Ronan’s journey into filmmaking began when as a teenager he was inspired by his older brother, a professional photographer, to help him on shoots. His work resulted in his first stills camera and he studied photography before attending Sussex University to study Philosophy and European Literature. While at Sussex he met an inspiring young political activist who was running for student president. Ronan borrowed a moving image camera from the university and made a documentary film about the campaign and election process at the university. The resulting film ‘The Sussex Revolution will be Televised’ convinced him that making films was his future.
After university Ronan began work as a Runner at the multi-award winning production company Blink Productions where he learned the ropes from their outstanding roster of Directors and Producers. Most notably Dougal Wilson and the MD James Studholm. He utilised their in-house camera equipment to start making Behind the Scenes films on commercials and music videos. He also made his second documentary ‘Score Against the Law’, when he was inspired by a charismatic Moroccan ex-gangster who had turned his life around and was helping other young people from his community to transform through running an amateur football team. This film was seen by the guitarist of The Kooks who invited him on tour with them while they promoted their latest album Junk of The Heart. The film went out on Channel 4 and Blink decided to sign him to their music video department Colonel Blimp.
There he started to direct music videos but his heart was always in documentary. He was asked to follow a band called I.R.O.K. (The Intergalactic Republic of Kongo) to revolution torn Egypt in the midst of more brewing unrest to connect with fellow musicians from the Electro Chaabi music scene, the soundtrack to the revolution. The resulting film I.R.O.K. in Cairo was put out on VICE TV. This increased his passion for documentary filmmaking further and he’s currently in the process of completing his first feature length documentary.
He shoots, edits and can produce, creating numerous Behind the Scenes films for top global advertising agencies and brands. Most notably Adam&EveDDB and their John Lewis Christmas campaign. This work, which he loves, compliments his documentary projects.
“If the photographer cares about the people before the lens and is compassionate, much is given. It’s the photographer not the camera that is the instrument”
Eve Arnold, Photographer