Makers of Ireland

The Dead Rabbit is a celebrated Irish bar in New York, built as a contemporary expression of Irish hospitality, culture and storytelling. Its identity reaches beyond food and drink, with Irish-made furniture, glassware, print, scent and hand-painted details shaping the experience of the bar. Through The Maker Series, TDR turned attention to the six independent makers and small businesses behind these elements, connecting its New York customers with the people, materials and skills of home.

The challenge was to build one coherent series across makers whose crafts, workshops and processes were entirely different. Each film needed to capture specialist work as it unfolded, with little opportunity to repeat or stage key moments, while allowing the personality of each maker to shape the story. The visual language, interview approach and photography also had to remain consistent enough for every chapter to feel part of one wider portrait of contemporary Irish craft.

We created individual documentary films, supported by interviews and campaign photography, spending time inside each workshop to understand the materials, decisions and traditions behind what each maker produced. A shared approach to framing, lighting, sound and pacing held the series together while allowing every craft to retain its own character. Together, the films traced how work created across Ireland found a place within The Dead Rabbit in New York.