I was overall happy with both my groups’ final works. First, we worked throughout the semester to create a 1-hour radio show, that went live to air on RRR. This was incredibly helpful in helping us achieve the studio objectives, in terms of understanding the processes that underpin radio production. Through training and practice sessions at RRR, we were able to refine these skills and learn from our mistakes and feedback as we progressed. Our ultimate show ran fairly smoothly, and I was happy with the content we covered. Our second work, which we were proud of, was our radio feature, a 10-minute piece made for RRR’s audience. Features as a medium can inherently engage audiences more than dialogue-only interviews due to their dynamic texture, incorporating atmospheric sound and music. I feel our sound design used a dynamic texture to maintain engagement.

One of the questions the studio prompt asks is, “…how can we produce compelling content for both ‘live’ broadcast or streaming radio and on-demand listening?” Reflecting on this after our show, I believe our discussions on the environment, urban sustainability, and accessibility are enduring and transferable between both formats. These topics remain relevant because they resonate with the people, particularly the RRR audience. We emphasized community, inclusivity, sustainability, and music in our show, hoping these themes were well-received by the RRR audience. Reflecting on this semester, I’ve realized that compelling radio content centres on topics that matter to the audience. Understanding the Triple R audience, I found they care deeply about community issues, music, art, and their city. Our feature, with its Melbourne-centric approach to a globally relevant issue, appealed to these interests.

While I do feel the future will ensue more on-demand listening than live-to-air radio. There is so much radio content that should be produced live, as a large aspect of radio’s context, is time, with broadcasts reflecting the city’s current mood and needs. However, the feature can be more versatile, working well across platforms and even serving as a time capsule.

If I were to proceed with this project, I’d be keen on crafting an extended rendition. With additional interview recordings featuring Rosie and Mike in our possession, stretching it into a 40-minute segment would afford us to go further into their narratives, integrating other interviews along the way. This expansion would help our portfolios, so hopefully, it’s something we can get done! More specifically, I think we could have incorporated more ‘golden silence’ coupled with impactful excerpts, alongside more sections of atmospheric sound. Further, including more diverse dialogue snippets, such as candid recordings rather than solely relying on structured interviews, would have created a more dynamic texture, facilitating a deeper connection between the audience and our interviewees.

From the ‘Room with A View’ studio, I listened to two groups’ features:

I listened to “Pride” by Will, Ai Lee, and Vivien. Technically, the feature was mixed exceptionally well, with thoughtfully selected band music and pristine sound quality. Theoretically, the storytelling was outstanding, not only in its narration but also in the carefully chosen interview clips that added an emotional depth to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this feature. Further, I feel this feature was well-suited to the Triple R audience, considering its community and music focus.

I also listened to “Teacher Feature” by Clair, Jackie, Phil, and Anusha. Technically, this feature could use some improvement; some interview clips were at different volume levels, causing the audio to feel inconsistent. Additionally, the song choice at the beginning felt overly emotional for a mostly positive opening. Despite these issues, the story behind this feature had great substance, and the group did an impressive job securing a diverse range of interviewees.

 

I also engaged with another studio’s final works, having watched ‘3 Strikes’ a short film made for Visual Blueprint, directed by Elsa Walsh. The studio focuses on creating a short film that emphasizes ‘visual storytelling’ as opposed to simply focusing on a textual narrative. This meant their learning and practice throughout the semester put cinematography, framing, and the ‘show don’t tell’ rule at the forefront. The work ‘3 Strikes’ exhibited unique and cohesive cinematography, maintaining a consistent style throughout. One a technical level, the colour grading was particularly impressive, showcasing a vibrant, colourful aesthetic. Practical filmmaking skills were evident with high-quality footage, smooth tracking shots, and clean sound. The visual language effectively adhered to the ‘show, don’t tell’ principle. Characters were developed through mannerisms, outfits, and the composition of their homes rather than dialogue, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of visual storytelling. I thoroughly enjoyed this work and was super impressed with its adherence to the course concepts.