Community Visions Application

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Application Process

The application process is not difficult, but it does require that groups put a great deal of thought into the proposed project and submit a written proposal. Groups must be willing to make a significant commitment to the project and work closely with Scribe throughout the making of the documentary. Community Visions is demanding and exciting and the resulting documentaries are powerful tools. We encourage interested groups to contact Scribe so that we can answer their questions and assist with the preparation of their applications.

How Community Visions works.

A Community Visions project takes about ten months to complete. Typically, primary shooting takes place in five to ten sessions and editing takes place over two to three months after shooting is complete.

Once a group's project has been selected, Scribe hires one or two experienced videomakers to be facilitators for the group. The facilitators meet regularly with the members of the community organization who make up the production team. The facilitators and the team develop the idea for the film, prepare a shooting script, and outline a production schedule. Facilitators provide a lot of instruction in such things as strategies for telling the story, using the camera and lighting equipment, editing styles, and much more, and he or she guides the production team through the entire process.Team members are also encouraged to take workshops at Scribe.

What Scribe does in Community Visions.

Scribe selects and pays the facilitators. Scribe also provides the equipment, instruction and technical assistance required to design, produce and edit the group's videotape. For some workshops, Scribe covers all the fees for group members; for other workshops, we offer reduced fees to the group. When the group has finished the film, Scribe hosts a gala premiere screening. Scribe also gives the group some assistance (though not financial support) in arranging other screenings of the completed video and distributing it. Throughout the process, Scribe staff answers questions, helps trouble-shoot problems and offers a lot of support and encouragement.

What the community organization does.

The organization commits "sweat equity"? for the duration of the project — typically about ten months, but some projects take a month or two longer. The time commitment for Community Visions is significant. The group forms a team of five to eight members who will see the project through to completion, including one group member who will be the team leader and the primary contact for Scribe.

During the first twelve or so weeks, the team meets regularly (perhaps once a week for 2-3 hours), to brainstorm, design and script the project. Over the next two to three months, including some weekends, the team shoots the film. Then a two- to three-month editing phase begins during which the teams typically spend approximately 50 hours assembling their footage into a short video. During all these phases, some members of the team will take Scribe workshops.

The work can be divided up among the members of the production team. We don't expect every person on the team to be present at every meeting, every shoot, or all editing sessions. But we do expect that each member of the team will remain actively involved throughout the entire process, learn aspects of video documentary making, and share in the work — and the excitement.

The selection criteria.

In choosing the four groups each year, we look for the following things.

  • The group has a reasonably clear vision of the video it wants to make.
  • The proposed videotape will help the group reach its constituency.
  • The group has ideas about when and how the completed videotape will be used on an on-going basis (fundraising may not be the primary purpose of the video).
  • The group is prepared to make the necessary commitment of time, energy and creativity to the project.
  • The group is stable enough to handle to rigors of production.
  • Some priority is given to proposals from groups serving low-income communities. We don't require or expect any prior video or film making experience.
  • A selection committee, made up of Scribe staff, members of community groups, and past Community Visions team members, carefully reviews all written proposal and supporting documents. We interview group members to learn about the group's history, to get a sense of its strength and commitment to the proposed project, and to learn how the video will be used.

What goes into the application.

The application should be not more than three pages, and it must tell us the following things. About the group, we want to know:

  • what its mission is and how it works to achieve its mission
  • how long the group has existed and its history
  • how active the group is
  • who its constituents are and how actively they support the group
  • why the group is relevant to the community or the issue it wants to represent in its video
  • the group's total revenues and expenses for the last completed fiscal year.

We may ask the group to provide financial and other information during the review process.

The application should also include letters of support from individuals or organizations that support the work of the group, believe that a video would be important to the community, and might use the completed video.

About the proposed film, we want to know:

  • what the video will be about
  • what message the group wants to convey through the video
  • how the group will use the finished video to reach and motivate its constituents and others.

About the production team, we want to know:

  • the names of the group members who will be on the team
  • how long each group member has been involved with the group
  • how many hours a week each group member is able to commit to the project
  • which group member will serve as project coordinator and be the main contact person for Scribe throughout the project