Stock photo of MIC students in the TV Studio on MIC Limerick campus.
Five documentaries produced by Mary Immaculate College (MIC) Media & Communication Studies students were screened publicly for the first time at a special event at Dolan’s Warehouse in Limerick City on Wednesday 1 May.
The documentaries, which have been produced by final-year Bachelor of Arts students studying the Media & Communication Studies (MCS) programme, cover a range of topics including contemporary social issues, local history, human interest stories, and satire.
Each spring, Fourth Year MCS students work together in small groups to script, storyboard, research, produce, direct, film and edit their own documentary on an issue of their choosing, in addition to creating two television style adverts. These are then celebrated and shown publicly at an end of year screening.
The five documentaries produced this year include:
A Journey of 40 Years is an in depth look at how the Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel in Adare has transformed from a four bed B&B to a four-star hotel over a 40 year history. With matriarch Mary Fitzgerald still at the helm, she and her children discuss the history of the family run business and the challenges faced over the years. Click here to watch.
Rural Routes to Runway is the story of fashion designer Colin Horgan. We follow his journey from Ardfert in County Kerry to his incredible success in recent years with his creations being worn by celebrities and models alike. Along the way Colin discusses his career, his family life and his influences. A personal glimpse into the life of a remarkable talent shaping the landscape of contemporary fashion. Click here to watch.
The Ghost Squad is a mockumentary-style ‘exposé’. A serious investigative journalist reluctantly joins a group of inept ghost hunters in their hapless pursuit of proving the paranormal, intent on revealing them for the charlatans he suspects them to be. Click here to watch.
The Road to Campus provides an insight into the lives of six final year students, three of whom commute and three of whom live in the shrinking rental accommodation market. The documentary compares and contrasts the pros and cons of both student lifestyles and the different pressures encountered throughout the college journey. Click here to watch.
The Green Light is an open conversation on consent within Ireland. This documentary explores topics such as the origins of the word consent, education of consent, the influence of social media, appearance and its effect on consent and literature representations of consent. Contributors to this documentary include Kathleen Maher from the EDII Office, Eugene O’Brien, the Head of the English Language & Literature Department, and several group discussions from the people of Limerick. Click here to watch.
Speaking in advance of the screenings, Head of the Department of Media & Communication Studies, Dr Rosemary Day, congratulated the students on their achievements and commended the calibre of their work: “It’s the biggest night of the year for our final year students and for us as the people who have taught them over the past four years. It’s the culmination of all their hard work and students can demonstrate how well they mastered the craft of film making as they showcase their work this midsummer’s night. Nicky Fennell has done Trojan work this year in teaching our fourth year students to an extremely high standard and their films will be enjoyed for many years when they join the digitised collection of nearly 30 years of final year students' documentaries that Nicky is currently compiling.
“This year’s class have researched, scripted, shot and edited a series of short films investigating and discussing life for young people in contemporary Ireland. It’s also the night when we say goodbye to our students and we wish them well in their future careers as we celebrate with them and with the families and friends who have supported them throughout their time with us in Mary Immaculate College.”
Click here for further information on MIC’s Media & Communication Studies programme.
