Director Patrick O’Shea on his new docuseries and tips for attracting media attention

02/14/21 • 48 min

Almost exactly a year ago I headed to the stunningly gorgeous Riverstown House to shoot some reconstruction scenes for a docuseries about Ireland’s Greatest Loves.

I depicted Yeats, opposite Ciara Fitzgerald as Maud Gonne.

It was freezing, with snow and rain forcing us to grab the outdoor shots during brief gaps in the weather—not that you’d know it from the footage as those gaps then tended to be absolutely beautiful.

Freezing, but beautiful.

We were able to work relatively quickly indoors, with the decor at Riverstown House providing the perfect backdrop as we moved from room to room to represent different locations.

It was a great, supportive crew, with Patrick O’Shea (or Paddy as I will refer to him from now on) directing and Rupert McCarthy Morogh as DOP.

I knew I was in good hands, having worked with Paddy and Rupert previously,

That series, Scéalta Grá na hÉireann, has been airing on TG4 over the last few weeks and the final episode airs on Wednesday the 17th of February 2021.

Given that today is Valentine’s Day I thought Paddy would make the perfect guest this month to chat about the series.

Paddy is an award winning director with two features under his belt, a drama and a documentary. He has also directed multiple short films, also in both drama and documentary form. We had a great chat about Scéalta Grá na hÉireann, and Paddy very generously shared some invaluable tips he has picked up while being involved in the marketing and PR of his work.

We chatted about some of the things you have to be aware of to increase your chances of getting into the media.

And the importance of raising awareness and contextualising your work for your audience—regardless of how uncomfortable it might feel blowing your own trumpet (that’s a real saying right? It’s not just something my dad says...?).

I also asked Paddy about his choice to stay in Cork and make work from here, and he made some excellent points about how that choice enables him to make work he might not be able to otherwise.

You can check out Paddy’s IMDb here, connect with him on Twitter or Instagram, and view some of his work on his website Southernman Films.

Scéalta Grá na hÉireann was produced by Bo Media, and you can see it on the TG4 Player (at the time of posting at least).

As always, let me know what you think of the episode on Twitter (@frankiep) and if you want a quick, easy and affordable actor’s website check out www.mysite.actor.

Almost exactly a year ago I headed to the stunningly gorgeous Riverstown House to shoot some reconstruction scenes for a docuseries about Ireland’s Greatest Loves.

I depicted Yeats, opposite Ciara Fitzgerald as Maud Gonne.

Freezing, but beautiful.

We were able to work relatively quickly indoors, with the decor at Riverstown House providing the perfect backdrop as we moved from room to room to represent different locations.

It was a great, supportive crew, with Patrick O’Shea (or Paddy as I will refer to him from now on) directing and Rupert McCarthy Morogh as DOP.

I knew I was in good hands, having worked with Paddy and Rupert previously,

That series, Scéalta Grá na hÉireann, has been airing on TG4 over the last few weeks and the final episode airs on Wednesday the 17th of February 2021.

Given that today is Valentine’s Day I thought Paddy would make the perfect guest this month to chat about the series.

We chatted about some of the things you have to be aware of to increase your chances of getting into the media.

I also asked Paddy about his choice to stay in Cork and make work from here, and he made some excellent points about how that choice enables him to make work he might not be able to otherwise.

You can check out Paddy’s IMDb here, connect with him on Twitter or Instagram, and view some of his work on his website Southernman Films.

Scéalta Grá na hÉireann was produced by Bo Media, and you can see it on the TG4 Player (at the time of posting at least).

As always, let me know what you think of the episode on Twitter (@frankiep) and if you want a quick, easy and affordable actor’s website check out www.mysite.actor.

Previous Episode

6 simple tips to use Twitter effectively as an actor

So this episode I don’t have a guest, it’s just me, and I’m going to share with you 6 simple tips for using Twitter effectively as an actor.

This year, I am making some changes to how I interact with my smartphone.

I want to make at least a small dent in the time I spend on it, and I want to use it more consciously.

I’ve turned off notifications for everything except calls, texts, and one or two messaging apps.

I want to choose when I log into social media, rather than being pulled in by the endless pinging sounds on my phone.

And I want to reduce the time I spend mindlessly scrolling social media.

So I thought I would share the tips I’ve picked up over the years to use Twitter more effectively, and more purposefully, as an actor.

In my OTHER job I’m a digital marketer, so as well as my own personal experience of making Twitter a better environment for myself as an actor, these tips are also infused with some basic marketing know-how.

Oh, hey, I almost forgot to wish you a Happy New Year.

It’s not been the most optimistic of beginnings, in fact it feels a bit like the starter pistol sounded and we faceplanted.

Which reminds me, the other reason there’s no guest this episode is that I just did not feel ready to engage with the outside world in time to organise a guest.

Anyone else in that kind of mood?

Despite that, I remain optimistic that we can make 2021 a good year.

Tweet me and let me know how you’re doing.

Next Episode

Actor and acting coach Pauline O’Driscoll on training with the legendary Uta Hagen

I’ve known Pauline O’Driscoll for years now, but it’s only more recently I discovered that she trained in New York with Uta Hagen.

Working with Pauline on her website, I realised that a) I knew shockingly little about Uta Hagen and b) Pauline had a wealth of information, and stories, to share.

I learned so much on this podcast about Uta Hagen and her technique—but also, I just loved hearing the story of how Pauline went from doing a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, but craving a more creative career, to studying in the HB Studio in New York and becoming an actor.

And make no mistake, Pauline is a powerful actor.

She gives a wonderful performance in Gerard Barrett’s Smalltown, as Mary, you can also see her in Austin Smithard’s Busman’s Holiday, and she plays DI Liz Delahunt in Patrick McKnight’s forthcoming gritty crime drama Dredges.

Pauline also co-wrote (with Mark Evans), produced, and starred in the one-woman show Seven Ages Of Mam, which will be touring again once we are allowed back into theatres.

See Pauline’s website for more of her work, and if you’re interested in learning the Uta Hagen technique, Pauling is offering classes over Zoom. You can book a free call with Pauline to learn more.

You can also connect with Pauline on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

I’m also on Twitter (@frankiep) and would love to hear from you, and don’t forget, if you want a quick, easy and affordable actor’s website check out www.mysite.actor.