A lecture I gave the third year Media students at RMIT about the role of the social media producer. It is derived from the Pool UGC project "Stage Fight"

1. The Social Media Producer – Derived from the Pool UGC project “Stage Fight” Jonathon Hutchinson hutchinson.jonathon@abc.net.au

2. Who am I? A graduate from the Applied Communication Media Strand RMIT (2008) I began studying Television (2nd year) Returned to Radio production (3rd year) This led to an interest in web based production This also sparked an inclination to do honors (2009)

3. What I’m Currently Doing Working at the ABC in Pool as a Community Manager/Social Media Producer Coincides with my PhD research of “What is the Community Manager?” This addresses the overarching question of “How does the ABC incorporate UGC into their practices?”

4. Community Based Arts “usually a response to a collectively significant issue or circumstance. It is a collaboration between an an artist or an ensemble (group of artists) and a ‘community’ constituted by virtue of a shared primary identity based on place, ethnicity, class, race, sexual preference, profession, circumstances, or political orientation.” Jan Cohen Cruz: 2006

5. The Stage Fight Project Background: It was an investigation into UGC practices at Pool: “As the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Radio National pursues its online, networked media presence, it is entering into the same media landscape shared by participatory cultures, changing the relationship between the audience or users and the broadcaster. As there is little work done in this area, the ABC appears to be unsure of how to engage with their users, posing a problem with the formula of production. By designing, producing, and managing a participatory culture project within the Pool Community, I am developing a framework that explores the relationship of the social media producer with the role of the national broadcaster within niche media groups with a view to producing user generated content. This will provide a case study on how the ABC can interact with its audience and users.”

6. The Stage Fight Project I was interested in exploring the moment before a performer takes the stage, or the stage fright What emotions they go through What preparations they do How does the performer fight this fright?

7. The Stage Fight Project The Process (Pre-Production): I had some idea, but it was really vague to begin with Initially it was a generic Call Out I interviewed other Social Media Producers One common response – “Listen to you crowd”

8. The Stage Fight Project I poked around Pool for some inspiration Developed 10 pitch ideas, all with a musical undertow Did some little ‘r’ research This was the most important part of the process Emails, forums, other communities/organisations, social networks

9. The Stage Fight Project There were huge benefits from contacting people about the project Hype Information, 2 way street Most Importantly, ‘they’ decided on my project Here was a major shift in my approach

10. The Stage Fight Project (Production) Group Creation Forum Creation Writing the Pitch Creating the Hype Finding my own community

11. The Stage Fight Project

12. The Stage Fight Project

13. The Stage Fight Project

14. The Stage Fight Project Provide some seeding content Encourage my community Comments were priceless Weekly updates through emails Keep stimulating the project through twists and turns, or plot developments I looked for new audiences to bring in I also looked for further applications of the production

15. The Stage Fight Project

16. The Stage Fight Project

17. The Stage Fight Project (Post-Production) Combining of the mediums I Employed an actress Relating the work back to the original brief Kept feeding the remixed, or co-created works, back into the group Multiple formats for multiple purposes

18. The Stage Fight Project - Learnings Self Actualization “I” am the expert on everything surrounding me If I am treated as a media “professional”, I am more inclined to participate Through the power of my story, I am able to participate in a cultural representation/conversation

19. The Stage Fight Project - Learnings “Emu Dance Class” - GB

20. The Stage Fight Project - Learnings Forums are your friend Rely on your ‘friends’ for initial content Personal contact is best Continual contact keeps momentum It is a lot of work Incorporate any form of User Led Innovation Keep a low level of entry

21. Things That Went Wrong My radio pitch fell over I went seriously off timeline and had to pull it back into shape I didn’t estimate how much work was involved with groups and directing a motley crew I didn’t allow enough time for design – project and not only the pretties

22. Why do we need a Social Media Producer? “We think of the facilitators as social issue-focused artists/activists creating work to help agitate and advocate for change in policy” Joe Lambert: 2009

23. Why do we need a Social Media Producer? The middle person Has an idea of the bigger picture Needs to be a personable person Drinks from the same cup as the Community Manager Must be up to date on all things tech, social, communication Helps if they have a proven track record

24. The Tension Between Professional and Consumer Essential to the Social Media Producer role The SMP becomes the curator of these ‘prosumer’ works The gatekeeper still exists within the broadcast industry I see this role merging into a facilitator of the professional vs. consumer conversation

25. My Personal Perspective Ever prosperous position There is a need for someone that speaks the language in a media organisation It allows me to incorporate my personal artistic practice It was exciting to not be in control Crowdsourcing is the future of communication Media meritocracy is now!! Co-creation opens avenues that aren’t possible with traditional forms of media It is a field that I never thought I would be working in

26. Further Reading Cohen-Cruz, Jan, 2006 Local Acts: Community-Based Performance in the United States. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press Lambert, Joe, 2009 Where it all Started: The Centre for Digital Storytelling in California, Story Circle ed. John Hartley, Kelly McWilliam, Blackwell Publishing, Sussex Bacon, J 2009, The Art of Community, O'Reilly Media, Sebastopol. Dijck, Jv 2009, 'Users Like You? Theorizing agency in user-generated content', Media, Culture & Society, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 41-58. Lovink, G & Scholz, T 2007, The Art of Free Cooperation, Autonomedia, New York. Axel Bruns and M. Bahnisch (2009). Social Media: Tools for User-Generated Content. Social Drivers behind Growing Consumer Participation in User-Led Content Generation. Brisbane, Smart Services CRC. BBC (2009). "Have Your Say." Retrieved 27th Augst 2009, 2009, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/default.stm. Leadbeater, C. (2008). We-Think: Mass Innovation, Not Mass Production. London, Profile. Lessig, L. (2004). Free Culture. New York, The Penguin Press. Terry Flew, Stuart Cunningham, et al. (2008). Social Innovation, User Generated Content and the Future of the ABC and SBS as Public Service Media. C. Department of Broadband, and the Digital Economy. Brisbane: 26.

27. Links The Project: http://www.pool.org.au/group/stage_fight The Remix: http://www.pool.org.au/video/jonathon_hutchinson/stage_fight_the_remix The Exegesis: http://jonathonhutchinson.posterous.com/the-final-study Image: “Gaze” by Stack : http://www.pool.org.au/image/stack/gaze

28. Contact Email: hutchinson.jonathon@abc.net.au Twitter: @dhutchman