Films That Make You Feel Something: The Human Values of Heritage

If you’d met Fiona and Gráinne Dwyer while they were growing up, you wouldn’t be surprised that they’d later go on to co-found a production company. The cousins behind Dublin-based filmmaking hub Heritage were always playing around with Hi8 cameras in their hometown of Skibbereen in Cork, Ireland, “mostly comedy or our take on ‘Jackass’ videos,” remembers Fiona, “which gave our parents a few grey hairs.” 

They didn’t know how to edit back then, so shot in sequence, gathering friends to re-enact stunts and film them ‘for a laugh’. This evolved into writing comedy scripts, casting friends as actors, dressing them in costume and rehearsing 10-minute videos. “Suffice to say we hope these never see the light of day,” says Fiona. “Thankfully this was pre-YouTube.” But that is where their passion for filmmaking first blossomed. “We knew we both loved telling stories and that's what started it all.”

Despite their interest, neither of the cousins went to film school. Gráinne studied geography in university and that led to a research master’s in sustainability. Fiona has a law degree. “Film school wasn’t really a realistic option to us when deciding what career path to take when we were 18,” she says.

But filmmaking continued to haunt them. Gráinne eventually had a job as the CEO of The Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen, an incubator hub for startups. It was from there, seeing all sorts of businesses setting out on their journeys, that she got the inspiration for setting up a production company of her own. “We both had always spoken about getting into the industry, but there wasn’t a direct path into it for us,” she says. Without the connections to anyone in film or advertising, it seemed off limits. “But Gráinne has always had this amazing entrepreneurial spirit where she is able to say, ‘Why not us, why can’t we give it a try?’.” Fiona was always more cautious but admits that without Gráinne’s belief of what was possible, there would be no Heritage. 

“So that is how we got started. I think that's why we work so well together. Gráinne would say that I have the skills of ‘let's analyse and make a strategic decision on something’ and she is just a person who goes for it. Our balance makes our company a strong one.” 

The company was born in 2017 and since then there have been several pivotal moments. Fiona remembers it feeling real all of a sudden when she and Gráinne hired their first team members. “It’s scary because you are now responsible for paying someone's wages. Their livelihood depends on you,” she says. “That made it very real, but also it was the beginning of building the wonderful team we have today. Zoë, another team member, was our first hire, and is now part owner in the company, so it just goes to show that those decisive moments pay off.”

In 2020, an ad for Tampax was banned in Ireland as it was seen to be offensive. “It was the first period product ad that was refreshingly plain-speaking and informative, as well as a welcome alternative to traditional menstrual-product advertising of women doing backflips or ballet class on the first day of their periods,” says Fiona. “This really annoyed Zoë.” And so she penned a realistic spec ad for a sustainable period product company called Riley. Gráinne produced it, and it’s a piece that the whole Heritage team is proud to put its name to. “It’s realistic, identifiable and celebratory,” says Fiona. “So often, periods are shown as an inconvenience or something to be ashamed of, but this piece celebrated periods and women in a way we just haven’t seen from advertising. We are super proud of it because it is the exact kind of work we want to produce at Heritage, work that challenges the status quo. “

 

            

Along the journey, working with international brands like Heineken, Cisco and Microsoft, and stars like Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran, have also been real “pinch me” moments for the team, adds Fiona. 

As well as production services, the company has developed a number of creative campaigns for brands including animation, OOH creative, radio ads, art direction, creative strategy, campaign management, motion graphics, VFX, post production services and management, so ‘production company’ doesn’t quite cut it anymore as a description. 

Since 2022, Fiona has been particularly focused on Heritage’s directors roster. It has taken months to craft, she says, and is still building, but she’s immensely proud of it. “It honestly has changed our company for the better. Being able to showcase a roster of talent who can deliver on any brief that an agency sends your way is no easy task, so we want to keep building it and working with new directors.”

Recently, Heritage has ventured into the world of short films and produced a short called ‘Two For the Road’, which was funded by Screen Ireland and has been longlisted for the 2024 Oscars. “We are super proud of Gráinne, who co-produced it, and  huge kudos to the entire team involved,” says Fiona.

Heritage also produced a short called ‘Unhinged’ and based on that concept has received funding from Screen Ireland to develop it as a scripted comedy series – completely new territory for the company, but something the team is thrilled about. “We can’t wait to get to work on it,” Fiona says.

The Dwyers didn’t write down a list of principles to adhere to on day one but it’s obvious that back in 2017, they weren’t starting a production company as a get-rich-quick scheme (has anyone!?). They had loftier ambitions for Heritage. Fiona explains that the company’s values have naturally evolved from the work the team has done and the people they work with on productions. “One thing we are all in alignment on as a team is working with good people,” she says. “It sounds so simple but productions can be high stress and a huge workload, and when you’re surrounded by good people, it can get you through the tougher days. We always try our best to work with good, genuine people, and always encourage our crew to speak up if they are unhappy with anything. I think this has fostered a sense of trust with the crew we hire on productions. They know we will look after them, and do our best by them.” 

 

While they admit it’s something everyone says at this point, Heritage is passionate about pushing diversity in filmmaking, both on and off screen. And they’re living by that. “As one of the only female-led creative agencies in the country we are aware of what it’s like to not have a seat at the table,” says Fiona. “We have not really seen the changes we would like to see yet in the industry in Ireland, and we are trying to change that. There are still very few female commercial directors in Ireland that are being given a shot and that is why we launched our directors roster to hopefully shake things up a bit!” Five out of the six directors currently on that roster are female, this is more than just talk.

“Access to this industry is really hard for those starting out,” says Fiona. With that in mind, one of Heritage’s goals for 2024 is to foster diverse talent and introduce a shadow work experience programme on the company’s sets.This will help give opportunities to young creatives from diverse backgrounds that would love to get into filmmaking but don’t have a clear path into the industry. 

Now seven years in, the good people that built a strong foundation on their personal principles take a more strategic approach to embody the core values of Heritage. They describe the company as “Female-led, inclusivity-driven, sustainably created. Films that make you feel something.” As Fiona puts it, everyone in the company wants to “really work towards this being actualised instead of it just being a lofty goal. We really want to see change, but it will take time.”  

Heritage was the first production company in Ireland to sign up for the Creatives For Climate pledge and has been working towards creating more ethical and sustainable sets since 2019. Members of Creatives for Climate, AdGreen and the Ad Net Zero Ireland working group, the company is being held accountable and has provided carbon calculations for every project since 2022. Heritage aims to create work that doesn’t harm others, animals or the planet we live on, and states publicly that the company will not work with brands,individuals or companies that promote fossil fuels, animal cruelty and  testing, gambling, fast fashion or environmentally harmful activities.

Changing the world aside, still existing after seven years (with a pandemic thrown in) is worth celebrating in itself. “It’s a testament to the belief and hard work that everyone within the company does,” says Fiona. “We learned a lot about resilience and it made our company a better one.” 

Though a small company, nearly 40% of Heritage’s services are traded internationally, to the US, Europe and UK. “I think that shows our hunger for growth,” she adds. “Each year we want to improve, and we set the bar higher for what we want to accomplish. It is great to reflect at the end of the year knowing we achieved what we wanted to do. Every year our business is a different one, which I think shows growth and that we always have to prepare to adapt. I think we are most proud of the team we have built, and the relationships we have built with our crew within the industry. They really are the cogs in the wheel of this industry, and we have loved working with them over the years to produce the work we have done.” 

Of course, the quality of the actual filmmaking coming out of Heritage is a priority too. “We always strive for the best quality production, as we always want to elevate the piece we are working on without cutting corners for the sake of profitability,” says Fiona. “We want to do right by each director we work with and get it to the vision they had for the piece. It’s a hard balance between still remaining within whatever budget you are working to, but it’s always the goal. Someone that watched our short film work in the cinema recently said to us, ‘I know when I see a Heritage logo, it is going to be a great film,’ and that really took us back, it's great to see how our brand is maturing and how it is perceived in the industry.” 

2023 saw the launch of an enviable new directors roster and a slick website – www.heritage.ie – progress, so Heritage’s next year will be built on strong foundations. “Once we take a bit of rest over Christmas and the New Year, we would love to continue building out our directors roster and meeting new up and coming talent within the industry,” says Fiona. “We also want to make more headway with our diversity and sustainability goals, which will always be a work in progress, but it’s definitely our focus for 2024 and beyond.”