The Media Impact Internship is for emerg-
Program Overview
ing filmmakers who not only want to tell stories that matter, but want to be catalysts for real change. Interns will travel to Ecuador for ten weeks to create a media campaign about a local changemaker, centered around a short documentary film.
Each crew of interns will produce a variety of media assets – digital and print – that will support their short documentary film. A website will serve as a platform for all materials.
Actuality Media instructors will be on location to conduct training, oversee research, assist with production, and manage the overall operation. A translator and local guide will be provided by the changemaker.
Production Schedule Week One Interns will receive an in-country orientation upon arrival to get acquainted with the location. They will be enrolled in intensive language classes for the first week and spend their time outside of class volunteering with their changemaker for research purposes. Week Two Changemaker research will continue with more purposeful visits and pre-interviews. Project briefings will begin with a focus on photo storytelling. Week Three Interns will begin to develop an approach to their documentary while simultaneously brainstorming a proposed impact strategy. Changemaker research will continue as needed to narrow the focus of the story. Additional media materials will be created through exercises, based on a needs assessment completed by the interns.
Week Four After exploring their changemakers world, crews will choose a character to follow. Using the five dramatic elements as a guide, interns will create a story summary to pitch to their instructor. Week Five Through workshops, exercises and a camera test, interns will become proficient in shooting techniques and visual storytelling. Crews will work to develop a documentary outline, shot list and shooting schedule. Week Six Principle photography on the documentaries commences. Interns will shoot all scenes for their film. Crews will screen their footage each night in a dailies review for group critiques. Week Seven Editorial begins on the documentary films. Interns will learn how to create the visual assembly and rough cut.
Week Seven - continued The rest of crew will begin storyboarding trailer or micro-personal experience narrative. Week Eight Editorial continues with interns creating a picture-locked cut of their documentary as well as mounting the sound design. Crews will record trailer or micro-personal experience, and will form story for graphic teaser. Week Nine Interns will create a website platform to house their film and other media materials. While placing media on website, interns will also decide on areas to post graphic teaser leaflet and distribute them. Week Ten The documentary film and correspending website will be launched, and a community screening will be held to celebrate a sucessful project completetion.
Training
Students are instructed in documentary
storytelling with a focus on visual, character driven narratives. In each stage of production hands-on workshops are interspersed with classroom instruction. Instructor briefings will cover research methods, defining purpose, casting, dramatic elements, creating meaning, story outline, digital workflow, visual assembly, sound design, impact strategy, distribution strategy and more.
Interns will assigned to a primary position as either Producer, Director, Cinematographer or Editor but all are expected to work collaboratively at each stage of the project. From this process interns will learn not only how to produce a character driven documentary film, but how to create and implement an impact and distribution strategy. The goal is to teach each intern a replicable process that they can recreate for their own projects in the future. Although there is no Spanish language requirement, all interns will be enrolled in twenty hours of Spanish instruction at the beginning of their internship.
2015 Location: Cuenca, Ecuador September 26th - December 7th, 2015
High in the mountains of southern Ecuador sits Cuenca, a city
plentiful in history and diverse in culture. The streets of the center are laid out in old colonial fashion, with large blocks dotted with squares, plazas and other public spaces. Churches and museums are numerous throughout the city, as are restaurants with international cuisine. One small park holds the remains of Incan building in Cuenca, but a few hours away is Ingapirca, the largest Incan ruin in Ecuador. Just outside the city is the fantastical Cajas National Park where hikes and vistas abound, or closer to the city is Ba単os, home to refreshing and relaxing hot springs.
Like most big cities in Latin American, Cuenca suffers problems ranging from homelessness and lack of youth education, to the impoverished slums of migrant homes. The city is also home to many forward thinking social entrepreneurs, and as a cultural center of Ecuador it is also a base of international organizations working to save local culture and ecosystems.
Program Costs 2015 Media Impact Internship Program Fee:
$4750 USD
Additional Expenses: Airfare to program location Daily meals Additional travel excursions
Program Fee Includes: Pre-departure materials Documentary instruction and support Production and editorial equipment rental Shared lodging in travelers hostel Ground transportation in-country Twenty hours private spanish instruction Changemaker research and introductions Office and meeting facility use Three group tourist excursions Production legal documentation Access to translator Travel insurance Local cell phone 24/7 emergency assistance A website to host media and track data
Frequently Asked Questions Who can apply? The Media Impact Internship is designed for current students and recent graduates who are interested in learning more about documentary production. However, anyone over the age of 18 can apply. I am no longer a student, can I apply? Yes. The internship is a great program for recent graduates as well. Is prior video experience required? No. Actuality Media programs are educational in nature. We will teach you everything you need to know. Is there a cost to apply? No. There is no cost to apply.
What does the program fee include? Documentary instruction and support, shared housing at a traveler’s hostel, all ground transportation in country, use of production and editorial equipment, use of group meeting facilities, twenty hours of language instructor, three tourist excursions, legal documents, visa documents, translator access, local cell phone, access to emergency assistance and a website to host media and data tracking.
What are the documentaries about? Each documentary will explore the work of a local changemaker in the region of your program. The crew decides what story they tell within that world by choosing a character to focus on and struggle to follow.
Do we need to bring equipment? No. A production package is provided to each crew that includes all production and editorial equipment you will need.
What is the Director’s role? The director is in charge of the story, has final call on the main character and ensures that the issues are explored in the most engaging way.
How can I apply? Visit actualitymedia.org/apply to begin your application.
What kind of equipment do we use? Each crew is given a production package that includes a Canon XA10 high definition camera, standard tripod, shotgun microphone with xlr input, wired lavalier microphone, boom pole, multidisk light reflector, 13 inch macbook pro, adobe premiere editing software, various hard drives, and an equipment backpack.
What are the costs involved? The 2014 Media Impact Internship has a program fee of $4750 USD. You will also have to budget for airfare, meals, and additional tourist excursions you want to arrange.
Can I bring my own equipment? Yes. You can bring any of your own equipment to use in addition to the production package. We recommend purchasing personal property travel insurance to cover loss or damage.
Do you offer financial aid? Visit actualitymedia.org/funding to get information about fundraising and the kind of financial aid that Actuality Media offers.
Should I bring my laptop? It is not required but you may find it helpful for completing research and writing assignments. There are also internet cafes available to use in every location.
When is the application deadline? The deadline to apply is May 1st, 2014.
What is the Producer’s role? The producer is the leader of the crew, in charge of keeping everything organized and is the liasion with the changemaker.
What is the Cinematographer’s role? The cinematographer designs the look of the film, captures all the needed footage and brings visual motivation to the story. What is the Editor’s role? The editor supervises post production, managing all the media and cutting the final film. Can I choose the crew I work with? If you and your friends are applying, indicate on your application and you can choose to work together on the same crew. Can I choose my Changemaker? Our Advisory Board selects the the changemakers that we work with on each outreach. From those chosen you can select which you would prefer along with your crew position once you are confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions Can I suggest a Changemaker? Yes. Please send us an email with any changemakers you would recommend so we can research them for the an upcoming program.
How will the films be distributed? Distribution efforts will center around attracting viewers to the video hosted online. Different efforts will be tracked so the crew can learn what worked best.
What is the production schedule? Crews will work Monday - Friday with weekends off. The day to day schedule will vary based on crew, changemaker and subject requirements. Interns can expect 8 hour work days during the week.
Can I submit the film to festivals? Yes. Film Festivals are an important part of any distribution strategy. However, the festival needs to accept short documentary entries that are also distributed online. This does exclude some festivals, but each year more and more update their policy.
Will I have any time off? Yes. Weekends will be free for interns to plan additional excursions on their own. What is the housing like? Interns will stay in a secure traveler’s hostel in shared rooms. Bathrooms and showers are usually communal. Do I need to speak the language? No. You will enrolled in twenty hours of language instruction which you will complete during the first week to build on any previous ability. However, a translator will be made available to each crew by their changemaker. Do I need a visa? Most interns will not need a visa to enter Ecuador for a stay up to 90 days. However, you should check the tourist visa requirements for your nationality on visahq.com. If additional documentation is required we will provide it for you.
Can I screen my film at my school? Yes. Interns are encouraged to arrange any kind of screening of their film and may choose to feature others from the Actuality Media library as well. Who owns the rights to the films? Films are creative commons licensed so that every stakeholder can screen, and benefit from it. Crew are encouraged to adopt any traditional or innovative distribution strategy as long as it is non-commercial. Actuality Media retains official copyright in order to ensure compliance with creative commons licensing. Can I watch films made in the past? Visit actualitymedia.org/films to watch all the films produced on our past programs. Can I see past program photos? Visit actualitymedia.org/behind-the-scenes to see photos from our past programs.
Is it safe to travel to ...? Each program location is chosen after a careful security review. Every location is clear of any travel restrictions and is deemed safe for tourists by the governments of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Austraila. Do I need travel medical insurance? Each intern is enrolled in a comprehensive travel medical insurance plan for the duration of the program as part of their program fee. What vaccinations do I need to get? Talk to your doctor or local travel clinic about what they recommend for the location you are traveling to. What happens if I get sick or hurt? The instructor on location will make sure that you seek medical attention from a trusted hospital or doctor if needed. In the unlikely case of an extreme emergency, you will be flown home for medical attention.The travel insurance included in the program fee will cover all medical costs. Should I travel after the program? Yes. Interns are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the plane ticket and plan travel in the region either before or after the program. Can I earn University credit? Yes. We are happy to work with interns individually to arrange for you to earn academic credit from your own school for based on your completion of a program.
WE ARE A BAND OF STORYTELLERS
ARMED WITH CAMERAS
OUT TO REVEAL THE GOOD IN OUR WORLD