Students get taste of movie making life with ‘Picture Day’

STUDENTS from schools in Clondalkin got a taste of the movie making life, during a “mad busy” filming for a short.

‘Picture Day’ was shot in Clondalkin at locations in St Joseph’s Boys National School and around Monastery estate.

The short film about a young boy who needs to stand up to his unhelpful imaginary friend, is a co production between producer Emer Durcan of Western Front Studios, and award winning writer/director from Clondalkin Jason Branigan, of Liberty Video Film Company.

The venture is funded by South Dublin County Council and as such, community involvement is a big feature.

Branigan, a Clondalkin native and a former Moyle Park student, whose credits include tv and the silver screen, says Picture Day is a “coming of age fantasy-comedy”.

“When I made my last short film, ‘Forever Hold Your Peace’, I needed old photographs of a young boy from the early 90s. I wanted a level of authenticity so instead of designing photos or using stock images and ageing them the simplest solution was to use pictures of myself. As a result, I play a missing child in Forever Hold Your Peace. But digging through old photographs of myself as a kid was what inspired me to write Picture Day,” said Branigan.

“As children, we’re beautifully unselfconscious. But through societal and cultural conditioning we lose this. Picture Day is about that moment when you become almost instantaneously aware of how you look and how you’re being perceived.

“I thought of myself as a kid and tried to pinpoint when it happened to me and what that felt like. That’s what led to the creation of Alan, Milo’s insecurity troll in Picture Day.”

The imaginary friend is played by funnnyman Joe McGucken, known for a range of shows on tv and other outlets, with 10-year-old boy Milo played by Charlie Duffy.

Fair city actor Fiona O’Carroll plays Milo’s mother.

Emer Durcan said the film crew were “blown away” by the kind support from the local community when filming earlier this month, and looks forward to the premiere.

“The film is being submitted to the Galway Film Fleadh on Monday and should be screening this July there.

“It is looking amazing and a credit to Jason Branigan, the cast, crew and all the local kids who came and acted in it, they were absolutely top notch,” said Ms Durcan.

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