Every year radio documentary makers and editors gather for four days of listening, discussion, and socialising at the International Features Conference. Versatile radiomaker Connor Walsh of In The Dark was among them and sends this dispatch.
The International Features Conference (IFC) started 39 years ago in Berlin, and while it has grown greatly since then, it is still primarily a European gathering – indeed the European Broadcasting Union is a lynchpin. This year 108 people went to Bergen, on the west coast of Norway. The event is hosted by the local broadcaster – in this case NRK, and superbly so. Delegates from outside Europe this year included two regulars from the US – Julie Shapiro of the Third Coast Festival and Jesse Dukes of Big Shed. From Canada, CBC Out Front legend Steve Wadhams returned after a few years away. From the ABC in Australia, Kirsti Melville and others. Two staff from China National Radio observed, and the big breakthrough was sound artist and producer Joaquin Cofreces from the southern tip of Argentina.
Producers submit programmes for consideration and a committee commissioning editors (and that sort of level) from across Europe selects and schedules about 20 features for listening.
The whole conference is very sociable, with official events every night, and lots of groups dining and drinking together. This actually affects the conference in a couple of direct ways, which I'll elaborate on later.
The selection of programmes this year was particularly strong ('particularly' being relative of course, as this is only my third IFC). They are grouped by theme or idea, and all the participants listen together, with the trademark transcripts. Ah, the transcripts – you see, the features can be in any language at all. So the producer provides a transcript in both the original language and English. Everyone grabs a bunch of transcripts before the listening session begins, and then settles down to listen and read along.
Time is limited, so no programme goes beyond about 25 minutes. For many traditional public broadcasters a feature is 45, 50, or even 55 minutes long. Often they select the beginning, or the beginning and end.
The exception is the BBC where most documentaries are 27:30, and the whole thing can be squeezed in.
With a brief introduction from the producer, the pieces are played consecutively. Then a quick break – tea or coffee, fruit or cake, analysis or flirting.
And then comes the discussion session. The participants are divided into groups, which then alternate so you are with some people all week, some people for just one day. The producer of a piece under discussion is usually in one group or another – maybe yours.
This time out, I found the quality of discussion improved as the week went on. Our attitudes on what makes a good radio feature are often influenced by the radio we listen to, or like, the most. So the expectation is: German programme makers are more likely to look for a distanced or authoritative narrator; the Brits are obsessed with journalism; east and south eastern Europeans like long uninterrupted chunks of speech.
Now these are changing! While German radio may expect an actor reading narration, the producers don't expect it from others; the British attendees of IFC are learning to judge the feature, not the journalism; and south/southeastern Europeans can enjoy a snappy programme as much as anyone else.
But of course it's those different perspectives that give the discussion value. And the late nights out together mean you break down barriers and build up a respect such that the discussion can be kind but honest. Most top notch producers have their own style, and when they tell how they would have dealt with a story differently, I take notes.
Outside the core listening and discussion, the extra curricular events add a lot. This year the radio makers were fascinated by Asbjørn Rachlew, an academic an practicing police interrogator in Norway. When in July 2011 Anders Breivik killed 68 young people and bombed government buildings, designed the interrogation setup. His description of the interview process, emotional effect, and essential values held the radio features makers rapt.
We learned about the political pressures put on Swedish radio journalists Bo Göran Bodin and Daniel Öhman.
Engaging breakfast sessions included how the NRK coaches producers making features; how refugee journalists in Scandinavia are trained up in making features.
The evening events at IFC always include a big meal and this year getting to the restaurant meant an hour long boat trip trough the fjords to an island for fresh seafood (then an hour on the boat back to Bergen before a late night in the pub).
A conversation took place between short radio pieces in a pub presented by the Third Coast Festival's Julie Shapiro and In The Dark's Nina Garthwaite and me. Well, we had a blast, and the positive feedback suggested at least some of the audience did too.
There was also the now-traditional jam session, where producers can bring their own work to play for everyone else (in a pub. See a theme?).
The IFC is a conference, let's say an event, that succeeds by accepting and integrating the socialising. Formal discussion is enhanced by informal discussion and openness to programme styles is enhanced by understanding different people.
For sure, hearing only excerpts rather than complete programmes is inconclusive – and perhaps that tells tradition something about the act of listening.
But that doesn't prevent producers from across the generations (early 20s to early 80s) learning and enjoying themselves together!
So for some listening picks: the crowd favourite has just gone on to win the Prix Marulic, it's Tim Key and Gogol's Overcoat. Producer Steven Rajam at the BBC in Cardiff.
Again the ORF in Austria has shown the rest of us character and freshness – both in Nine Days – Two Toenails – walking home by Anna Katharina Laggner and the last Prix Europa winner, Life's Holiday by Franziska Dorau, which was deconstructed in a plenary by the BBC's master, Laurence Grissell.
Some of the attendees headed off to Croatia for the Prix Marulic; more will meet again at the Prix Italia in September and Prix Europa in October. Some may even show up at the Filmless Festival in Chicago too…!
The carnival continues to travel, inspiring youngsters and picking up new tricks as it goes.
Start saving now, or dropping hints to the person who approves travel in your organization: The 2014 IFC is scheduled for May 11-15 in Leipzig, Germany.
IFC 2013 Bergen, in snapshots ... | http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=ifc2013bergen&m=tags&s=rec
Posted by: willem | 05/31/2013 at 01:52 AM