Thursday 16 March 2017

Industry Expert Interaction: RJ ‘Blade’ Shankar – Suryan FM



Introduced by well-known English Journalist, Zakka Jacob, into the field of RJ, ‘Blade’ Shankar has completed 15 years in the career on 15-Mar-2017. He summarized his 15-year-long learning experience briefly with the first year Masters in Media Arts students of Loyola College in Chennai on 16-Mar-2017.

Photo Courtesy: IndiaTimes.Com

“I don’t rely on pen, board-chalk-talk. I do not have Powerpoint presentations. Words are my strength. My experience sharing will be of use to you,” he started his sharing.

Qualities of RJ:
Shankar highlighted four qualities that would help an RJ in their vocation:
         -          Individuality – difference in thinking
         -          Spontaneity
         -          Observing
         -          Punctuality

He explained the qualities of RJ from his own experience: “I started this journey when I was 21 years old. I started with ‘oor sutthalaam vaanga’ (ஊர் சுத்தலாம் வாங்க) show in the noon time. Dina was doing Blade No.1 show at that time. When he quit, I had to take up that slot. I gave a slight twist to the comedy show. I dominate the callers first and later allow them to dominate. This base lead me to receive 9 IRF (Indian Radio Forum) awards during my career. Difference in thinking along with my individuality gave me an upbeat tempo in the career.”

“RJ will have to be spontaneous. To achieve spontaneity, observance is important. Once you start observing your neighbourhood, you’ll be able to contribute to the society with spontaneity. Brainstorming with friends and family is an important technique to enhance the flow of our thought process.”

“Although I have not been punctual during my school and college days, becoming an RJ taught me the importance of punctuality. There was a time when my car broke down and I informed my show producer that I will not be able to make it on time. Even then, I decided to take a risk to try and reach the studio by auto and made it on time. It gives me a sense of satisfaction today when I think of it. Punctuality pays.”




Keeping the Audience:
"Human psychology is that we like others to talk with us. We will be less interested in other two people talking. It is a challenge for RJ to connect with the audience. When it comes to the Radio Jockey, voice is not important for RJ job. The information I have and my style of presentation matters."

"RJ must be able to swiftly change his mind. He would have faced a racing motorist scolding him on the road just before entering the studio or he might have had a feud at home or in the workplace. When he goes before mic, he has to be a different person altogether. On the contrary, he should not lose his individuality. Know your plus and minus as the Tamil song goes, ‘unnai arindhaal nee ulagatthil poraadalaam’ (உன்னை அறிந்தால் நீ உலகத்தில் போராடலாம்). Those who would like to enter media must set a specific goal and stay focused on it."

Dubbing Experience:
“I have been a dubbing artist since 2004. It is a vast field. I had spoken voices in cartoons and TV documentaries. I had an opportunity to give voice for the brother character in the movie, ‘kadhai solla poroam,’ (கதை சொல்லப் போறோம்). I don’t believe in calling a movie, ‘commercial movie’. Anything that is selling becomes a ‘commercial’”, he made a passing comment. “To add bass and depth to the voice, I have to get closer to the mic. Going away from the mic gives a sharper voice.”

Dayparting in Radio:
“Energetic and peppy numbers are played during the day. Peaceful and solemn songs are played during the nights. Similarly, RJs come in different types: Morning RJ: He has to be loud and energetic in the morning. Night RJ: He has to be pleasant and quiet.”

Uniqueness of Radio:
 “Radio is an entertainment medium. It plays a major role in people’s lives. People usually watch TV as a group, but Radio is usually listened to in lone situations. It creates a one-to-one experience. Listening to a situational song on a radio is different from listening the same from an MP3 player. It creates a sense of belonging to a community of similar minds.”



Departments in Radio:
Shankar explained to the students about various departments in a radio station: Program, Client Solution, Creative Department, Music Scheduler etc.
     ·        Music Scheduler: Schedules the songs and takes control over show timings. He decides which song is trendy or outdated.
     ·        Client Solution: Receives ideas from clients and do a package. A silk showroom may request for a show idea from Client Solution for Women’s Day. FM stations do their own advertisements. There are very few ad-agencies for FM stations. Client Solution also create ideas for on-ground activities. They may suggest a live program from a shopping mall.
      ·        Promo Producer: Creates promotional audios for radio programmes.
      ·        Program Producer: He makes it convenient for the RJ to host the show. He has to make sure that the show runs smoothly without any hindrances. If it is a special day, say for example, World Water Day, Program Producer has to alert the RJ about such special days and suggest ideas how to go about it.
     ·        Sound Engineer: Nuendo, Sony Vegas are the software knowledge that will be needed for a Sound Engineer.

Shankar concluded by explaining the ‘butterfly effect’ in reference to chaos theory, the phenomenon whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere, “I believe in ‘butterfly effect’: if a butterfly flutters in China, it would create an earthquake in Chicago. So, the qualities I mentioned above go a long way in building up a media professional, or any professional for that matter.”

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