Election 08: Count My Vote

Title: Who Can't Vote Description: Immigrants living in the US have strong opinions about who should be the next President – and certain issues that affect them directly. But do they all get to vote? Who is allowed to vote and who isn’t? Also, profiles of immigrants who are voting for the first time – what will it be like for them? How important is it to them? Questions to Ask: Can you (and other members of your community) vote in the Presidential election? Do you actually want to vote and what issues are pertinent to their situations? If you can vote, are you planning to vote in the 2008 election? Different Communities to find stories in: Silicon Valley H-1 visa holders (can’t vote) International College and Grad Students Convicted Felons Puerto Rico/Guam (can’t vote, unless they have official residency in a State or D.C.) Immigrant communities First generation youth with immigrant parents who are voting for the first time Immigrants of Middle Eastern descent (Do they think their vote will change policy in the Middle East? Are they apathetic? What do they think of US Foreign Policy in their home country?) Logistics: * In a 1-5 minute video piece (to be included in a Collective Work), tell us about the voting opportunities and experiences of people in different immigrant communities in the US. * This could be either a video diary or first-person account about your own experience OR you could find a compelling character or two in your community that you could follow to tell their story. * As always, don’t rely too heavily on voice-over. Instead, try to tell the story through the characters’ soundbytes and b-roll. (Try to use b-roll as a relevant storytelling technique and not just wallpaper.) * For this piece, don’t worry too much about editing a polished cut. Just send us a Rough Cut -- we will inevitably change your edits to make all of these stories work together. Similarly, don’t worry about music or graphics. * Just try to shoot it the best you can, have clean audio whenever possible, and, most importantly, tell a compelling story that gives a unique angle on this global story. BEFORE YOU SHOOT: Please write me a few sentences BEFORE you shoot explaining who your central character(s) will be and how you plan to tell your story. I’ll give you some feedback and then you’ll be on your way! DEADLINE FOR SHORT PARAGRAPH ABOUT YOUR PIECE: Friday, May 2nd DEADLINE FOR ROUGH CUT UPLOAD TO CURRENT.COM: Friday, May 16th (please upload to the Who Can and Can’t Vote Collective Work page: http://current.com/topics/88805989_who_can_and_can_t_vote_collective_work Payment will vary depending on your pitch and the length of your piece.