Description
Book SynopsisStory Money Impact: Funding Media for Social Change by Tracey Friesen is a practical guide for media-makers, funders, and activists who share the common goal of creating an impact with their work. Today, social-issues storytellers are sharpening their craft, while funders with finite resources focus on reach, and strategic innovators bring more robust evaluation tools. Friesen illuminates the spark at the core of these three pursuits. Structured around stories from the front lines, Story Money Impact reveals best practices in the areas of documentary, digital content, and independent journalism.
Here you will find:
Twenty-one stories from people behind such powerful works as CITIZENFOUR, The Corporation, Virunga, Being Caribou, Age of Stupid, and Food Inc.
Six key story ingredients for creating compelling content.
Six possible money sources for financing your work.
Six impact outcome goals to further your reach.
Trade Review"Fresh, authentic, and experiential, this book is an asset to every filmmaker who wants to make media that matters." - Patricia Aufderheide, University Professor, American University
"Not all docs can or should ignite social impact, but a good many do. Friesen provides the essential research, roadmap and tools for this transformative and exciting new space. An essential and compelling read." - Chris McDonald, President, Hot Docs
"Tracey Friesen is perfectly positioned to offer this most useful little tool "STORY MONEY IMPACT". Her work with story during her time with the NFB and inspirational contribution to the media community have resulted in both insight and a unique approach for filmmakers at all stages of their career, from the spark of an idea to the thrill of a hard won premiere screening. Her own credentials, being without question, are complimented by a stellar cast of contributors from storytellers to funders, to programmers to philanthropists, worthy of the who’s who list of media creators and leaders for social change. A great resource with the added interest of anecdotes that led to real life examples of stellar content that makes us think, question and change – Hadwin’s Judgement screening at the 2015 Vancouver International Film Festival being the most recent." - Valerie Creighton, President and CEO, Canada Media Fund
"This is a remarkable book. Tracey Friesen deftly guides a meditation on the transformative influence that film can play in steering and affirming positive change in the world, and on the financial support and narrative grounding requisite to this shift." - Ross McMillan, President & CEO Tides Canada
"Fresh, authentic, and experiential, this book is an asset to every filmmaker who wants to make media that matters."- Patricia Aufderheide, Professor American University and founder of the Center for Media & Social Impact
"Not all docs can or should ignite social impact, but a good many do. Friesen provides the essential research, roadmap and tools for this transformative and exciting new space. An essential and compelling read." - Chris McDonald, President, Hot Docs
"An new metaphor for looking at the relationship between Story, Money (funding), and Impact. This book is a valuable resource with many concrete stories of real projects." - Gordon Quinn, Kartemquin Films (Hoop Dreams, Life Itself, Stevie)
"Tracey Friesen is perfectly positioned to offer this most useful little tool STORY MONEY IMPACT. Her work with story during her time with the NFB and inspirational contribution to the media community have resulted in both insight and a unique approach for filmmakers at all stages of their career, from the spark of an idea to the thrill of a hard won premiere screening. Her own credentials, being without question, are complimented by a stellar cast of contributors from storytellers to funders, to programmers to philanthropists, worthy of the who’s who list of media creators and leaders for social change. -Valerie Creighton, President and CEO, Canada Media Fund
"By book’s end, filmmaker and funder alike will have a good sense of the conversations taking place around funding films for social change, and if they fill out the worksheets, a clearly outlined project plan." - Anne Watson, Vancouver Observer
"This useful guide avoids glossy marketing speak, which is part of the language of the current impact space, and instead offers a personable inside view of interlocking opportunities within a growing ecosystem. There is a grassroots feel to Friesen’s approach, spanning the creative, strategic and business dimensions, as evidenced as early as its introduction…" - Liz Marshall, Doclit: Reviews of Books on Documentaries
"This book offers a great mix of both practical advice and inspiration. Story Money Impact goes way beyond just the idea of creating an "impact campaign", which is where many manuals on the subject seem to both begin and end. Covering everything from finding and structuring your story to demystifying the fundraising landscape to making sense of the march towards metrics, Friesen has written an invaluable companion for filmmakers looking to make films that spark change." - Amy Halpin, International Documentary Association
Table of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
i. Preface: My Spark - How to better ignite social change?
ii. Book Structure
iii. Learning Outcomes
iv. Story Money Impact Website
Act One - Story
Chapter 1 Story is the Fuel: ‘Bundles of Firewood’ – generates EMOTION!
Chapter 2 Media-Makers: WHY do you want to make change? What motivates you?
Chapter 3 Classic and Alternative Narrative Structures – what’s your story?
Chapter 4 Five Story Ingredients
i. Arc
ii. Emotion
iii. Simplicity
iv. Innovation
v. Access
Chapter 5 Summary of Story Ingredients
Sidebars Horror Story – Failed creative pitch!
Outlier Success Story – What’s the secret sauce?
Sidebar Wildcard Professional Opportunity: ‘Story Doctor’
Act Two – Money
Chapter 6 Money is the Air: ‘Fanning the Embers’ - inspired by MISSION!
Chapter 7 Partners: WHO will make change with you? What motivates financiers?
Chapter 8 Funder Research: where do you find them and how to approach?
Chapter 9 Five Money Sources
i. The Crowd
ii. Foundations
iii. Philanthropists
iv. Impact Investors
v. Corporate Brands
Chapter 10 Summary of Money Opportunities and Challenges
Sidebars Horror Story – Failed funding pitch!
Outlier Success Story – What’s the secret sauce?
Sidebar Wildcard Professional Opportunity: ‘Mission Match-Maker’
Act Three - Impact
Chapter 11 Impact is the Flame: ‘Transforming through Fire’ – sparks MOVEMENTS!
Chapter 12 Audience: WHAT change will you make? What motivates people to act?
Chapter 13 Define your campaign’s ‘Call to Action’ - at the beginning
Chapter 14 Five Impact Outcomes
i. Reach
ii. Awareness Raising
iii. Behaviour Change
iv. Legislative Reform
v. International Policy
Chapter 15 Summary of Impact Tools & Theories of Change
Sidebars Horror Story - Failed campaign!
Outlier Success Story – What’s the secret sauce?
Sidebar Wildcard Professional Opportunity – ‘Impact Producer’
FINALE
i. Vision of the Future – Story Money Impact: igniting social change!
ii. Appendix – 15 x funding case study outlines
iii. Resources and links
iv. Acknowledgements
v. Index
