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2021 Community Stories Submission Rules

BY APPLYING TO 2021 COMMUNITY STORIES AND SUBMITTING A PROJECT FOR CONSIDERATION, YOU HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO ALL OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS (the "TERMS"). 

TELUS STORYHIVE has developed a training program called Community Stories to support the creation of locally reflective short documentaries by providing training, mentorship and support  to residents of eligible communities in BC and Alberta. Once completed, the documentaries will be available on TELUS Optik TV On Demand.  For even more information, please check out the FAQs in our Help Centre.

2021 Community Stories (the “Program”) is a program being offered in collaboration with the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (“CSIF”) to Alberta residents and with VoVo Productions to BC residents. Eligible residents from Alberta and BC (the “Participants”) will be selected to participate in the Program. No experience is necessary to apply. The Program has been created to give local residents the opportunity to learn about documentary filmmaking and make their own locally reflective short documentaries (“Projects”) which will be distributed on TELUS Optik TV On Demand.

TELUS will cover the cost of the Program and there are no fees to apply or participate in 2021 Community Stories.

Participants from Alberta will receive:

Support from professional filmmakers and instructors from the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (CSIF) throughout the four month program.

  • All necessary training, mentorship and support;

  • The goal of this program is to inspire and support participants in crafting short documentary stories to the best of their ability with resources at hand.  Participants will be encouraged to utilize their smartphones, tablets and digital cameras, DSLRs, etc., practical lighting and no cost editing software;

  • Support to complete their own locally reflective short documentary film that will be featured on TELUS Optik TV On Demand and other TELUS Platforms (including but not limited to Optik on the Go);

  • Ownership, retaining all the rights including copyright to their finished Projects.

Participants from BC will receive:

Support from professional filmmakers and instructors from VoVo Productions,

  • All necessary training, mentorship and support;

  • The goal of this program is to inspire and support participants in crafting short documentary stories to the best of their ability with resources at hand.  Participants will be encouraged to utilize their smartphones, tablets and digital cameras, DSLRs, etc., practical lighting and no cost editing software;

  • Support to complete their own locally reflective short documentary film that will be featured on TELUS Optik TV On Demand and other TELUS Platforms (including but not limited to Optik on the Go);

  • Ownership, retaining all the rights including copyright to their finished Projects.

TRAINING WORKSHOPS SCHEDULE

All training will be done via virtual workshops. Please review the workshop schedule in the SCHEDULE OF MAIN EVENTS below and ensure you are available. Attendance is required.

The Community Stories program does not provide production grants or funding to participants.

TELUS STORYHIVE will accept applications for 2021 Community Stories starting noon (12:00 pm) PDT/ 1:00 pm MDT on November 12, 2020. The deadline to submit an application to 2021 Community Stories is 5:00pm PDT/6:00 pm MDT on December 10, 2020. Each Participant will be required to sign the TELUS STORYHIVE Licence and Release Agreement (the “TELUS Agreement”) for their Project.

1. ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible to apply to 2021 Community Stories:  

EACH PARTICIPANT MUST:

  1. Accept responsibility for the obligations under these Terms and, if applicable, under the terms of the TELUS Agreement;

  2. Be the age of majority, or older, in their province of residence (age of majority in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada is 18 years old) as of the 2021 Community Stories intake deadline date, December 10, 2020, at 5:00pm PDT/6:00 pm MDT ;

  3. Be a resident of one of the eligible communities in Alberta and BC and be able to supply current proof of residency for the address listed on their application;

  4. Be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada;

  5. Attend all of the 2021 Community Stories Training Workshops online as outlined in the SCHEDULE OF MAIN EVENTS below;

  6. Not be an individual associated with TELUS, including but not limited to the following (the “Excluded Individuals”): the employees, contractors, agents and representatives of TELUS, Optik TV, TELUS Satellite TV or another broadcast distribution undertaking (a BDU) such as Shaw Cable, Shaw Direct or any other Canadian cable or IPTV service provider, or any external partners of TELUS who enter into an agreement with TELUS to assist in any way with this Community Stories program ;

  7. Not be considered a media professional who already has access to the Broadcast System or is known to the public;

  8. Consider themselves a first-time or emerging content creator and not have received a broadcast licence from a Canadian broadcaster in the last five years. 

To be eligible to apply to TELUS for 2021 Community Stories:

EACH PROJECT MUST:

  1. fall into the category of Documentary or Factual

  2. be considered “locally reflective” which means the Project elements must meet the following criteria:

    - The Participant currently resides in the community, town or city from which they applied (the “Participant’s Community of Residence”);

    - No less than 75% of the filming and production of the Project will take place in the Participant’s Community of Residence;

    - The Project is about people, topics or events that are relevant and connected to the Participant's Community of Residence.

  3. qualify for a G or PG rating;

  4. be a minimum of 8 minutes in length. A maximum length of no more than 15 minutes is recommended;

  5. be completed and delivered by the Participant to the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (for Alberta participants) or Vovo Productions (for BC participants)

  6. meet the technical requirements for delivery for video on demand;

  7. not have been already shot;

  8. not have been previously licensed to a broadcaster; and

  9. either be in English or be able to be subtitled or versioned into English.

EXCLUSIONS:

In accordance with CRTC regulations and policies governing content, taste, community reflection and diversity of voices, the following types of applicants and project material are excluded from eligibility:

  1. Religious or sectarian organizations (except where they represent non-denominational community and social support services);

  2. Political organizations and candidates; and

  3. Advocacy or special interest groups

INELIGIBLE PROJECTS

TELUS does not wish to unduly limit the types of content or applications that it supports, and applicants for all types of locally reflective project proposals are encouraged to apply. However, the following types of projects are ineligible for 2021 Community Stories:

  1. Fictional projects (including mockumentaries)

  2. Music Videos;

  3. Episodic (a single episode pilot is acceptable);

  4. Lifestyle TV, Reality TV, “How to” Docs and Docusoaps;

  5. News and Reporting

  6. Video Game and other applications

  7. Websites

  8. Talk shows

  9. Non-Canadian content

  10. Promotional or Marketing videos

SCHEDULE OF MAIN EVENTS

November 12, 2020 - December 10, 2020 - INTAKE for Applications

December 18, 2020 - Successful Applicants (Participants) notified (at latest)

TRAINING WORKSHOPS 

For Alberta residents (all times are in Mountain Time (MST/MDT): 

  • January 20, 2021 - Group Session 1 (Wed evening, 7:00 - 8:30pm) - CS 2021 Alberta Workshop Introduction

  • January 27, 2021 - Group Session 2 (Wed evening, 7:00 - 8:30pm) - Writing for documentaries

  • January 30, 2021 - Group Session 3 (Saturday morning, 10:00 - 11:30am) - Introduction to Camera, Sound and Editing

  • February 3, 2021 - Group Session 4 (Wed evening, 7:00 - 8:30pm) - Producing and Logistics

  • February 6, 2021 - Group Session 5 (Saturday morning, 10:00 - 11:30am) - Camera, Lighting and Audio

  • February 10, 2021 - Group Session 6 (Wed evening, 7:00 - 8:30pm) Directing Documentaries

  • February 13, 2021 - Group Session 7 (Saturday morning, 10:00 - 11:30am) Editing

For BC residents (all times are in Pacific Time (PST/PDT): 

  • January 20, 2021 - Group Sessions 1 (Wed evening, 7:00 - 8:30pm) - Welcome & Introduction 

  • January 27, 2021 - Group Sessions 2 (Wed evening, 7:00 - 8:30pm) - Your Voice Matters

  • January 30, 2021 - Group Sessions 3 (Sun evening, 7:00-8:30pm) - How are Films Made

  • February 3, 2021 - Group Sessions 4 (Wed evening, 7:00 - 8:30pm) - The Empowered Filmmaker

  • February 7, 2021 - Group Sessions 5 (Sun evening, 7:00-8:30pm) - Working through our storyboards + File Management

  • February 10, 2021 - Group Sessions 6 (Wed evening, 7:00 - 8:30pm) - Anatomy of a Film + Film Clinic

  • February 13, 2021 - Group Sessions 7 (Sat evening, 7:00-8:30pm) - Final Project Presentations

2. HOW TO PARTICIPATE

There is no fee to participate. Only one (1) Project submission is allowed per Participant. 

STEP 1: FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FORM: 

Participants have from noon (12:00 pm) PDT/ 1:00 pm MDT November 12, 2020 until 5:00pm PDT/6:00 pm MDT on December 10, 2020 to submit their completed application on STORYHIVE.com.

To complete their application, Participants will need to ACCEPT THE TERMS OF THE APPLICATION AGREEMENT.

STEP 2: MODERATION

Once the intake period closes at  5:00pm PDT/6:00 pm MDT on December 10, 2020, all applications will be  moderated for eligibility against the aforementioned criteria ("Moderation"). Only Projects that meet the eligibility criteria outlined above will be eligible for consideration. TELUS shall have the sole discretion to determine whether a Participant and their Project meet the eligibility criteria for 2021 Community Stories.

STEP 3: AWARD + PRODUCE:

Successful Applicants will be notified by December 18, 2020. If your Project is selected, the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (CSIF) in Alberta and VoVo Productions in BC will then verify the eligibility of the Participant and Project.

STEP 4: DISTRIBUTE + WATCH:

Completed Projects from 2021 Community Stories may be made available on TELUS platforms, community screenings, various social media channels and distributed by partners of TELUS.

3. GENERAL CONDITIONS

TELUS reserves the right, but not the obligation, to verify all Project submissions. Any attempt to tamper with the entry process, interfere with these Terms, deliberately damage the Website or any website or undermine the administration, security or legitimate operation of 2021 Community Stories is a violation of criminal and civil laws and TELUS reserves the right, but not the obligation, to seek damages and/or other relief from all persons responsible for such acts to the fullest extent permitted by law, which may include banning or disqualifying participants from the Program and future Community Stories or STORYHIVE programs.

REFUSAL OF AN OFFER TO PARTICIPATE 

The refusal by a potential or declared Participant in 2021 Community Stories to accept an offer to participate in 2021 Community Stories in accordance with the Terms shall release and forever discharge TELUS and its affiliated companies or related companies and their advertising and promotional agencies, contractors and service providers, and their respective shareholders, officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the "Beneficiaries"), from any and all obligations related to 2021 Community Stories.

RELEASE. 

Each Participant hereby releases and holds harmless the Beneficiaries from any and all liability for any and all damage, loss or liability suffered as a result of or arising from their participation in 2021 Community Stories.

If you are successful with your Project submission, Participants may have their Project distributed on the TELUS Optik TV On Demand service and will be required to sign a TELUS Licence and Release Agreement.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

The Beneficiaries are not liable for faulty computer components, software, or links; the loss or nonexistence of communications capability; or faulty, incomplete, incomprehensible, or erased computer or network transmissions that make it difficult, or render a user unable, to use the Website or any Website feature, howsoever caused, the malfunction of, or damage caused to, any telephone or network or lines, computer equipment, data or software, online systems, servers or access providers; or the security or privacy of information transmitted via computer networks; or for breaches of privacy due to interference by third party computer "hackers". The Beneficiaries are not liable for any harm suffered directly or indirectly as a result of downloading any Web page or software or transmitting any information related to entry in the STORYHIVE Edition. Further, the Beneficiaries assume no responsibility for entries lost, stolen, delayed, damaged or misdirected. The Beneficiaries do not guarantee access to or non-interruption of the Website during the STORYHIVE Edition or that it will be free of any errors.

OWNERSHIP

A Canadian-controlled company or a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada must own: (a) the master recording of the music featured in the Project; and (b) the Project.

CONSENT 

By entering 2021 Community Stories, each Participant consents to the use by TELUS of their name, city of residence, photograph, voice and/or image for publicity purposes in all media, without payment, compensation, or notification.

MODIFICATION 

TELUS reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend 2021 Community Stories, in whole or in part, in the case of the occurrence of an event, an error or any human intervention that could corrupt or affect the administration of the Program as provided in these Terms.

IMPOSSIBILITY TO ACT DUE TO FORCE MAJEURE. 

The Beneficiaries shall not be responsible for any damages for a failure to operate the Program in accordance with these Terms in any case where their incapacity to act results from circumstances or a situation beyond their reasonable control or because of a strike, lock-out or any other labour dispute in their company or those of businesses which services are used for holding the Program, war, riot, insurrection, earthquake, terrorism, civil commotion, fire, flood, accident, storm or any other act of nature.

DECISIONS OF TELUS. 

All decisions of TELUS and/or those of its representatives regarding the Program are final and binding.

If you have any questions regarding the eligibility of you or your Project, or would like a hardcopy of these Terms mailed to you, please email us here: storyhive@telus.com

Please print or save a PDF of these Terms by clicking the button below.

Created: November 10, 2020