Deadline to Submit communication Plan to the EU

Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking  -  Citizen Journalism ,Communications Strategy

What is our overall aim of the communications strategy?

The communication and visibility objectives will speak to the efforts of international partners, the EU Commission, and local expertise, Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking, in achieving something heretofore un-tackled.

Our Message:

Big Fish with the financial assistance of the European Union is pioneering new media training and technology.
Our work in skills development training and mentoring in the film and TV production industry goes to the heart of the social and economic needs of South Africa.
By customizing training and development programmes that are aimed at previously disadvantaged young people from the most marginalised communities.
The intensive training which develops skills and unpack the psycho-social issues facing individuals, aims at training citizen journalist and activist in creating their own futures and those of their communities

Our Audience:

The participants who are involved in the programme
Communities in the identified provinces
The print and radio media, both local and national, but specifically local
Online media and cellular networks
Broadcasters
EU Commission specifically the stakeholders, i.e., the EU Citizens

How we going to communicate?

All communication and visibility should target the participants as active ambassadors not only of themselves and their achievements, but by paying homage to those who have assisted them in these achievements. A spirit of pay-it forward should be instilled from the tart, with an inborn sense of understanding that when helped to achieve success, one has a duty to ensure that this knowledge of acknowledgement is passed on.
Rural communities in South Africa often have a limited communication network with community radio being the number one method of reach. The communication and visibility plan will ensure that these communities understand and embrace endeavours in their areas, and encourage them to be involved in telling their stories and bringing news and areas requiring focus to the fore, any activities (launch of hubs, area specific productions etc.) should involve the community at large, specifically community leaders and local press.
In addition to, and as key method of, obtaining the buy-in and exposure to the local community, there needs to be a strong, on-going relationship with the National and local press as a means of supporting the project and bringing information about the project to a wider audience.
In the case of local media, once the production hubs are launched, the project should be seen as part of the “media family” where mutual media exposure is utilised for the empowerment and improvement of the community in which they serve.
With the explosion in online media, and almost all national and international newspapers having online versions, coupled with popular news sites such as Al Jazeera, BBC News, CNN etc. there is always a need for local content of visual nature. Online media should also be seen to include social media sites.
Part of the incubator has a strong focus on training in digital and trans media training participants to produce content across a broad range of digital platforms. With the hubs being situated in what may be considered hard-to-reach areas for immediate news or significant happenings, these hubs will be n a good position to provide current and up-to-date content for these platforms.
With the National broadcasters not being in a financial position to send news teams to local areas for on-the-spot coverage or reporting, the hubs are best placed to serve broadcasters with content for their news channels
The EU has a duty to report on projects funded by citizens of the EU. To this end the communications and visibility plan must be such that it inspires confidence that their contributions have been put to good use.
Furthermore, ample communication should be provided as a means of bringing local stories to the global audience, of which the EU forms a large part.

Goals

How can we achieve our goals?

This is an opportunity to involve young people both through the training as well as through increased exposure to governance and civil society action utilising the media and giving young people a voice.
Big Fish has a proven track record for providing platforms for graduates to profile their content. In addition, it is about providing opportunities in rural communities and the intention from the outset is that participants return to their communities and utilise the skills learnt to actively participate in local civic action and contribute to regionally based civic society organisations.
In designing a programme that creates opportunities for youth inclusiveness in development in South Africa’s civil society structures one has to look at the overriding situation in the country where high levels of poverty and inequality, is South Africa’s biggest challenge.
The way to address poverty and inequality is to create jobs for more people and to improve the quality of education, especially for poor ad geographically marginalised youth.
Currently 17% of all people employed in South Africa work in the creative industry. This is a sector for potential future economic growth and has a natural appeal to young people. It has also been earmarked as an important job creation sector with more than 5 million jobs being predicted in his specific area and programmes that can equip young people with skills in this sector are to be encouraged.

Goal Defining:

The film and TV production incubator and regional production hubs is a programme designed to create opportunities for youth empowerment in south Africa, and assist in improving the lives of participant’s in a manner that is both practical and sustainable.
Through financial assistance from the European Union, Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking is able to provide training at an advanced level with a specific focus on business acumen and content production across a broad range of platforms in order to establish filmmaking hubs in four of South Africa’s provinces: Western Cape, Eastern Cape North West and Limpopo
The setting up of production hubs has long been a goal of Big Fish, and its only now, through partnership with the EU, that this goal can manifest.
The production hubs, through production of local content, have a unique opportunity to broaden the reach of storytelling, language and technology beyond the urban obvious while increasing revenues for local filmmakers from existing and new local markets as well as global markets.
Once the production hub is established, there are a number of immediate benefits to local communities:

The creation of new, independent company in the community will provide employment opportunities for some of the local people;
With production of local content, the stories from the community can be told authentically, with passion and in their own language;
With news pieces being produced locally, the existence of predominantly unknown communities is brought to the attention of the rest of the country-bringing previously unknown content and understanding to a wider audience;
Big Fish regularly send content to overseas film festival.  This exposure will bring the local community to the doorsteps of global audience.

Who are the different audiences?

Beneficiaries, potential beneficiaries
Communities in the identified provinces
Donors
Potential Donors
Staff
Partner NGO’s – Health E
The print and radio media, both local and national but specifically local
Online media and cellular networks
Broadcasters
EU Commission, specifically the stakeholders, ie EU Citizens

What is our message?

The aim of the training and mentoring programme is to provide a platform for young people to develop their skills in line with their needs, civil society needs, the needs of the media industry and the needs of the job –market by providing a holistic package of innovative, inventive and analytical skills concepts

To successfully develop cadre of active multi-media trained youth, with a minimum of 50% females as citizen journalist, who produce usable content from their home in peri-urban and rural parts of South Africa within a two-year period.
Raising awareness of the community and making a positive contribution to local life
Through production of local content in these areas, based around local stories, the local media, who have content they can use

Defining the core message of our organisation:

Multi-award winning film school providing world-class training, focusing on a human development approach
Targeting disadvantaged young people from the most marginalised communities
Empowering youth(participants) through training and up-skilling in filmmaking, entrepreneurial skills and business acumen-increasing their economic activity and opportunity for obtaining higher salaries
Trained journalist become self-employed or employed in the media.
This in turn places less stress on their families at home and assist their communities financially.

 

Communication Tool

 

 

 

 

 

 

Facebook

Call for Applicants

Call for applicants

Induction

Introducing the new group

Induction

Facebook live video of participants

 

Twitter

Call for applicants

Call for applicants

Using #EU

Using #EU

Video shared on twitter

 

LinkedIn

Call for applicants

Call for applicants

 

 

Video/interview shared on LinkedIn

 

Website

Call for applicants

Call for applicants

Introducing the new group

 

Social media plugins

Website portal to be created on the Big Fish website for each of the regional hubs, This can be launched at the official launch event, alerting the community to the news and information available to them on the project.

Email  Communications

Call for applicants

Call for applicants

Press Release

 

Incubator Launch

Constant updates on the progress of the programme and its participants

Radio

Call for applicants

Call for applicants

Press Release introducing the participants from the various target provinces

 

Interview with participants of the Incubator Programme, connecting with the peri rural community based radio stations for further reach and awareness

Pod cast broadcasting by hubs in the various provinces of issues affecting communities,

Print Media

 

 

Press Release introducing the participants from the various target provinces

 

Press to be invited to all Western Cape and Gauteng Daily papers, Online Press, Daily, Weekly, Saturday and Sunday Press

Community based newspapers, encouraging community engagement with the local Hubs

TV

 

 

 

 

Interview with local breakfast radio station

 

YouTube

 

 

 

 

TV Interview to be uploaded and shared across the various social media platforms