2019 DOCUMENTARY OUTREACHES - Actuality Media

2019 DOCUMENTARY
OUTREACHES

OUTREACH OVERVIEW
Studying abroad with Actuality Media, students travel to a developing community to produce
a short documentary film. Every Actuality Media project focuses on a local changemaker: an
individual or organization working to solve a chronic social or environmental problem in an
innovative way. Working as a Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor or Audio Designer,
crew members collaborate to make a short film from research to delivery in four weeks.

After researching the changemaker organization’s activities and impact through site visits and
interviews, crews select a real life character to structure their documentary around. With
instruction and mentorship from Production Supervisors, the crew will capture the story of
their character and reveal their world.

On location, the Production Supervisors from Actuality Media oversee all projects. They
coordinate travel logistics, lead educational briefings, conduct training workshops, support
research, manage operations and also approve outlines, shot lists and other benchmarks in
production. Our changemaker partners provide us a local liaison and translator for research
and filming.

PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
WEEK 1 – RESEARCH                               WEEK 3 - PRODUCTION
Instructors and crews meet daily for            Crews shoot on location to capture the
briefings, screenings and exercises on          people, events, sounds, and environments
documentary filmmaking. Crews visit             necessary to tell their chosen story. Each
locations, scout operations, and conduct        crews‘ schedule will differ based on
pre-interviews to gather information. The       changemaker accessibility. Dailies are
goal is to find a interesting character whose   reviewed and critiqued in group sessions
story would make a compelling                   every evening. Editors work to complete a
documentary.                                    visual assembly.

WEEK 2 – PREPARATIONS                           WEEK 4 - EDITORIAL
Crews plan for production by developing a       Editors focus on taking the film from rough
story summary and outline, as well as a         cut to picture lock while the rest of the crew
schedule and a shot list. Workshops and         supports by organizing interview selects,
shooting exercises are conducted by the         sound design, and graphics while also
Production Supervisors to teach techniques      putting together an Electronic Press Kit for
in visual storytelling.                         their film. Before crews depart, the local
                                                community is invited to join them for a
                                                screening of all completed documentaries.

WEEKENDS IN-COUNTRY
Every Documentary Outreach begins with a group excursion – a fun and exciting day trip out to
enjoy an activity unique to the area, like a waterfall hike in Morocco or an Incan ruins tour in Peru.
After the first weekend in-country, crew members have weekends off to relax, or to go off on
adventures of their own choosing. On Friday or Saturday of Departure Weekend there will be a
gathering to screen the new films.

JODHPUR, INDIA
June 1 – June 30, 2019                             l USD $3540
The Sun City of India, Jodhpur is the second largest city in the state of Rajasthan – a city centered on
handcrafts and tourism, but centered on a strategic area that puts mass transportation and big industry in
their near future. Within the old city limits around Mehrangarh Fort is the sea of old, blue houses marking
this city as an oasis in the desert.

ON LOCATION IN INDIA
Locals are very friendly and quick to chat or offer up a glass of chai (especially good with a
fresh samosa picked up from a vendor as you walk down the street). The people of Jodhpur
have come together for many community and humanitarian projects, focusing on green living,
access to water, medical aid, and community development.

The reputation as the Sun City is well earned as Jodhpur is hot and sunny year round. July and
August see the arrival of monsoon season as a small amount of rain and occasional clouds, but
mostly days will be clear with temperatures averaging a high of 94°F (34.5°C) and a low of
78.5°F (26°C).

Palaces, temples and forts are all high on the list of places to visit if you can step away from
the myriad restaurants serving up local fare, and outside the city are lakes, caves and
destination temples all surrounded by the Thar Desert. A quicker way to pass some free time is
to head towards the Clock Tower and enjoy the bustling Sardar Market that surrounds it.

SAN IGNACIO, BELIZE
June 22 – July 21, 2019                             l USD $3775
San Ignacio is a city just over 100 years old that has grown quickly to become the second largest city in
Belize – at just 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) in size. Known locally as “Cayo” - the original name that came from
a long-dry creek on the edge of town – San Ignacio is a city on the edge of the jungle and the wild at the
foot of the Maya Mountains.

ON LOCATION IN BELIZE
Surrounded by nature, there are several local changemakers focused on preserving the local
ecosystem, organic farming practices, and medicinal plants that can be harvested from the
rainforest. As the city has grown – and absorbed it’s smaller neighbor Santa Elena –
organizations have been founded to work on community development.

Belize is a sub-tropical country and can be quite humid in the summer, with the afternoon
showers of rainy season coming on most days. Though the Belizean coastline will have more
winds, it still tends to be hotter than inland cities like San Ignacio. As June ends so does the
hot season, and July temperatures will average a high of 89°F (~31.5°C) and lows in the
mid-70’s°F (~23.5°C).

The beautiful beaches of Belize are relatively close, but San Ignacio is a central attraction for
multiple Mayan ruins – including the famous Actun Tunichil Mukna cave system full of relics,
skeletons and more. The jungle offers other adventures such as hiking, tours, river
explorations, and also cave tubing. As Belize is an English-speaking country, it’s very easy to
explore for most tourists.

DA NANG, VIETNAM
July 6 – August 4, 2019 l USD $3525
With roots going back over 1000 years, Da Nang is a modern center of commerce and education in Vietnam.
A port city on the South China Sea and Han River, industry has long out-paced agriculture and it is one of
the must urban cities in the country. Regular tourism only really began in the 1990’s, and really began in
earnest in 2017.

ON LOCATION IN VIETNAM
Community development, education and children’s programs are run by local nonprofits in Da
Nang. The movement towards Social Enterprise has grown dramatically in the city, however,
with restaurants, hotels, markets, and tourism companies all stepping into the new sector, and
incubators helping more businesses to join them.

Multiple fascinating bridges span the waterways of Da Nang that do sometimes flood – but
our visit will be near the end of the dry season. There may be scattered rain, but expect most
days to be dry and pleasant. Temperatures will peak in the low 90’s°F (~34°C) and sink to the
high 70’s°F (~25.5°C) at night – a perfect time to see those bridges alight – with lights and
fireworks.

Known as one of the friendliest cities in Vietnam, it’s easy to pass time in the city chatting with
university students at English-speaking cafes – or visiting the local museums, sampling
renowned local cuisine, or relaxing on the beautiful beaches. Outside the city are national
parks, an intact 1920’s French resort, Buddhist temples, and several UNESCO World Heritage
Sites.

TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT
Briefings are led by Production Supervisors at Basecamp. Student crews are instructed in documentary
storytelling that has a focus on visual, character driven narratives. This method has a basis in fundamental story
structure that is rooted in the way humans have told stories throughout history.

Every crew makes a two minute video in Week 2 that serves as an on-set training day - the first time the crew will
film together, and a day when Production Supervisors will oversee all film production.

To facilitate the production process students will receive reading suggestions, digital worksheets and checklists.
Both short format and feature length documentaries are screened throughout the program. Every student is
actively involved in constructively critiquing the work of all crews for each milestone of the documentary
production process.

In each stage of production there are hands-on workshops and classroom instruction. Briefings cover research
methods, casting, dramatic elements, creating meaning, story outlines, shooting for visual motivation,
interviewing techniques, ethical concerns, digital workflow, visual assembly, sound design and more.

Actuality Media provides all the production equipment and processing software necessary to complete
production and the editorial process on location. Students may choose to bring additional equipment for
shooting or editing, but will be reminded that the focus is on good storytelling over stringing together flashy
shots. Documentation is provided to all crew-members in advance to advise them on what gear they may want
to bring, and how to keep it safe.

POTENTIAL SUBJECTS
Far from glossy promotional videos, the documentary films our crews create are powerful stories of people
involved with the work of a changemaker. For every Documentary Outreach we coordinate with local
changemakers who are working to solve social or environmental issues to make their community better.
The work that each of our changemaker subjects is doing is meant to address issues immediate to their
community, so possible themes and topics for your documentary will vary by location.

In recent years, our crews addressed alternative transportation in Morocco, women’s rights in Nicaragua,
rural solar energy development in Nepal, refugee rights in Ecuador, accessible tech education in Uganda
and human trafficking in Thailand. We are currently researching our partner changemakers for 2019.

2019 OUTREACH COSTS

PROGRAM FEE INCLUDES:                           India                     $3540
Pre-departure materials
                                                Belize                    $3775
Documentary instruction/support                 Vietnam                   $3525
Production and editorial gear                   All Prices in USD
Shared lodging in a travelers hostel or hotel
Two meals each day
Ground transport for production
Office/meeting facilities
Group excursion                                 ADDITIONAL EXPENSES:
Production documentation
Visa documentation                              Airfare to program location
A translator for production                     Visa fees
Travel health insurance                         Additional food and drinks
One local cellphone per crew                    Additional travel/excursions
24/7 emergency assistance

FAQS
Q: Who can apply?                                         Q: What are the costs involved?
A: Our past crew members have included enrolled           A: See Page 15 for the cost of each Documentary Outreach in
university students, young professionals, and adults      U.S. Dollars. You will also have to budget for airfare, a visa fee,
interested in expanding their knowledge about             additional food and drinks, and additional tourist excursions you
documentary production. Anyone 18 years or older          want to arrange.
with an adventurous spirit may apply.
                                                          Q:Do you offer financial aid?
Q: I’m no longer a student, can I apply?                  A: We have an annual documentary competition where the
A: Yes. Anyone over the age of 18 can apply.              winner is awarded a full scholarship to any Outreach program.
                                                          For more information visit
Q: Is production experience required?                     actualitymedia.org/scholarship-competition.
A: No. Actuality Media programs are educational in
nature. We will teach you what you need to know.          Q: What does the program fee include?
                                                          A: Students receive documentary instruction and support,
Q: Is there a cost to apply?                              shared housing, two meals each day, ground transportation for
A: No. There is no cost to apply.                         production and on arrival/departure days, use of production and
                                                          editorial equipment, use of group meeting facilities, one tourist
Q: When is the application deadline?                      excursion, legal documents, visa documents, translator access, a
A: We have a rolling admissions process. The sooner       local cell phone per crew, and access to emergency assistance.
you apply the higher your chances of acceptance and
preferred crew position. The final deadline to apply is   Q: Do we need to bring equipment?
March 1 2019.                                             A: No. A production package is provided to each crew that
                                                          includes all production and editorial equipment you will need.
Q: How can I apply?
A: Visit actualitymedia.org/documentary-outreach-
application to begin your application.

FAQS
Q: Can I bring my own equipment?                               Q: What is the Cinematographer’s role?
A: Yes. You can bring any of your own equipment to use         A: The cinematographer decides the look of the film, captures
in addition to the production package. You will be             all the needed footage and brings visual motivation to the
responsible for your own gear and we highly recommend          story.
purchasing personal property travel insurance to cover
loss or damage.                                                Q: What is the Audio Designer’s role?
                                                               A: The audio designer is responsible for the final sound of the
Q: Should I bring my laptop?                                   film - this includes finding and recording sounds that are
A: It is not required but you will find it helpful for         important to the story, overseeing all sound recording during
completing research and writing assignments. There are         shooting, and taking a hand in the editing process.
also internet cafes available to use in every location.
                                                               Q: What is the Editor’s role?
Q: What is the Producer’s role?                                A: The editor helps research and plan for shooting, and
A: The producer is the leader of the crew, in charge of        supervises post production, managing all the media and
keeping everything organized and is the liaison with the       cutting the final film.
changemaker.
                                                               Q: Can I choose the crew I work with?
Q: What is the Director’s role?                                A: If you and your friends are applying, indicate on your
A: The director is in charge of the story, has final call on   application and you can choose to work together on the same
the main character and ensures that the issues are             crew.
explored in the most engaging way.

FAQS
Q: Can I choose my Changemaker?                          Q: What is the food like?
A: Our Advisory Board selects the changemakers that      A: The meals provided will be typical local style food that varies
we work with on each Outreach. From those chosen         each day. Most locations can accomodate vegetarians, but the
you can select which you would prefer along with your    fare may be less varied.
crew position, in the order you are confirmed.
                                                         Q: Do I need to speak the language?
Q: Will I have any time off?                             A: No. A translator will be made available to each crew by their
A: Yes. Weekends will be free for students to plan       changemaker.
additional excursions on their own.
                                                         Q: Is it safe to travel to ...?
Q: What is the production schedule?                      A: Each program location is chosen after a careful security review.
A: Crews will work Monday - Friday with weekends off.    Every location is clear of travel restrictions and is deemed safe for
The first week is focused on research. The second week   tourists by the governments of the United States, Canada, United
is focused on prep. The third week is focused on         Kingdom and Australia.
shooting. The fourth week is focused on editorial. The
day to day schedule will vary based on crew,             Q: Do I need travel medical insurance?
changemaker and subject requirements. Students can       A: Each student is enrolled in a comprehensive travel medical
expect 8 - 10 hour work days during the week.            insurance plan for the duration of the program as part of their
                                                         program fee.
Q: What is the housing like?
A: Students will stay in a secure traveler’s hotel or    Q: Who owns the rights to the films?
hostel, in multi-bunkbed, mixed gender dorm rooms.       A: Films are Creative Commons licensed so that every
Bathrooms and showers are usually communal.              stakeholder can screen and benefit from it. Actuality Media
                                                         retains official copyright in order to ensure compliance with
                                                         creative commons licensing as well as Fair Use protection under
                                                         United States law.

FAQS
Q: Can I screen my film at my school?                         Q: What happens if I get sick or hurt?
A: Yes. Students are encouraged to arrange any kind of        A: A Production Supervisor on location will make sure
screening of their film and may choose to feature others      that you seek medical attention from a trusted hospital or
from the Actuality Media library as well.                     doctor if needed. In the unlikely case of an extreme
                                                              emergency you will be flown home for medical attention.
Q: How will the films be distributed?                         Travel insurance included in the program fee will
A: Crews are asked to collaborate on a distribution           reimburse all medical costs.
strategy unique to the goals of their film. Actuality Media
has provided films to many TV and online outlets. Also,       Q: Can I earn University credit?
the top 2 films of the season will each receive $500          A: Yes. We are happy to work with students individually
backing for festivals.                                        to arrange for you to earn academic credit from your own
                                                              school for based on your completion of a program.
Q: Can I submit the film to festivals?
A: Yes. Film Festivals are an important part of any           Q: Should I travel after the program?
distribution strategy. However, the festival needs to         A: Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of
accept short documentary entries that are also                the plane ticket and plan travel in the region either
distributed online. This does exclude some festivals, but     before or after the program
each year more and more update their policy.
                                                              Q: What vaccinations do I need ?
                                                              A: Ask your doctor or local travel clinic about
                                                              recommendations for the location you are traveling to.

         STILL HAVE A QUESTION – EMAIL INFO@ACTUALITYMEDIA.ORG

WE ARE A BAND OF STORYTELLERS
ARMED WITH CAMERAS, OUT TO REVEAL
THE GOOD IN OUR WORLD