South African journalist, Mihlali Ntsabo, represented the country at the 2024 ENS Louis-Lumière International Sound Documentary Summer Programme in France. Ntsabo, whose residency was supported by the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), spent an intense and rigorous seven weeks learning about creating and producing a documentary using only sound.
The 28-year-old journalist says the programme far exceeded his expectations and taught him a vast array of new techniques and much more about audio storytelling. “I knew from the moment I was invited to apply and went through the criteria that this programme would prove to be beneficial for my career as a podcast journalist and storyteller.”
The summer programme, designed in association with Radio France Internationale (RFI) with the support of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, offered Ntsabo and 13 other participants intensive, hands-on training on how to find a story in this year’s host city of Brest, and to pitch, plan, and produce a short audio documentary. “This is what made the programme fun and challenging,” Ntsabo said. “We had to produce the documentary in pairs and rely mostly on the fly-on-wall-approach (this is when the interviewer is not present/recorded in the finished piece), and for someone who is used to narrative podcasting, learning this technique really diversified the way I can now tell stories,” he added.
Ntsabo was introduced and exposed to some of France’s leading and pioneering audio storytellers who, he says, offered him great insight and inspired him to look at audio storytelling from a different lens. “We met many experienced sound engineers and documentary makers who had a wide range of experience. One of the encounters that inspired me was an audio-live theatre production we attended, hosted outside. I had never heard of live audio theatre before, and it was so inspiring to get to experience that. The technicality of the production was so simple, yet mind blowing. I learnt that there is more to audio storytelling than just cutting a short audio piece for immediate consumption,” Ntsabo recounted.
The summer programme also taught participants crucial codes and ethics in producing audio documentary, which was another aspect Ntsabo says he will incorporate into his career in South Africa. “I pride myself in being a journalist who respects and abides by codes and ethics when it comes to storytelling. It is imperative that we, as storytellers, always remember to uphold these values to ensure that we produce credible and trustworthy work.”
Ntsabo says that the programme will help bridge a major gap that he has been facing as a journalist in a country that is multicultural and multilingual. “We had to produce the documentary in English or French. The patience and understanding and cultural education I take away from this experience has finally helped me realise how I can produce audio stories that transcend language and cultural barriers. We have 12 official languages in South Africa and a community of different cultures, and I always aim to produce work that speaks and represents us as one, regardless of language and/or culture. I was so worried about language being a barrier, but the programme properly equipped us on how to overcome this challenge and that made me realise that it is possible to produce any work you put your dedication into with proper planning and research.”
Ntsabo also says the programme made him realise that one doesn’t even need expensive recording equipment to produce riveting sound documentaries of quality. “I immediately grasped that it takes you putting the two and two you have to get the four you want. There is no need for you to stress about not having expensive equipment to produce high calibre work. This experience really taught me an incredible amount about being resourceful in terms of equipment and how easy it is to do so.
This programme is one of a kind. I really would encourage any audio storytelling enthusiast in South Africa to apply for the programme, because it teaches you how to keep up with every growing and changing global trend in media and storytelling,” Ntsabo concluded.
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