2013 Changemaker Guide

The Actuality Media Production Guide For Changemakers Introduction Actuality Media exists to create media about individuals and organizations that are changing the world for the better. Many of these changemakers do not have the resources to produce professional quality films on their own, so we created a way to provide this kind of service at no cost. We designed an international service learning program that provides hands-on media education to students while creating short documentaries about changemakers.

If you are receiving this guide it means that you have decided to partner with us and will soon be the changemaker subject of one of our films. Read on for more insight into our month-long production process, and to find out what you can do to best support the crew so that the final cut of the film will be better than you can imagine.

Stories That Matter This mantra sums up the Actuality Media method of filmmaking.

We believe in the spread of innovative and sustainable ideas. We also believe that the most effective way to share information is to tell stories. With each of our programs, we focus on finding a compelling story within the work of our partner changemakers. Our short documentary about your organization will tell your story in a way that spreads awareness of your cause and brings it positive attention. We are storytellers, armed with cameras, out to reveal the good in our world.

Each month-long production schedule is divided into four stages: research, writing, shooting, and editing. Within each stage our crew has specific goals to achieve in order to complete and premiere the film on time. Below, we will discuss how you can contribute to each stage of production in order to aid the crew and also to ensure that the final film is both useful and something that you are proud of. Your level of involvement is up to you, but the more you are involved the better the film will be.

Purpose (Before We Arrive) The process of creating our short film about your organization begins with the key first step of identifying the best purpose for the documentary video. Knowing the best purpose for this film will ensure that we tell a story that is of value to your goals. The following three questions

will help us know and understand the purpose – please send us your answers to these questions by email, before our first meeting.

1. What is the call to action? There should be some specific action that you wish the audience to take after they see your video. This could be to donate, to volunteer, to buy products, to visit the website, etc. Tell us what one thing your organization needs most from outside individuals or organizations.

2. Who is the target audience? The video will be viewed and enjoyed by a variety of people, but there should be one specific group of people that it is 'made for.' These are the individuals or organizations that you wish to take the action that you specified above. Please specify the relationship the target audience has with you, or the relationship that you wish them to have. Also please specify gender, age, nationality, economic status, and religious or political beliefs if known.

3. What is the message? What is the one thing that you wish the audience to believe about your organization after they watch the video?

We recommend consulting anyone within your project or organization that is concerned with public relations or marketing, as this video usually become a key awareness tool. Please please please be specific. The more specific you are in your answers the better the purpose and the more interesting the film will be.

Research (Week One) What We Do For the first week our crews are devoted to research. There are countless stories that we could tell about you and the work you are doing, so we do research in order to focus on the best story. This research will include visiting locations where your work takes place, listening to accounts of the history, success and future plans, conducting pre-interviews with individuals that may serve a role in the film, and collecting additional information about the sector you work in.

By the end of this first week the crew will make a decision about the plot of the film; this includes the main character(s), the struggles that will be highlighted in the story, how the struggles were overcome, what has changed or is different, and what it means for the future.

How You Can Help Once our crew becomes familiar with the area and the location of your projects or organization, they will be able to get around using public transportation on their own.

However, for the first meeting we ask that a representative from your organization meet our crew at our main office in the area, known as Base Camp. On the schedule provided to you, this meeting is the Overview Visit on the first day. The production manager will provide you with the address.

The Overview Visit is the most important time to make yourself and your resources available to our crew. Finding a satisfactory plot in such limited time will hinge on your cooperation.

The crew needs to see everything, and meet everyone, that you think may be important in that first week. Stories are about people, so in order to find the best story we need to find the best people. Please introduce us as soon as possible. Each day builds upon the last and the sooner

we establish the right foundation, the more time we have to perfect the details. This is also the time to offer up any ideas you or your colleagues may have for the film. We welcome suggestions and creative input throughout the production process, but we must stress that they will have the biggest impact during this early stage.

For any meetings or visits with individuals that do not speak English, we ask that you assist us by providing a translator. If this is not possible, please let us know as soon as you can so we can research other options.

Daily schedules will vary, so please consult the schedule that our production manager has given to you, to make sure you can create time for our crew during the research week.

Writing (Week Two) What We Do The second week is devoted to writing and planning. There are several documents that our crews will create in order to better plan their filming, to further develop the story, and to carefully consider creative choices beforehand. These documents include a story outline, a shot list, and a shooting schedule. This writing and planning process will save everyone time and effort, and will result in the best story possible. Intensive planning is required in order to ensure that we will capture a compelling, heartwarming, action-inducing story.

In order to accommodate you, as well as the other people that will be involved, a scheduling meeting will be held at the end of Week Two. Most times the crew will communicate directly with individuals about personal interviews and such, but for shooting that will involve project or organizational resources, we want to include you in the scheduling process.

How You Can Help There may be an occasional visit or pre-interview that needs to be arranged during Week Two, but the most important task for you involves the story outline. Early in Week Two you will receive a copy of the planned story outline delivered via email. The outline will describe how the crew sees the story unfolding. It will specify the characters that are featured, the kinds of footage they hope to capture, the interviews they wish to conduct and what facts/opinions/information they aim to get. We want your input, but we need it quickly. It is very important that you review this document with all the concerned parties and return notes to the crew within 24 hours of receiving the outline. This is the last chance that major changes can be made regarding the focus of the film and we want the crew to have as much time as possible to consider your input. The story outline sets the course for the rest of production.

Shooting (Week Three) What We Do The third week is devoted to shooting. Every interview, event, scene, and landscape shot will be scheduled to capture at some point this week. The schedule is not determined until a few days prior to the start of shooting and depends entirely on the crew, the subjects, and you.

Some days may require a lot of attention and cooperation from you, but somedays the crew may be entirely on their own – it all depends on the story.

While most of the crew will be out shooting, the editor will be at Base Camp processing and organizing all the footage. They will begin to put scenes and shots together, as much as possible, during the shooting period.

At the end of each shoot day we will meet together as a group to screen dailies. Dailies are the most recent footage from that day, shown in the order it was shot. We watch these to make sure crews obtained the shots and scenes that they planned on, and to correct any mistakes as quickly as possible.

How You Can Help A translator will be very important this week. In addition to assisting with interviews, a translator will be needed to help the editor create transcripts of interviews and other dialogue after it has been shot. Please let us know if you are unable to provide us with an translator as early as possible.

You are welcome to attend dailies each evening if you wish. The dailies screening will be held at Base Camp. The production manager will provide you with more information if you want to attend.

Editing (Week Four) What We Do The fourth week will be devoted to editing and completing a final cut of the film. In addition to cutting the footage, the crew will be translating/transcribing selected interview and scene clips, selecting music and creating a sound design, shooting additional pickup shots if needed, and finalizing all legal waivers needed by individuals and organizations featured in the film.

Every few mornings we will conduct screenings to view the progress on each film and offer notes.

How You Can Help We will need a translator early in the week to finish up with translating selected footage. You are welcome to attend our preview screenings during the week of editorial. The preview screenings are a chance to see how the film is shaping up, and to offer notes and constructive criticism.

Film Screening (The Final Day) What We Do In order to celebrate a successful film production we will arrange a premiere screening and wrap party on the final day of our production schedule. This event will be held at a theater.

Cafe, or other location with screening capabilities. Food and drink is usually available for purchase. Usually the event is held in the late afternoon to early evening. The first hour will be an opportunity for the crew and the local community to mingle and visit. A slideshow of production photos taken over the course of the month will be shown. Then each of the films will be introduced by one of the filmmakers and screened. Afterwards, crew and guests may

stay as long as they wish to continue visiting.

Your Involvement We welcome your suggestions for film premiere locations. The earlier we can check out potential locations and make a decision, the better. An invitation to the premiere party will be sent to you via email one week in advance, so that you may forward it on to anyone you wish to invite. We welcome as many people from the community as possible.

Distribution (After We Depart) What We Do Once the film is completed we will upload a high definition version of it to Vimeo, a video sharing website where you can download your copy of the film. The video is also embedded onto the Actuality Media website and a link is sent to everyone on our mailing list. The crew members often upload the film to their personal websites and will use it in the future on their professional reel. Further distribution on the internet and elsewhere will be decided by staff and crew on an individual basis.

Your Involvement Once you download a high definition version of the film we highly recommend that you post it on your website and send a link to your network to view on Vimeo. The best way to catch the eye of your supporters online is with video. Use the film for awareness and fundraising events in the future, burn it onto DVD (the quality will be less) and distribute it to interested parties, and anything else that you may be able to think of. If you would like to have an individual consultation about distribution, just let us know and we will arrange it before we depart.

Summary

Before Arrival  Answer the 3 purpose questions and return them to our production manager.  Make a list of every person that you think could be included in the film.  Arrange meetings for the crew during the research visits in Week One.  Arrange a translator to assist with research and filming.

Week 1  Meet with the crew for the Overview Visit and plan further research.  Provide as much information to your crew as possible.  Offer suggestions for film premiere locations.

Week 2  Review the story outline and provide notes within 24 hours of receiving it.  Ensure a scheduling meeting is set up to review the shooting schedule.

Week 3  Be sure a translator is available to assist with shooting.  Confirm the dates and times of dailies screenings, if you wish to attend.

Week 4  Be sure a translator is available to assist with editing.  Confirm dates and times of preview screenings, if you wish to attend.  Invite everyone in your local network to attend the film premiere.

Afterwards  Download a copy of the completed film from Vimeo.  Share your story with the world.