Kieran Walsh
Director, Crossroads Films

KieranWalsh's background furnished him with scant fodder for capturing family drama. Growing up the fourth of six children on the austere Maine landscape, Kieran is the only son of Irish parents. From an early age, his parents taught him to appreciate the arts: his mother introducing him to the works of painter Andrew Wyeth, his father encouraging him to view the work of fellow countryman and QUIET MAN director, John Ford. After attending Columbia College (of Columbia University) in New York, where he attended multiple university theatre workshops, Kieran moved to Los Angeles hoping to work as a stage actor, but wound up landing work as a production assistant on music videos instead. After completing two spec spots in 1995, he signed with production company, MJZ, and started to direct commercials. After six years with MJZ, Walsh began looking for opportunities with smaller companies -- ultimately joining Chelsea Pictures in the year 2000. His work on behalf of ESPN, HSBC, Coke, Jameson and a number of other international companies has earned him much notoriety, including selection as one of the top
live-action directors in a special report on directing talent in an international publication, as well as showcases of individual spots in most every journal covering the advertising industry. Kieran explores the scripts he receives like a method-schooled actor, creating reality within the characters through subtext and back-story. "I like the challenge of giving the emotional connection between the characters and the viewer a voyeuristic quality and resonance. The audience is smarter than we give them credit for and the job of the director and agency is to support an idea through authenticity or they (the audience) will change the channel." Walsh signed with Crossroads Films in 2005, where he is repped by Tanya Cohen on the west coast, Sharon Lew on the east coast and Helen O¹Brien and Janice Harryman in the Midwest.