GUIDELINES FOR APPLYING FOR AWARDS & ENDOWMENTS Winter 2008 Carefully read the following guidelines before applying for a grant from the Department of Screen Arts & Cultures Student Awards and Endowments. o Identify grants that are relevant for your project and carefully read the award guidelines. o If you apply for more than one grant use a separate application form (included in this packet) for each grant. o When requested in the award guidelines, list one faculty reference name and phone number on the application form. o Applications will be judged using 3 criteria and each will carry equal weight in the judging process: 1) Merit of proposed project 2) Quality of sample work submitted 3) Presentation and completeness of the application. o Applicants for academic projects submit: o A proposal that states the results to be achieved. This will include a clear description or outline of the project, specifying the nature of the project: critical essay, thesis, research paper, etc. Indicate on the application form whether the project includes a production or screenwriting component. This should be reflected in the budget. o A sample of academic work. o A preliminary bibliography. o A letter of recommendation from the faculty advisor of the project o A detailed budget which may include unavoidable costs such as Xeroxing, purchase of journals and books, purchase or rental of videotapes and other major production and/or research costs. Under no circumstances are endowment funds to be used for the purchase of equipment. o Applicants for creative production projects: o Only one person – preferably the director - from each project can apply for a particular grant. o The application and supporting materials must reflect the organizational and creative abilities of the applicant. o A one-page treatment is required for all production applications. This must include the project title, length, genre, approach, theme(s), a brief synopsis, major characters or talent as well as a production timeline. o Sample Reel (for creative production applicants) o The samples reel must contain two, and NO MORE than two, projects that represent the work of the applicant. The sample reel can contain two completed works or one completed work and the work-in-progress for which funds are being requested. Only one copy of the sample reel needs to be submitted. All sample reels must be on VHS videotape format - standard speed. o The sample reel MUST be clearly labeled with the applicant's name and the titles of the work and MUST be accompanied by a "Sample Description Page" which includes the following information: o A brief description of each sample work: title, length, genre, synopsis, year/term completed. If the sample is a part of a larger work indicate the length of the sample. Also indicate if it is the work-in-progress for which funds are being requested. State what work remains to be done. o The role of the applicant on each of the two projects. o The names and roles of the main members of the crew and cast in the production. o Applications can include additional support materials such as a resume and a (separate) sample reel from the collaborator(s) on the project for which funds are being requested. Be aware, however, that the applicant’s sample reel carries the most weight with the jurors. o Jurors do not have time to screen piles of materials. Sometimes representative excerpts of long pieces are better than the entire piece. Put your best and most representative work first on the reel. You can always put the full version of the work after the excerpts.