10
Michelle Hollywood, Director, Hollywood Consulting Group &
Malcolm Burt, All-Media Consultant, MMMEDIA.
What would you do if you had access to every TV set in the
world? What would be your message and how would you deliver
it? While this may seem a tantalising dream it is a reality in the
age of the Internet and the most effective way to deliver your
message is through a documentary.
Documentaries are simply stories - real life stories. They have
the power to move people to take action, to change behaviour, to
donate time or money and to identify with your cause.
Why is that? From our childhoods and into our teens and adult
years watching movies and TV dramas we have developed into
highly sophisticated consumers of stories. Now more people are
taking advantage of faster broadband Internet access and cheaper
tools of production to create and distribute stories of their own.
Ian Darling producer of The Oasis, says "the key to good
documentary film making is getting access into world's where
cameras rarely tread".
It is this environment that is the natural home for nonprofits
- from housing, health and aged care services, to saving the
environment, providing opportunities for people to develop
skills and build communities. Documentaries allow people to be
themselves - and connect with other people.
Documentaries work for nonprofits, as they;
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Form part of ongoing marketing activities.
media that
Matters
Case study
the south Queensland Council for Homeless Persons has
been advocating for improved outcomes and justice for
individuals and families who are homeless or in crisis for the
past 21 years. The Council has over 35 members; is unfunded
and has no staff. It's advocacy activities are informed by the
experience of delivering services to people who are homeless
or at risk everyday.
the Council sought a way for homeless people to tell the
story of their homeless experience. The Council wanted
to raise awareness in the community by creating a greater
understanding of why people are homeless and to reduce
stigma. With a Queensland Government Gaming Machine
Benefit Fund of $29,000 the Council commissioned a DVD.
Once the project commenced it was clear we had very
powerful material. Eight participants were chosen and a 34
minute documentary was made, "We are all just two steps
from homelessness. stories of 8 people who have beaten
homelessness".
A booklet was developed to accompany the DVD. The
MarketiNG
How nonprofits can take their
message to the world...
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Live on after their initial screening through your website,
YouTube or distribution via DVD the material is reusable in
many ways.
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Suit both traditional forms of community education and
outreach which rely on bringing people together face to face as
well as new technology based tools.
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Build capacity within your own organisation, your membership
and constituency through involving people in both production
and distribution of your product.
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Are easily evaluated for impact by for example, polling
audiences.
Documentaries also have the ability to drive public debate.
For example, in the US, the environmental documentary, An
Inconvenient Truth
achieved four times the media coverage than
did the release of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change
Report in 2001 which collated the scientific information about
global warming.
The world of media is incredibly complex and competitive.
Documentaries in the Internet age provide nonprofits with
a proven way to reach your audience. Documentaries grab
attention - and you get more bang for your buck. n
For further information see 2steps2.com; www.hollywood.net.au
and www.mmmedia.com.au
booklet included photos and quotes from participants and
general information such as the definitions and causes
of homelessness. Importantly, the booklet gives tips on
what we can do as individuals and as a community to end
homelessness.
the Documentary was publicly launched in brisbane during
National Homeless Persons Week. Copies of the DVD and
booklet were distributed to key decision makers across the
country and members were given copies to use in local
community education events.
the launch attracted additional funds to print more copies,
covered the costs of advertising in a national magazine and
established a website. The website was launched during
Anti-Poverty Week 2008. Google Video hosts the video
free of charge. Interest in the film has come from across
Australia including requests for screening at public events
like Homeless Connect. It is also being used as part of
volunteer and worker training workshops. Stories about the
film have been written in numerous sector journals and links
to the website have appeared on four national websites.
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