Publication
Insiders, ABC TV
Year
2015
Category
All Media: Multimedia Storytelling
With his snappy video mash-ups – inserting Aussie political figures into popular films and TV shows – Huw Parkinson presents a funny and distinctive way to digest the hot political topics of the week. Mastering the complicated audio and video editing skills required is an accomplishment in itself. Editorially making the political gag work within the narrative of the unrelated pop video piece – it’s got to be much harder than he makes it look. Parkinson’s success can be measured in likes and shares, the way his work has spread across platforms, gets snaffled by other broadcasters and is showcased internationally.
Huw Parkinson has been a freelance video editor for 10 years and is currently working with the ABC, where he’s successfully exploring new forms of storytelling in programs including Insiders. Parkinson has an innovative way of approaching big news events by framing them in popular culture for both a traditional TV and internet audience.
His videos for Insiders receive tens of thousands of hits on ABC websites and are always picked up by other online media outlets in both Australia and internationally. This is Parkinson’s first Walkley.
Judges’ comments:
Huw Parkinson’s satirical and highly shareable videos showcase how the craft and consumption of news are driving multimedia reporting. These mash-ups are both journalism and entertainment, taking hard-hitting news and creatively repositioning the characters and issues into satirical videos that amuse and inform. Parkinson’s work wholly embraces the shareable power of the internet, with his clips being uploaded to multiple platforms and spreading across the web like wildfire.