Jack talks about his forty years with the public radio programme Spectrum, a weekly human-interest documentary series that is based around recording on location.
While this podcast doesn't come from a queer perspective, it offers a valuable insight into location recording and interviewing from a veteran broadcaster.
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In this extensive interview, Jack Perkins, a prolific broadcaster with over fifty years of experience, primarily with Radio New Zealand, discusses the intricacies and evolution of radio documentary production. Perkins co-founded the radio programme "Spectrum" in 1972, an initiative that revolutionized the portrayal of social history and human interest stories in New Zealand by utilizing advances in portable tape recorder technology. This innovation propelled the transition from studio-bound, sterile radio formats to more dynamic, location-based recordings which captured the life and activities of everyday individuals.
Throughout the interview, Perkins delves deep into the methodology that makes for effective and engaging radio documentaries. From the initial choice of location to the calculated positioning of interview participants, every aspect of production is guided by the aim to provide a vicarious experience to the listeners. Perkins underscores the importance of being in the field, actively gathering sounds and stories, while maintaining the sensitivity to preserve the natural cadence and emotion in people's speech during recording and editing.
One of the key practices highlighted by Perkins is the ability to encourage informants to share their stories by enabling them to realize the importance of their own experiences, thus overcoming the initial intimidation and reluctance individuals may feel. Engaging with informants as equals and respecting their stories as gifts to the audience is a recurrent theme.
Perkins also reflects on the transition from analogue to digital recording, emphasizing the greater flexibilities it brought to editing, while cautioning against over-manipulating the sound in a way that loses authenticity. The convenience of digital technology allowed for longer recording times and more seamless editing, enriching the storytelling process.
Spectrum, over four decades of its runtime, has amassed a rich archive of New Zealand's oral history. Perkins expresses satisfaction in having contributed to preserving the country's social fabric through these recordings. A sense of legacy emerges from the vault of voices that Spectrum has captured, many of which are now the only traces left of the individuals' stories.
The interview, rich in detail and professional insight, serves as both a historical account and a practical guide. Perkins stresses that the craft of radio documentary production is learned not through theory but through consistent practice. Much like riding a bike, it requires perseverance and the development of instincts and intuition which comes only with experience.
In summary, Perkins highlights the crucial role of the radio documentary producer as a craftsperson, shaping narratives to engage listeners by forging intimate audio experiences from a constellation of real-life moments. Their parting advice to aspiring producers and interviewers is to keep at it, as it is the experience of doing the work that truly hones one's skill in the field.
This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.
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