Educational and information documentary production
Richard has undertaken media, video & documentary production for a range of organisations, including:
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Canberra Museum & Gallery
NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
Australian Alps National Parks
ACT Government
Excerpts can be seen here on YouTube
"In my 25 years of working with endangered fish species and dealing with the media, Richard's films are by far the best interpretations of our work" - Assoc. Professor Mark Lintermans, University of Canberra
Environmental Films
Since mid 2011 Richard has been working with the Australian River Restoration Centre on a series of short films that examine the river catchments of the southern half of the Murray Darling Basin. These films have centred on the pioneering work of author Will Trueman, who personally undertook an extraordinary mission to document the history of native fish species that lived in the various rivers and tributaries. These films will form part of a package that include booklets and a website.
In mid 2012 Richard shot and presented 2 films for the Australian Alps National Parks Program, featuring 2 threatened species - the Southern Corroboree Frog and the Mountain Pygmy Possum. These will soon be posted to the Alps program website and broadcast via several other channels.
Indigenous Health Films
During 2011 and 2012 Richard has been working with the Rural Health Education Foundation on numerous films that tackle issues relating to the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These have been shot at a wide range of locations, including Sydney, Canberra, Broken Hill, Grafton and in other remote communities. Generally the pieces are broadcast via satellite and targeted toward health practitioners. Most of the films can be seen online here at the Foundation website. The photo above was taken near Broken Hill, setting up for an interview with Shannon, an Aboriginal health worker.
Television documentary
After several years working exclusively on Australian projects, Richard felt the call of an overseas project and stumbled on a subject that fascinated him. Filming took place in Taiwan in the early months of 2011 and post production is getting underway.
Heritage projects
The Stakeout of Canberra is a colourful 42 minute film about the history of the region prior to the establishment of the Federal Capital. From the natural environment to the Ngunnawal-Ngambri people, bushrangers, early settlers and border surveyors, The Stakeout of Canberra is a unique film that aims to connect today’s modern Canberra to the past. As part of the ACT Heritage grant that funded this project, DVD copies of the film are being distributed to every school in the ACT and it is being integrated into the Canberra Centenary curriculum. The Stakeout of Canberra was featured on ABC TV’s Stateline program, click here to watch.
The launch of The Stakeout of Canberra took place at Ainslie School in Canberra.
In the photo are: (front row) Indigo Srudwicke, Jamie Barney, Ainslie school teacher Alinta Williams (Ngambri-Ngunnawal), Matilda Hammond and Patrick Maher.
Back: Allen Mawer (historian), Paul Carmody (Elm Grove Lessee), Alinta's father Arnold Williams (Ngambri-Ngunnawal) and Richard Snashall.
The Enlarged Cotter Dam Heritage Archive Project – Richard is working with ACTEW Corporation and the Bulk Water Alliance on documenting the past, present and future of the Cotter region, with the forthcoming enlargement of the Cotter Dam. He is producing short films on a variety of subjects, including the Aboriginal and European heritage of the Cotter precinct, the battle to save the endangered fish species and the actual construction of the enlarged Cotter Dam and associated projects.
Many of these films are now posted on the ACTEW youtube site.
NSW National Parks pilot vodcasts - Kiandra was once Australia’s highest town with a population reaching 15 thousand. Now there is no one. Situated in the Snowy Mountains, Kiandra boomed when gold was discovered in 1859, and then declined just as rapidly. The early skiing industry and construction of the Snowy Hydro Scheme in gave Kiandra a small rebirth in the 1950s and 1960s. Richard is currently working on a series of short vodcast films about Kiandra’s history for NSW National Parks.
Tharwa Bridge – Australia’s only 4 span Allen truss bridge is one of the ACT’s heritage treasures, but had to be closed due its state of repair. The ACT Government chose to restore the 114 year old bridge to its original condition, and called on Richard to document this delicate process as well as research some of the history of the Tharwa region.
The Return: Gulaga & Biamanga
Richard worked with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to produce a half hour film document about the return of two far south coast NSW National Parks to the local Aboriginal custodians.
“The Return: Gulaga & Biamanga” looks at the final months of the negotiation process culminating in the Handback Day celebrations. The program includes interviews with many of the key elders, government and community representatives as well as music from such luminaries as Jimmy Little, a local of the region.
In 2008, Richard followed up on the previous film and undertook further interviews to consider the progress of the two parks under Aboriginal ownership.
Smooth Operation
Richard was commissioned by the NSW Premiers Department to visit Bourke and work with indigenous teenagers on a short film tackling issues of alcohol abuse. The film, Smooth Operation, was written and produced by the Bourke group with Richard acting as a project mentor. It was selected as a finalist in the NSW Department Of Health Getting Smashed Film Competition and has been shown at many forums around Australia. Using the footage, Richard went on to write and edit two follow up television commercials which currently play on Imparja Television
“Richard has experience in a wide range of media, and has the ability to engage and work with all sectors of the community.”
Annie Fraser, NSW Premier’s Department
“The young people worked with Richard Snashall to write and produce a television campaign. This was undoubtedly a great experience; I had the distinct impression their confidence and self-esteem had doubled as a result and some of the young people involved have since gone on to undertake film-making and music production courses at TAFE”
The Hon. John Della Bosca speaking in the NSW Parliament