Hey folks –
Well it’s Super Bowl Sunday and I’m hard at work writing a proposal for the Good Pitch. I really think we have a chance at this and it would be the most interesting and perfect avenue to get the support we need to finish this film.
I wanted to share my proposal with y’all so you will know exactly the direction we are going and what we are needing. I really hope that all of this information helps you understand why your donations are so helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to share with friends, family, co-workers, any potential viewer or sponsor. We really appreciate your much needed support! Thank you!
And enjoy the new re-cut trailer, too!!
Go Saints,
Erin
My Proposal
Proposal Name: Not Saved
Status: New Proposal
Name: Erin Levin
Gender: female
Date of birth: 1985-09-13
Mobile Number: +1-404-702-2879
Region: North America
Is this information correct? If not change it here.
PROPOSAL NAME:
Upbeat: The story of the African Children’s Choir and Music for Life
ABOUT YOU AND YOUR TEAM
Director Name
Erin Levin
Director filmography (up to 5 credits – film title, length and year of completion)
CNN Producer: Songs of Hope, 30 minutes, 2010
CNN Associate Producer: Autumn of Change, 2 hours, 2009
CNN Production Assistant: Black in America II, 2 hours, 2009
CNN Production Assistant: Latino in America, 1 hour, 2009
CNN Production Assistant: Muslim Youth, 30 minutes, 2008
What is the nationality of the director?
American
What is your role on the team?
Director
Co-Director
Co-Producer
Producer
Exec-Producer
Scriptwriter
Editor
If you are not the Director, please tell us about your previous work – 100 words max please
I am currently serving as the Director, Producer and Photographer (low-budget but high energy).
Tell us about any other key members in your team and their relevant experience – 100 words max please
Thus far, I have shot all 60 hours of footage.
I have had friends from CNN, who hope to get into the film industry, help me with editing.
I have also written and produced everything so far.
My passion is field producing and producing. I’m hoping this will help me score a second camera on location as well as an Executive Producer and editor.
The African Children’s Choir has been incredibly supportive.
Company Name (if there is one)
PeaceTree Productions LLC
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
Tell us about your project in 50 words or less
Ecclesiastes tells us there’s a time for everything under the sun. Many children across Africa only have time for suffering. The African Children’s Choir is changing that. Their music is healing the world, uplifting their communities. There’s a time to dance and a time to sing… Upbeat is their story.
Now tell us more about the project and what/who would be in it – 800 words max please
UPBEAT
A documentary feature film about the African Children’s Choir and Music for Life
STORYLINE:
Music for Life brings education, basic needs, culture and hope to thousands of children and their communities across Africa.
>> At eight years old, Bekhi cooks his one meal a day by himself. The food provided by Music for Life. At school, he laughs and sings.
The internationally acclaimed African Children’s Choir is Music for Life’s main source of funding. Their mission is to help Africa’s most vulnerable children today so they can help Africa tomorrow.
>> Mbenya grew up in a clustered tin hut with feces-filled paper landing on her roof. Because of the Choir, today she is a voice of human rights for women of the developing world.
For 25 years, they have been lifting children up from poverty and strife, giving them the opportunity of a lifetime.
>> Robert walked across Uganda with his little siblings dying by his side. Through the support of the Choir, now a doctor, he is treating orphans with malaria and HIV/AIDS.
These children represent a new Africa.
>> No time for school in the slum. Stella’s smile lights up dark places and her song carries worries away. Her world tour with the Choir starts now. The sky is Stella’s new limit.
BACKGROUND:
The Grammy-nominated African Children’s Choir has hundreds of thousands of fans across the world, but is lacking an up-to-date 360 view of their story to share.
These precious recording artists are incredibly gifted and their energetic live performances have been life changing. The closest thing to their live music is this up close and personal HD concert footage.
This documentary will empower Music for Life and the African Children’s Choir to continue their rich tradition of sustainable development work and success in uplifting children through sharing the tools to become positive and effective leaders.
INVOLVEMENT:
Share – Give funds needed to finish filming and begin post-production for the documentary. Use your skills to help edit. Volunteer your time to get involved with Music for Life and the African Children’s Choir.
Shoot – Filmmaker Erin Levin has shot over 50 hours of amazing HD footage of Music for Life and the Choir in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa and on tour in Northern Ireland and Vancouver. This material has been used to create the attached trailer. It was also used for a 30-minute special edition news documentary she produced for CNN’s ‘Inside Africa.’ We also have 25 years of archive footage. The current need is to collect and film more stories, scenes and interviews across Africa, on tour and with the team and to develop a character-driven film which shares their story.
Send – Social networking has become a magical medium for development. Please pass this on to garner more support.
Sell – The film will be widely distributed through the African Children’s Choir vast fan base, a network of outlets, as well as through film festivals around the world. Your investment in this project will come back financially through DVD sales and personally through seeing the difference made in thousands of lives.
What is the anticipated length of your film?
0-10 mins
10-40 mins
40-60 mins
60+ mins
PROJECT STAGE
a) I have shot some footage
b) I have cut a trailer
c) I have key sequences
d) I have a rough cut
e) My film is completed
If you have selected a, b, c or d, please give more information about your production schedule and completion – 150 words max please
I have shot 60 hours of footage on the ground in Africa and on tour with the children. I have also logged 25 years of the Choir’s archives.
Next, I am hoping to find the sponsorship and support to film more in Africa and on tour, to dig deeper into the stories of the successful former members and the transformations in the newest group of young choristers.
I already know exactly who to follow and the beginning of their sequences written out.
We are also getting these main characters flipcams in order to further personalize their experiences.
Then I will script the whole hour feature-documentary and will need to get it in with a great editor. I am hoping to accomplish all of this by the end of 2010 and have the film out for distribution in time for this year’s Christmas.
If you have selected e, please give more information about any festivals your film has applied to, or been accepted by – 150 words max please
NA
OUTREACH
Do you have any plans for outreach or audience engagement for your film? Please outline these plans – 150 words max please
Yes! Outreach and our awareness campaign are crucial to this film. There is great entertainment – the joyful singing and dancing of Grammy-nominated African children. There is also great need – the kids in the Choir represent their family and neighbors in poverty across Africa. They are ambassadors of hope. This film will give them the opportunity to further spread their love, music and important stories across the globe.
I am extremely passionate about activating my generation. Young professionals around the world crave an outlet, a chance to make a difference. This film brings that. We will engage the audience to get more involved with the Choir, to host them, chaperone them, get muddy playing with them.
I also have a dream of using this activation to allow our fans to share their stories on the website, interact with each other and show how they’re giving back.
Have you spoken to any potential partner organisations (e.g. NGOs, foundations or potential brand and corporate partners) about your film? If so, who, when and what happened? 150 words max please
Yes, the African Children’s Choir and their Music for Life Institute is extremely involved given that the film is about the participants in their organization. They have been wonderful and are open to other partnerships as well.
Do you have any prior experience working on outreach for documentary? 150 words max please
Yes, I worked as the Outreach Coordinator for the Dispatch:Zimbabwe shows at Madison Square Garden in 2007. Through the Dispatch Foundation, I served as the liaison between the band, projects in Zimbabwe and the fans. Very similar to this current initiative of mine, we used music and the show’s film to connect fans and the audience with opportunities to act and learn more. It was extremely successful and gives me the confidence that this Upbeat project will be as well.
Why do you want to make this film and what would you like it to achieve? 100 words max please
The world needs to know this story. These children come from nothing, the Choir gives them the skills to sustain themselves, then they go back and give their communities everything. It’s the most inspiring group I’ve ever experienced. Their outreach is exponential. Their music’s incredible. Their smiles are contagious. These people bring tears, chuckles, awe, suspense and hope to the screen. I believe this film will encourage people around the world. It will raise funds for the Choir to expand into more countries. I know this film will make the world’s relationships more effective, real and exciting.
FINANCIALS
Please explain to us what funding you have already secured from the following sources:
Production funding from broadcasters
CNN paid a small amount for the 30-minute piece done for them. But it was made for CNN, not as an entertaining feature-documentary. Therefore, zero.
Pre-sale from broadcaster(s)
Zero.
Production or development funding from Foundations, individuals, nonprofits or NGOs
We have raised $3,000 from private gifts to the African Children’s Choir specifically for them film.
Deal with sales agent or distributor
None.
Other investment (including your own)
I bought a camera and some good gear for this. I also had to buy Final Cut and a faster Mac that could handle all of this HD footage. I’ve also had to buy numerous hard drives and I and the Choir have spent funds on shipping archives. We’ve also paid for flights to tour shows and Africa.
Grand total already invested by me and the Choir is around $20,000.
Have you pitched your film to anyone else who is not listed above? Please give details, including who you have pitched to and when.
No.
What is your total budget for your project? NB: If your project is selected for the Good Pitch, you will be asked for a budget.
The minimum needed to complete to film on a shoestring with no one making any money and will me and the Choir not making any investments back: $20,000.
The goal is for me and the Choir to make our investments back and at least to break even. I would also like to get a great editor involved and a second photographer with me. Ideally, we will receive at least $60,000 for this to happen.
Even better, would be to get around $100,000 in cash or an equivalent deal with a company so we could not only finish the film well but also promote and distribute widely.
Please confirm the amount of money you are still looking to raise
Min need to finish = $20,000
Goal to finish well = $60,000
Goal to finish and distribute = $100,000
Are you seeking outreach funding?
Yes No
If yes, how much?
Since the African Children’s Choir is already popular, we are good to go with their fans.
Personally, I would love to get this film more widely distributed and known on social networks, college campuses etc. To do this, we would need around 20-40 thousand dollars.
SELLING YOUR FILM
Contact for sales/rights in this film
Erin Levin – Director/Producer/Photographer
African Children’s Choir – Subject
This person is
Me
Another member of our team
Our sales agent
Our distributor
DECLARATIONS
I understand that I must submit any supporting materials (e.g. trailer) by Monday 8 February in order to be eligible for the Tribeca Good Pitch (instructions on how to upload trailers will be given in Step 2)
That’s the end of the proposal form – you can now either Save it for later or Submit it:
Save for later
Any changes will be lost unless you save them
Submit proposal to the Foundation
Once submitted you cannot change or edit this proposal
“This blog is about what I saw through my lens… hope, dignity, success, need beyond my worst nightmares and love greater than my wildest dreams” is how I started this Upbeat blog three months ago. It’s also how I must start this latest entry. This time, while I wish I were on the ground seeing these real and raw images through my own lens, I am instead seeing them on my computer screen and TV routers around CNN as I work with friends in the field to bring the world the best coverage of Haiti’s natural disaster.
Here are some facts about what’s currently happening in Haiti:
1.12.2010
A small tree-carved fishing boat capsizes… cars crash into each other… children are stuck beneath their collapsed classroom roof…
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hits Haiti, affecting at least 1 million people living around Port-au-Prince
Today is 11 days in to the catastrophe and aid is just beginning to arrive at the epicenter
Doctors abandon patients and Sanjay Gupta runs from reporting to performing surgery
Aid does not arrive fast enough and Anderson Cooper pleads live on air, so real and raw, for people to help
Hope is alive as people are found under the rubble
Children still smile simply because they are alive
1.11.2010
Around 300,00 thousand children in Haiti are restaveks, child slaves
Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere
70% of Haitian people live in poverty-annual income of $400 per year
There are at least 200,000 orphaned children in Haiti
Now
You can step up and serve – donate – pray – love
Visit CNN.com/impact to see vetted charities acting on the ground in Haiti
Stay up on the latest stories of survival – follow what we gather at twitter.com/makinggoodnews
This weekend
Watch what we’re working on: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/14/haiti.quake.george.clooney/index.html
One of my favorite bands, Old Crow Medicine Show, sings a song which has been resonating through my mind for days. You can listen to ‘I hear them all’ here: http://www.lala.com/#song/3531103626025636059.
Circling back around to Upbeat… as I’ve mentioned a dozen times, 100% of profits from the film go directly to building out more Music for Life centers. In light of the devastation in Haiti, the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children there (descendants of former African slaves in the first black-led country) the African Children’s Choir and Music for Life are hoping to expand Music for Life to serve these precious kids. Please consider donating to the film to secure the hope of these efforts. Thank you so much!
Hoping for Haiti,
Team Upbeat
International press is always a good thing! What a way to bring in the new year!
Here is the link to see my interview on Backstory:
For show times, have a look a CNN International’s Inside Africa page.
Enjoy!
Love,
Team Upbeat
This bleak, sleeting morning I was driving to CNN to finish a 30-minute special we’re producing on the African Children’s Choir. The special, “Songs of Hope” takes a fraction of my footage and bits from the Choir’s 25 years of archives to put together an amazing story of Music for Life through the eyes of two of its newest members and two of its most successful former members. We’ll post the sneak-peak CNN Backstory on here shortly… and be sure to tune in to see the special – air times are listed here: www.cnn.com/insideafrica.
Anyways, on the way to work at the intersection of Andrew Young Blvd. (named after one of my heroes) and Peachtree Rd. (the famed Main. St. of Atlanta) the stop light was out. Instead of lighting up green, yellow and red to organize an already over-organized high-traffic society, it was simply a flashing red light. The kind you get when the light breaks.
So here I am - it’s New Year’s Eve, wintery-mix sunrise, crowded intersection smack dab in the middle of downtown Atlanta and the light is broken. You may think I would get frustrated and curse aloud. But no, it was one of the sweetest moments of peace and harmony.
Everyone came together, we were a community in our array of individual cars. No one ran the light or took advantage of it’s brokenness to beat their neighbor to work or to the airport to catch a flight to see the ball drop. Here we were and it was already the new year, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. But the rush stopped for a second and all as well. Together, we took turns. We all looked around to make sure the pedestrians had a chance. It was the essence of humanity, pure and simple care for one another. Beauty from a flashing red light.
One of my best friends, Julia, told me a story one splendid Spring day back in Charlottesville. We were walking down our college-town street, bursting with fresh blooms, watching the fancy cars drive by. I was judging them. Them in their nice cars, not doing anything to help the world. Judging people I didn’t even know. She explained something C.S. Lewis once noted – people are like cars. We come into this world and are given a certain car. It may go fast, or slow, be bright and shiny, or dull and dented. It’s our choice how we decide to drive our cars. And how we decide to treat the other cars on the road.
The moment of peace this morning with the intersection coming together was a perfect example of how we all CAN be kind with our cars. On Backstory yesterday, I noted that the real Africa is not just the bad news and corruption you see on the news, it’s also the sweet moments of people helping out the pedestrians at the flashing red light.
This new year, I pray that you are able to feel that same inner peace. The world is good. The precious kids in the African Children’s Choir remind me everyday that there is hope. There is a reason to use my small green car to lift them up.
…It’s here! The long awaited for Upbeat film trailer. I know you’re excited! It’s the best Chrismahanukwanzakah present our editor Christian could ever give me… and YOU!
According to the above link, Virgin Mobile USA created the holiday for a 2004 Commercial… well come on Virgin Mobile USA — and every other company/person/foundation – we’re celebrating it here on the Upbeat blog… so you can give a little gift, too. Click the Chipin button on the right to compete with Christian for the best Chrismahanukwanzakah present in the whole wide world. Not only will you make me happy, but also 12 Million Orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa.
That’s right. The UN estimates there are at least 12 million AIDS orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the 2008 UN AIDS report. And guess what we’re doing with the money? All monies donated here go to production costs of Upbeat. Once Upbeat is complete, it will be totally owned by Music for Life and the African Children’s Choir™… and they will use the film to show the world the dignity, beauty and unlimited potential of the African Child. All of the proceeds of sales of the film will be used to help more of these 12 Million Orphans — enabling them to make a difference in their own country as they lead fulfilling lives — — bringing music for today and hope for tomorrow.
Come join in with us as we celebrate this very special holiday in the spirit of what all three holidays started as – miracles of life and light and times to give.
Here is our Chrismahanukwanzakah gift to you— enjoy!
[SWF]http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8353279&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1,693,522[/SWF]
PS – We’re giving you an early New Year’s gift as well… the African Children’s Choir currently touring the N. American west coast will be on the Jay Leno Show TONIGHT! Hopefully you will be able to spot Stella and Jonah— we’ll give you a hint about your post-holiday gift— they might also be seen here soon. Cheers!
PPS – If you get your donations in on Chip-in or checks post-marked and sent by Dec 31st— you get to write the gift off on your taxes for this year!!! Another gift from team Upbeat to you!
Camera and lens manufacturer Nikon have launched a mini-film festival, hosted by Ashton Kucher to promote the video capabilities of their new Nikon D5000 Digital SLR Camera. The brief for this festival:
So what’s it like to be you? Capture the essence of your day in a video of 140 seconds or less. It can be funny, touching or profound. It can be about everything you did, everything you didn’t do, the day’s biggest dilemma or its most telling detail.
Erin, our intrepid film maker thought it would be a good idea to submit an entry to the festival, composed of some photographs from her recent trip to Southern Africa with the Choir. You can check out her entry here:
After which, head over to the Nikon Festival site and let the world know what you think of the video.
Happy Holidays!!!
For those of you purchasing necklaces or donating in someone’s honor this season, here is a little tag you can email the gift-ee about your present to them (yes, email is a little less personal so feel free to print and give with the gift… but we at UPBEAT are very green).
100% of of proceeds from the present I gave you goes to the making of UPBEAT – a film about the African Children’s Choir and their outreach non-profit, Music for Life. UPBEAT is capturing the stories of the Choir and their work around the world. This is the Choir’s 25th anniversary and they are hoping to continue their great development work by going pan-African and raising awareness about the 12 million AIDS orphans on the Continent. Every penny the film earns will go to expanding Music for Life Centers across Africa, bringing joy, hope and education to thousands of vulnerable children who are growing up to be positive African leaders. This truly is the gift that keeps on giving… if you are interested in getting involved visit thefilm.africanchildrenschoir.org and africanchildrenschoir.com. Happy Holidays!!!
Pay options — the best ways to support the film is by chipping in online through the secured PayPal widget on the right. You are also welcome to send a check in this way:
Please make out to — Music for Life (and write “Erin BPS 2102291” in the memo field)
And send it to:
Music for Life
PO Box 29690
Bellingham WA 98228-1690
Thank you so much for your support during this beautiful season of GIVING!
Note: Music for Life is a registered Charity in the USA, Canada, UK and South Africa, and such, all gifts to the organization are tax deductible, as allowed by law. Music for Life issues tax receipts for all donations received during 2009 shortly after the start of the new year in 2010. Be sure to include your postal address if you are donating via PayPal and would like to receive a donation receipt.
Happy December folks -
I just learned this cheerful fact: Since the 1970’s, the Kennedy Space Center has made their shuttle landing facility available for emergency landing by Santa Claus should problems develop during his annual visit to children around the world!
This reminds me of another fact: many children in Africa – most of the kids involved in Music for Life centers and the Choir before we come into their lives – don’t have a chance to believe in Santa. If the KSC can help out Santa, so can we!
We are thrilled to inform you that YOU can be a part of our filmmaking/Santa’s helper adventure. We need to raise a significant amount of funds to continue and finish the film and we are directly giving it to Music for Life to sell at Choir events and online. 100% of proceeds from the film will benefit the ACC and their Music for Life outreach centers across the continent. Since we cannot ask for investments (unless you consider a child’s life an investment which I hope you do!), we are finding creative ways to raise support.
This holiday season we are offering four ways to give gifts which give back exponentially through the African Children’s Choir and Music for Life which are helping Africa’s most vulnerable children today so those same kids and communities can help Africa tomorrow. Through spreading this story – you’re also helping uplift our entire world. Pretty awesome!
- Buy beautifully hand-crafted, fair-trade, made from recycled paper, bead necklaces which have been brought back from East Africa. You can buy a necklace as a gift for yourself or anyone for just $20! Please let me know the best way to get this to you and your color preference. (sun yellow, baby pink, royal purple, shamrock green, georgia clay red, bright blue, yellow/blue, purple/green, maroon/white, blue/yellow/red, green/blue/yellow/purple, multi bold, multi pastel).
- In a few days I will be sending another email with the website where you can buy e-cards made by the kids currently touring North America. Each e-card is $5.
- You are also always welcome to chip in and donate in honor of someone this holiday season by clicking the “chipin” button on the right.
- Encourage your friends to chip in a few dollars by embedding the ChipIn widget on your own blog or webpage. You can find the HTML code to do this on this post.
Check through the gallery to have a quick look at some of the necklaces:
Thank you so much!
Elf Erin
You can help us raise funds to make this film, by getting your friends and family to chip in using the chip-in widget on the right. All gifts made in the USA and Canada are eligible for tax deduction as allowed by law (provided of course you provide a physical address so that you may be sent a tax receipt)
Encourage your friends by posting this widget on your blog or website. Do do this, you simply copy the code in the block below, and paste it into your blogging software or the HTML of your website.
Filming in Kenya was a very special time for me. I had spent six months serving in the Peace Corps in Madagascar right after college and had no Malagasy friends my own age. Most of the girls in their early 20’s were already married with a few babies to take care of while sifting rice and selling mangos. Most of the guys were tending to cattle off in the bush away from our village or in training to serve in the military — their one shot at an education.
In Kenya it was different. Both countries being tropical, drop-dead gorgeous places full of potent poverty, I expected a similar scenario. What makes it different, I now realize in reflection, is the presence of Music for Life – the African Children’s Choir. I was surrounded by Kenyans and Ugandans my own age who have globe-trotted more than I, made it further in their education then I have yet to accomplish, understand life as well as my Grandma and have just as much fun as my friends… dancing even better 
.
Mbenya was one of my quickest new best friends in Nairobi, spending ten days with the Music for Life crew. She’s a huge part of the future CNN piece and I just re-watched her interview in preparation for a screening Christian and I are creating. Here is Mbenya… in her own words.
My name is Mbenya Kamwetu. I’m 25 years old. I grew up in the Kibera slums.
Kibera the slum itself is pretty bad. It’s in a bad condition… there actually aren’t any toilets. They call it throwing toilets, they put it in the paper bag and throw it away.
I was in the African Children’s Choir in 1991 and because of them and their help I am now a lawyer.
I am more inclined to children and women and mostly the disadvantaged people in the community and the people without a voice. So I think as a lawyer I’d be able to give them a voice.
Beautiful Mbenya... former Choir child - now activist attorney!
Probably without the African Children’s Choir we wouldn’t be the same. I wouldn’t be as learned. I wouldn’t have gone to college. But because of the African Children’s Choir, children are Africa’s tomorrow and these children grow up to be adults and to help other children in Uganda, in Kenya, in Rwanda, the whole of Africa. So the little you can, through donations, through volunteer, through prayers, goes a long way. And thank you.
Thank you for supporting UPBEAT, our film on 25 years of Music for Life and the African Children’s Choir, so we can share more of Mbenya’s story and all those like her…