Film Ireland, supported by the Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Stakeholders Fund, are delighted to present Out of the Box, the first in a six-part podcast series exploring different perspectives in media today.
Hosted by writer and filmmaker Róisín Kearney, each episode features conversations with people paving the way for greater equity and inclusion in the screen industries. Together, they discuss what has worked so far, what still needs to be done, and how we can all ensure that all creative voices are properly heard.
For the inaugural discussion, Róisín sits down with Paul FitzSimons, a writer, musician and producer who founded Prelude Content to create high-end film and television drama; and Dan Airey, presenter, producer, filmmaker and one half of the award-winning podcast duo behind Dan and Darragh Do Ability.
Media has always played a powerful role in shaping society. When public health campaigns in the United States sought to promote the idea of a designated driver and reduce road deaths among young men, they turned to popular television shows such as Cheers, L.A. Law and The Cosby Show to help shift public attitudes. Since its inception, media has influenced how we see the world...and each other.
So what happens when that media does not reflect the full breadth of society? What happens when people are told which stories they can tell, who they can tell them about, or how those stories should be told? There have been countless studies examining how marginalised communities are perceived by wider society, but far fewer exploring how people from those communities perceive society itself. This series seeks to contribute to that conversation, placing those perspectives front and centre.
Paul is a producer, screenwriter and tutor with 15 years' experience in the film industry. He runs Prelude Content, producing films and TV dramas, working with creatives in Ireland, the UK, Spain and Japan. He recently produced feature film Verdigris, which premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh, won awards at festivals around the world, was nominated for five IFTA awards and was released in April 2025. Paul is now producing the comedy series Starless and developing a number of features and TV dramas.He has a postgraduate diploma in Advanced Producing from TU Dublin and is an EAVE Producers’ Workshop graduate. Paul was previously Development Executive at production company Danú Media. He also wrote and produced the feature film The Gift (2017, OC Productions, 15A) and worked as a story writer on the Irish TV drama Fair City.
Dan Airey is a presenter, podcaster, producer and filmmaker. He is the co-producer and co-presenter of the award-winning Dan and Darragh Do Ability Podcast, which features conversations with people with disabilities, encouraging listeners to see the world through different perspectives. Dan holds a four-year degree in Creative Digital Media and a Master’s in Broadcast Production for TV and Radio. He has worked across multiple genres and formats, from short documentary to prime-time television. His short film L.I.F.E. (Live. It. Fully. Everyday) was written and directed as part of the Virgin Media Sharp Shorts 2023 initiative, exploring themes of resilience and identity. Other production credits include the documentaries A Deluge of Memories and Swim With Richard, which centre on powerful human stories. He has worked as a researcher on major RTÉ programmes including Angela Scanlon’s Ask Me Anything, The Late Late Show, and The Late Late Toy Show, and has contributed to content development for future programming.
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