Ben is a PhD candidate at Deakin University in the School of Communication and Creative Arts. As a transmedia journalist and documentarian Ben’s works include films, videos, interactive media, articles, and websites. His work spans more than 20 years, working internationally and in Australia, across cultures, languages, and borders.
With a camera and a pen, on all media platforms, and with political skills honed through a career dedicated to social justice, Ben’s practice involves complex projects telling crucial stories about human rights and the environment. In particular, the following prior works have established his expertise in transmedia reporting on water, the environment and climate change.
Ringbalin: River Stories – SXSW Nominated
The world’s first geolocated documentary, covering a territory of one million square kilometres, told by 8 Indigenous elders with over 100 stories, films, audio and photo stories emphasising the importance of water, for iOS platforms to guide you through the real world, the streams, mountains, plains, and stories of the rivers.
Expedition Blue Planet – National Geographic Digital
Series Director for National Geographic’s first “interactive” expeditions, focused on the connectivity of water. Series 1: 5 continents, 26 short documentaries, photo stories, articles, with over 100 million media impressions. Series 2: the USA, Canada, Mexico, daily production and web broadcasting of films, photos, and watershed action days in 20 communities.
The Mekong Diaries – Radio Free Asia
Twice travelled the length the Mekong River to produced award winning multimedia online specials, mapping local connections to the river, and the rapid and devastating process of dam construction, changing the hydrology of this great river, it’s vast and unique ecosystems, cultures, and economies.