures of a Suburban Boy, John Boorman, hailed by the Observer as 'arguably Britain's greatest living director', offers an enthralling memoir of a creative life spent turning dreams into celluloid, and money into light.
One of cinema's authentic visionaries, Boorman nevertheless enjoyed an archetypal English suburban boyhood in the 1940s and 50s, attending Catholic school and finding his first employment in a dry-cleaner's. But his abiding passion was for film, and he got his first break during the 'gold rush' era of British television in the 1960s. After directing several innovative documentaries for the BBC, he graduated to motion pictures, first filming pop stars The Dave Clark Five for Catch Us If You Can, before venturing to Los Angeles to make his first Hollywood picture - and his first masterpiece - Point Blank. The film inaugurated Boorman's profound friendship with star Lee Marvin, which also led to a second professional collaboration on Hell in the Pacific.
What follows are accounts of Boorman's joys and agonies in the making of such extraordinary pictures as the terrifying backwoods adventure Deliverance, the fantastical epics Zardoz and Exorcist II: The Heretic, the glorious Arthurian legend Excalibur, his magnificent drama of imperilled Amazonian tribes, The Emerald Forest, and his semi-autobiographical, multi-Oscar-nominated Hope and Glory. Among the many friends and collaborators of whom Boorman offers vivid portraits are Lee Marvin, Sean Connery, Richard Burton, Marcello Mastroianni, Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren and Nicol Williamson.
The General is the story of Martin Cahill - a working-class Dubliner who was the mastermind behind a series of daring robberies that stunned Ireland in the 1980s. Despite being the country's most wanted man, he eluded capture - with great cheek - until he finally fell foul of the IRA. John Boorman's screenplay delves deep into the heart of Cahill and reveals a man who possessed a relish for defying the might of society, a rage at perceived injustice, a ferocious cunning, a sense of perpetual celebration, and a dark brutality - all the characteristics of a Celtic chieftain. This volume also contains an essay by John Boorman on the dramatic struggles involved in bringing Martin Cahill's life and times to the screen.
Give the gift of education with an Irish Film School gift voucher.
Solve the perennial problem of finding original presents by giving friends and family an experience based gift voucher. Perfect for all occasions, an IFS gift vouchers can be used to register on any film course, or be used to pay towards existing course fees.
Affordable
You can give any amount that you like. Our gift vouchers can be redeemed for any of our courses. These courses provide participants with the training and skills to avail of employment opportunities in the film industry.
Why not surprise someone with this unique and imaginative gift?
Personalised
Your gift voucher will be personalised and signed by the founders of IFS, John Boorman and Kieran Corrigan.
Choice of Presentation
You can print out the voucher at home, or let us send an e-voucher directly to the recipient’s inbox.
Gift Voucher Terms & Conditions:
- IFS gift vouchers may be purchased for use as payment on any IFS course.
- Existing students can use an IFS gift voucher to make payments for an existing course
- Our vouchers are valid for 12 months from the date of issue
- All other standard Terms & Conditions also apply.
3 Steps to Ordering a Gift Voucher:
1: Just enter the details of your voucher into the form below and click 'Submit'.
2: You will then receive an email directing you to the IFS payments area. Just enter the amount that you would like to gift and make payment using a credit or debit card.
3: You will receive a payment confirmation email from the IFS payments area. Your gift voucher is now confirmed!
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