Special Notes for Electronic Media Proposals

The Ohio Humanities Council (OHC) supports media projects when these formats can convey the humanities effectively to large, diverse audiences.  OHC will make such grants within its existing grant lines, up to $20,000 for major grants.  Proposals should demonstrate that the production would include significant humanities content and appeal to statewide and/or national audiences.
However, project directors are encouraged to seek multiple sources of support for media projects, as they normally require funding at levels greater than OHC can support.

Major Grant Deadlines
The Ohio Humanities Council will review major grant proposals for media projects two times yearly at its regular meetings.  Deadlines are:

Spring:    Draft:  December 15 Final:  January 15

Autumn:    Draft:  July 15 Final:  August 15

Applicants should submit one copy of the proposal and required attachments (project timetable, script, recorded sample) for the draft deadline. Eleven copies, with required support material (discussed below) must be submitted for the final deadline.

Refer to OHC’s Grant Guidelines for detailed information about grants and proposal preparation.  In addition, proposals for media projects must meet the following criteria:

1. Humanities Content The proposal should demonstrate that the humanities are central to the program topic or theme.  OHC requires the involvement of humanities scholars throughout the project.  OHC specifically encourages the direct involvement of humanities scholars in research  and script development phases, as well as evaluating the completed program.

2. Project Description The proposal narrative and budget must cover each of the following phases:

Phase I    Research and script-writing
Phase II Production and post-production*
Phase III Public program and distribution*

The Proposal should provide a timetable for the completion of each phase, including the planned expenditure of grant funds.   The project narrative and budget should follow the format described in the Grant Guidelines, [pages 8-11—pagination is from current Guidelines booklet.]

* Project directors seeking funding for Phases II and III must demonstrate the previous involvement of humanities scholars in Phase I and throughout the rest of the project.

3. Scripts Requests for support must be accompanied by a script.  In cases where a script cannot be supplied, the project director should explain why one is not appropriate and supply instead a script treatment describing the audio and visual elements, a statement of  the method of inquiry being used, and the producer’s  perspective.

Project Directors can apply for a planning grant to support the development of a project plan and for script-writing for video/film proposals.  OHC customarily awards a planning grant in the range of a mini-grant (up to $2,000).

4. Professional Quality The proposal must demonstrate that the project will result in a professional product, meeting applicable broadcast standards.  Please provide brief     biographies for the humanities scholars and    project personnel, and an explanation of the production facilities, equipment, and materials to be used for the project.

In order to help OHC evaluate your proposal narrative and budget in the best light, please consider the following suggestions:

Phase 1, Research and Scriptwriting: If your project will result in hours of raw footage and you and/or your humanities scholars expect to spend many hours viewing, logging and/or transcribing source footage in order to determine what will be included in the final edit, this activity should be listed as a separate item in your budget, and not included under the general term “editing”.

Phase II Production and Post-production:  provide as detailed a list of production equipment and facilities as possible.  The following is provided as an example only, and not as any indication of  equipment preference:  “We will use professional equipment” is not as informative to the proposal review committee as “We will shoot all footage on Mini-DV using a Canon XLI.”  The same concept applies to expenses involving editing equipment and software.  Applicants should assume that proposals with a single budget line which lists:

Production equipment and personnel:  $XX,XXX.00

may not be looked upon favorably, and that the proposal narrative regarding timeline and media production work will be compared to budget expenses listing personnel, their time, and the equipment to be used.

5. Sample VHS tapes, CD’s, DVD’s, or other media must accompany the proposal as a demonstration of  the technical personnel’s abilities.  OHC engages experienced technical consultants to review budget and sample tapes.

Media Samples Applicants should assume that media samples will be reviewed as both examples of the producer’s talent and for technical competence in recording and editing.  Applicants using outside production services may wish to submit two samples:  one which reflects their ability to create a program similar to the one proposed, and one showing the technical competence of the production house or personnel they will employ.  If two samples are submitted, they should be labeled to indicate what they are intended to reflect, and they should be of recent vintage.  OHC prefers that any samples of technical competence be produced using the same or similar equipment to that which will be used to produce the media programs discussed in your proposal

6. Study Guides The proposal should include a plan for producing a brief study guide to aid public discussion and to suggest further reading on the subject presented.  Include appropriate funds for a guide in the project budget.

7. Distribution OHC expects funded media projects to reach large audiences.  Therefore, a distribution plan including broadcast stations and other venues in Ohio will be an important component of a successful proposal.   The project director is further encouraged to arrange other avenues for regional and/or national distribution.

8. Copyright All media projects funded by OHC are the property of the sponsoring agency, not OHC.  The producer should copyright the program.  In those instances where a producer uses a sponsor primarily as a fiscal agent, it is the producer’s responsibility to negotiate ownership and distribution rights with the sponsoring agency before submitting a proposal     to OHC.*
It is the project director’s responsibility to obtain the necessary releases and permissions for material used in the program.

* OHC retains a non-exclusive license to reproduce all funded programs and to distribute     them for non-theatrical, educational purposes     in Ohio.  In addition, OHC retains the right to release the program for public and cable television use in Ohio following its initial broadcast or one year after completion, whichever comes first.

9. Public Programs Upon completion of the project, the sponsor is strongly encouraged to conduct one or more public programs at which the production is shown.  These programs, usually premiere events, must include presentations by humanities scholars and time for audience discussion.

10. Progress Reports Because most media projects are complex and of long duration, OHC  may require that progress reports be made three or four times during the grant period.  Progress reports can include narrative statements from the project director, scripts or treatments, and rough cuts.  Progress reports may be reviewed by technical evaluators.

11. Final Reports A Final Report is due within ninety days of the project’s completion.  It  should include OHC’s final report forms and at least one copy of the finished production.