The aim of this course is to immerse you in a real-world newsroom, radio studio and location production environment so that you develop your production skills and gain a significant command of technical abilities required of all forms of broadcast radio and podcasting.

This course presents you with an opportunity to develop your practical skills in the broadcasting industry, to keep pace with the ever-changing technology and its use in broadcasting.

This is an intensive 9-week course where you will learn from industry professionals in our state-of-the-art facilities.

We will examine the broadcast landscape in Ireland, and explore ways to create ground-breaking radio and podcasts that resonate. We will listen to, and create multiple examples of audio content in a variety of styles for both live and online contexts. You will also be able to analyse radio journalism as a discipline, and evaluate contemporary audiences and how to reach them.

The following are some of the areas we will explore together:

• The Role of Radio and Podcast in Society: A Shared Experience in an increasingly atomised world.
• Styles and Forms – past, present and future (Golden age, Pirate, Commercial, Community, Public Service, Podcast).
• Idea Generation: How to generate original ideas and treatments that resonate.
• Building a Running Order.
• Sourcing and securing contributors.
• Planning and structuring programmes.
• Using sound effectively in radio and podcast features.
• Creating memorable, creative ads and promos.
• Live radio production roles and values.
• Ethical Journalism, diversity, access and representation.
• Outside broadcasts and overseas productions.
• Costing, budgeting and project management.
• Finding a home for your audio work: Successful pitching to broadcasters and Funding bodies.
• Technical aspects of radio production, including recording, editing, mastering, mic technique, studio operations.

The course will enable you to incorporate your skills into your production practices and in your future professional roles.

Professional pathways exist in the audio-visual, web and screen industries. Graduates go on to radio, online content providers, the broadcast media, advertisement agencies, production facilities, company in house production facilities, state and civil society bodies and indeed any group involved in the creation and distribution of audio content.

The course is divided into two sections: Short Feature Production and Live Radio Production.

Assignment 1: Students will pitch, produce and deliver a short radio insert of 3-5 minutes duration on the subject of their choice. This is an individual assignment.

This assignment tests the learners’ ability to conceive of, plan, structure, produce and deliver broadcast quality short-feature content for radio. The learners will demonstrate skills such as storyboarding, narrative structuring, sourcing of contributors, interview skills, editing, use of sound and SFX and best practice in terms of ethics.

Assignment 2: This is a studio-based group assignment. Class will be divided into production groups. Each student will each produce an ‘as-live’ 20 minute radio show on the subject of their choice (Arts/Current Affairs/Magazine/Speciality). Students will crew each other’s shows, and each student will be assessed on their ability to Produce, Present and Tech Op a show. Alongside technical skills, focus will be on populating a running order, sourcing contributors, interview skills, and the generation of paperwork associated with live radio production (briefing notes, running orders, etc.).

Classes take place on campus in the National Film School radio studio and newsroom.

It may be possible to deliver some Thursday evening classes online. This will be agreed with all students at the start of the course.

Wednesdays (10am to 5pm): 15th February; 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th March; 19th and 26th April 2023.

Thursdays (6pm to 9pm): 16th and 23rd February; 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th March; 20th and 27th April 2023.

Saturdays (10am to 4pm): 25th February, 25th March and 22nd April 2023.

You will need to have your own headphones, and a 16 or 32 GB SD card for recording purposes.

This course is suitable for students who have an undergraduate qualification of 2nd Class Honours or higher at Honours Degree level. Experience of the media industries is an additional advantage.

Applicants without a Level 8 qualification may be considered provided they can demonstrate Honours Degree equivalence which can be verified through the RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) process.

As part of your application you will be required to submit:

• A CV and a reference.
• An online portfolio of your work (links to audio work done are acceptable)

OR

• A personal statement (tell us about your experience/background in any media, what you hope to learn and achieve on the course).

Fees for this course are €1,100.

CFA Scholarship:

A CFA scholarship encourages the participation of learners from sections of society that are significantly under-represented in higher education by offering one free place on all of our CFA short courses.

Find out if you are eligible to apply HERE 

Fill in the CFA@IADT scholarship application form HERE

Please complete our IADT Application Form

Application deadline: Friday, 3rd February 2023 at 4pm.

Please email any queries to Elena Somoza, IADT Creative Futures Academy Co-ordinator, at iadt@creativefutures.ie