510-388-3223
niall AT mediafactory.tv
Niall McKay is an Emmy winning independent TV producer, director and cameraman whose work has aired on PBS in the US and RTÉ-Ireland’s national broadcaster, and the Discovery Channel. A former radio and print journalist Niall’s work had aired on NPR, BBC World Service and RTÉ. His articles have appeared in The NewYork Times, The Irish Times, Wired Magazine and the Economist Magazine. Niall also reported on air for PBS’ Frontline World on the Northern Ireland peace process. He is the founder and director of Irish Film New York and San Francisco Irish Film Festival and the co-founder of the Los Angeles Irish Film Festival. As well as his journalism and documentary work Niall has produced and directed a number of educational television programs, including directing the 20-episode English Highway, a comedic educational series for Canal Cl@se, and producing Grand Café, an 18-episode soap opera. More recently, Niall has produced for the Wall Street Journal Online.
Read this article in the Irish Echo about my arrive in New York
Awards
2008 Emmy for best “historical/cultural” program for Sikhs in America, a documentary about the Sikh American community in the US.
Irish Arts Council Award: A $50,000 work in progress grant for The Bass Player.
2009 Irish Film and Television Awards nomination for The Bass Player, for best documentary.
Experience
Founder/Director/Producer: The Media Factory (2004 – present) Niall founded the independent production company which has produced documentaries for the American and Irish markets, commercials for corporate and non-profit entities, and educational series for the US and Latin American markets.
Producer/Director/Writer: The Bass Player (August 2009) a personal documentary about Niall’s relationship with his father and Jazz bass player, Jim McKay. Nominated for Irish Film and Television Academy Award for best documentary. Broadcasted on RTÉ (Irish Television). Played at the Mill Valley Film Festival, the Dublin International Film Festival and the Nashville Film Festival.
Director: Bill Nye’s Climate Lab (October 2009-present) A website/game/exhibition presented by celebrity scientist Bill Nye. The multimedia exhibition is designed to teach children how they can help slow climate change for the Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland California.
Director/Cinematographer Man vs. Wild, Berkeley (October 2010) a parody for the San Francisco-based comedy troop, Killing My Lobster.
Director/Cinematographer Secret Diner (June 2010) a parody for the San Francisco-based comedy troop, Killing My Lobster.
Producer: Grand Cafe (May 2009) an 18-part (30 minute) educational soap opera designed to teach immigrant and refugee women how to start their own businesses.
Producer/Co-Director/Camera: Sikhs in America (Jan 2008) a half-hour program on America’s Sikh community for PBS KVIE Viewfinder series. This program aired nationwide on PBS Television and received a 2008 Emmy Award for best cultural/historical program.
Director Without a Net (October 2008) a documentary about efforts to combat malaria in Tanzania aired on LINK TV.
Director “English Highway” (December 2007) a 20-part comedy series for Canal Cl@se, a Spanish-language television station that serves the US and Latin American markets. Broadcasted in South and Central America.
Producer/Director: “Wired Magazine Fall Test Review”(November 2008) a web series for Wired Magazine. Niall developed and produced Wired’s first online video offerings.
Producer/Director/Writer: “Adam 5100” (April 2007) for PBS KQED’s Spark arts program. Wrote, directed and produced segments for KQED Public Television.
Producer/Director/Writer: “Kaleid Gallery Program” (July 2007) for PBS KQED’s Spark arts program. Wrote, directed and produced segments for KQED Public Television.
Producer/Director/Writer: “Climate Matters” (May 2007), a youth-oriented TV series (in development) for the Center for Investigative Reporting on environmental issues. The video was designed to promote PBS Frontline’s show on climate change.
Producer: “NUTS” (September 2006) produced the directorial debut of Scottish author Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting). The short film was aired on RTÉ Television in Ireland.
Producer: “Unaccompanied” (June 2005) 12 mins, produced a short film set in Dublin, Ireland, directed by novelist Emer Martin.
Producer/Reporter: “Uneasy Peace” for Frontline World (March 2006) 15 mins
Produced and reported a short documentary on the current peace process in Northern Ireland. Broadcasted on PBS’ KTEH. Screened on PBS’ Frontline World online and the San Francisco, Seattle and Boston Irish Film Festivals.
Associate Producer/Researcher: “Nuestra Familia” (March 2005)
Worked as an Associate Producer for the Center for Investigative Reporting on a documentary about the Nuestra Familia (NF) prison gang and the havoc it wreaked on the streets of the small farming community of Salinas. The show aired on the Latino Public Broadcasting.
Founder/Director: “The San Francisco Irish Film Festival”, (2004-present) and the founder of the Los Angeles Irish Film Festival. Has run the San Francisco Irish film festival for the last eight years, showing the best of Irish cinema.
Freelance Journalist: (1998 – 2005) Columnist for the Irish Times from 1999 to 2002. Columnist for the Red Herring Magazine from 1998 – 2002. Regular contributor to The New York Times, The Economist Magazine, Wired Magazine, and the Irish Times. Also contributed to the London Independent, the Financial Times and the Irish Sunday Independent.
Tokyo Correspondent (freelance): RTE Irish Radio (2002)
Covered Japan in the run up to 2002 World cup for RTE: Ireland’s National Broadcaster
Radio Reporter: Contributed radio reports to KQED Radio in San Francisco, BBC World Service Radio and RTE Radio (Ireland’s National Broadcaster).
Staff Political Reporter: Wired (1999-2000).
Reported on hacking, cyber-culture and politics for Wired.
Staff Reporter and editor: (1991 -1997) worked as a staff reporter/editor and correspondent in Dublin, London and San Francisco covering Science and technology for the PC Week, InfoWorld and the IDG News Service.
Education
Trinity College Dublin, B.A & M.A in English and Classical Civilization 1989.
Irish Film Institute: Diploma in Television Production 1990.
Recommendations
“Niall McKay produced the of the first video reviews for Wired magazine. He produced a dozen product review videos in a short amount of time and on budget. He was a pleasure to work with, encouraging even neophyte on-camera talent to do excellent work. We were very pleased with the quality of the work he produced.” — Dylan Tweeney, Senior Editor, Wired Magazine