Making Documentaries for Radio
Prepared by veteran producer Jack Perkins, this series of tutorials is designed for students of broadcasting, but can be used by anyone interested in making audio documentaries. They include guidance in the technical, practical and philosophical approaches to working with audio, including field recording, scripting, interviewing techniques and the marriage of sound and word. Accompanying audio provides illustrative examples.
Field RecordingUsing portable recorders to gather material outside the confines of the studio, or the restrictions of the landline or cell phone.
ScriptingPlanning, creating flow, types of script, moving from place to place, common pitfalls and much more.
The Marriage of Sound and WordIt's potentially a marriage made in heaven but the relationship between sound and the scripted word, can be an uneasy one.
The Human Interest and Oral History InterviewThis segment, written by Alwyn Owen and Jack Perkins, has been extracted from their book Speaking for Ourselves published by Penguin in 1986.
ResourcesAudio from all of the tutorials on one page, and downloads of the tutorials in PDF format.
About Jack Perkins
Jack Perkins runs the Spectrum radio documentary unit in Radio New Zealand, and chalked up fifty years of work on 12 January 2009. Radio New Zealand National celebrated by preparing a series of highlights from his remarkable decades-long record of documentary-making.
Work by Jack Perkins on Radio New Zealand's website
Jack Perkins Retrospective
A summer series celebrating the work of New Zealand’s premier radio documentary producer.
Sir Edmund Hillary - A Tribute
Award-winning documentary series about the life of Sir Edmund Hillary.
Spectrum
A long-running documentary series which captures the essence of New Zealand through stories, landscape and people.