Day 1: The 700

AIDC Volunteers Jaclyn Hewer and Janine Boreland

So, I went to a session, in the Yellow Room, entitled The Doc is Dead – Long Live The Doc. Moderator SIMON NASHT explained that there is always a session at every doc conference with a name like this one.

The panel was heavy with Commissioning Editors current and past. Their consensus was that the one-off doco had fallen out of favour with broadcasters and that series were very much in favour because of their ability to build audience through promotion. DENISE ERIKSEN of SBS and ABC’s DASHA ROSS discussed looking for a documentary that could get a 700 audience. We noobs were told that this meant a national audience of 700 000.

DAY 1: Open For Business

So,

After registering, and picking up my conference satchel and getting an orange delegate wristlet and a pink media pass on a lanyard, I made it into the big room in time to catch journalist SANDY GEORGE, MC’ing the opening session. She gave a brief overview saying that one of the conference themes would be looking for documentary opportunities in a digital age.

She introduced W.A. Minister for Culture and the Arts SHEILA McHALE. Mchale welcomed us to the conference, saying, “ If you’re a VIP or think you’re one, then welcome. She developed her theme, “Welcome to the state that is actually making the stories.” Then she equated the mining industry with the cultural industry saying both were of equal importance to the government.

DAY 1: In The Beginning

Hail Documentarians,

I’ve been asked to write this impressionistic blog for the Australian International Documentary Conference 2008. Why me? I think the answer is obvious, the AIDC is being held at the Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle – I work in Fremantle, so I can’t complain about the commute. I also put my hand up because I thought the question was, “Who thinks Corey Delaney’s fifteen minutes of fame are over?” I’ve been caught out more than once with that one.