Women in Pacific Media

So, as a woman (or female, because I don't think I've quite really entered into "official" womanhood) in the media, I get the occasional grump from seeing a lot of guys around me. Hey, sure, they're all fine and good, but I guess I get sad double guessing myself because I don't have a penis to help me set up my camera at stuff. Anyway, sobbing and eye-rolling aside, I had the opportunity to get on a plane, freeze my butt off and officially learn how to camera and edit good.

Being sunny doesn't mean warmer.

PACMAS emailed me after I sent in an application saying "hey, come on over to Melbourne!" And so I did. It was amazing. The ABC is shiny and I love Melbourne. Having been there twice before, I had some idea what to expect and was, to be honest, very much excited about the food.

Delicious. All of it. That aside, I did vlog a little bit (and write) while I was there.

I’m Sian Rolls and I’m currently a community radio producer and broadcaster, team leader at FemLINK Pacific’s Suva station and host of the weekday morning show on FemTALK 89FM. I also produce a weekly YouTube show known as FemVids. Halfway through this intense one week training at the ABC in Melbourne, I can say it’s been amazing. While a trained journalist, being taught about how cameras really work as well as ideas behind editing and visual techniques is something pretty foreign to me. Being given this type of information will prove infinitely useful as time progresses and as a producer and videographer I get to access equipment more sophisticated than my typical handycam. I am also glad to have this kind of knowledge to give back to those I work with back at home - (original found here)

And after all of this stuff, I'm finally back home. And when it came to deciding what I was going to take away from the whole experience (apart from the obvious - skills to do things that may one day help me pay bills), it was the need to talk more about women in technical positions. Sure, a lot more women are having to pick up cameras as TV Journalists, but I wonder how many lose out because technical work is not a "girl thing". Anyway, I discuss it properly in this week's FemVid and have a couple of grabs from the other women that were at the training with me.

So thanks for hanging around. I leave you with positive vibes and all my hopes and dreams. Oh, and a picture of me making a face because I was cold.