Regenerating and reinvigorating storytelling with AFTRS

This Thursday June 25 the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) will host its sixth annual Digital Futures Summit, exploring the theme of Regenerate.

The event is free and interactive, bringing together screen and audio industry leaders, educators and policymakers for three online sessions which you can register to attend here.

A perfect example of creative regeneration, across audio and screen, is currently studying her Graduate Diploma in Radio & Podcasting with AFTRS. Felicity Weaver (pictured) is also the recent recipient of the Glenn Daniel Smooth FM Scholarship.

Before I get to how I first discovered Felicity via alpaca spit, she described herself as the person who has grown up around ABC radio demographics, from triple j to Double J, ABC Radio Sydney to Radio National. She adored James Valentine and his ability to make the mundane funny and interesting and to make all guests worthy and welcome.

She was in the car one morning soon after his death, when she heard his voice again on the radio, in a feature piece of some of his magic moments on air. It caught her off guard, and she started sobbing assuming that she could let it all out and no one would be any the wiser.

But at the traffic lights the young guy pulled up alongside of her wound down his window at yelled to her. She looked over and this dear man asked if she was okay. She told him that it was just hearing James Valentine again on the radio and, as the lights turned green, he nodded and said, ‘as long as you are okay.’

That whole story affirmed my faith in people and the power of audio. I think it would have moved James too.

Felicity’s background is film – starting as a sound recorder and camera operator, then a production coordinator, before writing and directing her own short film. She has worked with Channel 10, Seven, SBS, the ABC and even on Star Wars – Attack of the Clones.

After taking time of to raise a family, Felicity thought she’d return to work somewhere in the TV and film space and returned to study to upskill. During her Advanced Diploma of Screen & Media at TAFE she got to play in the audio space:

“I feel a little sad that it took so long to get here, because there is so much magic about it. I’m an auditory person. When I’m learning, it’s much easier for me to be having conversations with people rather than reading books and I’m just so curious about everything.”

She started volunteering with 2SER, and FBi Radio where, via All The Best, she was able to start exploring the construction of audio soundscapes. Below Felicity takes you under the sea. She is also a volunteer surf life saver.

This year saw Felicity commence at AFTRS, immersed in the radio and podcasting space. I discovered her while following the students’ Show Radio feed. Each year they do two weeks from the Sydney Royal Easter Show, often the first taste of live recording and on-air the cohort have done. They interview all manner of humans whether they are part of the show exhibitions in some way, or happy patrons wandering around. AFTRS’ students have broadcast from the show for more than 30 years.

Felicity stood out because of the questions she asked, like what is a cow, that I thought I knew the answer to, but didn’t.

I also had no idea that alpaca spit would be so stinky!

Vox pops tend to be like coriander. People either love or hate it – there is no middle ground. Sarah Patterson here at Radio Today recently shared her own memories of having to do them, that were also farm animal related. That got quite a response – including a Why I Love Vox Pops reply from ABC Melbourne reporter Kate Meade.

My first impression of Felicity was that there wasn’t a vox pop she didn’t like either.

When I spoke to her, it got even better, because she couldn’t imagine anyone not getting a total buzz from going up to strangers and getting cool responses to questions, or totally unexpected audio that value added to a program.

“Show Radio is an intense experience, but such a great way to learn. Feedback from my air checkers was that I’m a really good listener.

I might only have a couple of questions written down when I meet someone. I’m just trying to make them feel welcome. Once we’re on, I just forget everything that’s happening around me. I forget that I’m on a ride. I just have a chat and I’m listening so intently to what they’re saying that I don’t think about the questions I’ve asked. I think about what they’re saying and pick up on it and then go in that direction with them.

Field reporting was so fun. I learned the lesson that when you stop recording and you keep on speaking, a lot of the really good bits happens then. Being able to grab that, and talk a little bit more, because they feel comfortable enough to tell you the really interesting stuff.”

No fear, just joy and filled with human connection and engagement. This pivot to audio for Felicity is an antidote to AI and her own rebuild of the benefits of one on one and collective story telling.

The AFTRS’ Digital Future Summit has a similar thread, first up of the three online sessions, Worldbuilding – Restoring Collective Storytelling, from 12 noon AEST, that is followed by Ancestral to Artificial Intelligence: Reclaiming Human Creativity at 1:30pm andScreen Producers’ Next Era of Creative Possibility and Renewal at 2:50pm. The session are FREE to attend but you need to register.

And, if you’re interested in radio and podcasting (live broadcasting and vox pops) you can find out more about AFTRS’ Graduate Diploma in Radio and Podcasting here.

Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster.

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