Home of the Year – Series 8 (RTÉ / ShinAwiL, 2022)
Role: Production Assistant & Photo Editor
Produced by: ShinAwiL for RTÉ One
Filmed: October 2021 – Early 2022 | Aired: 2022
While working on Dancing with the Stars, I split my time in office during the week on Home of the Year. The eighth season began filming around October 2021 and aired in 2022. With a new judge joining the panel, I helped film and edit interview trials for the producers and RTÉ, much like my work on DWTS.
Before and during filming, I supported the research and casting process by helping to find potential homes on Instagram, contacting architectural firms, and dropping Home of the Year flyers into houses that caught my eye. I also designed the application posters and assisted with background checks for shortlisted participants.
On shoot days, I worked as an extra pair of hands, helping with data wrangling and bringing footage to the post house. Once editing began, I managed the music cue sheets for both Home of the Year and Dancing with the Stars, logging song titles, writers, composers, and durations. I also edited bonus clips requested by the producer for RTÉ and social media.
A highlight was editing all the exterior house photos and portraits of homeowners for the season. On one occasion, I even took the exterior photos myself, editing them in my car and sending them straight to the producer. Later in the series, I got to edit photos for three finalist homes, learning to replicate the show photographer, Joe McCallion’s style. I also created the collages used to showcase each property on air during the finals.
The finals took place at the stunning Palmerstown House Estate in Kildare, where I came down with one of the worst illnesses I’ve ever had. Somehow, I made it through filming before seeing a Doc on Call who would prescribe me some of the strongest antibiotics I have ever taken. Looking back, those 2 days still feel like a fever dream, but the show went on.
Home of the Year gave me a broader understanding of how research, production, and post all connect, and it strengthened my confidence in both creative and technical roles within a fast-moving TV environment. Also something I worked on was on TV!!!!
