SEANCHAÍ  STUDIO

The Whole Story

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I am a writer, director and visual storyteller.  Seanchai Studios is the creative hub for my work in film, fiction and journalism. 

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I published my first article, a story about the Troubles in Northern Ireland, when I was 19, in an  alternative weekly newspaper. After graduating from college with a B.A. in Journalism and Broadcasting, I landed a job as a reporter at a small daily newspaper in Northern California, where I covered exciting topics like town council meetings and local robberies. 

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I moved to Seattle, where I wrote for the Seattle Weekly and other regional publications.  After a few years of struggling to make ends meet in the already-changing print news environment, I took a job at Microsoft as a Creative Director, and publisher and editor of their in-house magazines, while continuing to write for the Seattle Weekly on the side. 

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Then came MSN news, a then-fledgling on-line news site run out of Microsoft, where I took the role  the Arts and Entertainment Editor and Producer.   I covered film, visual arts and music, including live coverage of the Billboard Music Awards and the Academy Awards. When Microsoft decided to launch a new joint venture with NBC news, called MSNBC, I was tapped to act as a “cultural bridge” between technology geeks and skeptical, non-technical, network news types.  While there, I co-produced the first live interactive interview with then-president Bill Clinton, where we took questions over an internet chat. I also wrote and produced other interactive field reporting, including a remote broadcast segment called Ireland Today, producing stories on the culture, language and politics of Ireland.  After leaving MSNBC I continued to freelance for the network, where I produced on-site multi day coverage of the Burning Man festival and other stories.

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My love of film and storytelling drew me to UCLA where I completed the Professional Program in Screenwriting at UCLA.  The first screenplay I penned won first place in the program's screenwriting competition.  Producer interest and a number of awards, including from the Austin Film Festival, Jackson Hole Film festival and others, would follow along with several other pilots and screenplays. During this time I also provided script coverage and analysis for Hollywood producers.

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I returned to where I started, the world of alternative journalism.  I took the Editor in Chief helm of the Southern California-based Ventura County Reporter, where I spearheaded investigative environmental reportage.  A series of articles published under my guidance helped save the sprawling Ahmanson Ranch acreage from development.  After leaving the Reporter, I continued to freelance, and co-wrote environmental reporting for the Pasadena Weekly, LA City Beat and Valley Beat, and other outlets. Shortly after, I wrote my first non-fiction book, a lighthearted guide to dating as a single mom, which was published by Berkeley’s Ten Speed Press, a division of Crown Publishing.

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In addition to my degree in Journalism and Broadcasting, and completion of the screenwriting program at UCLA, I hold an MBA in Sustainability, which reflects my strong interest in the natural environment and organic farming. I have several creative projects in various stages of development. If you’re interested in knowing more about my work, I’d love to connect with you.

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Sharon (Searán) McKenna

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P.S. My birth name is Sharon but my Father wanted me to have a traditional Irish name.  I sometimes write under the Irish version of Sharon, which is Searán, in remembrance of him.