South Carolina Film Commission

Applications accepted from May 1-25, 2012. Only the first 30 applications will be considered. Download the following materials to complete you application:

Application Form
2012 Indie Grants Descriptions & Guidelines
Recommended Excel Budget Form   Other industry-standard budget forms also accepted.

Please read the following information thoroughly and carefully, to ensure a correctly completed application packages, as well as an understanding of the INDIE GRANT program and its rules and structure.

The South Carolina Film Commission, in partnership with Trident Technical College, invites South Carolina filmmakers to apply for small INDIE GRANTS to fund short independent film projects, ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 based on requested needs of the projects . The program’s goals are to help South Carolina filmmakers tell their stories, create industry exposure for the state’s film industry, and provide Trident Technical College film students with training opportunities; it is designed to provide South Carolinians that are currently making films with resources that will add quality, ingenuity, and creativity to their projects.

Please contact PROGRAM FACILITATOR BRAD JAYNE (843.412.6923), or TOM CLARK with the SOUTH CAROLINA FILM COMMISSION (803.737.0498), with any questions about this application or the program.

RULES & REGULATIONS

The program is structured as follows; applicants and funded filmmakers agree to all requirements and stipulations:

Applications will be accepted from May 1-May 25, 2012. ONLY THE FIRST 30 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING.

Production grant funds can be requested in amounts from $2,000 to $10,000; the South Carolina Film Commission reserves the right to award zero, partial, or all funds requested by each project. Total funds and quantity of projects financed is solely at the discretion of the South Carolina Film Commission and its industry evaluators.

Each project may have up to two Applicants listed, each of whom must either be the project’s Writer, Producer, Director, DP, or Editor. AT LEAST ONE OF THE APPLICANTS MUST BE A CURRENT SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENT.

ONLY ONE APPLICATION MAY BE SUBMITTED PER PERSON.

There is a limited pool of funds available to finance short film projects through these mini-grants. Projects must clearly show a judicious, effective, and creative use of funds – and request funds purely on an as-needed basis – in order to be eligible for funding.

Applicants MAY NOT be paid by the grant for their services OR FOR RENTAL OF EQUIPMENT THEY OWN.

ALL FUNDED PROJECTS MUST COMPLETE PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY OCTOBER 31, 2012, AND BE FULLY-COMPLETED BY JANUARY 15, 2013.

All projects must be under 10-minutes in length at their completion.

Funded projects must use at least two Trident Technical College film students as active participants of the project per $3,000 funded, with a minimum of two TTC students total. Each student must be paid at least $75 per working day, with those wages included in the requested funds. TTC and grant administrators will provide students for each project.

Projects are encouraged to develop a creative strategy for maximizing the use of TTC’s resources, including collaboration with other areas of the Film, Media, and Visual Arts division (i.e., animation, graphic design, web-design). More information on these Trident Technical College academic programs can be found here.

Extra consideration will be given to projects planning to use some funds for hiring of professional South Carolina-based crew members in an aim to increase the quality of the project (i.e., camera operators, ACs, sound mixers, grips, electricians, set construction, art department staff, wardrobe staff, hair and make-up staff, etc.); use of these crew members will also provide participating TTC students with additional on-set professional training.

Other suggested uses of grant funds include actors, casting, special equipment, special effects, props and set construction, and post-production resources (music score, color grading, sound mixing, special effects, etc.).

All selected projects must sign a contract with the INDIE GRANT program partner school, Trident Technical College (TTC), before the project commences, agreeing to all terms and stipulations of the INDIE GRANT program.

Any equipment purchases made with Indie Grant funds will be the property of the state of South Carolina and Trident Technical College, and must be returned to TTC at the completion of the project.

After signing the contract with TTC, selected projects will receive 50% of the designated funding amount. the remaining 50% will be provided as reimbursement. Funded filmmakers must provide all receipts and other documentation showing the funds were spent in the approved manner before the final 50% reimbursement is provided.

Funded films may have access to Trident Technical College’s film equipment, subject to availability. Applicants agree to follow all Trident Technical College’s procedures for equipment rental, check-out, return, and usage.

Film Commission representatives will act as a Producer and Executive Producer on funded projects, providing general guidance through-out the process; this position-holder will be respectful to the creativity and vision of each funded filmmaker.

Submitted projects should strive to adhere to broadcast decency standards. Exceptions will be considered by the third-party evaluators and the Film Commission, solely at their discretion. Films with gratuitous violence, gratuitous sexual content, or gratuitous language will not be funded.

Each funded short film must include the following textual description in the end credits, with the SC Film Commission logo accompanying: “This program is funded by the South Carolina Film Commission, a division of the South Carolina Department of Parks Recreation and Tourism.”

Funded filmmakers will agree to screen their films in South Carolina Film Commission screening programs (consisting of all funded films), and to participate and attend those screenings as their schedules allow. Funded filmmakers will also be expected to maximize exposure of their funded projects through film festival submission and inclusion and other short-film outlets.

Funded filmmakers must copyright their completed work with the U.S. Library of Congress, listing themselves (the filmmaker or filmmakers) as author of the short film.

ALL FUNDED PROJECTS MUST BE SHOT BY OCT. 31, 2012, AND COMPLETED BY JAN. 15, 2013

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Please carefully read the above RULES AND REGULATIONS to ensure an understanding of the terms of the grant, that your application follows the INDIE GRANT program structure, and for a better understanding of the goals of the program, suggested USE OF FUNDS, and CRITERIA for selection.

APPLICANTS requesting funds must submit TWO COLLATED HARD-COPIES of the following:

• Completed APPLICATION FORM
• Completed BUDGET FORM (Excel spreadsheet provided by SCFC or industry-standard budget-form)
• A SCRIPT (12 pages or less) or detailed TREATMENT
• Filmmaker’s or filmmakers’ RESUMES detailing their production experience.
• 1-2 page PROJECT MANIFEST, with description of the project; explanations of key uses for requested funds; how those funds and uses are vital to the success and quality of the project; breakdown of key personnel by position; a description of how Trident Tech students will be incorporated into the process; and a marketing plan, describing how the film will be shown and marketed (i.e., film festivals, online, etc.).
• WORK SAMPLES from APPLICANT’S OTHER FILM WORK, delivered on video DVD or as quicktime or wmv files on data DVD or flash drive.

ONLY THE FIRST 30 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING. Applications will be accepted between MAY 1 and MAY 25, 2012.

TWO HARD-COPIES of the entire application, along with two copies of work-samples on separate discs or drives, should be delivered via FedEx, UPS, US Postal Service, or other shipping service, to one of the following address:

FOR US MAIL:
SCFC Indie Grant Program FACILITATOR MA-M
FILM, MEDIA, & VISUAL ARTS DIVISION
TRIDENT TECHNICAL COLLEGE
P.O. BOX 118067
N. CHARLESTON, SC 29423-8067

FOR FED EX or UPS:
SCFC Indie Grant Program FACILITATOR MA-M
FILM, MEDIA, & VISUAL ARTS DIVISION
TRIDENT TECHNICAL COLLEGE
7000 RIVERS AVENUE
N. CHARLESTON, SC 29406
(843) 574-6852

An independent third-party will evaluate applications and SELECT projects to fund. LATE OR INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Please contact PROGRAM FACILITATOR BRAD JAYNE (843.412.6923) or TOM CLARK with the SOUTH CAROLINA FILM COMMISSION (803.737.0498) with any questions about the program.