OPPORTUNITIES:   JOBS  |  FILM FESTIVAL DEADLINES

December 2016
Wanted: Your Proposals for Film Projects

Vision Maker Media invites proposals for programs intended for Public Television that represent the experiences, values and cultures of American Indians and Alaska Natives.  Deadline to submit proposals is March 1, 2017.
Support for the Vision Maker Media Public Television Program Fund is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. For more information, please download and read the complete guidelines.
Shifting Market Demands New Approach To Film Distribution
 
Video streaming is growing fast, thanks in part to a changing user base that's responsible for a 5.1 percent per year growth in the U.S. market, according to Sebastian Buss, an analyst for Statista. That percentage grabs the attention of digital media players who want to maintain control of their market share. 

But many realize that the consumer market is not the only one demanding their products.  Trends point toward continued growth for academic streaming, according to the  Library Journal,  which spotlighted seven companies providing streaming video services designed to provide a simplified experience comparable to the consumer streaming to which consumers have become accustomed.

Expanding Vision Maker Media's digital distribution within the education market can be a boon to producers.  In the shifting world of streaming video services, filmmakers want to efficiently and effectively organize the best possible distribution plan for their documentary. 

We can help producers navigate in the now fragmented market.  As media consumption through streaming video services increases both in general and in the academic market, video consumption in education continues to remain in step with that trend.

According to a Statistica report titled  " Digital Media: Rise of On-demand Content," revenue in the video on-demand segment amounts to $9,529 million in the U.S. in 2016. Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate of 3.7 percent, resulting in a marketing volume of $11,448 million in 2021. The average revenue per user currently amounts to $87.36.

Traditionally, the highest video consumption has been happening on TV; however with the faster growing internet penetration and access to multimedia devices, more and more time is being spent on consuming digital videos, according to the Statistica report. The traditional form of TV viewership is giving way to the new segment of consumers who are choosing to consume multimedia content on-demand.

Alexander Street  boasts that its Academic Video Online: Premium  is the largest and most comprehensive video subscription available to libraries. It delivers more than 62,000 video titles spanning essential subject areas including anthropology, business, counseling, film, health, history, music, and more. More than 14,000 titles are exclusive to Alexander Street.  The company also publishes the full-text collections North American Indian Drama and North American Indian Thought and Culture, which are cross-searchable with the videos on the Alexander Street search   interface .
Public Media Internship
A Great Opportunity for College Students
Increasing opportunities for American Indian and Alaska Native youth in public broadcasting is the goal of Vision Maker Media providing the Public Media Internship to undergraduate or graduate students. 

With major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), i nterns can be located at Vision Maker Media's offices at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, or at a Public Television station in the United States. Vision Maker Media will contact Public Television stations that are requested by interns to determine placement options. Deadline to submit your application is March 1, 2017. For assistance: 402-472-3522 or visionmaker@unl.edu     Requirements & Application
Gary Robinson
'The Twelve Days of Native Christmas' Producer 
Helps Express True Native Voices

Gary Robinson's (Choctaw/Cherokee) holiday film The Twelve Days of Native Christmas, is one of the films Vision Maker Media features on "40 Years. 40 Films. 40 Weeks" this month. Gary is a seasoned writer and filmmaker with experience in many aspects of documentary television production, script writing, as well as fiction and non-fiction publication. Much of his work has been about or on behalf of American Indian tribes, organizations and businesses, creating video programs and educational materials on the history, culture and contemporary issues of indigenous peoples. One of Gary's books, Little Brother of War, is intended for Native American teen readers. This series features Native American teen characters and situations.

Q. Why is it important to have films created, written, and produced by Natives in today's media?
A. It's the only way to insure that the true voices of Native Peoples are being expressed. There's not one single Native point of view,  and no single Native media maker can speak for all Natives, so there needs to be multiple opportunities in multiple forms of media for Natives to share stories past, present and future. 

Q. Why do you think people should tune in for 40 Years. 40 Films. 40 Weeks?
A. The span of 40 years of Native filmmaking reveals the evolution of the medium from the days of the earliest Native filmmakers  to the newest and latest crop of young media makers who are using the newest digital platforms and styles to express Native viewpoints and stories. 

Q. Why should other producers and filmmakers work with Vision Maker Media?
A. We Native filmmakers must use all available channels of communication to get the word out about who we are, where  we've been and where we're going. Vision Maker Media can provide opportunities for Native and non-Native producers to  collaborate on projects that feature Native content. 

Q. What aspect of working with Vision Maker Media was the most worthwhile or rewarding for you?
A. Working first with NAPT under Frank Blythe and now VMM under Shirley has continually provided an important means  of staying in touch with other Natives working in the field of TV, film, video and new media production and distribution. This 
networking can be empowering to media makers who often work alone in remote areas. The interaction helps you know that you're not alone out there. Mentoring is also an important aspect of this networking.

Q. What one experience would you want audiences to take away after viewing your film?
A. That Native-made films are not all serious documentaries that reveal tragic stories of Native struggles!

Q. What advice would you give to filmmakers beginning their careers?
A. First learn the elements of good storytelling. 
New Mexico Continues 
To Play Host to Top Filmmakers
Both Large, Small Screen

By Daniel Montaño

Beginning in the early days of "moving pictures," New Mexico and filmmaking have become synonymous. One of the first films ever made, the Thomas Edison produced Indian Day School, was filmed on Isleta Pueblo in 1897.  For over a century, New Mexico has played host to the likes of Tom Mix, John Wayne and Henry Fonda, and to films ranging from Easy Rider to The Avengers. More recently, television has proven to be a boon with shows such as Longmire, The Night Shift, and of course, Breaking Bad, all calling New Mexico home.

Thanks to Vision Maker Media, I had the opportunity for a first-hand glimpse into the New Mexico film industry at the Fourth Annual New Mexico Film and Media Conference. The two-day conference break-out sessions covered topics ranging from the "Future of Television" to "Post Production in New Mexico." 
Speakers included: Bill Johnson, producer of Midnight, Texas and Loucas George, producer of Monsters of God, and Bob Odenkirk, star of AMC's Better Call Saul. I t was an informative weekend, where I learned new things and met some great people, and I am proud to count myself among these great filmmakers and a fellow New Mexican.

Your Support Helps Us Promote Native Films, Viewpoints

According to Gary Robinson (Choctaw/Cherokee)
Producer, 'The Twelve Days of Native American Christmas'

"Vision Maker Media supports filmmakers with distribution and promotion of production projects and finished products. They help serve Indian Country by showing the general public a variety of historical and contemporary Native viewpoints and experiences."

Job Opportunities
Please see our website for a complete listing of job opportunities.


Senior Radio Producer 
Nebraska
Deadline: Continuous
Public Media Internship
United States
Deadline: March 1, 2017

Film Festival Opportunities
Please see our website for a complete listing of film festival opportunities.



Arkansas
Deadline: Dec. 26, 2016

NFFTY 2017
Washington
Deadline: Jan. 3, 2017

California
Deadline: Jan. 15, 2017
New York
Deadline: Feb. 11, 2017
Canada
March 29, 2017




Training and Other Opportunities
Please see our website for a complete listing of training and other opportunities.


C-SPAN's StudentCam 
Competition 2017

United States
Deadline: Jan. 20, 2017


Funding Opportunities
Please see our website for a complete listing of funding opportunities.

Canada
Rolling Deadline
Ford Foundation
United States
Deadline: Ongoing

Fellowship and Internship Opportunities
Please see our website for a complete listing of fellowship and internship opportunities.

Canada
Rolling Deadline
Ford Foundation
United States
Deadline: Ongoing
Public Media Internship
United States
Deadline: March 1, 2017



Producer Newsletter Vol. 10 Issue 12
A list of opportunities for filmmakers to help increase
 the diversity  of the media landscape.