Hawai'i opportunity

[jwstephen]

Hi all,

Hope it's acceptable to post this in the coffee corner but wanted to share with this community specifically...  Applications are currently sought from folks interested in joining a photographic project in Hawai'i. It will take place in January 2010 (the 21st to 25th), submissions are due by the 7th of December 2009 (soon indeed!).  Two people will be offered "scholarships" that waive their registration and also provide a USD 500 stipend towards travel etc.  In total there look to be roughly a dozen people involved.

For more info, there is a video and links to information at the following URL:
http://livingexposed.com/lightsout/flicks/shootthegap.html

Aloha,

Jesse

[Jonathan Wienke]

Wow. It's going to be a photography-themed reality show, except you have to pay to be on it:

Shared with the World
Along the inevitable twists and turns of the journey, EXPOSURE: Hawai'i will be filmed and aspects will be produced as shorts by Living Exposed. However, distinct from the approach most often employed by the entertainment industry, this production will be actively developed by all participants - as a byproduct of their photographic inquiries. EXPOSURE will not be artificially dramatized, but will seek to share a story of discovery. The goal of the final media (distributed primarily via online channels) will be to: 1) increase insight into the unfolding of photographic challenges; 2) encourage and share the beauty of artistic expression in "real time"; and 3) entertain through – and in doing so promote – the lived aspects of photography that celebrate an appreciation for the world we live in. This is going to be fun!

Involvement in EXPOSURE: Hawai'i will be limited to a small number of participants (~10) selected from applications received by December 7th, 2009. Those notified of acceptance will be asked to confirm their participation by making a non-refundable USD $350.00 holding payment. A final registration fee of USD $950.00 will be due no later than two weeks prior to the commencement of the project. The payments will cover all major costs, including on-island transport, accommodation for the duration of the project, meals and snacks for the duration of the project days, as well a limited amount of EXPOSURE-related gear including field notebooks, supplemental materials, and an item of customized clothing.

Please note that EXPOSURE does not provide travel to or from Kona, Hawai'i, or cover personal incidentals (e.g. additional food or drink, memorabilia), nor offer any cameras, computers, or specialized photographic equipment to participants. All participants are expected to provide their own photographic gear (including computers and photographic accessories if available), but prospective applicants should also note that the possession of extensive (or expensive) photographic gear is not necessarily advantageous.

I don't see any mention of residuals paid to the participants if this ever gets aired. Thanks, but no thanks.

[jwstephen]

Hi Jonathan,

Thanks for your comments.  Your perspective is well received, yet you've read me wrong if you think this is a stab at making reality television (http://fieldnotes.livingexposed.com/2009/1...-not-to-hawaii/).  There is a largely unattended side to photography - which we all know about as image-makers - which has to do with the experience of image-making.  I want to get together to explore and indeed share that, and have proposed doing so in this structure - take it or leave it indeed.

The structure is far from perfect and the financial aspect is problematic, but everything starts somewhere.  And I think this is a start.

Kind regards,

Jesse

Wow. It's going to be a photography-themed reality show, except you have to pay to be on it:





I don't see any mention of residuals paid to the participants if this ever gets aired. Thanks, but no thanks.

[Jonathan Wienke]

You might want to figure out some way of compensating the participants with some portion of revenues received (if any) from the broadcast/publication of your documentary or whatever you want to call it. If you make a film of me, and others pay you to watch the film, I should get some percentage of the proceeds. Even if it's not a huge percentage (obviously you have your own production costs and overhead you'd like to recoup), taking the time to do that and adding that into the contract with the participants would make things feel a lot less scammy. As it stands now, it appears you could get lucky and make some significant money from your film(s) and not be obligated to pay the participants anything, which seems unfair to me. Or did I miss some fine print somewhere?

[jwstephen]

Hi Jonathan, thanks for expanding on your previous comments.  You didn't miss the fine print - there isn't any yet!  I agree that a scenario where no remuneration is passed onto the participants in the event of commercial revenues would be unfair.  Rest assured that such key considerations will be addressed and when promoting future projects we will get it more up front so that we're all on the same page from the start.  Your frank observations are appreciated!  Cheers.

You might want to figure out some way of compensating the participants with some portion of revenues received (if any) from the broadcast/publication of your documentary or whatever you want to call it. If you make a film of me, and others pay you to watch the film, I should get some percentage of the proceeds. Even if it's not a huge percentage (obviously you have your own production costs and overhead you'd like to recoup), taking the time to do that and adding that into the contract with the participants would make things feel a lot less scammy. As it stands now, it appears you could get lucky and make some significant money from your film(s) and not be obligated to pay the participants anything, which seems unfair to me. Or did I miss some fine print somewhere?