Zagreb report, April 22 2002

Our daily newsletter number two, April 22,

After one and a half day of the conference: The atmosphere in Zagreb conference is both relaxed and rewarding. Just like Stephen Schwartz's workshop about the tools of story development in feature. Stephen builds his workshop differently every day. Every time he wants to find out what is the state of mind of the people, what kind of group he has in front of him. And then he reacts and varies his demonstration making it more like a dialogue. This reminds me about the basic thing about radio as a media. Radio is also a dialogue, communication between the programme maker and the listener. The producer must have a will to say something to someone, to argue, to show his interpretation of the world, the item. And in this work, just like Stephen said you need tools, you have to have an angle to the story... I think sometimes what is missing in media in general and in radio programmes is the argument, claim. The producer doesn't have enough courage or skills to find his own personal arguments, point of views. Instead he just portrays, describes in a general level. Of course the producer is not a teacher, he just can suggest to the listener : what if things could be like this....

In my mind Peter Klein in his workshop today continuied these kind of thoughts. About cut and fade: you have to defend slowness and at the same time defend the effort to use alla the possibilities, means you have when making radio programme. The basic question is: you have to know what you are doing, wanting to say and use best tools and style for the item you are working with. As Peter said: we have to be both philosophers and journalists, slow and fast, cut and fade.

Richard Golls's session today was very relaxing and entertaining, a meditative moment... Acoustic journey, programme about people at one with nature, Opera du Cameroun... Richard wants to show us the prototypes of feature, not the best programmes of all times.... Two interesting sessions of classics still ahead.

Hannu Karisto On Monday afternoon