A local production partner on the ground in Ireland, with locations, permits, crew and the daily fixing that keeps a shoot moving. Plain-English guide to what an Irish fixer actually does, and when you need one.
The word "fixer" gets used loosely across the production world. In Ireland it covers two related roles. On smaller content, fashion and stills shoots it often means one operator with deep local relationships running the whole production. On larger TVCs, features and TV drama it means a service production company with a producer, production manager, location manager, coordinator and accounts function, all reporting to a single principal contact. IrelandFixer covers both modes, scaling the team to the brief rather than the other way around.
Pre-production starts with the brief and a fast turn on feasibility. Where the script or treatment lands, what dates work, what locations could carry the story, what crew tiers are realistic, what the permits and lead times look like, what the Irish costs really are. Within 48 to 72 hours of a clear brief we come back with a costed approach and a location-and-crew direction. From there pre-pro runs in the usual cadence: scout, locks, contracts, permits, kit, transport, accommodation, schedule, call sheets.
On the shoot, the fixer is the production's hands and feet. Permits in place. Crew on the call sheet. Locations open. Transport rolling. Food on time. Decisions made without escalating unless escalation is needed. This is the unglamorous middle bit that producers in London, New York, LA or Sydney do not want to be doing at 6 am Irish time from a hotel in a different timezone.
The right time to engage a fixer is the moment Ireland is on the shortlist. We can give a sense-check on feasibility and budget direction at that point without committing either side. Once Ireland is locked, the earlier the better. Pre-production windows are where fixers earn their fee, by securing locations before they get booked elsewhere, pulling crew on the right dates, getting council and Garda paperwork moving inside their actual timelines (some council notices are statutorily 21 days), and finding the right local supplier for whatever oddity the brief throws up.
Late engagement still works. Most fixer work in the content and TVC world runs on tighter windows than feature drama. The trade-off is fewer options, particularly for premium locations and senior crew during a busy run. We will tell you what is still possible on the timeline and what is not.
The fee covers the fixer team and overheads. It does not include the production budget itself: crew rates, location fees, kit hire, transport, accommodation, per diems, F&B, insurance and contingency are quoted at cost and run through the production. Smaller shoots run on a day rate plus expenses. Larger ones run on a percentage of below-the-line, or a fixed scope-based fee where the scope is well-defined. We quote in plain numbers against your actual brief, with no markup-on-markup and no padding.
Ireland-wide. Dublin is the most common base for international shoots, and we have a dedicated Dublin film fixer guide covering city-specific permits and neighbourhoods. Outside Dublin, the most-requested regions are County Wicklow (Wicklow Mountains National Park, Glendalough, the coast at Bray and Greystones), Galway and Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher and County Clare, the Ring of Kerry and Skellig coast, Donegal and the northwest, and the Wild Atlantic Way corridor running the full west of the island. See the Irish locations overview for a region-by-region breakdown.
IrelandFixer is one of three territories in HiJack Production Services. The other two are FixerSydney in Australia and ScottishFixer in Scotland. Productions running shoots across two or three of those territories get a single principal contact and consistent delivery standards, with local teams on the ground in each. That matters when a global brand campaign needs Ireland and Scotland in one schedule, or when a series is splitting locations between Ireland and Sydney for tax or creative reasons.
Plain version: A fixer is the person you call when you do not have time to learn how Irish councils issue permits, do not know which Galway gaffer is free that week, and do not want to be the one explaining to a landowner why your DP needs the gate open at 4 am. We do all of that, and we keep you out of the weeds.
What is a film fixer in Ireland?
The local production partner an international production hires to deliver a shoot in Ireland. Locations, permits, crew, transport, accommodation, Garda and council liaison, and on-day fixing.
When should I hire one?
As early as Ireland enters your shortlist. Pre-production is where the fee is earned.
What does a fixer cost?
Day rate plus expenses for small shoots; production services fee or percentage of below-the-line for larger productions.
Fixer vs service production company?
Same family of roles. On small jobs one person does it; on big jobs a full team does it. IrelandFixer scales between both.
Do you work outside Dublin?
Yes. Ireland-wide, with Wicklow, Galway, Connemara, Cork, Kerry, Clare, Donegal and the Wild Atlantic Way among our most-worked regions.
Northern Ireland?
Yes, on cross-border jobs. Northern Ireland Screen, Belfast city, Causeway Coast.
Can you source crew short-notice?
Yes for content and TVC work, with caveats around very busy weeks for senior crew during major drama production runs.
Will you handle Section 481?
On qualifying film, TV drama, animation or creative documentary, yes. See the Section 481 Ireland guide.
Who is the on-day point of contact?
The IrelandFixer principal or production manager assigned to the job. One number, one inbox.
Why IrelandFixer specifically?
Irish citizen founder, working network on the ground in Ireland, single principal across three territories, no layered account management.
Send a paragraph: format, indicative dates, where in Ireland, scale. We will come back fast with a feasibility read and a route to a costed approach.
Or call +44 7572 373 849.