Learn the art of a doing a radio interview that’s visual

It wasn’t a mime artist but recently ABC702‘s Wendy Harmer interviewed a balloon artist, inviting him to create animals, swords and the like in the studio while on air.
 
Matt Falloon (and as Wendy pointed out “rhymes with balloon”) left a corporate job to become a full time “twister”. His kit holds more than 7,000 balloons of varying shapes and sizes.
 
Impressive, clearly, but it’s often tough when you’re producing a show and a PR company is pushing an interview at you that really isn’t going to be as good on radio as perhaps television.
 
However, their act or talent is worth hearing about.
 
And Matt Falloon’s (rhymes with balloon) was. In less than 10 minutes he can employ techniques like flower budding, distortion and frumple twisting to build a mini stegosaurus, a sheep and a piglet.
 
He travels the world attending balloon conventions and recently returned from the World Balloon Convention in New Orleans where he spent up to 28 hours straight constructing a giant swamp.
 
Wendy got away with it, thanks to her own great commentary but also social media where the whole interview was streamed live on Facebook.
 
However, for those without access to FB or without an account Wendy described her guest,”…you have a lovely blue fedora, and on top of your fedora you have balloon animals, a cockatoo, a penguin and Arial the Mermaid.”
 
I instantly pictured him and knowing what a balloon artist does pictured his creations as well.
 
Wendy went on to explain his creations, while he twisted and they chatted, you could even hear the squeaking of the balloons.
 
What’s on the show next week… a juggler, a ventriloquist???
 
I enjoyed the chat and with Wendy doing a great job of the commentary didn’t need the visual.
 
I did however, have one of those “what were we thinking” moments. When I remembered as part of the Kim and Dave Show, on Sea FM at the time and long before Facebook streaming or Periscope, we invited the guys in from Puppetry of the Penis, basically genital origami.
 
I cringe to think how I described that to the listeners with such tricks as the Atomic Mushroom, Wristwatch and Snail, all while maintaining the “kids in the back seat rule.” 

You can hear Wendy’s interview with Matt Felloon (yes, rhymes with balloon) here.


        Kim Napier

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