Director Statement
What It’s Like was my first short film as a director, and it was made on a shoestring budget with a tiny team. I wanted to try out the filmmaking idea of just getting out there and shooting with what you have. I thought back to filmmakers I’d studied who advocated for picking up a camera, gathering some friends and creatives and inventing your own way of working, one that doesn’t need permission and is just about expressing yourself.
I took on many of the roles myself, excited for the opportunity to explore the making of the short from so many perspectives. I wrote, directed, edited, and acted in the film, working closely with a small group of talented actors who brought their characters to life and contributed generously on set. The short also stars Naoise Dunbar, who is an ever-rising talent with recent leading roles in major Irish theatre productions, including Lovesong at the Gate Theatre and The Playboy of the Western World with Livin’ Dred Theatre Company. Having Naoise onboard was truly a gift, his commitment to storytelling and the craft of acting is a joy to be around and he brings such a real presence to every scene.
The film was shot across a handful of locations, using minimal gear and a flexible, adaptive approach with creatives who were extremely dedicated to making the project special. We banded together to make something from the heart with whatever we had available to us. I also had many consultations with lighting and design professionals from other industries to assist long distance on the project (a huge thanks to the wonderful photographer and editor Alessandra Tardio and digital designer Marija Cosic).
What I learnt from taking this multi-role approach was so invaluable, because it gave me a new appreciation for the different pieces of the puzzle that help us to tell a story. Even though it was intense to wear so many hats, the collaborative energy of the cast and the creative input they offered made the experience feel like we were all in it together. I’m excited to work with professionals in many of these roles on future films, but I’m really happy that I tried this style out and decided that playful and immediate (when done with commitment and a lot of sheer willpower!) could be just as worthy as a big budget production with big names.
The short is based on something I’d like to develop further, but it also stands alone in its own right as a little tribute to a particular moment in time when everything feels like it’s in flux and we lean into the connections we’ve made to steady ourselves. In a nutshell it’s about trust, timing, and how we navigate personal change.
I hope this film resonates with anyone who’s ever felt lost, looked for a sign, or tried to start again. I hope it also encourages other emerging filmmakers to trust their instincts and create, even without all the resources. If you wait for perfection you might never feel "ready", I think it's important to remember that it always feels unsettling to jump off the deep end and create something, so just feel those emotions and then go for it (a bit like Sinead embarking on her journey in the short).
Filmmaking, acting & writing stories
Gill Gillespie is an emerging filmmaker and actor from Ireland.
Gill Gillespie is an Irish multilingual filmmaker and actor with a background in cultural studies, including film, literature, and art. Her work explores connection, resilience, and the quiet transformation that happens when people finally speak their truth. After several years working in legal content policy at YouTube and Google (where she focused on platform accountability, regulation, and public interest issues), Gill took a pause to focus on parenting and re-centre her life on the arts and creativity.
That pause became a turning point. Without a traditional film school background, she threw herself into self-guided learning and hands-on experience: writing screenplays, acting in indie projects and TV shows (for Acorn TV and the BBC), and studying screen acting at The Lir and Bow Street. Her debut short film, What It’s Like, was written, produced, directed, acted in and edited by Gill, and made collaboratively with the help of a small group of talented actors and creatives. She took on these multiple roles to explore filmmaking and storytelling from many different angles. This is pretty true-to-life of what Gill is like, being so deeply curious about art and culture that she has moved all over Europe, learnt new languages and travelled across many parts of the world just to experience a place on the ground.
With a scrappy entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for meaningful, accessible filmmaking, What It’s Like marks the beginning of her journey as an independent filmmaker.
Gill’s filmmaking practice spans development through post-production, with a hands-on, holistic approach across all aspects of short film creation. She also works as a creative consultant, collaborating with individuals and teams looking for creative direction, story shaping, or support on their own projects, whether in film, other creative fields or commercial areas.
You can find Gill’s director’s profile on Film Freeway: https://filmfreeway.com/GillGillespie
You can find her IMDB profile here.
Creative Consultant & Filmmaker
Creative Development & Story Consulting
Screenwriting, story structure, character development, shaping narrative tone and arc
Visual Planning & Pre-Production
Scheduling, location scouting, legal administration, art direction, set and costume design, collaborating with lighting designers and photographers
Directing & On-Set Creative Direction
Directing actors for screen, on-set coordination
Post-Production & Narrative Shaping
Video editing and colour grading (DaVinci Resolve), sound design, sourcing music, managing copyright clearance
Gill is currently available for select creative consultancy work and collaborative projects.
Upcoming Short Film - What It’s Like
She directed, wrote, produced and acted in her debut short film What It’s Like (coming in 2025). Production still.
Combining strategy and art
Worked in legal policy and operations in tech. She’s bringing her strategic approach to filmmaking and making her artistic visions come to life.
Photo: Alessandra Tardio
Film studies & acting training
She holds a BA in English Literature & German from Trinity College Dublin and studied international film as part of her MA in French Culture & History at the University of London Institute in Paris.
Completed screen acting training at Bow Street Academy (6 month part-time) and the Lir in Dublin. She continues to attend short courses in screen acting.
Photo: Ishmael Claxton
Passion for culture & languages
Passionate about languages and culture, she speaks French, German, Italian and Spanish. Lived abroad for many years and still spends time travelling whenever possible.
Photo: Ishmael Claxton
Storytelling at the heart of it all
What I've come to understand is that storytelling isn't just a passion or a way to articulate something on a deeper level, it's actually essential. Something has driven us to use this art form to pass on our experience to future generations. In this high-tech age of disconnection from one another and ourselves I'm excited to share my stories of hope and understanding of what it's like to be human.
Photo: Ishmael Claxton