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Catherine Synnott has been appointed as Interim CEO of Windmill Lane and brings with her a wealth of experience having been a member of the board since 2021. The business is abuzz with several projects ranging from Irish TV shows to international post-production work and is now set to benefit from the many leadership skills Catherine brings to the table.

The true mark of a leader is a willingness to stick with a bold course of action and Catherine is keen to ensure Windmill Lane adheres to their strategy and core values which continue to bear fruit. She says;

“As we look ahead, our success is grounded in our commitment to our strategy and core values, or the 5 x C’s as we call them; courage, creativity, commitment, credibility & collaboration. These alongside our recently engineered strategy (read more here) are paving the way for an exciting future brimming with opportunities for Windmill Lane”

When trading in a challenging market (increased domestic competition, US WGA/SAG strikes) Catherine understands that the only way to stand out from the crowd is to drill down on what has made Windmill Lane successful for 45 years. She says;

Our incredible, multi-talented team and loyal clients are at the heart of our success. We excel thanks to these partnerships, enabling us to produce outstanding work. Our recent infrastructural investments (read more here) have also solidified our position as industry leaders particularly when working with our streaming partners around the world.

The company’s momentum rests heavily on the shoulders of Deborah Doherty – Head of Production – who has just arrived back from LA where she was meeting with long-established clients state-side. Speaking about Catherine’s appointment and her ambitions for 2024 Deborah says;

We, as a business, have had to adapt in many ways to recent market conditions; emerging technology, remote working, heightened client expectations which impacts demand on staff. And this can be tricky. But as Catherine has alluded to – employee well being to produce the best work remains our focus and marries with our values. Catherine’s role as Interim CEO means we can continue on our current course and are very excited to announce some of our 2024 projects.

Windmill Lane Pictures

Statement from the Chairman of the Board

6 October2023

Dave Quinn, Chief Executive Officer of Windmill Lane Pictures, has decided to step down from his position with the company. Dave has been an integral part of our organisation for twenty-seven years, and we appreciate his dedication and leadership during his tenure.

We respect Dave’s decision, and the board has immediately begun the process of selecting a successor. During this transition period, Dave will work closely with the board to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities.

In the interim, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Catherine Synnott as the Interim Chief Executive Officer. Catherine brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role, having served as Chief Financial Officer and executive director to the company. We are confident that Catherine will provide strong and steady leadership as we navigate this transition period.

Our talented senior leadership team remain fully committed to the continued success and growth of Windmill Lane Pictures, and we are confident in their ability to navigate this transition under Catherine’s leadership.

Naturally, we thank all our stakeholders for their continued support.

Brendan Binchy

Chairman of the Board | Windmill Lane Pictures

29 Herbert St, Dublin 2 | 086 2657321| brendan.binchy@rocg.com

[Studio 5 in Windmill Lane]

Written by Jason Gaffney

[Read Time – 4 mins]

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Windmill Lane Dublin, Ireland has unveiled major upgrades to its audio facility with the consolidation of its famous Number4 into their headquarters at 29 Herbert Street. This now means that all audio facilities are under one roof. The new studio, featuring Avid – Pro Tools HD ensures Windmill Lane will continue to operate at the highest standard of post-production.

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Recent Work

The studio has been at the forefront of some major projects recently including; Kizazi Moto – Generation Fire (Disney+), BBC’s Smother, RTÉ’s KIN and Larian’s Baldurs Gate 3 as well as high profile recent commercial work in Ireland such as Glenhaven and An Post. Windmill Lane are currently working on BBC’s Black Shore, Vico Films The Young Offenders and Netflix Bodkin – produced by Michelle and Barack Obama.

[RTÉ’s KIN]

Windmill Lane encompasses a number of creative production entities including; Commercials, Film, TV, VFX and Animation. New consoles have been integrated into their mixing rooms designed to support Windmill Lanes audio post-production services while their Audio Studio 1 [see here] is fitted with Dolby Atmos immersive mixing capabilities. All studios are now tailored to deliver outstanding results across all sectors of the business.

In the beginning

3 January 2023 marked 25 years to the day since Number4 opened its doors and Paddy Gibbons – former head of Audio at Windmill Lane – reflected on how it all began. “𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 3 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩. 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙧 – 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩. 𝙎𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 [𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙨]. 𝙒𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙤 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙, 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 (𝙎𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙖𝙥 / 𝙙𝙞𝙧 – 𝙅𝙤𝙝𝙣 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙧𝙚), 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠”, says Paddy.

[Number4 opened its doors in 1978]

The Future

This emphasis on high-end studio equipment endures today and Windmill Lane’s recent investment on the back of a recent Baselight upgrade (see here) is a statement of intent – a further investment in their clients and the work. 

It’s not only equipment they are investing in but talent and Tom Morris – Re-Recording Mixer – shares his thoughts on the impact Studio 5 will have. Tom states; “Studio 5 is a great addition to our audio facilities at Windmill. The bigger space is perfect for client presentations and sessions with multiple creatives and producers.”

“With an increasing number of people engaged in a hybrid work style, I think it’s important we offer our studios as a hub of creativity and productivity. Our clients can come and listen to their mixes, while also availing of our canteen and meeting rooms just outside“, says Tom.

[Kizazi Moto – Generation Fire]

Having begun her Windmill Lane journey 18 years ago in audio at Number4 Deborah Doherty – Head of Production – is best placed to comment on how the company’s offering has evolved and how this latest investment will impact their portfolio of work. “Over the years, we’ve grown the audio studios here in Windmill with our team now working  across high end Film and Drama, documentaries, broadcast , animation , gaming, and commercials. The addition of the new studios,  especially Studio 5 on our top floor will allow us,  post covid, to bring more clients back in to the building attending in-person mixes where audio sounds it’s best and we can’t wait to show it off”, says Deborah

Head of Audio Mick Creedon recently celebrated his 10 year anniversary at Windmill Lane and articulates the day to day impact this investment will have. He says “We are delighted to have all 5 mix suites under the one roof, all on the same systems with complete freedom to move from one room to another depending on the projects that are in front us. Our new Studios 4 & 5 positioned up through the building are a wonderful creative space for the engineers and clients alike and we look forward to creating some great work across all genres in these rooms into the future.”

For any Audio related queries please contact:

Deborah Doherty / Head of Production / deborah.doherty@windmilllane.com

Renata Fitzpatrick / Producer / renata.fitzpatrick@windmilllane.com

~ Press Release – Wednesday, 22nd March, 2023 ~

Every year, a number of charities are given a unique and highly valuable opportunity by IAPI (The Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland), to set a creative brief for 200+ young professionals in the Irish commercial creativity and communications sector, that take part in the Irish Cannes Young Lions competition.

In 2022, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC), were chosen to set the brief for the Film category which was won by Adam Kelly, Director & Editor and Eoin Lennon, Multi Media Producer, Droga5, part of Accenture Song in Dublin. Their creative concept, “a little more conversation, a little less action” which is now called “We Consent”, was brought to life pro bono for the charity, by Pull the Trigger, the production company who has now produced 5 years’ worth of Cannes Young Lions winning ads in support of young creative talent. The film category is also sponsored by Sky Ireland, who air the winning Ad for free.

The concept behind the DRCC Ad is to provide a positive message around the issue of consent for all adults, young and old and from all walks of life. Talking about the winning ad, which first aired this Wednesday 22nd March, Sarah Monaghan, Consent Project Manager at the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, said;

“This Ad marks a turning point in how we understand and discuss consent in Ireland. It is a breath of fresh air to see consent modelled on screen in a way that is so positive, accessible and relatable. We hope that all audiences can connect with this Ad’s message and understand that whether it’s a yes or a no, communication, agreement and respect for each other are at the heart of consent. We are so thankful to the IAPI Young Lions for bringing this important Ad to life for us.”

Cannes Young Lions is a creative competition that provides young talent in the advertising, marketing and communications industry the opportunity to compete at national, and then global level against their peers. As the Festival Representatives for Ireland, IAPI manage the Irish Cannes Young Lions competition and each year hundreds of talented young professionals take part.

“This is one of my highlights of the IAPI year”, says Charley Stoney, CEO, IAPI. “Not only does this programme promote young creative talent but it also benefits our chosen charities, such as DRCC, who all receive a huge range of creative concepts and fund-raising ideas for their cause. The timing of this launch couldn’t have come at a better time as we have just completed the judging of this years’ Cannes Young Lions competition. The chosen charities for 2023 were GOAL, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind and The Dyslexia Association of Ireland. IAPI are grateful to be able to support such worthwhile organisations, who would not otherwise have the resources to conceptualise, develop or run campaigns of this nature.”

Creative Credits:

Director & editor, Droga5 Dublin – Adam Kelly.
Multi Media Producer, Droga5 Dublin – Eoin Lennon

Productions Credit:

Co-Directors Chris Cottam and Natasha Waugh
Producers Max Brady and Orla Bleahen
DP Carol Tormey
Editor Lee Hickey
Colourist Dave Hughes
Post Production Producer Vita Mak
Post Production Facility Windmill Lane Post Production
Audio Facility Scimitar Sound, Jordan Mullen & Dean Alexander Jones
Client: Dublin Rape Crisis Centre – Sarah Monaghan, Consent Project Manager
Sponsor: Sky Media Ireland –Malcolm Murray, Sales Director
Pull the Trigger – Max Brady, Producer.