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Film as a Communications Tool for Advocacy

For the past three weeks I have been participating in the Advocacy and Citizen Engagement at Coady International Institute.  Participants are from all over the world and from middle and upper management levels.  Their diverse experience and the interactive nature of the course makes it a valuable learning experience in the theory and practice of advocacy. 

As described in the course syllabus – the certificate course is “designed to enhance the capacity of civil society to influence decision-makers and policy makers by building the constituency for change and mobilizing public opinion around issues of common concern.”  It included power, politics, participation and governance and introduced a planning framework.   The group participated in writing advocacy goals and objectives, doing a stakeholder analysis, and identifying constituents and targets.   During the course strategies, tactics and tools were discussed with case studies, films and examples.

The film “Voices Unheard” was presented as an example of an advocacy communications tool, and Denise Davies led a discussion and overview of the planning process for a film and steps in producing a film.   Several films were used throughout the course that presented powerful communications messages for advocacy.  Films are a communication tool – and to be effective should be built into the advocacy strategy and tactics.

This is a valuable course and a real adult learning experience.  Future course dates are listed on the Coady website in the certificate section.  Advocacy and Citizen Engagement

Shoot Once for Multiple Films and Save

Let suppose that you an NGO / non profit organization and you are working in a community development situation.   You have decided that you want to do a film on your project and have two target audiences and each has its own objectives.

For illustration purpose suppose you have the following audiences:

• Local Community Members: You plan to expand your program to other communities and want a short film that will introduce the benefits and impacts of your program in your initial pilot area.
• Donors and Sponsors: You want to show how the program has worked in your initial community and show how beneficial it has been and your vision for the future.  You also want to include your needs to expand or support the program.

Let’s take each of those and look at the best type of film to suit the purpose.

For the Local Community Members you would plan to have the film in the local language and with community members talking about and showing the before and after, and the benefits and problems that they see.  There might be some interview with the local community leader and someone from your organization.  The film if it includes any graphics would take into account the local culture and literacy level.  If there was any need for translations it would be with a narrated voiceover and not sub titles if the audience was not of high literacy rate.  The film would be shown on DVD in community meetings, at local gathering places such as clinics and maybe schools. 

For the Donors and Sponsors you would plan to use the community members but would want a translation – eithe with subtitles or narrated voiceover in English or whatever is the national language.  You might even do 2 different versions if you had English speaking and German speaking donors, for example.   This film would have more information about the plans and vision for the future and could include more interviews with officials.  It is important to show the community and the work on the project.  This film might be shown on DVD at board meetings, or on TV Channels if there was a public aspect to the fundraising for support.

On the surface these look like 2 very different films and they are.  However from a planning and budget point of view it will likely save you money to shoot both of these at the same time.  You may need to add some additional time at the community level to ask a few additional questions, and in your interviews to have questions that will be appropriate to your content needs for both audiences.

The post production (edit) phase will be separate for both films but at least you would have the footage that you need for both.

Your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Eckova at Antigonish International Film Festival

Antigonish International Film Festival

Eckova is presenting 2 films at the Antigonish International Film Festival www.antigonishfilmfest.org

This is the 3rd annual documentary film festival and runs from October 23-25 and is showing 49 films ranging over a variety of topics and from many countries.

Madrassahs: Inside and Out Eckova ProductionsMadrassahs (Muslim schools) today are seen by non-Muslims as the root of militancy and terror from which hatred and violence grow. International media and many world leaders have placed the blame for many problems in the Muslim world at the doorstep of madrassahs. This film looks at life inside these schools of religious learning; it paints a balanced portrait of a historical institution trying to keep its place in modern progressive society and to reform its mission and image.Sunday, Oct 25,  1:00 p.m. Nicholson Hall, Room B21

Thar: The Living Desert  This film provides a quick trip through the Thar desert region of southeastern Pakistan. It is quiet, barren, colorful, and alive. It has a population of one million desert dwellers, for whom water is a central theme in their everyday livesSunday, Oct 25,  12:55 a.m. Nicholson Hall, Room 151  Denise Davies will be present and available for questions and discussion after the films are shown.

Your intended audiences and impact on film planning

Man from brick factory, Sindh

Woman sewing while children look on

Your target audiences will impact the type of film, the duration, style type of visuals, interviews, languages and distribution methods. 

In planning your film identify the target audiences and the profile of their habits and preferences.  Is the audience literate? What language(s) do they speak? Do they watch television? Will they be seeing the video in a meeting or seminar or on their own computer?  Is the audience local, national or international?  What age range would be included?  Is there a specific gender that the film should appeal to?  Are they rural or urban? What is the cultural background? There are many ways to break down the target audiences for your film.  Press and media may be an important target audience.  You may be targeting government officials, civil society organizations, the business community or donor agencies.

Contact me for the full document on planning your advocacy film.  davies@eckova.com

How to plan your advocacy film

Do you need to build awareness for a specific cause, a program, some social situation, or show how your organization is working in this specific area and the challenges and successes?

A film is a powerful method for advocacy. An effective film has many components. This article outlines some of the key points. Eckova Productions works with organizations to create effective films to build awareness and advocacy.

Benefits of a Film
Advocacy is the act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support.

In countries with a low literacy rate the visual reach of films that address social issues can have a great reach and impact.

The private sector understands the value and importance of their reach through media. Companies advertise and put on programs to target specific sectors of the community. The nonprofit, civil society, NGO and donor agencies can benefit from following this approach and provide interesting and provocative programming that can engage citizens, raise awareness not only of the problems and challenges – but also the solutions.

Advocacy and Awareness Films
For an advocacy film you want to provide information, raise awareness, advocate for a cause. Your film may create an emotional reaction in the audience. Provide them with some way that they can ACT, get involved and to find out more information. You may need to build awareness for a specific cause, a program, some social situation, or how your organization is working in this specific area and the successes and challenges. Your objective may be to inform but also to motivate and change attitudes and practices.

What are your objectives? Are you creating awareness of an issue, or solutions to a problem? Are you trying to change attitudes and actions? Do you want people to DO something? Are you enlisting people in a cause – and showing that you have large numbers of people supporting a particular agenda? Are you raising funds to support activities?

To receive the full document with the following sections please send your request from this form and please put “Films for Advocacy” in the COMMENT box  http://eckova.com/html/contact_form.asp

• Benefits
• Target Audiences
• Film Formats
• Steps in Film Production
• Getting Your Film Viewed (Distribution)
• Film Budgeting and Funding

If you have some examples of films for advocacy that you would like to share please send as a comment to this posting.