Why I Love Mondays

Pat O’Mahony is a Freelance TV/radio producer/director… mostly.  Been a freelancer since I left college in 1986.

Company: The easiest way to explain what I do is that I mostly make TV and radio programmes.  Some are my own ideas that I develop from a basic outline on paper, to pitching to the right station or channel, through the production and editing process, to the finished product.  Others I come in on as a hired hand after they’ve been commissioned and help get them completed.  I’ve also been known to write the odd print journalism article and I recently helped the suicide prevention charity, 3Ts (@3Ts_irl) get started on Twitter, so I guess I’m a bit of a jack-of-many-trades.
Job description:  No two days are ever the same. Any one might include a mix of researching, writing, debating, pitching, meeting, recording and editing.  All involve coffee.
Likes: I like the challenge of coming up with ideas and developing them so they might be broadcastable, then persuading a commissioner that they’re worth funding, then finding the best people to work with on them, then going out and shooting or recording them in a creative, effective and efficient manner, and then finally knitting them all together in the edit.
Career ladder: Whatever ladder I’ve been climbing it certainly hasn’t been one going straight up.  I got my first taste of broadcasting – and caught the bug – on pirate radio back in 1980…in a caravan in a field outside Newbridge.   Three years later I went back to college – Communications Studies in NIHE Dublin, now DCU – during which I was SU Entertainments Officer.  When I graduated I was the college’s first full time Students Union Ents (& Publications) Manager.  From here I fell into journalism – Hotpress, In Dublin, Dublin Event Guide – and from there into TV presenting (it’s a long story) on RTÉ’s Head 2 Toe in 1989.
After I left H2T in 1994 I ended up (very little of this was planned, you understand) mostly doing radio stuff, presenting on both RTÉ Radio 1 and 2fm and eventually doing a little production, before moving to London (mostly out of boredom) in 1998.  There I started out on-camera (I was a reporter for a year on the BBC’s Watchdog for my sins) before circumstances dictated a move behind the scenes, starting out as an AP (assistant producer), ending up PDing (producing and directing).
Since moving back to Dublin in 2009 I’ve made a handful of radio documentaries, PD’d a few TV programmes and done a variety of fill-in radio production duties, mostly for RTÉ.  Next year I step back in front of the mic to present and produce a 10-part radio series for Newstalk.
Would I have any recommendations for others?  Yeah, be prepared to duck and dive.  And to hustle.  It’s hard f**king going out there.
Qualifications: Degree in Communications Studies, NIHE Dublin/DCU…though no one’s ever asked to see it.
Working hours: Whatever it takes.  Usually 10-6 during pre-production but when in production it depends on the gig.  I recently directed the Six In The City one-off TV pilot for RTÉ 2 – recently commissioned for a full series – where Saturday filming call time was 10.30am and finished no earlier than 1am; the latest was 4am.
Breaktime: During pre-production I try to find a reasonable, half-decent sandwich shop near whatever production company I’m working for and use grabbing one as an excuse to get out for a stroll, though I nearly always bring it back to the office and eat it at my desk.
When on location it’ll depend.  If on my own, for example if I’m recording for radio, I’ll grab a bite whenever and wherever I can, often on the run.  But if it’s a TV gig I’ll usually have a crew of at least two others with me, so I’ll try to factor breaks for them into the schedule; nothing worse than having to deal with a grumpy, hungry crew. 
Social media credentials: I’m a bit of a Twitter-aholic, it must be said, using it primarily as a news feed, but also to pass on interesting titbits, find ideas, recruit participants, publicise events and have a laugh.  I’m @patomahony1 and have it open via Tweetdeck either on the laptop or phone most of the day.  I’m also on Facebook –  though I don’t use it as much.
News sources: Twitter’s my first and most-used news source every day.  For footie updates it’s usually http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/
Onsite or offsite: A real mix; I work from home a lot but am out and about frequently.
Digital strategy/vision:  Five years ago, email was a terrific tool for spreading the word on new projects, both during pre- and post- production.  Today social media has replaced this task almost entirely so from the get-go on each project I’m subconsciously thinking about how best to incorporate it.
I love Mondays because… I don’t – it’s just another day of the week.  Once I’m busy I don’t care what day it is.