For freelance director Paul Power, filmmaking has always been rooted in curiosity, experimentation and the search for authentic moments. From creating visuals as a VJ in nightclubs around Ireland to working in advertising, production and documentary filmmaking, his career has taken him through a diverse range of creative disciplines and experiences. Now based in Dublin, Power works independently as a director, bringing his own perspective to commercial, corporate and documentary projects.
In this interview, Paul Power shares his creative process, the filmmakers and artists who inspire him, and the lessons he has learned throughout his career. He discusses the importance of research, collaboration and resilience, explains how technology and AI are influencing the creative industries, and offers practical advice for aspiring filmmakers and creatives looking to build meaningful careers.
How did you first get into the industry?
As a student in university, I supported myself by working as a VJ in nightclubs around Ireland. Made some cool visuals and loved shooting small clips for it. That sowed my interest in filmmaking and led me to pursue a Masters in multimedia in DCU. From there I joined an Ad agency, Rothco, and spent nearly 10 years in their in-house Content Creation department before heading to The Coop production company as Creative Director, then freelance as a Director, which is what I’ve been doing for nearly 4 years now.
Where are you based now and who do you work for?
I’m based in Dublin, and I work for myself as a freelance Director, though I’ve worked in India and the UK as well. As a freelancer it’s great to have the freedom to work where the jobs are.
What is your personal background and what role did it play in your career?
I come from Cork, Ireland and my both parents were Archaeologists. So you can imagine that we grew up with a lot of history around us, but also cameras and computers. They took pictures of all the sites they surveyed and developed them in the dark room, and were one of the first groups to digitise their survey work.
I’ve come to realise how uniquely privileged I was as a kid growing up in the 90’s who had access to home cameras and the process of documentation! My siblings and I had endless fun making home-made ‘movies’ in the Cork countryside, graveyards and dig sites.
If you weren’t in your current industry, what would you be doing?
Probably teaching. I love being a mentor to others, helping and sharing my passions with others.
Can you explain your creative process? What makes it unique?
I start by writing down everything that comes into my head on the idea or brief, good or bad. I try not to judge anything on that first pass. It can be messy scrawls of a storyboard, notes to myself for later research, or even full lines of script.
Then it's onto research. Even on a commercial brief where everything's already clear and laid out, you never know what tiny factoid will spark a new approach or insight.
Once I've reached a place I'm happy with, I like to work up a quick slide or two in Canva. At this stage there might be a couple of directions to follow, and that's when I bring in another head to bounce the ideas off, see what connects and what flops.
On a shoot day, I like to have a good playlist ready for the journey there. There's nothing that gets you set for a day of directing like Hot Together by The Pointer Sisters — very appropriate for the heatwave.
How would you describe your style?
I think the goal for most filmmakers is to have their audiences connect with the work in an authentic way. I work in both commercial, corporate and documentary spaces, and while the approach will be different for all my projects, there is an underlying current to find authentic moments in the narrative that go beyond just getting the message across. It’s extracting small moments of emotion, or familiarity that make the piece feel real.
Which individuals do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?
Vincent Urban, Gar O’Rourke, and I love Chloé Zhao’s work. On a different tone I’ve been loving all the work Sam Reich is doing with Dropout.tv.
What tips would you give to aspiring creatives looking for work?
Make friends and be resilient. The people you have around you are going to be your peers, your colleagues, your clients. Making a network that works for you, and constantly nurturing it is necessary to work in this industry. Be resilient - remember that the quiet times are the moments to work on yourself and create connections. Protect your mental health.
What tips would you give to other professionals to get more clients?
Be yourself, nobody else is like you. Write your own emails, make calls and go on coffee meet-ups. Be clear in your goals and desires, and make sure you communicate them to your colleagues and clients. You will be surprised at how willing people are to work with you when they can see that you have a clear point of view and are not afraid to go for it.
Can you share a memorable experience from your career journey that shaped your approach to creativity?
I remember a great line when chatting with a Creative Director at my previous agency. It might seem obvious to some, but for me starting out it was a rare insight. He said that what agencies are looking for from Directors and DOPs is not their idea back. They want to see you in the treatment, that’s why they’ve asked you to pitch. Follow the brief, but don’t be afraid to make it your own.
What kind of tools/kit/software could you not do without?
As someone who loves good design, but isn’t a natural graphic designer, I use Canva. It helps build strong decks with simple tools.
Also, this may seem like a small thing but man it’s been helpful as a business owner - Google Drive’s ‘Snap and Send to Folder’ widget for collecting receipts.
What’s your secret to staying inspired and motivated?
Go for walks, make and watch art, read books. I inherited a load of old classic volumes when my grandparents died so I’m currently reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! I find that watching some vimeo staff pics or attending a local film festival screening is a great way to be inspired. Walking up in the Wicklow mountains is amazing to have so close to home in Dublin, something you can’t do in London.
What’s the work achievement you’re most proud of?
Winning a YDA in Cannes for my short film, For When I Die. What a buzz. Another smaller moment was after our agency won a Cannes Lions for some work, and a CD came over and congratulated me for directing it. I excused it saying it was a Cannes for digital creativity, and he said ‘It wouldn’t have won if it wasn't a good film’. That was a warm fuzzy moment.
As someone with experience in the industry, what trends do you foresee shaping the future of creativity?
More and more emphasis on real people and stories. AI keeps getting better and better but at some stage brands and companies are going to have to prove their value to customers, and if they can’t show real people as part of that they will lose out.
What do you think sets apart truly exceptional creatives from the rest of the pack?
I think exceptional creatives take the time to research, contemplate and back up their creativity with well thought out rationale.
Being humble, trusting the team around you to shine in their own areas and working collaboratively will result in the best possible piece of work you can produce.
Never stop the learning process.
How do you think technology has influenced the creative industries and how have you adapted to these changes?
There’s always a new tool to use, a new software or gadget. Some of them I love, but nothing beats a pen and paper and roughly sketching or mindmapping your idea by hand.
What is the one thing that you would change about the industry?
I would hope that companies would get off the AI bandwagon. It’s a bubble, it’s destroying our world and making idiots of us. But it is a handy tool, it just needs to be supported in a sustainable way both materially and socially.
Any websites, books or resources you would recommend?
Last Night a DJ Saved My Life by Bill Brewster. Great read into the history of DJing.
Dishoom’s cookbook for beautiful Indian recipes.
