Links for distribution:
http://www.themonroetimes.com/
http://www.brodheadchamber.org/
GCHS Video Distribution
As a local agency, the Green County Humane Society needs to appeal to residents of only one county to raise funds for its capital campaign, so local distribution is of primary importance.
YouTube. While it is not expected that many people will necessarily stumble upon the GCHS capital campaign video on YouTube during the fundraising timeframe on their own, links from other sites will drive views of the video. Also, posting the video on YouTube and linking to the GCHS site will actually save the server space that would be required if the video actually resided on the GCHS server.
While the Green County Humane Society does not have its own FaceBook page, I will post the video to my page and appeal to co-workers at my hospital to do the same. I’ll also ask them to forward the link to their friends, and ask them to request that their friends distribute it as well. Given that the hospital I work for has 1100 employees, most of whom live in the county, I expect wide and rapid distribution from this grass roots, social media effort.
The Monroe Times. I will recommend that the Green County Humane Society purchase buttons on our local newspaper site to drive traffic to the Web site or YouTube, or better yet, request that the Times donate the space to this worthwhile cause. The video itself can also be embedded on some pages within the Times’ site, which will be compelling as readers will want to hit the “play” button to see what the video is about. This distribution will be effective as the Times has good traffic numbers on its home page, and its readers are interested in local community matters. Ideally, this link will be available close to the time the paper runs its initial story about the GCHS capital campaign
http://www.themonroetimes.com/.
Chamber of Commerce Sites. Green County also has several Chamber of Commerce sites for its communities, which would likely allow links to the GCHS video during the capital campaign period. Business owners are very active in Green County’s small communities, and very supportive of important causes in the County. Meeting dates, times and minutes are posted to these pages, as are community happenings, so both business people and other active community members can be effectively reached through these sites.
http://www.brodheadchamber.org/
Green County Spotlight. This is a local interest site dedicated to community events in and around Green County, and is well known throughout the county as an information-sharing Web site. Again, the site would be ideal for distributing the GCHS video message during the fundraising period, when the goal is to raise public awareness.
http://www.greencountyspotlight.com/
In addition to electronic distribution, DVDs could be mailed to donors, (or emailed to those with email addresses), given to board members for playing at community speaking engagements, and shown by GCHS at community events like fairs and festivals, as well as its own community events throughout the year.
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GCHS Video Project Progress
The progress on the Green County Humane Society video is happening in a somewhat non-traditional manner. Most students in class have started filming their footage prior to last week’s discussion or have probably completed much of the filming over this past weekend. I have yet to film any footage for my project. This is because almost 100 percent of my scenes require the main character, a golden retriever. The owner of the retrievers I’m using is out of town this weekend. Our plans are to start shooting next week.
Rather than get terribly behind on the project, I’ve elected to use this weekend to work on the sweetening of the video. Sweetening is adding the music and sound effects, which happens at the end of the project. I’m gathering the “assets” to do this now rather than wait till the footage has been gathered and edited. Also, I’m working on the final scenes that have images of multiple animals, and contact information and the GCHS logo. I had originally planned to do all of this last, but due to circumstances beyond my control, I am reversing the order to some degree.
Additional preparation I have made to make sure next week’s filming goes smoothly is to document shots I want to make sure to get, gathering props, contacting GCHS parties to make sure they will be available, setting up a YouTube account, etc. Taking these production steps now should help get the project back on track by the end of next week, when I will have all of the items needed—footage, music, recorded narrative, still shots, logo/contact information, sound effects—at my disposal and ready to assemble.
Also, I’ve been practicing using Movie Maker editing software to help avoid any last minute, late night technology glitches.
Now, all I can do is hurry up and wait. But in my professional experience, being well prepared is at least half of the battle, and I feel this should serve me well in completing this project on time. Now, if our nice fall weather will just hold out.
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GCHS Video Scenes
Act I
Scene 1. Opening shot of REX, a golden retriever, tied to tree. People are walking by, (we only see torsos and legs, not faces); an empty water bowl is nearby. Cut to close-up of rope tied too tightly around the dog’s neck.
Scene 2. Shot of Rex howling/barking, then being dragged uncaringly by his farmer owner into a barn. The door shuts behind him.
Scene 3. Camera pans around the barn, then stops on an open door. Rex runs out the door. Cut to long shot of Rex running down a country driveway. Cut to shot of Rex running across a field and into the woods. Close-up of Rex in the woods as he stops, then lies down, exhausted.
Act II
Scene 1. Fade up to Rex walking along the road, sniffing at road kill. Cut to Rex knocking over a garbage can and eating from it.
Scene 2. Long shot of Rex walking along the road, smelling the air. Cut to a farmhouse. Cut to a grill with burgers cooking. Cut to Rex entering the yard.
Scene 3. Cut to a large, aggressive dog entering the yard. The dog and attacks Rex and the two dogs fight. Cut to close-up of REX bleeding.
Scene 4. Long shot of Rex running, then walking slowly, then collapsing on the side of the road.
Scene 5. Long shot of a truck driving down the road toward Rex, pulling over. Cut to the driver, who gets out and examines the dog and lifts him with some difficulty into her truck. Cut to close-up shot of the woman comforting the dog for a moment, as their eyes connect.
Scene 6. Wide shot of the truck pulling into the driveway of the Green County Humane Society. Cut to interior shot of the woman surrendering the dog to a GCHS staff member.
Scene 7. Shot of caretakers cleaning up the dog. Cut to a vet in a lab coat attending to his wounds. Cut to Rex being placed in a holding pen, given water, and a small amount of food, fed piece by piece by the caretaker’s hand. Cut to close-up of an exhausted Rex falling into a deep sleep.
Scene 8. Shot of GCHS volunteer walking Rex. Cut to Rex playing with another dog.
Scene 9. Shot of Rex lying in holding pen in the shelter. Food and water are present in the shot. Camera zooms out and pans around to show dozens of dogs in similar pens. Cut to the cat area. Camera pans to show crowded conditions.
Scene 10. Shot of rescuer entering the shelter, approaching and stopping at Rex’ pen, kneeling down. (Wardrobe change indicated she has returned on a different day.) Cut to close-up as Rex recognizes his rescuer and rewards her with a swipe of his tongue and a wag of his tail. The woman returns Rex’ affections. Camera zooms out as the woman places a collar around Rex’ neck, attaches a leash, and walks him out of the shelter. Fade to white.
Act III
Scene 1. Rex’ face appears as a still image. Images of other dogs and cats join his on the screen. Narrative informs the audience of the hundreds of stories just like Rex’, and of the numbers that could not be helped because of the facility’s limited size and resources. An appeal for donations to the Green County Humane Society’s capital campaign—which will allow the organization to build a new facility, and help all of Green County’s homeless pets find a forever home.
Scene 2. Camera zooms back to an image Rex’ face, dissolves to a shot of his new owner embracing the embracing him. Narrative makes the appeal that every stray deserves a happy ending.
Scene 2. Dissolve to screen superimposed with the GCHS logo, “Donate Now” and contact information.
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Green Co. Humane Society Video Story
GCHS audiences
Geographically, the audience for the Green County Humane Society is just as its name suggests: limited to residents of Green County, Wisconsin. Surrounding counties have their own animal shelters, thus the Society is a local concern. Residents of Monroe, Wisconsin, where the shelter is located and many of its activities take place, likely have a higher and more detailed level of awareness, and greater involvement with and commitment to the shelter, because of their proximity.
Demographically, pet owners are more likely to have an interest in the shelter’s activities. Law enforcement has a close relationship with the shelter, and a vested interest in its success and activities. The shelter’s board members, volunteers and donors key stakeholder groups for the shelter.
The GCHS appeals to audiences of all ages—from children who frequently hold fundraisers such as bake sales or lemonade stands to support the Society, to volunteer dog-walkers spanning all age groups, to the Society’s Board, which consists of local professionals and retirees.
Capital campaign video project
An area of conflict for the GCHS has been its position as a no-kill shelter. While some audiences agree that animals should not be euthanized, others believe that euthanizing some animals would allow the shelter to help the greatest number of adoptable animals. These philosophical differences have divided the community of animal advocates in the past, a disagreement that has sometimes been played out in the local press.
Recent successes of for the Society have been increasing the number of spayed and neutered animals in the community through continuous education and sterilization events. However, the problem of unsterilized animals is so large, that while this advocacy is an important part of the Society’s mission, in reality, it barely puts a dent in a large problem of animal overpopulation.
Additionally, while the Society has cramped and limited facilities, it has managed to increase the number of animals it has helped each year simply by continuous improvement of its adoption activities. Newspaper ads, its Web site, and community events that promote awareness of the shelter have all helped the Society find more homes for animals each year.
However, a new facility funded by a capital campaign would dramatically improve the Society’s ability to help the largest number of animals possible, an objective shared by a philosophically divided audience. Better working conditions would also have a significant and positive impact on staff and volunteers.
As a halo effect, the campaign will also create greater awareness of the Society in the community, as individuals and businesses come together to support this major, high-profile drive for funds.
The proposed video project will appeal to the GCHS’ varied audiences in two important ways. First, the video will feature an emotional appeal with the story of Rex, a typical animal the Society helps every day. According to the Philanthropy Journal, emotional appeals are critical to fundraising and can be effectively delivered through video (Amico, 2007).
The audience will connect with the struggle of Rex, his happy ending and the joy he brings to his new owner. Because the need for food, shelter, companionship and love are so basic and common to both animals and humans, the audience will relate easily to this story.
Second, by highlighting the magnitude of the problem through showing the poor conditions of the facility, (in a way that makes the point without demeaning the good work being done there), and faces of the many homeless animals at the end of the spot, the video will demonstrate the need—a critical piece of a fundraising appeal.
Dog Days of Rex genre
The GCHS capital campaign video, the Dog Days of Rex, is an adventure story. Additionally, the protagonist, Rex, is on a journey. So the genre is probably a subset of the adventure story: an adventure/journey story. The audience is able to clearly seen Rex’ predicament, his need to escape, his struggle, and his happy conclusion. The story has a happy ending; however, because it is a fundraiser, there must also be a hook. The hook in this story is that Rex’ story is one of hundreds, and we are left unsure if others like Rex will fare as well. The closing message is that these happy endings will only be possible with help from the viewer. So, while this story closely follows the adventure model, the hook at the end leaves the viewer pondering the future.
Aspects of GCHS video compared to typical adventure genre stories
Setting. While typical adventure stories often take place in exotic locales such as jungles or deserts, (P.I. Reed School of Journalism, 2010), it is important that the GCHS video take place in a rural setting similar to that of Green County. So while typical visual elements might be dense tropical settings, expansive deserts or prairies, or even a foreign city, this local story takes place in the audience’s backyard.
Characters. Typical characters in an adventure/journey story could be brave and swashbuckling, such as Jack Sparrow, or even timid as in the case of an involuntary adventurer, such as Alice in Wonderland. Supporting characters are likely to be sidekicks or characters who help or hinder the protagonist along the way on his or her journey. While there are female protagonists in some adventure stories, this is typically a masculine role, with females as supporting characters.
In Rex’ story, the protagonist is male, though because he is a dog, this may not be readily apparent to audiences who can project their own preferences on the character. The villain (the farmer) is male, the rescuer (Andrea) is female.
Plot. In adventure/journey stories, there is often an original conflict that sets the protagonist off on his or her adventure, such as in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy escapes with Toto. As protagonists encounter other characters along their journeys, some will help them, but others will pose obstacles. There may also be villains that can create conflict.
The typical plot in an adventure/journey story includes an event that triggers the journey or adventure and sets it in motion, much traveling, searching, learning, seeking, fighting, escaping, hiding, etc. which make up the bulk of the plot, and final resolution as the protagonist reaches the climax of the adventure.
Iconography. Depending on the story and the setting, in an adventure/journey film, it’s typical to see objects that are being searched for or protected, such as the golden idol in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the ring in Lord of the Rings, or the sword in The Sword and the Stone. In Rex’ story, his destiny is a home and a companion rather than an object.
Mood/tone. Most adventure/journey films fluctuate between optimistic and pessimistic. Throughout the protagonist’s journey, things will look up or down depending on the situation encountered. In fact, this tension between something good and then something bad happening, is an important formula in an adventure film.
The mood and tone will also vary with the situation, as the protagonist moves through the story. Great adventure/journey stories feature a wide range of moments from light and comedic, to dark and scary, to happy and optimistic, and everything in between. Rex’s story will have unhappy, somber, relieving, happy and compassionate moments.
Cinematic style. Much as the mood and tone vary with the action and setting, so will the cinematic techniques used in the film. For example, long, wide shots can show vast expanses of desert or ocean, while melodramatic close-ups reveal the characters’ emotions and reactions. Shots that cut from character to character capture dialog and emotion, while slow pans reveal discovered settings. Lighting, editing and sound will also vary and will mirror the scene. Special effects can be especially useful in creating fanciful, fictional creatures and environments for adventure films.
Rex’ story will be shot using a combination of techniques, such soft dissolves to highlight emotional moments or low lighting to create tension during more dramatic scenes. Close-ups will be necessary to capture emotion—a very important element in pulling off the fundraising appeal. And given that dogs are somewhat limited in their ability to express emotion compared to human actors, music will be necessary to help set the tone of each scene.
References
Amico, L. November 5, 2007. Emotional appeal key in fundraising. Philanthropy Journal. Retrieved September 18, 2010, from, http://www.philanthropyjournal.org/archive/143303
Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism, West Virginia University (2010). Lesson 4: Market as Genre. Retrieved September 18, 2010, from, the WVU eCampus Web site: https://ecampus.wvu.edu/webct/urw/lc5116001.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct
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Dog Days of Rex
Treatment
REX, a healthy Golden Retriever in the prime of his life, has an obvious sadness in his eyes. Tied to a tree in a backyard, the farm’s residents occupied with other diversions, he lives in a world of isolation, boredom and loneliness. At times, the distant treatment by his owners reaches neglect, as the rope around his neck painfully works its way into his flesh, and his water dish is left dry. Most days, he suffers in silence. On others, he howls desperately for relief.
One day, when his barking and whining become too much for his owners, hoping to silence the dog, the farmer locks him in a barn. However, the man has neglected to notice one of the barn doors is ajar, and Rex makes his escape. Running along roads, through fields and into the woods, Rex is now completely alone. Accustomed to having his food and water provided, he is now forced to fend for himself. He survives on road kill and garbage. He sleeps in the woods, exposed to the elements.
This new way of life is hard. And then, his plight takes a turn for the worse. Lured by the smells of cooking food, Rex ventures into a home’s front yard. The promise of the food has caused him to let down his defenses, and he fails to notice the smell of the resident canine family protector. The dog is larger than Rex, and aggressive. The two dogs fight, and Rex is left injured and bleeding. He makes his way to the side of a road, and collapses. He is dehydrated, hungry, bleeding. He has no strength to go on.
ANDREA, a passerby, finds Rex on the side of the road. With some difficulty, she lifts the dirty, bleeding dog into her truck. She comforts him for a moment, and their eyes connect. She drives him to the Green County Humane Society and surrenders him to their care.
At the shelter, caretakers clean up the dog and a vet attends to his wounds. Rex is given shelter, water, and just a little food, fed piece by piece by the caretaker’s hand. Exhausted, but safe, he falls into a deep sleep.
In the coming days, Rex begins to heal and gain his strength back. Though he is forced to live in a small space in the crowded and noisy shelter, the care of the attendants and the companionship of other dogs offer some comfort. For a few hours a day, Rex is let outside to play with another dog. A volunteer comes to walk him. Yet while his basics needs are met, the conditions are far from ideal. The loneliness has not abated. Sadness remains in his eyes.
Andrea calls the shelter to check on the dog she rescued. She learns he has recovered from his injuries and is regaining his strength. She makes an appointment to visit the dog. When she arrives at the shelter, she is reminded of its somewhat deteriorated condition. She notices the overcrowded conditions and dozens upon dozens of cats and dogs waiting to be rescued. She walks down the aisle until she reaches the dog she found on the side of the road. Immediately, Rex recognizes his rescuer and rewards her with a swipe of his tongue and a wag of his tail. Andrea returns Rex’ affections. She places a collar around his neck, attaches a leash, and walks him out of the shelter and into her waiting truck.
Rex’ face appears as a still image. Images of other dogs and cats join his on the screen. The audience is informed of the hundreds of stories just like Rex’, and of the hundreds that could not be helped because of the facility’s limited size and resources. An appeal for donations to the Green County Humane Society’s capital campaign—which will allow the organization to build a new facility, and help all of Green County’s homeless pets find a forever home—appears on the screen. The final appeal to the audience is every stray animal deserves a happy ending.
Theme
The theme is, “Faith and courage prevail over evil.”
Title
The title is, “The Dog Days of Rex”
Tagline/Logline
The tagline is, “A tail of courage and redemption.”
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