I love telling stories.
Each one of you have a unique story to tell, and the most engaging stories come from you.
My favorite video to produce is more documentary style, where you become the narrative, there is no voice over, or someone telling you how wonderful they are straight 'down the barrel'. It's getting to the heart of the person whose story you are telling. It's about sitting down with someone and having a conversation, a real conversation. The best way to do that is by making them feel comfortable, to be able to open up even when the subject is hard or distressing.
I don't like it when I make someone cry on camera, in fact I find myself (the older I've become) more empathetic than when I used to work in a news environment. I've cried behind the camera more times than I can remember, not just crying but sobbing as those in the glare of lights open up to myself as the producer, or the producer I'm working with.
Last year I was approached by SBS The Feed to film a story for them with one of their producers. This story was one I remember covering while working for Channel 9 Adelaide. It was the story of Carly Ryan, a young girl who was murdered by an online predator. Her mum Sonya was trying to get a law passed in parliament to give police greater power to charge those who engage in predatory behavior. I knew the story well, I had stood in the shallows of Horseshoe Bay in the days after they found Carly. But nothing prepared me for the heart breaking story Sonya would tell us on camera.
Here is the story produced by Rani Chaleyer.
When I found out recently that the law was finally passed. I felt happy and sad at the same time, happy that finally the MPs could see that something needed to change to protect the innocent, and sad that it took 10 years and the loss of a someones child to get us to be more aware of what happens online.
Find out more and support the Carly Ryan Foundation http://www.carlyryanfoundation.com/