Quick Facts
Biography
Aoife McArdle is an Irish writer and director. Her work includes music videos for Jon Hopkins and U2 as well as television commercials for Honda, Samsung and Under Armour (with Bryce Harper and Cam Newton). Her video for the U2 song 'Every Breaking Wave' was nominated for Best International Music Video at the UK Music Video Awards 2015 and was publicly praised by Academy award winning directors Terry George, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Spike Jonze. She was nominated for Best Director at the UK Music Video Awards in 2014 and nominated for Best Director at the Ciclope Festival 2016 . Her first feature-length film, 'Kissing Candice', is due to be released in 2017.
Early life
Aoife McArdle grew up in Omagh, Northern Ireland.
She studied English Literature and Film at Trinity College, Dublin before going on to complete a Masters in Film & TV production at Bournemouth University. There she specialised in script-writing, directing, cinematography and lighting.
Her first music video as a solo director 'Isles' for Little Comets won Best Music Video at Rushes Soho Shorts in 2011 and was nominated for Best Indie Music Video and Best Editing at the UK Music Video Awards 2011.
Artistic style
Rather than feature the artist performing, her music videos often exist as narrative, short films written to accompany the artist's soundtrack.
She favours street-casting over the traditional method of using trained actors, frequently employing unknowns in the lead roles. Her narratives often centre around youth culture.
McArdle's visual style is characterised by distinctive, exterior locations, long, choreographed tracking and crane shots, low-key lighting and vivid colours. She favours anamorphic lenses and shooting on 35mm film in available light.
Filmography
Feature Films
| 2017 | 'Kissing Candice' | Irish Film Board |
Music videos
| 2015 | 'Every Breaking Wave' | U2 | |
| 2014 | 'Loop De Li' | Bryan Ferry | |
| 2014 | 'Half-Light' | Wilkinson | |
| 2013 | 'Open Eye Signal' | Jon Hopkins | |
| 2013 | 'Red Dust | James Vincent McMorrow | |
| 2013 | 'Glacier' | James Vincent McMorrow | |
| 2013 | 'Cavalier' | James Vincent McMorrow | |
| 2012 | 'Lesson Number Seven' | Clock Opera | |
| 2012 | 'Seraphim' | Simian Mobile Disco | |
| 2011 | 'Desire' | Anna Calvi | |
| 2011 | 'Isles' | Little Comets |
Television commercials
| 2016 | 'Numbers' | Under Armour | |
| 2016 | 'It Comes From Below' | Under Armour | |
| 2016 | 'Raise' | Secret | |
| 2016 | 'The Question' | Secret | |
| 2015 | 'Ignition' | Honda | |
| 2015 | 'See More, Feel More' | Samsung | |
| 2015 | 'Not A Moment Too Soon' | Bulmers | |
| 2014 | 'Street Riders' | Halfords | |
| 2014 | 'Major Moments' | Gaelic Athletic Association/Electric Ireland | |
| 2008 | 'Ideal Man' | GQ Magazine |
Short films
| 2013 | 'Italy, Texas: Wild Souls in the Hot, Blind Earth' | Vice/55DSL | |
| 2013 | 'Beyond the Fervent Heat' | Design Forum |
Awards
- 2016 Nominated for Best Director (X2) and Best Cinematography at Ciclope International Craft Awards for 'Numbers' and 'Prince With 1000 Enemies', Under Armour. [1]
- 2015 Nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Design at Ciclope International Craft Awards for 'Ignition', Honda
- 2015 Nominated for Best Video and Best Cinematography at Camerimage International Film Festival for 'Every Breaking Wave', U2
- 2015 Nominated for Best International Indie/Rock Video, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Editing at UK Music Video Awards for 'Every Breaking Wave', U2
- 2014 Nominated for Best Director at UK Music Video Awards
- 2014 Nominated for Best Video and Best Cinematography at Camerimage International Film Festival for 'Red Dust', James Vincent McMorrow
- 2014 In Book for Cinematography in Music Video for 'Open Eye Signal', Jon Hopkins
- 2013 Winner of Best Cinematography at UK Music Video Awards for 'Open Eye Signal', Jon Hopkins
- 2013 Nominated for Best Alternative Video and Best Telecine at UK Music Video Awards for 'Open Eye Signal', Jon Hopkins
- 2012 Nominated for Best Indie/Rock Video at UK Music Video Awards for 'Lesson No. 7', Clock Opera
- 2011 Winner of Best Music Video at Rushes Soho Shorts for 'Isles', Little Comets
- 2011 Nominated for Best Indie/Rock Video and Best Editing at UK Music Video Awards for 'Isles', Little Comets
- 2009 Winner of Best Commercial at Art Director's Club Paris for 'Ideal Man', GQ Magazine
- 2008 Winner of Bronze Lion at Cannes for 'Ideal Man', GQ Magazine
- Ciclope International Festival of Craft. "2015 Winners". ciclopefestival.com. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- The Creator's Project. "Every Breaking Wave". Vice UK.
- Cameraimage International Film Festival. "Nominations". cameraimage.pl. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- UK Music Video Awards. "Nominations". ukmva.com. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- ^ Behind Magazine. "55DSL present ITALY, TEXAS a movie by Aofie McArdle". behindmagazine.com. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
As a director, Aoife McArdle is part realist, part dreamer with an eye for beautiful imagery. Her directing style blends a documentary-like approach with cool, cinematic visuals and a mesmerising atmosphere. Thanks to a knack for humour and a bonafide love of film and literature, Aoife’s showreel has a healthy dose of wit and the brains to match. Aoife first made her name as a director in the world of commercials, making spots for the likes of Nike, GQ and Becks to name a few, and has so far been decorated with two Clios, a Cannes Lion and an award at The Art Director’s Club in Paris. Since venturing into the music video scene, Aoife has made waves with videos that include a hypnotic promo for Simian Mobile Disco and a stark picture of modern British life for Little Comets, which earned the RSSF Best Music Video title in 2011.