Coming up on August 11 is the annual Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) Open Day.
Prospective students can explore the courses on offer and get to speak to tutors, alumni and current students.
This year, the AFTRS marketing campaign is bigger than ever with a clear message as to what kind of students they’re looking for. The theme is Story Tellers Wanted. That’s what it’s all about says Head of Radio Fyona Smith (below left).
“The purpose of AFTRS, for all of our courses, whether its radio or screen-based disciplines, is all about story telling. So, whether or not you’re using audio and radio to tell stories or whether you are telling stories on screen with visual effects, it’s all about the story telling. And there are thousands, literally thousands of Australian stories to share. And we want to be sure that the future of Australian content reflects the diversity of Australia’s population.”
If storytelling is the key – after all, radio is nothing if not about communication – then is a grounding in stand-up or even as a contestant on a TV reality show just as good a preparation for a career in radio as earning a diploma at AFTRS?
Ms Smith concedes, “Certainly, reality television has launched many careers including Rachel Corbett’s who is head of podcasts at MAMAMIA now and is on the Project as a regular guest .She started on Big Brother and that helped launch her career. But I don’t think it’s the only pathway in and I think the skill set required to sustain – sustain being the keyword – a career in radio. Learning the skills to have an understanding of how to perform many roles on and off air, is the secret for success in today’s ever-changing landscape.
AFTRS Radio courses have been running since 1975, with over 500 graduates
“Our students graduate with not only radio skills for on-air and online but they can also shoot, publish and edit video. They have photography classes. They explore podcasting in short form and long form features. They also, as part of the course, populate four websites from start to finish with content and then learn how to build interactive campaigns across social media platforms. The ultimate goal of the course that we have at AFTRS is for people to be employed in the industry,” says Ms Smith.
Although Ms Smith would not be drawn on just how likely an AFTRS graduate is to find a job in radio, the school’s batting average is known to be in Bradman territory. Certainly, it’s list of award winning alumni such as Nova’s Smallzy and Tim Blackwell is impressive.
The radio courses are not just for novices but are suitable for those already employed in the industry. AFTRS offers a number specialist short courses as well as the flagship one year, full-time course. Now students will also have the option of doing the full-time course part-time over two years.
“For open day we have some pretty interesting things happening,” says Ms Smith, “We have a listening lounge in the foyer where people can hear a variety of audio content from alumni and current students. Some have gone on to win awards in Australia and one of ours, this year, was a finalist at the World’s Best Radio Programs in New York.
“We’ll also have a radio studio experience upstairs in our three beautiful studios that are some of the best equipped in Australia.”
For those who are unable to attend Open Day a Post Graduate evening is happening on August 29.
Ms Smith says anybody who has a passion or a desire to learn further in the screen arts and broadcast disciplines should come to the AFTRS Open Day on Saturday August 11.