Dole Life: observational documentary for an observing intern

Although I did much more than observe during my stints with Motive TV. I love TV and it was always a treat to go behind the scenes on these documentary sets and play a part in bringing an important series together. I continued some documentary research work when I interned in NYC with 24fps Productions.

This project combined my two great loves: TV and writing (even though my affair with

TV was shorter-lived). I played a part conceptualising and realising this documentary which exposed the systemic problems in Ireland that keeps jobseekers on the dole (those receiving unemployment benefit) as jobseekers. The human hamster wheel.

Job brief: As a production assistant, my assortment of tasks pre-production included: brainstorming solutions for problems the producer posed, interviewing programme contributors/participants, transcribing interviews from these people and arranging shooting locations and other necessary kit for shooting. My favourite bit? Writing the copy for the trailer's voiceover. Knowing we had secured the distinctive Emmet Kirwan for the voiceover, prolific in Ireland for his passionate social commentary, I ensured the copy reflected the direness of the situation (“for many young people, these years are tough”).

Post production I would help in devising fitting and current soundtracks for the programme, producing captions for promotion on (early forms of) social media and tracking reviews and commentary online.

Results:

The 4-part series received excellent reviews and was a talking point for the whole

nation, receiving 250k views on its debut night with a 20% audience share.

A privilege of a documentary to be a part of, Dole Life was aired on RTÉ, nationwide broadcaster in Ireland.

Series overview: Life on the dole for Ireland’s twenty-somethings is punishing, with the odds of getting work stacked against them and money increasingly scarce. Dole Life is a fascinating observational documentary following the lives of young people whose potential is lost on JobBridge, dead-end courses and minimum wage jobs, finding themselves on the social welfare train to nowhere.