Karina Holden
Bringing science to life through film
香蕉直播ing a Bachelor of Science at the University of Sydney, Karina specialised in zoology and history and philosophy of science (HPS). Since graduating, Karina has spent 20 years working in science journalism as a producer, and is now a聽4 time Emmy award winner.
Karina shares how her degree in science made her stand out amongst other aspiring journalists eager to break into the field.
I was excited to be on such a beautiful campus and was inspired by my mother who studied there in the 1960s. Although I wanted to pursue a career in film making, I chose to study science so I would have a unique perspective as a documentary film maker.
It helped me stand out when I went for my first job at ABC TV. Everyone else had Arts and Journalism degrees. Science set me apart.
Over my career, I鈥檝e made more than 100 broadcast films for: National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, ABC, SBS, BBC, Arte, History Channel and Netflix. Currently, I oversee the creation of all non-fiction content for an Australian production company, Northern Pictures.
In the last few years this has included documentary series, such as 鈥楲ove on the Spectrum鈥 (Netflix), 鈥楽ee What You Made Me Do鈥 and 鈥楢sking for It鈥 (SBS), and live event television such as 鈥楽outhern Ocean Live鈥 (ABC). I鈥檝e also been working in immersive film, using emerging technologies and exploring new forms of storytelling for Australian Geographic.
香蕉直播ing History and Philosophy of Science helped shape me as a journalist and storyteller. Having scientific literacy has helped my work have an impact and cut through.
Currently, I鈥檓 working on a feature documentary about the misinformation and deliberate obfuscation being fed into the discussion of Climate Change by the fossil fuel industry and global governments.
In the age of 鈥楩ake News鈥 and 鈥楢lternative Facts鈥, programs that promote critical thinking and help audiences recognize and understand the tactics used by those who seek to confuse or deny science are more important than ever.
Having scientific literacy has helped my work have an impact and cut through.
Last year was rather monumental, as I won 4 Emmy awards and was recognised by the Producer鈥檚 Guild of America for advancing the portrayal and employment of people with disabilities in media for my work on 鈥楲ove on the Spectrum鈥.
Perhaps my biggest pinch me moment was presenting to the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York at the inaugural Oceans Week summit back in 2017. Having studied marine science at the University of Sydney, it felt like a lifetime of passion carried me to that extraordinary moment.
Having studied marine science at the University of Sydney, it felt like a lifetime of passion carried me to that extraordinary moment.
With the rise of reality television, non-fiction film making is under threat. Even public broadcasters are reducing the number of documentary programs tackling 鈥渋ssues鈥.
There鈥檚 a push to keep things light, entertaining and funny, rather than interrogate difficult or depressing subjects, such as the state of the environment or social injustices.
If we keep burying our heads in the sand, I do wonder where it鈥檚 going to end. Case in point, the satirical film, 鈥楧on鈥檛 Look Up', it鈥檚 not actually satire. It feels pretty real. Which makes me want to fight harder to tell the stories that matter.
Whenever I am having a bad day, I think about how my job is bigger than me. How it can change mindsets and make people see the world from other points of view.
Having a job that serves something greater can get you through tough times because you鈥檙e not just in it to make money, you鈥檙e there to make change. When considering the path you take after your degree, think of impact and legacy. Will the work you do create noise, distraction, promote consumption, greed or inequality? Or will you make the world a better place through innovation, promoting understanding and empathy and contributing to solving some of the biggest challenges we face? You choose.
