Letter to college students from: blindDANCE Film Festival CoFounder and legally blind filmmaker Ben Fox

 

“We invite you to be part of the filmmaking process, along with people who are blind at the blindDANCE Film Festival. Please join us next semester as an intern. 

 

At our core, we believe that with the right tools, a person who is blind is able to do nearly any job a sighted person can do. Join us and make an impact, creatively, in the unemployment rate amongst the blind, currently at 75 percent. 

 

blindDANCE Film Festival provides training and a platform for normalizing success amongst people who are blind through storytelling and film. 

 

We are a non-profit 501 (c) 3, and work alongside some of the most well known names in the blindness community as well as some trend setting tech companies. 

 

While working with us, you will learn valuable skills that can benefit you in multiple industries. You will have the opportunity to meet real filmmakers, actors and writers in addition to the people that make the industry work. Your help will directly make a difference in our ability to make quality films. Thank you for reading and we are looking forward to working with you! 

 

We ask interns to be available between 4 - 12 hours a week in shifts of 4 hours, we are happy to work with colleges and universities in order for students to receive college credit. Also we have a variety of perks and prizes for our interns, who we love and thank often. 

 

Marking Intern Duties may include: 

1. Outbound phone-calls with a 1 minute script to blindness organizations

2. Scheduling podcast guests for filmmaking workshops 

3. Social media posting to promote films

 

PRODUCTION Intern Duties may include: 

1. Editing film in Adobe Premiere 

2. Assisting with Tech during livestreams 

3. Driving and setting up of camera equipment 

 

We also have an office internship specifically for people who are blind and returning to work, or starting work for the first time. 

• This internship is focused on providing a supportive and encouraging environment, part-time to help springboard interns into the working environment. 

Interns will:

• participate in weekly planning meetings

• make outbound phone calls to set appointments for blindDANCE producers

• learn CRM software skills

• track and complete results into reports

 

NOTE: Graduates of this 3 month program will receive a certificate of completion AND as a graduation ceremony interns are featured in a reverse job fair! 

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Example of Marketing Intern Duties (Production interns are chosen from the pool of marking interns, unless they have previous production experience):

4 hour shifts in the Timonium office. 

 

Upon arriving in the office: Opening shift meeting, ask questions, receive any daily specific instructions, then open CRM to call down a list of provided numbers. 

 

 - Simply read the following script and track the results in the CRM. 

 

“This is _________ with the first film festival by the blind, for the world, blindDANCE. 

 

Have you heard of us? 

 

Can I tell you a little bit about us, I can do it in under a minute? 

 

Did you know that the unemployment rate amongst people who are blind is 75 percent? 

 

At our core, we believe that with the right tools, a person who is blind is able to do nearly any job a sighted person can do. 

 

blindDANCE Film Festival provides training and a platform for normalizing success amongst people who are blind through storytelling and film. 

 

We are partnered with the Sedona International Film Festival and the American Foundation for the Blind to inspire filmmaking in the blindness community and grow an audience world wide for our films. 

 

You can support us simply by donating $10 and receive a ticket to our online festival as a thank you gift. Tickets to our in person premiers are also available for $25. Which would you prefer? 

 

(Depending on the nature of the call, one of the 5 points below can be substituted for the last paragraph from the script above)

 

Other ways you can support us: 

 

1. Donate an item to our Monthly online silent auction (proceeds fund filmmaking workshops for the blind) 

2. Volunteer to be crew for a film by a Filmmaker who is Blind in your local area

3. Become a Sponsor of the blindDANCE Film Festival 

4. Refer a guest for our Monthly “Success through Storytelling” Filmmaker Workshop, or weekly “What the Fox and Films” podcast 

5. Nominate a judge for 1 of our 8 film categories (no experience with blindness necessary) ​