Thank you.
First, thank you for looking to us to collaborate with you on the Livingston Awards video. The caliber of individuals associated with your work is impressive, and your collective impact is very inspiring. We would be honored to assist you with the telling of your story and hope this proposal will serve as a first step to further refine our collaboration.
Objective
To drive funding that will sustain the program for many years to come, we will craft an inspirational story with sophistication and energy that communicates the legacy and value of the Livingston Award.
Deliverables
· :15 -:30 Teaser of overview video
· 3-5 minute overview video
· Source material on a hard drive
Creative Approach · Peril & Power
It is a perilous moment for journalists in an already perilous industry. Opening with a montage of quotes from our interviewees and clips from popular media on the state of journalism—declining trust, revenue, and readership; growing conflicts; and attacks on the free press—we will communicate the need for this work before transitioning to its impact.
With a score that moves from reflection to an urgent optimism, we will hear from past judges and winners on the impact and value of the award, before closing on statements of need. The narrative will combine an organizational voice—talking about the award's goals—and a more personal voice on the impact. Visually, the piece will be composed through a mix of original interviews, stylized graphics that highlight referenced journalistic works, and archival video.
Creative Approach · We Were There
The biggest names in journalism started with bylines on pieces forged with dogged determination. Long nights. Restless doubt. The burning need to report untold stories and point a light in the dark shadows. Through no shortage of obstacles, their drive propelled them forward. But at pivotal moments in their career, they found critical support in the Livingston Award and its network.
With this piece, we focus on the personal stories of 3 past winners who went on to become judges. Through their stories, we'll learn about how the award helped, the power of the network, and the joy they get in supporting the next generation of journalists.
To achieve this, we will work with an archival producer to locate footage of our subjects over their journey to become superstars and intercut that with original interviews (these could be audio only), clips from past reporting, and new broll.
Through the piece, it will be clear that the Livingston Award played a significant role in advancing their careers, so much so that they have remained committed to the award for decades. We will show that we were there and beg the questions: who will be next and will we be there to support them?
Creative Approach · Lighthouse
On rough seas and in thick fog, the flickering light of a lighthouse may mean life or death for a sailor. And in this tumultuous moment for journalism, the Livingston Awards serves as a lighthouse for journalists in need of critical support.
Given our constraints with production, we can consider doing a scripted piece that employs a metaphor like this, intercut with a mix of archival footage, new broll, and narrated readings of past winning works to tell the overall story of the award and its impact.
Estimate Overview
We've run general numbers on each of these creative approaches and feel confident we can achieve them within the budget of $20k. As we refine the approach, we'll refine the budget. For reference, you can find an estimate for "We Were There" here.
Process Overview
With your feedback, we will refine the creative approach and budget for approval. With approval, we will submit for a 50% deposit alongside a working production schedule.
From that we will determine the ask of our participants and the best way to capture their content, whether it be through sending remote interview packages, working with their colleagues to shoot short interviews, or hiring a local producer/DP.
Thank you, again.
We'd love to produce this project and hope this proposal can assist in shaping our collaboration. We'll look forward to subsequent conversations.