Birds of a feather

The observational radio documentary is a relatively new style of radio production. The use of location recording as a primary aural texture emerged in the 1960s. The work of producers such as Charles Parker, Radio Ballads (1959) and Witold Zadrowski, Death of an Elephant (1966) was among the first to introduce complex field recordings. Fifty years on, the observational audio form remains underexplored and difficult. Most radio documentaries adopt an essay style and studio focus.

Birds of a Feather is a longitudal observational audio portrait of two ex-housewives lobbying for the rights of battery hens. The program explores the passions and experiences that drive us to fight for a cause. Through this project Brettle contrasts video and audio as mediums capable of carrying observational stories and finds two very different stories emerge from the same material.

The work examines an old problem (editing video rushes/observational recordings) through a new lens (editing for the purpose of making an audio program as opposed to a video documentary). The research outcome is the difference between the completed video version (program made in 1999 for ABC TV) and audio version of the same story in an observational style. The research sheds new light on the impact of the media on the story told and more specifically the characteristics of observational style in sound-based work.

The work was commissioned by ABC Radio National Radio Eye and broadcast nationally and Highly Commended - Moving Portrait Documentary Awards 2004; Audio Moving Portrait Category.