Join us in celebrating the remarkable talent of Patrick Donnelly, our Artist of the Month here at FCA.
From his early days honing his craft at San Francisco State University to his current role as a multifaceted Writer/Producer/Director, Patrick's journey in the film industry is nothing short of inspiring.
With a resume that reads like a roadmap of success, he's lent his expertise to projects that have left a lasting impact on both audiences and critics alike. Whether it's his contributions to Sundance Film Festival's Best Picture winner "GirlFight" or his Academy Award-winning work on "A-Alike," Patrick's creativity knows no bounds.
But it's not just about the accolades—he's brought his unique vision to a variety of projects, from independent features like "Divergence," now streaming on Netflix, to unforgettable commercial campaigns for MTV and Geico. His recent Telly Award win for the mesmerizing "James Arthur, Say You Won't Let Go" commercial for the VMA's is just the latest testament to his talent.
Most recently, Donnelly's pilot "Cause Celebre" won Best TV Pilot at Top Shorts.
Let's take a closer look at the captivating career of Patrick Donnelly, a true luminary in the world of filmmaking.
Prepping the scene
Patrick, your career in the film industry spans a wide range of roles, from Key Grip to
Director/DP. Can you share some pivotal moments or projects that have shaped your
journey and contributed to your success as a filmmaker?
I had the opportunity to work with a wide range of renowned Cinematographers through the
years as a Key Grip and Gaffer. This was very helpful in learning how to shoot and light in a
vast array of scenarios. Feature films, commercials, music videos, and live performance
shoots all have different forms and technique’s that can take years to master. I learned
what it takes to get the shot economically within the timeframe needed to make the day and
still accomplish beautiful imagery.
With notable achievements such as winning Best Picture at the Sundance Film Festival
and an Academy Award for Best Student Short, "A-Alike," could you elaborate on the
lessons you've learned from these experiences and how they've influenced your approach
to filmmaking?
I was lucky to work with DP Patrick Cady on Karyn Kusama’s first film “Girlfight” as 2nd Unit
DP and camera operator. It was a great learning experience for my first foray into feature
films, and I was very happy when it won Sundance. I then decided to start shooting short
films to work on building up my reel. The first one I collaborated on was for Columbia grad
student Randall Dottin’s “A-Alike”. It was a daunting task working with the student crew,
and I found myself feeling like a teacher. It was also an enjoyable experience and the film
went on to win the Academy Award for Best Student short. With these experiences I gained
confidence to move into shooting commercials and then decided to dive in as both a
Director and DP. From there I wrote, directed and shot my first feature “Divergence”, which
won Best picture in 5 film festivals and a great review in ”Variety”.
How has your multifaceted experience influenced your approach to filmmaking, especially
in directing "Cause Célèbre”?
I was interested in crossing over to episodic work. David Williams, the publisher of American
Cinematographer Magazine, is also a longtime friend from film school. He had an
interesting script and was looking for a collaboration. We both thought that "Cause
Célèbre” could be a great idea for an interconnected anthology series about the different
aspects of celebrity and its ups and downs. In my career I have shot hundreds of celebrities
and have seen the good, and the bad, and how they really are before going on camera.
Best Web/TV Pilot at Top Shorts, April 2024
"Cause Célèbre" explores the complexities of fame and reinvention, particularly through
Lindsay Lawson's character. What drew you to this project, and how did you approach
capturing the drama and comedy elements in the pilot episode, "Double Trouble”?
Gaining celebrity in our culture is the goal for most people in all forms of the entertainment
industry. The Lindsay Lawson character is someone who is famous for her role in a run of
the mill teen comedy show that has given her riches and reasonable fame, but has trapped
her from moving beyond it. She tries to reinvent herself by approaching the photographer
known for more sexy adult images, to show that she in not a teen star and can do more
adult roles. I tried to capture the elements of her confusion and trepidation as she manipulates the photographer to gain her and her Agent’s goals to further her career. I was
drawn to the project for its different levels of drama and comedy, without being too broad.
Can you share some insights into working with Piper Lyric Verbrick and Jacob Ware, who
portray Lindsay Lawson and Richard Hemmings, respectively? How did their performances
contribute to bringing the characters to life on screen?
As a Director/DP I have always relied heavily on casting the right people for the project who
I can rely upon and trust their own instincts in bringing the roles to life. Since I am the
Director and Cinematographer at the same time, I like to cast and rehearse the project
extensively before we begin shooting. Piper and Jacob understood the characters and took
my suggestions in rehearsals, but also brought so much more than what was in the script.
When we started shooting I was able to focus on the cinematography, and only chime in
when something wasn’t working, which was rare with their instincts on the shoot.
On set
As the director of Cinema Five Films, you've been involved in numerous award-winning
projects. How does "Cause Célèbre" stand out among your body of work, and what unique
challenges did you face in bringing this pilot episode to fruition?
I have worked on features, shorts, commercials and performance pieces throughout my
career and was interested in exploring the world of episodic content. The challenges first
and foremost were finding the cast to make it work. We also amended the first draft of the
script to utilize my studio space as a location to make the shoot more economical.
Narrowing down the company moves to other locations saved us time and money and it
allowed us to focus more on the performances.
Do you have any upcoming projects or plans that you are excited about sharing with your
Fans?
I continue working on commercials and performance projects that helped me fund the
“Cause Celebre” project. We are working on fleshing out the episodic scripts to create the
full body of this story as an Anthology, but with interconnected characters that will travel
through the entire series.
Cause Celebre Trailer
Follow Patrick Donnelly:
Website: https://www.cinemafivefilms.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pdonnelly555/