Ciara Rigney — IADT On Show 2020

Ciara Rigney

Ciara Rigney is in her fourth and final year at The National Film School, majoring in her specialised craft area of cinematography. As part of her final year, she shot two of this year’s graduation films ‘This Town Still Talks About You’ and ‘To All My Darlings’.

“I have always felt drawn to camera department and cinematography. With the challenge of creating visuals which reinforce a narrative and the intelligence of knowing where to place the camera and why light a scene a certain way. As a crew member, the necessity of a coherent, well working camera team and the pressure the department comes with has always motivated me. Truthfully, I think my choice to pursue cinematography and become a cinematographer was never a decision I had to make but rather an instinct I couldn’t ignore.

The last four years within the NFS I have consistently worked within camera, electrical and grip departments on shoots and my knowledge has grown immensely. Working as both an assistant camera and a director of photography on a multitude of external films and documentaries has shown me the lack of gender equality within my chosen area which does little to deter me. With this experience, I appreciate the long, hard hours that come with this line of work and the physicality of it, however I am fully prepared to engage with that and dedicate my life to this craft. ”

Having recently won ‘Young Irish Filmmaker of the Year’ and RTE’s ‘Young Playwright of the Year’, she has had her work developed and put on stages and screens nationwide from a young age. With a keen interest in lighting, Ciara has spent the past few years focusing on developing her skills for both film and theatre, and will continue her love of storytelling and cinematography.