Screen Skills Ireland

Screen Skills Ireland announces participants for Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Producing

Screen Skills Ireland in partnership with TU Dublin has announced the participants of the Advanced Producing Programme for this year, following a high volume of applications for the course.

The course has been expanded to Postgraduate Diploma level building on the success of last year’s programme, which saw 15 up-and-coming producers improve their skills in all aspects of producing, including preparing for pitching in key film and TV markets, such as the prestigious European Film Market in Berlin.

The Advanced Producing Programme is aimed at emerging producers and will be delivered by key industry specialists, with top Irish film producer John McDonnell (Vivarium, Sea Fever, Song for a Raggy Boy) coming on board as course coordinator. The course launched with a workshop on pitching by producer Yvonne Donohue of Blinder Films, leading to a session on market preparation and the new Sales and Distribution landscape with sales and distribution experts Beatrice Neumann and Julia Short.

The programme is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the script to screen process, with the modules structured to build the skills necessary for market-ready producers. These include the development process; financing; legal issues; budgeting and scheduling; production; post-production; management and negotiation skills; sales and distribution; festivals/markets and pitching. Graduates of the programme will emerge having gained the skills, confidence, and connections to navigate the international film and TV industry, either in established companies or independently in their own companies.

SSI welcome and congratulate the selected participants, both as independent producers and those who work for production companies such as Wild Atlantic Pictures, Venom Films, O’Sullivan Productions, Bowsie, and Jumper Productions:

  • Ali Doyle
  • Samantha Corr
  • Paul Fitzsimons
  • Katie McNeice
  • Roisín Geraghty
  • Liam Ryan
  • Fiona Kinsella
  • Jason Branagan
  • Emma Owen
  • Niall Carver
  • Juliane Wothe
  • Katie Murphy
  • Adrian Devane
  • Ronan Cassidy
  • Aoife Noonan
  • Maggie Ryan
  • Mary Johnston
  • Sinead O’Riordan
  • Robert Higgins
  • Maurice Carroll
  • Joanne Halpin

We are excited to welcome these emerging film and TV producers onboard the Advanced Producing Programme, which will provide them with the opportunity to gain the hard skills, transversal skills, and connections crucial for navigating the international film and television industry. While developing their major project for the diploma the participants build up an essential producer’s toolkit.

Neil Murphy, Business Skills Development & Funding Schemes Coordinator – Screen Skills Ireland

The School of Media in TU Dublin is delighted to build on our partnership with Screen Skills Ireland to develop industry-ready programmes. It is a great example of how academia and industry can work together to rapidly respond to industry needs.

Hugh McAtamney, Head of School of Media – TU Dublin

This course is funded through the HEA’s Springboard+ programme.