By Declan Tierney

A visit to his Alma Mater was the inspiration for a County Galway comedian to make a short film which is now one of the eight finalists in RTÉ’s online drama competition, Storyland.

Since he was 18 years old Giles Brody from Athenry has been doing stand up comedy and was actually one of the founders of the NUIG Comedy Society.

Storyland provides aspiring film makers with the opportunity to display their talents on RTÉ’s website and Giles has obviously impressed the judges with his first instalment of Student/Teacher, which is loosely based on his days attending Presentation College, Athenry.

Storyland presents eight new comedy series, and asks the public to vote for their favourite. The webisodes that get most votes are commissioned to make another episode, and so on, through to the final.

Voting has already commenced for this week and will conclude on Sunday evening. It can be done by logging on to the show on Facebook. If Giles gets through to the next round, it will provide him the opportunity to make a second episode of Student/Teacher.

The six-minute pilot episode is a comedy about a young man named Conor Shaw (played by Conor O’Toole, an up-and-coming Dublin comedian) who leaves school when he’s 15 to get a teaching degree but then finds out he can only get a job in his old oddball school, teaching his old class who all hate him.

An impressive cast has been assembled for the short film including his good friend and Athenry native, Neil Molloy who famously made the Hop Inn videos for the pub that he owns in the town and now appears in The Republic of Telly.

The short film also has Kevin McGahern of Hardy Bucks, a show which was spawned from this RTÉ competition, while the music has been written by Tuam native Brian Kelly who plays with the band So Cow.

“I have the scrip for the second episode written and submitted to RTÉ and now all I want is the opportunity to make it and that is where the public come in”, says Giles. The first part is currently online and can be viewed on the RTÉ website, he adds.

It is the only show from the province to make it to the last eight and the cast and crew are bringing a version of it to schools and colleges in the hope of drumming up support. Six of the eight remaining entries will make it through to the next round.

Giles paid tribute to the Principal of Presentation College, Athenry, Gerry Doherty for allowing him to make the short film in the school
Student/Teacher can be viewed by visiting rte/storyland. The public can vote logging on to the Facebook page www.facebook.com/studentteachershow