2008 Video Contest

The Communication Department of Goshen College is pleased to announce the second Peace and Justice Journalism student video documentary contest. This year we will award a $5,000 production grant to a team of students from invited colleges to produce a half hour documentary on a regional peace and justice topic. Applications are due November 22, 2008.
The contest grants the funds needed to produce the winning team’s proposed documentary by June 30, 2009.  The competition is based upon the proposal treatment, preliminary budget and a 60- to-90 second “proof” of documentary concept.

F. A. Q.

What is "Peace and Justice Journalism"?

The Communication Department at Goshen College formed the Peace and Justice Journalism Project in 2004, with initial funding from the Lilly Endowment. The project has sponsored reporting trips to Costa Rica, El Salvador, South Africa and Swaziland; special-topic newspaper issues devoted to elections and to immigration; and a peace and justice video documentary contest. The intent is to ground journalism in the core values of the college, including global citizenship and compassionate peacemaking. Without sacrificing the integrity of solid reporting, the project seeks to pay attention to stories that have been ignored or underreported by the mainstream media, and tap into knowledge at the grass-roots level, shifting away from a primary reliance on government and official sources. 

What Content should the documentary include?

Video documentaries may include different elements — straight documentary, interviews, entertainment, promotional, news report, magazine style or public service. Limited use of copyrighted material would be permitted in an entry so long as it is a lawful or so-called "fair" use, and so long as such use does not overwhelm the contribution of the student team. In addition to creatively exploring a  regional peace and justice topic of interest, successful entries will also follow good editorial principles by giving appropriate weight to any opposing views.

How do I write a proposal and treatment for a documentary?

There are many ways to communicate pre-production plans for a documentary. Teams are encouraged to research documentary proposals, treatments and budgets. One of the best online sources of pre-production planning for documentary projects is the Documentary Cookbook at the University of Berkley.

For our application requirement, the following explanation of how to write a documentary proposal and treatment [PDF file], courtesy of University of California, Santa Barbara, should be reviewed by team’s before submitting their application.

What should be included in the preliminary budget?

The grant provides funds for travel, rights clearances and consumable expenses directly related to producing the documentary. It does not include equipment or software purchases. It is assumed that students will be provided appropriate access to video production and editing equipment and software at their respective colleges at no cost to the documentary project.

What  is a “proof” of concept video?

A “proof” of concept video is a preliminary “trailer” for the proposed documentary. For example, in our first contest, the following “proof” of concept video was submitted by the winning team.

The team’s “proof” of concept video helped the judges to understand what the team was proposing as their documentary subject and treatment of that subject. It also demonstrated that the team could produce compelling video to tell an untold story.
For a comparison, the “trailer” for the completed documentary is at SoluzFilms.com

What video format can I use?

Producers may use standard or high-definition video formats. However, because of the wide range of formats available, the final master recording must be submitted in 16:9 (widescreen) DV 480p or HDV 720p or HDV 1080i.

What is the video time limit?

The completed documentary should be from 25 to 30 minutes in length. Note that the “proof” of concept video required with the application is 60 to 90 seconds. It is best to think of the “proof” video as a trailer for the documentary.

Who can enter the production grant contest?

Invitations have been sent to colleges that share Goshen College’s interest in peace and justice. Students from Goshen and 12 other schools have been invited to submit entries: two Indiana colleges affiliated with historic peace churches, Earlham and Manchester; and 10 schools who compete with Goshen in the annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest: Bethel (Kan.), Bluffton, Canadian Mennonite, Conrad Grebel, Eastern Mennonite, Fresno Pacific, Hesston, Messiah, Steinbach Bible and Tabor.
Teams of 3 to 5 students are invited to apply. An invited college may enter more than one team of students. Videos must be the original work of students; however, faculty and staff may provide guidance and critiques.

How will the competition be judged?

We recognize that students have varying degrees of access to video production equipment and encourage all to apply! Entries will be judged on the following criteria: entries should be timely, factual and of interest to a broad audience. Works of fiction are not permitted. There should be a clear issue of peace and justice for the proposed documentary. Judges will also assess the feasibility of making the documentary, in the time available, for the financing available.

The judges will consist of film and broadcast professionals who are not associated with any of the participating colleges and universities. 

What is the application deadline?

Complete proposals must be postmarked no later than November 22, 2008.

When will the production grant winning team be announced?

Friday, December 20, 2008.
What are the prizes?
A Grand Prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the first-place video documentary proposal.

Where does a team send its entry?

Video Contest
c/o  Ronald A. Johnson
Communication Department
Goshen College
1700 South Main St.
Goshen, IN 46526

What does a team need to include with the application?

You must submit:
1)  an official entry form with your video,
2)  proposed treatment for the documentary,
3)  preliminary budget,
and
4)  a 60- to 90-second “proof” video of the documentary concept.

How can a team obtain answers to their questions about the contest?

If you still have questions, contact:

Ronald A Johnson
Associate Professor of Communication
Coordinator of Video Production
Goshen College
1700 South Main St.
Goshen, IN  46526

off:  574-535-7789
fax:  574-535-7293