National Video-A-Veteran Contest

1. MAKE A NEW “HISTORY FRIEND”

   SEEK OUT A VETERAN AND SUBMIT THEIR STORY.

   YOU CAN HELP SAVE CANADIAN HISTORY.

   INVITATION to participate in the:

   “National Video-A-Veteran Contest”

   1. All entries will become part/property of the "Harry Watts Veterans' Video Library"

   Thank you for considering the "National Video-A-Veteran Contest". "Remembrance Week" is a special time for our Canadian war veterans. It is a time for reflection of a turbulent time in Canadian history, when a large portion of Canadians (1,000,000 of the 12,000,000 Canadians joined up in WW2) were asked to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The Boer War, World War 1, World War 2 and the Korean War all the way up to the Afghanistan War, our soldiers have been willing to give their lives for Canada. The "National Video-A-Veteran Contest" is a way to show our unwavering respect for our veterans, both past and present. By video taping the veteran that will be available at our schools, Legions, senior's residents and in their homes this Remembrance Week and November 11th, you can do your part in saving an important part of Canadian history.

   The Contest

   The "National Video-A-Veteran Contest" is open to all Canadian's especially Canadian students from grade 5 to grade 12. This contest is also open to all Canadians, so record the best video you can make and you could win a trip to France. We will require the history gathers to video tape the veteran that will be available on Remembrance Day or during Remembrance Week. The history gathers will be required to submit a 5 minute or less documentary/music style video about the veteran's military life. If a one on a one interview of a Canadian veteran is possible please become a history gather. In order to enter the 5 minute video, the all entries, will be required to submit the entire uncut version of the veteran's story in order for the 5 minute video entry version to be judged. Please seek out a veteran from World War 2 or the Korean War if possible, for time is against our older veterans. But all braches and years of the service and all veteran's stories are welcome. Veterans Affairs released the number of World War 2 veterans that were alive in November of 2009 as being 163,450 that may be willing share their story. The number of Korean War veterans was approximately in the 16,000 range in 2007.

   The Rules

   1) All history gathers of video's must be respectful and polite to the veteran at all times.

   2) All 5 minute veterans' entries into the contest must be accompanied with the entire uncut video of the veterans' visit to the school, seniors' homes and/or at the veteran's residents. If the veteran does not have enough time to speak in the Remembrance Day ceremony, please allow the video-gathers to have a one on one interview with the veteran, if the veteran is willing. Sometimes there is not enough time for the veteran to say all that they would like to say in the short time they may be speaking or attending ceremonies.

   3) The video histories gathers will be required to ask a list of questions that we will supply, o be asked of the veteran in the uncut version, and then ask any additional questions they may have. This method of questioning will allow us to be able to cut the stories together for compilation purposes. We will supply a list of questions on our website, however, the gathers are free to ask any respectful questions they wish.

   4) The 5 minute history gathers' entry is where the gather's can be creative. We are encouraging the gathers to use their own questions and filming method in the 5 minute or less version.

   5) All entries must be accompanied with as much written information about the veteran as possible such as name, date of birth, marital status, family, date of service, unit information (Army, Navy, Air Force), and where the veteran served.

   6) All veterans, history gathers and video subjects involved with the video entries must sign the release form that will be supplied on our web site fovcanada.ca. Please include this document with the entry submitted by Canada Post mail service. Please put the 5 minute video version and the uncut video version on separate DVDs. Please label both DVDs with names and date of completion on the DVDs. Please keep a copy of the entry in the event that the submitted DVDs are lost in the mail.

   7) History gather's can enter the National Video-A-Veteran Contest online at fovcanada.ca electronically. The hard copy of the release form can be printed out from fovcanada.ca and must be forwarded by Canada Post directly our Charity's head office at "Friends of Veterans Canada" 956 Ormsby Street London, Ontario, N5z1k4 with your veteran's video entry.

   8) All entries must be submitted by Canada Post mail on or before the December 11, 2010. All submissions must be at the charity's head office no later that January 10, 2011. ANY VIDEOS THAT DON'T MAKE THE DEADLINE WILL BE ENTERED TO THE FOLLOWING CONTEST.

   9) Please seek out a veteran through your local "Royal Canadian Legion", "Army, Navy Air Force Club" or the local retirement home. Tell them of your interest in their story and about the "National Video-A-Veteran Contest". They are out there and are willing to talk; all they need is to be asked.

   10) If you are a student you must clear any request for an interview with a veteran with your teachers before contact is made with the veteran.

   11) The history gathers can record their entry anytime on or before Remembrance Week and up to the December 24, 2010 submission deadline .

   Prizes

   "Friends of Veterans Canada" will be awarding eleven trips to Normandy of seven days as the prise. One history gather per province will be awarded the prize for this years  "National Video-A-Veteran Contest". We hope that the all of our video gathers will make a "History Friend". Good luck

   On this trip to Normandy the contest winners will be accompanied by world war veteran Giggs Borland (health permitting). Giggs will take the winners on the route he took from Normandy to Dieppe during WW2. We will then record the story of the trip with Giggs and make a documentary about how the French people feel about Canadians. This documentary will be entered into Canadian film festivals in 2012.

   Electronic Entry Deadline

   We would like to have all electronic entry forms in by the start of Remembrance Week (seven days before Remembrance Day). We do not want to exclude anyone, so please have your electronic entry forms in by December 11, 2010, this is not the veterans video taped interview but just the entry form so we have an idea how many entries to expect. Please go to our website www.fovcanada.ca for further information.

   What are the entries used for?

   The "Harry Watts Veterans' Video Library" will be made available to school libraries across Canada. So that for many years to come, veterans stories will be available to Canadians. Harry Watts is an 87 year old veteran Dispatch Rider of World War 2 and former Vice-President of "Friends of Veterans Canada". Mr. Watts has been speaking at schools on Remembrance Day for many years. It was Mr. Watts who was the inspiration for this veterans' video library.

   The veterans' stories gathered will be made available to school libraries across Canada for free. Our mission is to have veterans' stories of war for many decades to come. For instance, when all of our older veterans are gone our teachers will have a story of a veteran, on a dick, for Remembrance Day lessons. All video gathers that make a "History Friend" during this contest will remember that they were involved in this project and will be able to pass on what they learned to their children.

   "Friends of Veterans Canada" is a registered charity and is run by volunteers for the many Canadians who have voluntarily risked their lives for all of Canada. Please help us save our veterans' memories and Canada's history.

   Any Questions can be emailed to randy @ friendsofveterans.ca

   Randy Young
   President
   Friends of Veterans Canada
   956 Ormsby Street
   London, Ontario
   N5Z-1K4

    
   
   

Video's cannot be returned.   Send a CD or DVD copy of the video in a AVI, WMV or MOV file format. DO NOT SEND TAPES! Please keep all original videos and only send a MPEG digital copy.  Please send a short letter with the video submission describing the interview and details of the participants.  Use a proper CD or DVD mailer to assure safe arrival. DVD or CD mailers can be purchased at any Canada Post outlet or your local office supply store.

Mail to:
FOV Canada
ATTN: Video Contest Entry
105 Hamilton Rd
London ON.
N6B-1N2.

Please contact us for more information as required by clicking on Contact Us above.
Friends of Veterans Canada Is are a registered charity in Canada go to fovcanada.ca