Early Life: A Childhood Filled With Stories

Jordan Murshed grew up in a home where storytelling was part of the daily rhythm. Films played constantly, Dirty Dancing, Goodfellas, Jeepers Creepers, A Nightmare on Elm Street, a mix of genres that shaped his imagination early. His sister’s love of supernatural TV shows like Buffy and Charmed added another layer of influence.

But film wasn’t his only gateway into narrative. Jordan was a devoted hip-hop fan and a passionate follower of professional wrestling. In the interview he shared:

“Hip-hop was about voice and personal storytelling, and wrestling was built around character and conflict… those were my first real influences.”

These early interests taught him how stories move, how characters evolve, and how emotion is built, long before he ever picked up a camera.

Discovering Filmmaking and Choosing IADT

Jordan’s first hands-on experience came during the early YouTube era. With friends, he wrote scripts, shot sketches, and edited videos, learning by doing. A low-budget Cork indie film, Steamin’ and Dreamin’: The Grandmaster Cash Story, became a turning point:

“I remember watching it and thinking, wait, anybody can do this.”

From that moment, filmmaking felt accessible, possible, real.  This realisation came full circle as last year Jordan had the chance to meet with Shaun O’Connor, the director of the film and tell him that film was one of the reasons he became a filmmaker. 

“Looking back now, it makes sense that I’ve ended up working across writing, directing, development and sound. What fascinated me wasn’t just watching films, it was understanding how stories worked and how all the different creative disciplines come together to tell them. That’s something that’s still at the heart of everything I do today.”

When it came time to choose a college, Jordan had only one destination in mind: IADT’s National Film School.

“To me, this was the place to learn. I wanted practical experience, not just theory.”

At IADT, Jordan immersed himself in every department, writing, directing, development, and sound. He was part of the first cohort to use the new HD studio, worked with Arri Alexas and 16mm film, and mixed audio on professional-grade desks. What surprised Jordan the most was just how much responsibility that you were given.  You were expected to learn by doing and had access to incredible facilities and equipment.  The hands-on environment shaped his philosophy:

“Every department exists to serve the story. The more you understand each one, the better filmmaker you become.”

Like many aspiring filmmakers, Jordan entered IADT convinced he would major in Directing. Over time, however, his perspective shifted.

Screenwriting became his major, not because he abandoned directing, but because he wanted to strengthen the foundation beneath it, believing that becoming a stronger writer would ultimately make him a stronger director. Sound became his minor, building on years of musical experience and giving him a unique creative edge.

“At IADT I became one of "the sound guys". People would come to me to record sound on their films because, understandably, most people don't go to film school thinking they want to specialise in sound.

But that's where I really came to appreciate how important it is. Sound is one of the least visible departments, yet it has one of the biggest impacts on how an audience experiences a story.

Today I know I'm a better writer and director because I've spent years working in sound. I'm constantly thinking about practical things like blocking, performance, coverage, acoustics and what will actually work in the edit. It completely changed the way I approach filmmaking.”

He also credits IADT’s lecturers, Paul Freeney, Rónán Ó’Muirthile, Jean Rice, and Barry Dignam, for their support, encouragement, and belief in his potential. Their influence still guides him today.

“I think the biggest thing I took away from IADT wasn't just technical skills, it was the importance of curiosity and collaboration. We were encouraged to throw ourselves into every department, solve problems together and keep learning. That's something I still carry with me.  I still think of myself as a student of filmmaking and feel like it’s something I’ll be studying for the rest of my life.”

Building a Multidisciplinary Career

After graduating, Jordan kept his head down and focused on building a career across multiple disciplines, working with organisations including RTÉ, TG4, Deadpan Pictures, Virgin Media, Marks & Spencer and Screen Ireland, while continuing to develop his own original work. His sound background made him a go-to collaborator, while his writing and directing continued to evolve through work across commercials, television and scripted projects.

Earlier this year, Jordan wrote, directed and produced his short film, The Comeback, bringing together everything he had spend the previous decade learning across writing, directing and sound.   The crew included several IADT alumni, making the project a particularly meaningful one.

“It was special. We’d all gone our separate ways, built our own careers, and then came back together to make something we all cared about.”

Development came later through opportunities like Video Nasty, script reading and working with writers. That gave Jordan an entirely different perspective on storytelling before a project ever reaches production. 

Alongside this, Jordan has continued to develop his own writing through initiatives including the National Talent Academy Writers' Club and Screen Cork's The Hive, experiences that have further strengthened both his writing and script development practice.

Jordan’s multidisciplinary approach, writing, directing, sound, development, has become his signature. He sees technical knowledge and creativity as inseparable:

“Technical knowledge gives you creative freedom. The more you understand the practical realities, the freer you can be with your ideas.”

Crewless: A New Chapter in Collaboration

Jordan is an active user of Crewless, the Irish-built platform designed to connect filmmakers, crew, and creatives. His career, rooted in collaboration, community, and multidisciplinary work, aligns perfectly with Crewless’s mission.

“I first came across Crewless while looking for ways to connect with more filmmakers around Ireland. One of the challenges when you're starting out is that your network can feel quite local, whereas filmmaking is such a collaborative industry. Crewless seemed like a straightforward way to showcase my experience, discover projects and meet people I otherwise probably wouldn't have crossed paths with.”

Jordan emphasises the importance of having a strong online presence. Producers and collaborators often look you up before they ever get in touch, so having platforms like Crewless alongside your own website and professional profiles makes it much easier for people to understand who you are and what you do. 

IADT is proud to highlight Jordan as part of our upcoming partnership with Crewless, a platform that helps filmmakers find work, build their careers and grow their professional networks. IADT alumni can avail of six months free membership if they are registered on the alumni portal. 

Find out more about the partnership:

Jordan’s journey shows exactly why this partnership matters: the people you meet, the networks you build, and the collaborations you form can shape your entire career.

Looking Ahead

Jordan continues to push forward: writing, directing, producing music, and expanding his creative toolkit. He’s driven by curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to lifelong learning:

“I still consider myself a student. I’m always trying to learn more.”

Over the past few years Jordan has been investing heavily in developing his own original work.  In 2025 he was selected as a finalist at the FÍS TV Summit Pitching Competition with his comedy drama series, it takes two.

“More recently I wrote and directed The Comeback which so far is doing well on its international festival run, we were nominated for best short film and best original score at the International Sound Film & Music Festival (ISF&MF) in Croatia and have been officially selected as part of the Paladino d’Oro Sport Silm Festival in Palermo Sicily in December so following on from that I'd love to continue building those kinds of character-driven stories.”

Advice for film students and emerging filmmakers

“I've spent the last decade trying to understand filmmaking from as many perspectives as possible, because I believe every discipline makes me a better storyteller. I'd encourage people not to specialise too early.

It's great to know what you want to do, but some of the most valuable lessons come from working in other departments. Understanding writing has made me a better director. Working in sound has made me think differently about directing. Script development has made me much more critical of my own writing.

The more you understand how every department contributes to a film, the better collaborator you'll become.

I'd also say don't wait for permission to make things. Some of the biggest steps in my career have come from creating my own work, whether that's writing scripts, making short films or collaborating with friends. Every project teaches you something, and you never really stop learning.”

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