Benjamin Bratt to Narrate PBS’s Series “Latino Americans”

“– Landmark Six-Hour Documentary Features Interviews with Nearly 100 Latinos and More Than 500 Years of History, Premieres Fall 2013 –

PASADENA, CA; JANUARY 14, 2013 — Today at the Television Critics Association meeting, PBS announced actor Benjamin Bratt will narrate LATINO AMERICANS, a landmark three-part, six-hour documentary series that is set to air nationally on PBS in the fall of 2013. It is the first major documentary series for television to chronicle the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinos, who have helped shape the United States over the last 500-plus years and have become, with more than 50 million people, the largest minority group in the U.S.”

Find out more in the “What’s Showing” category.

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Samsung and NYTVF offer $300,000 for orginal short series

Read about the Samsung Challenge:

“New York, NY, July 25, 2012 – Samsung Electronics America, a leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, and the NYTVF, a pioneer of the independent television movement, today announced they will collaborate on a landmark initiative that will provide indie producers and production companies the opportunity to compete for a production budget of $300,000 to create an original short series with accompanying second screen material.

Free the TV Challenge III – “Second Screen Storytellers” is Samsung’s third Free the TV Challenge, following successful competitions in 2010 and 2011. This latest challenge represents the first time Samsung will be working with NYTVF and the indie storytelling community to push the boundaries of the Samsung consumer experience.

The NYTVF will be accepting entries from August 6, 2012 through September 24, 2012. The winning selection will be announced at the 8th annual New York Television Festival, taking place from October 22-27, 2012, in lower Manhattan. The subsequently-created series will then debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2013, after which it will be exclusively distributed via Samsung Smart TVs and Galaxy devices.”

Find out more about grants and funding in the grants and funding category.

To purchase a download of the Funding Your Dream Documentary seminar, click here.

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A&E And The NYTVF Offering Guaranteed Deals For Non-Fiction Series

“Five finalists will  receive development funding from the network; one winner awarded $10,000 and  the opportunity to participate in pilot production.

A&E Network and the New York Television Festival are accepting submissions for unscripted television formats from indie producers  and doc production companies. Entries should focus on big characters in  exciting and fresh worlds that are highly entertaining and of the moment.

Submission Requirements: A short treatment (1-2 pages) describing your original  unscripted format and a brief video introducing the subject(s). Five finalists,  selected by A&E, will receive notes and $2,500 to shoot additional tape. One winner will be  awarded $10,000 and the opportunity to participate in pilot production. All 25 semi-finalists will be invited to participate at the NYTVF and will be eligible for  additional opportunities.”

Find out more about grants and funding in the grants and funding category.

To purchase a download of the Funding Your Dream Documentary seminar, click here.

Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog for up-to-the-minute updates!  Or follow us on Twitter!

One Of A Kind Programming on TheLip.TV

TheLip.TV GIVES ONLINE VIEWERS

ONE OF A KIND ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING

Website Launches Four In-depth Shows

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – While most online web shows have short bursts of info in five and ten minute segments, TheLip.TV has reinvented the ultimate in original programming by creating first rate shows that are only available online.

TheLip.TV believes whole-heartedly that if you build it they will come. The site offers in-depth interview shows with guests who have never done these kinds of interviews ever before anywhere. These shows now have an edge over the online and television programming competition.

Founder, Michael Lustig launched TheLip.TV this past August 2011 and from the start he has basically reinvented what many of stayed away from which is high quality online interview shows. His philosophy is to create top-notch original programming that makes the audience really want to sit up and take notice. “I asked myself the best question to create this new online genre which is why would the audience care?”

TheLip.TV’s first four online shows offer a great selection beginning with: “BYOD” (Bring Your Own Doc) co-hosted by Ondi Timoner, director of “DIG!” “JOIN US” and “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC,” and she’s the only filmmaker to win Grand Jury Prize at Sundance twice, and her co-host Vladimir Radovanov, is an entertainment attorney, and executive producer of “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC.” The show explores documentary filmmakers, aspects of filmmaking, with special guests and a live Q&A– diving deep into creative process and the business realities of producing and distributing films.  Ondi and Vladimir share their insider views, opinions, and personal stories, welcoming audience participation.  BYOD aims to entertain, inform, and elevate documentaries in general by bringing attention to films and filmmakers that deserveexposure.

Then there’s “Media Mayhem” hosted by Allison Hope Weiner. She’s a lawyer and journalist who has covered Hollywood for more than fifteen years. It features behind the scenes of just why certain stories are published, why others are never told and how the conflict between the advertising and editorial sections of a company often determines content. 

“The Wine Down” features all things fermented, distilled, grown, nourished and served with hosts, Sonja Magdevski and Brandon Bartlett. Bartlett is a registered Sommelier with The Court of Master Sommeliers, makes his own wine, and sat on Bon Appetit Magazine’s Tasting Panel. While Magdevski’s winemaking endeavors can be found at: casadumetzwines.com

Finally there’s “The Intentional Parent” explores parenting through dialogue and debate making it an innovative and groundbreaking program. It’s co-hosted by Greg Matuskiewicz and parenting expert and author, Dr. Tina Payne Bryson. It’s a straightforward parenting show that everyone can relate to.

TheLip.TV is rolling out other new series in 2012 and is partnered with Justintv.com, YouTube.com, iTunes and UStream.

2 TV Associate Producer Jobs in Annapolis, MD

Associate Producer 1

National and international television broadcast looking for experienced associate producer.

Position requires identifying interesting and newsworthy topics for shows that will support a 25-minute discussion and booking guests for that program. Responsibilities include preparing research packets for program host, writing questions and news-style introductory packages and scripts. Experience finding and choosing b-roll a plus.

Successful candidate will demonstrate good news judgment, excellent writing skills and familiarity with the conventions of booking prominent guests for television interviews. Interest in current events and ability to identify interesting story ideas from diverse areas such as economics, global health, education reform and human rights is essential.

This is a full-time freelance
position based in Annapolis, MD.

Send cover letter and resume to: productiontvjobs@gmail.com

Associate Producer 2

National and international television production company looking for an Associate Producer with experience in all aspects of video production, including shot selection, footage gathering, creating paper cuts for programs and ability to guide editors in post production under the oversight of a producer. Successful candidate will possess solid editorial judgment, excellent writing and organizational skills and be interested in public policy and political affairs. Long form and cross-platform experience a plus.

This is a full-time freelance position based in Annapolis, MD.

Send cover letter and resume to: productiontvjobs@gmail.com

Location Release Form Sample

Look for other templates and samples in Templates Category.

You can purchase this downloadable Location Release template for ONLY $0.99!

This template can be changed to fit your production needs. Purchase will be emailed to you.

                        

A location release is a form that allows the owner of a location to give written permission to the producer to shoot at the location.  For example, if you are shooting a piece at a high school, it is a good idea to have a representative of the high school fill out and sign the location release.  If someone down the road recognizes the school on your footage and wants to complain or worse, you will have this document to prove you were allowed to shoot there.  You can manipulate the document to reflect:

• No cost or fee based
• Distribution platforms
• Time allowed to use the location image

I like to get rights for all platforms, in perpetuity.

Here is a sample release.

You can purchase this downloadable Location Release template for ONLY $0.99!

This template can be changed to fit your production needs. Purchase will be emailed to you.

                        

Downloadable Production Templates for only .99 Cents!

DocsAndTv.com is happy to announce downloadable production templates for only .99 cents! 

We have easy SCHEDULE and BUDGET formats that you can change to fit your specific production needs.  Don’t waste time trying to figure out the best format.  Place your order and we will email you the template. It’s that easy!

Preview and order the SCHEDULE template here. It is an MS word document.

Preview and order the BUDGET template here.  It is an Excel document.

POV Calls for Documentary and Film Submissions

“POV, public television’s premier showcase for independent, non-fiction film seeks programs from all perspectives to showcase in its annual national PBS series. All subjects, aesthetic approaches and lengths are welcomed.”

Here are some of the guidelines:

• Non-fiction only.
• Works by independent filmmakers.
• Works that have not been broadcast nationally. 
• Works that are complete or near completion.
• Works not previously submitted to POV
• Works of any length will be considered. Works that comply with PBS underwriting guidelines.

For more information, visit the POV submissions page.

Find out more about grants and funding in the grants and funding category.

To purchase a download of the Funding Your Dream Documentary seminar, click here.

The Truth About Money with Ric Edelman Premieres on Public Television

Here is some info on a I show I helped ramp up.

Nationally and locally renowned financial advisor, best-selling author and award-winning talk show host Ric Edelman now brings his unique blend of financial savvy and entertainment to WETA and WHUT as well as Public Television stations across the country. The series begins airing Sunday, May 1st, on WHUT at 10:30 am, and Monday May 2nd at 1:00 pm on WETA.

In the series of 26 half-hour episodes, entitled “The Truth About Money with Ric Edelman,” America’s top independent financial advisor—as ranked by Barron’s magazine for the last two years in a row—educates and entertains Public Television viewers on all manner of personal financial issues. Edelman tackles topics such as investing, retirement, financing a college education, mortgages, and providing support to both aging parents and struggling adult children.

His fascinating guests range from Maria Bartiromo, the CNBC anchor and host of “Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo,” to nationally recognized divorce lawyer Raoul Felder, Internet and sports billionare Ted Leonsis, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and Major League Baseball hall-of-famer and Texas Rangers owner Nolan Ryan. During interviews, Raoul Felder offers viewers news-you-can-use on the financial ramifications of divorce. Multi-millionaire Russell Simmons, author of “Super Rich,” shares a belief that might surprise some—that our first priority in life should be to move towards enlightenment. Maria Bartiromo, whose job puts her in contact with the greatest financial minds in the world, cites her mom as the person whose financial advice she most closely follows.

Says Russ Hodge, executive producer of “The Truth About Money with Ric Edelman,” “In these rollicking economic times, it’s especially important to offer solid financial guidance from America’s top personal financial advisor, who has the added bonus of being a master communicator. Our program will help viewers avoid the daily ‘up and down’ market coverage of cable news networks, and instead help viewers reach their financial goals.”

“The Truth About Money with Ric Edelman” is produced by 3 Roads Communications, Inc., an Emmy Award-winning company with a long, distinguished history of supplying top-notch programming to Public Television. “The Truth About Money with Ric Edelman” is underwritten by TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation and iShares. The series is being distributed by American Public Television (APT) to Public Television stations nationwide.

About Ric Edelman
Ric Edelman has been providing financial advice to consumers for 25 years. He was inducted into Research Magazine’s Advisor Hall of Fame in 2004. His radio show, “The Truth About Money” airs in 36 major radio markets around the country, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Baltimore, Miami, San Francisco and Washington DC. He is also a sought-after-speaker, TV personality and best-selling author of seven books—including the newly updated and expanded fourth edition of his personal finance classic, “The Truth About Money.”

About 3 Roads Communications
3 Roads Communications, Inc. is a television programming, video production, and communications firm with offices in Frederick, Maryland, serving New York, Washington, D.C., and clients nationwide. 3 Roads has created and produced dozens of hours of award-winning programming for public television, including:
· Legends of Airpower
· Frontiers of Medicine
· For the Love of Their Brother
· 25 Tips to Afford College
· 50 Tips for Child Safety

About Edelman Financial Services
Edelman Financial Services provides financial planning and investment management services for individuals and families across the country. The firm has won more than 75 financial, business, community and philanthropic awards, and currently manages $6 billion for consumers nationwide.

About APT
American Public Television (APT) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America’s public television stations since 1961. In 2009, APT distributed 56 of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, news and current affairs programs, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies, including For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots, A Ripple of Hope, Rick Steves’ Europe, Newsline, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia’s Italy, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home, Murdoch Mysteries, Doc Martin, Rosemary & Thyme, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, The Great American Songbook and John Denver: The Wildlife Concert. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched Create®—the TV channel featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming. APT is also a partner in the WORLD™ channel expansion project including its web presence at WORLDcompass.org. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org. For more information on Create®, visit CreateTV.com.

Fundraising Through CrowdSourcing & CrowdFunding

Crowdsourcing (also known as crowdfunding) is a relatively new term made popular by new media sites that draw on the collective and voluntary knowledge, expertise or support of their visitors or users.  If you look up the term “crowdsourcing” via Google’s define function, only 4 definitions appear (“crowdfuning” only has one).  Yet, crowdsourcing is increasingly gaining in popularity as a way to raise funds for documentary and series productions. 

I have not used crowdsoursing myself but have been invited to donate through crowdsourcing sites such as Kickstarter.com , IndieGoGo.com and RocketHub.com.  These sites allow producers to present their ideas and projects then set a monetary fundraising goal (such as $5,000 in completion funds for a documentary) and a time frame.  If the target goal is not reached on some sites, the project does not receive the funds.  Other sites give the project owner whatever funds are collected.  Most sites charge a fee. 

Visitors to the project fundraising site are able to donate however much they like and are often offered thank you gifts for certain donated amounts.  For example, one project I saw offered the documentary soundtrack to anyone who donated at the $100 level.

I recently that the chance to ask some of my colleagues in the independent production business about their experiences raising money on crowdsourcing sites. 

• Anne Mathide Cobern exceeded her $5000 kickstarter goal for her thesis film “Pretty All the Time.” Her film was winner of DC Shorts 2009 Script DC and a semi-finalist for the Carole Fielding award through the University Film and Video Association.
• Mary Ratcliff is a writer and director who used crowdsourced for her film “Catching Up.”  You can find out more about Mary on her website.
• Ishu Krishna’s company is Citra Productions.  She is currently crowdsourcing her film “Arrange to Settle.”  Check out her kickstarter page here. 
• Emmett Williams is an independent producer is using crowdsourcing to raise funds for a short documentary about people living with Multiple Sclerosis called “If You Can Dream.” Check out his IndieGoGo site here for more about the his documentary.  Or visit his website.

 

Why did you choose to raise funds through a crowdsourcing site rather than ask family and friends?

Anne Mathilde Coburn: For me, it’s a mix. In many ways, I probably could have gotten cash straight up from family, which has accounted for a good bit of the total, but I like the artificial deadline of Kickstarter–it creates deadline pressure on the part of the donor and the person with the project, which (at least with me, my family and friends) is a real concern in an open-ended fundraising scenario. I would suggest making arrangements with large potential donors to hang back until the last minute in case you have difficulties reaching the end goal. Also, craft a personal letter to everyone you know that hopefully creates an emotional tie between you and your potential donors. The good thing about social media/Kickstarter/crowdsourcing et al, is that if your contacts are in wildly different cities (for me, they’re in New York, DC, and Cleveland), people like to come to a place where they can follow the progress of the film. A blog with a link to the Kickstarter page; the Kickstarter page itself; Twitter updates– all of these things take time, but create a deeper connection between you and your donors/friends.

I’m actually using Kickstarter right now for my thesis film, which is a short narrative piece. I’m trying to raise $5,000. We’re currently at $4,265 with 21 days to go. I should also mention, though, that I have been saving for my thesis film (for 8 months), and have gotten a couple of grants from my university in order to make this film as well.

How involved is the process?

Mary Ratliff: I raised $500 through Kickstarter and I fully believe I would have raised over $400 of that through direct donations without the campaign. If you want to get substantial results through Kickstarter you need to make fundraising almost a full time job with promotions and getting your link out there. Getting your project featured (on their site) is one of the best ways to actually get funding from strangers, which requires a lot links back and forth from your page to and from other websites, people tweeting, etc.  You have to work really hard to build your own press because they don’t do any of that for you unless you are already really popular and successful.  Also, I’ve been told repeatedly that projects with videos have much, much higher success rates.

Are there any fees involved?

Mary Ratliff: You have to account for the fees that you have to pay to both the crowdsourcing website and their payment processing system (IndieGoGo and Paypal, Kickstarter and Amazon).  Depending on the size of the donation, they can run over 10%, but that’s the average.

What are some benefits to fundraising through crowdsourcing sites?

Ishu Krishna: I put up a paypal link for my previous project, and asked people to donate.  I got some donations but not a lot.  With Kickstarter, it gives me a kick in the butt to be more aggressive with fundraising, and it puts the urgency behind it. I have also had two people contact me through kickstarter to invest large amounts, and not just donate through kickstarter.  I am currently in talks with them, and not sure if it will pan out.  But it’s two people I am talking to that I didn’t know before.

What types of thank you gifts are you offering?

Emmett Williams:

• For $1: You will be added to the IF YOU CAN DREAM email list to receive updates on the progress of the film throughout production.
• For $25: The above plus a DVD of the broadcast television version of the documentary and a Thank You in the film credits.
• For $100: The above plus the official “IF YOU CAN DREAM” t-shirt.
• For $250: The above plus the extended Directors Cut of the documentary available to film festivals.
• For $500: The above plus a Producers credit in the film.
• For $1000: The above plus you will play a role in the development of the film through special online screenings where your opinion of the Work In Progress will be sought.

 

For more information about crowdsource financing check out this blog post  from FilmContact.com.  It talks about some interesting crowdsourcing distribution concepts.

Find out more about grants and funding in the grants and funding category.

To purchase a download of the Funding Your Dream Documentary seminar, click here.