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Charlene Lydon – Programmer
28 Jan 2014 : Aisling Newton
Charlene Lydon works as a programmer for both Volta and the Light House Cinema. After completing the Film Production course in Colaiste Dhulaigh she went on to make her way in the film industry by freelancing and interning with various publications and companies. As a passionate and knowledgeable film buff, Charlene enjoys creating a world through a camera lens whether she is behind the camera or part of the audience. Educated in Colaiste Dhulaigh, Charlene has always gone on the advice that you should watch at least one film per week. Dhulaigh is the perfect place to nurture young film lovers and has built a reputation for their great mix of practical and theoretical teaching.

How did Colaiste Dhulaigh prepare you for the career you are in now?
“The Film Production course I did in Colaiste Dhulaigh was very practical and the lecturers were all very no-nonsense about how tough the industry can be. The course taught a really broad range of modules, from camera and editing to contextual studies and this gave me a good sense of whereabouts in the industry I wanted to be. By the end I knew I was more of a watcher and writer than a filmmaker, which led me to continue my studies in the academic world rather than go out and try to find work on film sets.”

What areas in training for film/TV production do you feel are lacking? What improvements could be made?
“I feel it would be very beneficial for aspiring filmmakers to learn more about the distribution process and be kept up to date with current trends. Acquiring distribution is something filmmakers need to be thinking of before they even start writing their script. Filmmaking as a viable career is really, really difficult so training young filmmakers in the way the industry works from festival to theatrical to DVD and VOD, etc. is vital. It is very difficult to get any kind of insight into this world without hearing it from someone on the inside.”

How did you make the transition from education to paid employment?
“I worked freelance and unpaid as a film reviewer for various publications for about two years after finishing my Masters in Film Theory & History at Trinity and I was lucky enough to get a JobBridge internship as development assistant with Element Pictures in 2010. It was a really excellent internship. I was working closely with the incredibly talented Malcolm Campbell and Lenny Abrahamson on What Richard Did and seeing how everything worked and was learning about the craftsmanship of the scriptwriting process. After the internship ended I suppose I’d earned myself a reputation as a bit of a film nerd around the office so I was hired as programmer and editorial manager for Volta.ie, Element’s VOD platform. When the Light House Cinema opened in 2012 I also became their programmer. It was a tough slog for a few years but the trick is to make sure when you’re looking for work that you never stop adding bits and pieces to your CV and be ready for that day when opportunity finally knocks.”

What are you currently working on or what plans do you have for the future professionally?
“I am currently still working as Programmer for both Volta and Light House and plan to keep doing so for as long as they’ll have me.”

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