In Focus: Andrew Clancy responsible for viral video 'A Year in New York' - VIDEO

After living in New York for a year, Kilkenny native Andrew Clancy compiled a montage of the video footage he had captured of some of the city’s most iconic aspects. Hours after uploading A Year in New York to the Internet, the video went viral and has clocked up over half a million views to date.

 

“I'm a director, cameraman and editor. Sometimes people need all three from me, sometimes it's just the one or two. I'm involved in music videos, promotional videos and hopefully, down the line, commercials and films.”

 

“I'm from the land of hurling giants, Kilkenny. I'm in between places at the moment. I've been in Ireland since September 2011 but I'm came back to New York in January 2012.”

 

“I moved to New York in May 2010 on a yearlong internship visa. I was in college during the boom and thought it'd be a possible option. By the time I'd finished college it had become more of a necessity than an option, but still one I was happy to do. I did some interning as an editor, mostly for Apostle Pictures, Denis Leary's production company, a well known Irish American and nice guy.”

_____________

 

READ MORE:

 

“While I was interning and trying to keep my head above water, in my spare time I'd have my camera by my side and I'd film the life going on around me. It was meant to be a summer-long thing, a video to show friends and family where I was living and what I was seeing.

 

“But I got busy with New York and I kept filming for the year as it was easier than sitting down for a few weeks to edit it. I finally finished it and put it online on October 26, and the response has been overwhelming, I wasn't expecting anything like it. It has also opened up work doors for me, and I'm chatting to people now that I thought I'd only be talking to in another few years.”

 

“The response is that people find it uplifting and emotional. James Vincent McMorrow's brilliant song helped hugely too. I was so surprised by the emails from complete strangers saying nice things about the video. It was flattering that they took the time to look up my email and write something to me. They said to me it was life affirming.

 

“An especially nice email was from an Irish American cop who comes from a family of New York police men and women. He said the video reminds him why he does what he does, why he serves New York.”

 

“What surprised me most was how hard New York is. It's a grind. But the other surprise was how friendly people are, the comradeship between New Yorkers. The latter helps me deal with the former. “

 

“To be a successful director in feature films is my dream job.”

 

Here, watch Clancy's viral YouTube video: