AIDC Podcasts

In this revealing panel discussion, the filmmakers behind acclaimed feature

documentary Sherpa explore the process of creating a film in the aftermath of

unexpected disaster.

Director, writer and co-producer Jennifer Peedom (Miracle on Everest, Solo), editor

Christian Gazal (Happy Feet, The Little Death) and producers Bridget Ikin (An Angel

at My Table, Look Both Ways) and John Smithson (Touching the Void, 127 Hours)

give their account of how an avalanche that killed 16 sherpas on Everest gave rise to

a story different to what they originally planned to tell. Analysing the challenges they

faced in capturing it, the panel uncover the creative, physical and emotional effort

that goes into making a successful theatrical documentary.

Speakers: Jennifer Peedom, Bridget Ikin, Christian Gazal and John Smithson

AIDC 2016 Sherpa Masterclass Podcast

Screenrights is the not for profit collecting society for the Australian and New

Zealand screen industry. It collects licence fees related to the use of broadcast

programs and distributes the money to rights-holders. Screenrights licensees include

Government, Educational institutions and Pay TV operators.

2015 marked an eventful year for Screenrights. In addition to relaunching its

Disbursement Service, Screenrights negotiated licences with Australian schools and

universities, and advocated for a simplification of the Copyright Act.

In this session, Screenrights representatives update AIDC attendees on progress

across these fronts and answer questions about their work in the year ahead

Speakers: Simon Lake (CEO, Screenrights), Emma Madison (Head of Member

Relations, Screenrights) and Veronica Fury (Producer, WildBear Entertainment)

Host: Ruari Elkington

AIDC 2016 Conversation With Screenrights Podcast

In 2015, a number of very high profile blockbuster documentaries or docbusters showed cinema managers and audiences that it is possible to lure patrons to the cinema in large numbers to experience non-fiction feature length films.

The rise and rise of cinema on demand as a way to de-risk the decision to screen documentaries in the cinema has also meant that many more films have a shot at drawing audiences (in large numbers) to the cinema.

This session looks at the financial model of cinema on demand and what it takes, in general, to mount a successful theatrical release using crowd-sourced audiences and discuss in particular what it took to make two films – Graceful Girls and Black Hole –two of 2015’s docbusters.

Speakers: David Doepel (Managing Director Leap Frog Films and TUGG Australia &amp;

NZ), Olivia Peniston-Bird (Producer, Writer and Director of Graceful Girls) and Joao

Dujon Pereira (Producer, Writer and Director of Black Hole)

Host: Roy Ackerman (Pulse Films UK)

AIDC 2016 Docbusters Podcast

Prison Songs is an award-winning documentary musical made by WA filmmakers Kelrick Martin and Harry Bardwell, working in association with Indigenous singer/songwriter Shellie Morris and acclaimed British documentary maker, and pioneer of the documentary musical form, Brian Hill.

It is a real musical set in a very real situation, and like any musical it uses the expressive qualities of music, songs and dance to communicate intimacy and conviction, giving it an emotional resonance unfamiliar to conventional documentary forms.

In this session, Prison Songs forms the basis of a case study in documentary musicals, acting as a launching point to illuminate elements like structure, casting, musical composition and intended impact.

Speakers: Kelrick Martin (Director), Harry Bardwell (Producer) and Shellie Morris and Casey Bennetto (Composers) 
Host: Leanne Pooley


AIDC 2016 Musical Documentary Podcast

How local AR/VR producers can use the global market
VR Plus
Have you heard? By 2020, revenue from Augmented/Virtual Reality is forecast to reach $160 billion. Obviously there has never been a better time to get involved. But what does this mean for AR/VR documentary producers based in Australia? 
With so much investment funding and resources overseas, what is the best way to tap into them? What are the best new global platforms? And what does producing – not to mention distribution – even look like? For many Australians, the answers to these questions continue to lie in collaborating and co-producing internationally, working with funding bodies and initiatives beyond our borders. 
In this session, successful Australian AR/VR producers Katy Morrison (VRTOV) and Melanie Horkan (Fathom Film Group) will discuss moving into the international arena in order to create content. Drawing on their own professional experiences and insights, they will provide expert perspectives on how the Australian industry can maximise creativity and opportunity here at home.

Northern Exposure AIDC 2017

Alternative Pathways to an Infinite Audience

The fast-changing evolution of the distribution landscape is one of the most vexing and unnerving issues facing the screen industry today. New and fragmented consumer practices have severely disrupted the domination of the traditional release chain, while a deluge of cheap digital content erodes the profitability of alternative revenue streams. 
In this increasingly crowded market, competing for eyeballs – and distribution dollars – has never been tougher for independent documentaries, no matter the form. But is the news all bad? In an adapt-or-die scenario, filmmakers are getting creative. Crowdsourcing, “event” screenings, on-demand and multi-platform releases, as well as a host of clever campaign and social media strategies are just some of the ways filmmakers are shining a light on their work and breaking new ground. 
In this session, we draw on the lessons of two very different productions – webseries Black As (David Batty, 2016) and feature documentary Chasing Asylum (Eva Orner, 2016) – to posit the question: can we turn challenge into opportunity?

Desperately Seeking Distribution AIDC 2017

Filmmakers, their funders, sales agencies, PR firms, and festivals are all increasingly invested in knowing how exactly films can make social change - that is, "impact," for short.
This is a unique moment as the sector is still in the early stages of defining itself, its terms, language, best practice, expectations and how it understands change and success.
But how shall we measure impact, and who should do it? How can we make impact align with our goals, rather than having neoliberal and market values dominate?
What do we do when projects don't have the impact we sought? Funders only want the good news, but the field only grows when we learn from experience. How do we leverage our short term gains to make long term change?
When are our "impact media" projects over - when the film is done, when the change happens, or when our communities take over the movement?
Our panelists, drawn from across the spectrum of this burgeoning field, tackle the tough questions and respond to yours, as we all try to make and be the difference we want to see.

One Film To Save The World AIDC 2017

Kids are living the content dream. As viewers, they demand content streamed direct to their personal devices wherever they are, whenever they want it. As creators they are prolific - shooting, editing and sharing films with friends and family from wherever they are, as often as they are allowed! 
So how is the kids domestic and international marketplace responding to this desire for watching and creating content? What opportunities are there for factual filmmakers to create and deliver content to a young audience that is increasingly streaming anytime, anywhere?
ABC Children’s Commissioning Editor Libbie Doherty will provide an introductory snapshot of the ambitious, startling, challenging and authentic kids factual trending in the international landscape. Libbie will discuss the ABC’s commissioning wish-list and explain the parameters of working with ABC Children’s. 
Joining Libbie on the panel are Laura Waters and Karla Burt of Princess Productions, the producers of the ground-breaking format My Year 12 Life. They will discuss the ethics of working with children as content creators, and the key pointers for collaborating with teenagers and maximising their media skills.

Kids In Control  AIDC 2017

The world is entering a new era with hacking, targeted use of social media and ‘fake news’ challenging our ideas of the role of media in a democracy, and many hard fought social justice gains coming under attack. 
In this context the role and responsibilities of media makers and technologists becomes critically important - particularly in challenging the emboldening of sexist and racist ideas.
How as makers do we avoid perpetuating these divisive narratives by the way we build our projects or use platforms? How do we step up, build trust and ensure our process and our content encourages human connection and genuinely harnesses the potential of media impact for good?
In this AIDC Impact strand keynote, filmmaker, technologist and creator of the Circle of 6 mobile app, Nancy Schwartzman will showcase creative approaches she has developed to challenge notions of neutrality in technology, and to use the power of story for good.

Impact Keynote Gender Tech Resistance AIDC 2017

After the stunning success of Netflix’s Making a Murderer and HBO’s The Jinx, it seems that true crime is on the mind of every TV commissioning editor the world over. These two shows are just the tip of the iceberg of an amazing array of documentary, factual and unscripted programming that are drawing in big business and big bucks for producers and broadcasters alike. Internationally, unscripted series such as 60 Days In are capturing audiences in unprecedented numbers. Locally, the success of programs like Conviction (ABC) and Deep Water (SBS) reveal that local commissioners can explore Australia’s most unsettling crimes to great acclaim. 
The verdict is in: True Crime is hot, and we want more of it. So how can producers tap into this trend and make successful and engaging content? What are broadcasters looking for? And how can we keep the genre fresh and exciting while remaining respectful to the subjects and stories we seek to tell? True Crime All the Time will canvass all of these questions – and more.

True Crime All The Time AIDC 2017

When documentary and fiction collide, these films, and their creators, challenge conventions of how we tell, and how we respond to stories on screen. These are the films that grow between the cracks of narrative and documentary.  
They are not without their detractors, but increasingly, such innovative forms of filmmaking are opening up new platforms for filmmakers to exhibit their work and entice new audiences. 
In this session, ACMI’s Head of Film Programs, James Hewison, leads panelists in an intimate discussion, tracing this emerging form, and discuss ing their recent works that have embraced ambiguity and difference in the search for alternative forms of story-telling.

This Is Not A Documentary AIDC 2017

At a time when fake news is said to have helped swing an election result, finding varied and reliable sources of information has never been more important. But with traditional broadcast platforms under siege from a slew of digital competitors expanding at a rate of knots, how do we ensure the integrity of storytelling in our post truth world?
With social media posts and audience comment providing a constant feedback loop for the creation of their short form content, organisations like Buzzfeed can quickly rack up global audience numbers that most broadcasters and long form filmmakers can only dream about – think the Standing Rock Protest in the US - and they can also get their material out there far faster than long form filmmakers ever could. The traditionalists might argue that the short form model doesn’t provide for the context and rigorous examination that their subjects require. But are they doing themselves a disservice by ignoring what’s going on in the digital space and missing an opportunity to add vital weapons to their storytelling arsenal?
In this session, Nicola Harvey (Managing Editor, Buzzfeed Australia) joins award-winning director Anna Broinowski (Pauline Hanson: Please Explain!) and journalist Matt Davis (Foreign Correspondent) to explore the connection between social media and the political documentary and discuss how important the viral video can be to short AND long form video journalism.

Political Documentary In A Post AIDC 2017

No network – commercial or otherwise – has fully escaped being the centre of some kind of public outrage and disgust over the last few years. But is audience provocation in the factual space really such a bad thing? In the competitive world of television, a parade of “ground-breaking social experiments” are just some of the ways that networks can make their mark. 
Adrian Swift (Head of Content Production and Development, Nine Network) is no stranger to contentious factual programming. From Married at First Sight’s charges of sneaky producers and “unreality tv” to The Briefcase’s “poverty porn”, he has navigated public outcry and heated debate on more than one occasion. 
In exclusive one-on-one conversation, Adrian Swift shares with Denise Eriksen his unorthodox approach to creating controversial shows, considering what works, what doesn’t, and how far is too far when trying to capture an audience.

Stirring The Pot AIDC 2017

Masterclass with the creative team behind podcast Trace

Despite the global success of podcasts like Serial, the team behind Trace didn’t set out to emulate other popular true crime podcasts. Trace had a different ambition, chiefly to find justice and truth for the sons of Maria James, who was murdered nearly 38 years ago.

In this masterclass, the journalist, producer and sound designer will break down how they created ABC’s first ‘true crime’ podcast; from distilling a 16 month investigation in to a story structure, creating a soundscape that would captivate listeners, maximising ABC’s cross platform reach to harness new leads, through to the team’s journalistic intent at the heart of the creative storytelling.

Retracing Crafting a Story in Audio Documentary AIDC 2018

Editing Masterclass with Erin Casper

In this exclusive masterclass, Erin will share her personal approach to editing by thinking about the construction of each film as a language of its own, spoken cinematically through an editor’s hands.

Drawing on excerpts from her award-winning films such as Our School, American Promise, The Last Season and The New Black, this masterclass will explore her creative process, writing with images and crafting cinematic language in non-fiction films.

The Art of Cutting it Fine AIDC 2018

This talk celebrated International Women’s Day with local filmmakers telling powerful and revealing stories. Filmmakers Sari Braithwaite, Chloe Brugale and Santilla Chingaipe were in  conversation with Eloise Ross about their craft and processes, key collaborations and career pathways.

About the speakers

Santilla Chingaipe is an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker. She spent nearly a decade working for SBS World News which saw her report from across Africa and interview some of the continent's most prominent leaders. Her work explores cultural identities, contemporary migration and politics. Last year she presented a one-off documentary for SBS, Date My Race. Santilla is currently directing and writing documentary on the complexities of Australia’s South Sudanese community. Her latest film, Black As Me, is a short documentary exploring the perception of beauty and race in Australia. She writes regularly for The Saturday Paper.

Chloe Brugale is a screen practitioner with more than fifteen years' experience working across drama and factual productions, distribution, events and festival programming. As the General Manager of Robert Connolly’s company, Arenamedia, Chloe has contributed to many culturally and artistically innovative features, including The Turning, Spear and the box office hit Paper Planes. She also oversaw the successful release campaign of the documentary Chasing Asylum. Chloe’s producer credits include [CENSORED], an experimental documentary by director Sari Braithwaite, and Black As Me, a short film by director Santilla Chingaipe. Prior to Arenamedia, Chloe held positions at the Melbourne International Film Festival as Next Gen and Short Films programmer, the education department of the Cannes Film Festival and the avant-garde Utopia Cinemas in Avignon, France.

Sari Braithwaite is a filmmaker who works across the disciplines of history and film. Her documentary films have played at MIFF, SFF, Adelaide Film Festival, Canberra Film Festival, Antenna Film Festival, and BFI London.  She was a recipient of the 2015 AFTRS Creative Fellowship to create an experimental work about Australian censorship. In addition to her own practice, Sari has also worked as a professional researcher on a wide variety of film and television documentaries, and continues to work in universities as a researcher.

Eloise Ross (host) is a writer, critic, and lecturer with a range of experience working with Melbourne film culture, both in organisational roles and as a qualified speaker. She has a PhD in cinema studies from La Trobe University and her research specialises in sound studies, Hollywood history, and the phenomenological experience of the cinema. Eloise has been widely published as a film critic, cultural commentator, and academic. She is a co-curator of the Melbourne Cinémathèque, currently teaches in the film department at Swinburne University, is co-host of the Senses of Cinema podcast.

ACMI Conversations: The Future According to Women Documentarians

In this talk we explore the creative, technical, cultural and collaborative practice of creating VR from personal histories for this moving new work.

A Thin Black Line is an immersive VR experience that follows one family in the aftermath of the bombing of Darwin in 1942, when half the population fled believing a Japanese invasion was imminent. Among them was Indigenous filmmaker Douglas Watkin’s mother, just five-years old at the time.

Director Douglas Watkin, VRTOV's VR director Oscar Raby, artist Vernon Ah Kee and lead 3D artist Kalonica Quigley shared behind-the-scenes footage and early drawings from their unique journey bringing oral storytelling to digital life through graphic and game design.

See A Thin Black Line free from 3 March in the Untold Australia VR Showcase in our permanent exhibition Screen Worlds.

About The Speakers

Douglas Watkin
Brisbane-based Indigenous filmmaker Douglas Watkin was born in Cairns, Far North Queensland. His broadcasting and filmmaking career began in television doing small news reports and producing various corporate videos, and has progressed to feature films, broadcast series and multimedia works for a range of clients and audiences. Douglas has been actively working in the film and television industry for over twenty years, including producing and directing multiple series for ABC and NiTV.

Oscar Raby
Oscar Raby is an award-winning multimedia artist and Creative Director of independent digital production studio VRTOV. His Virtual Reality documentary Assent (2013), about the Chilean dictatorship, has been exhibited world-wide including screening at Sundance New Frontier, IDFA DocLab and Sheffield Doc/Fest where it received the Audience Choice Award for Cross-platform.

Kalonica Quigley
Kalonica is a 3D Artist and Game Developer who has developed award-winning games with small teams and independently. She currently works as Lead 3D Artist at VRTOV, an independent studio that crafts virtual reality experiences at the borderline of film and games.

Vernon Ah Kee
Born in Far North Queensland and currently living in Brisbane, Vernon is a member of the Kuku Yalandji, Waanji, Yidinji and Gugu Yimithirr peoples.

Vernon’s multi-faceted practice includes works that range from large-scale drawings of his ancestors to hard-hitting text-based works and installations. In his work Ah Kee fuses the history and language of colonisation with contemporary black/white political issues in an ongoing investigation of race, colour and politics. Through clever puns and plays on words and objects Ah Kee fuses the history and language of colonisation with contemporary black/white political issues to expose degrees of underlying racism in Australian society.

ACMI Conversations: A Thin Black Line

Robert Fernandez has been producing award-winning documentaries and commercials for over 25 years - yet he still loves getting his hands dirty on budget spreadsheets 'I love the numbers'. Working with Errol Morris since The Fog of War, Fernandez recently delivered their biggest project to-date: the Netflix series Wormwood. With no precedent for its hybrid format or production model, it took 1.5 years to develop and finance with Netflix, and 2.5 years to shoot. Fernandez is the master producer behind a master director, and the man that 'did the numbers' to produce the opus Wormwood, replete with a feature shoot's worth of drama and 10-camera interview setups.

AIDC 2018: Errol Morris' Wormwood ... like producing 3 films at once

How do we build stronger alliances and create impact campaigns that engage audiences on issues, to create lasting change?

The phenomenal rise of documentary impact campaigns in recent years, following the success of Good Pitch Australia and the growing field of expertise, means we now have a global community of impact producers and a rich library of case studies to learn from. There is also a plethora of online tools and organisations offering expertise in delivering impact campaigns. So what have we learned and where are we going? What is the best impact approach for your project and budget?

Through unpacking several environmental sustainability themed case studies, our panellists from very different corners of the industry demonstrate the wide variety of ways to achieve genuine social impact.

AIDC 2018: The Evolution of Impact

In an ever-changing media landscape, and with audiences savvy and cynical about advertising, brands are looking for more subtle ways to draw their customers in. Enter the documentary filmmaker. Does this offer an exciting new source of finance for documentary or is it a sell out? Is it still possible to make authentic stories within this form? Who has creative control in this environment? Why do brands give money to filmmakers and what do they want in return?

This session brings together a world-class panel of award-winning filmmakers, producers and broadcasters to share their first-hand experiences making documentary content for brands and the mechanics of building successful partnerships to do so. They will explore how brand funded content works, why they do it, how it is different to working within traditional funding pathways, and what the deals look like. Between them, our panel has made everything from online content to television to feature films, financed by brands. They will share the realities, the pitfalls and the opportunities of this new financial option in our documentary producing toolbox.

AIDC 2018: Brand + Filmmaker = Story

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AIDC Podcasts

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