Smart Growth America (SGA) is seeking an experienced videographer to help us produce two (2) short videos that share first-person stories about what it’s like to try and navigate streets that are unsafe for people walking due to street designs that prioritize moving vehicles quickly. DEADLINE EXTENDED: Please submit proposals to Steve Davis at [email protected] by Thursday, November 24 at 11:59 p.m. ET (instructions below).

These videos will be part of the 2024 release of Dangerous by Design, our signature report highlighting the epidemic of unsafe streets for people walking. Read the most recent version of this report here. For more about how street design directly contributes to these deaths (and an example of the types of streets we’re likely to focus on) read this post.

SGA is seeking an individual or a small company with experience producing short narrative videos to help us bring this idea to life, and who is available to travel within the U.S. (locations TBD), is comfortable conducting interviews (with logistical support and/or scripted guidance from SGA), can capably shoot compelling b-roll of street scenes to focus on people and infrastructure, edit, move quickly and lightly with simple setups, and think and adapt on the fly to unearth and follow an emerging story. Animations or motion graphics may be needed to support telling these stories.

Our core goals for the video are to:

• Demonstrate how it feels for those outside of vehicles to travel down unsafe streets, build empathy for people who are poorly served by our streets, and make the case for doing things differently.
• Demonstrate the inequities of the above—the people most likely to be walking AND injured or killed are people of color or people walking in lower-income places.
• Highlight in clear ways how designing streets for speed (and cars in general) results in streets that are dangerous and inconvenient for everyone else.
• Provide a useful tool for public health and transportation professionals, advocates, and other stakeholders to make the case for built environment changes that support safe travel by all modes.

Desired final product

We will work with the videographer and local experts and advocates to conceptualize and produce two short films (~5 minutes) that show why streets are inhospitable for people walking or biking, why street design is key to improving safety and accessibility, and the policy’s impact on design/implementation of projects to make things safer.

Travel

Travel to the TBD cities (likely in the South or Sunbelt regions) will be an essential part of this project. An SGA staffer may be on site to help coordinate and produce.

Coordination with Smart Growth America

SGA will lead on identifying contacts for interviews, arranging logistics for interviews, developing scripted questions to ask, and providing an overall desired narrative for each story, which can be developed in cooperation with the videographer (feedback will be welcome!) While a little different in scope and focus, we are looking for stories similar to the videos produced by Streetfilms.org

Budget

• Our working assumption for each city is two shooting days: one day to shoot interviews and a second day to shoot street scenes and/or b-roll content from around the city.
• Our budget range for each video (including editing the final product which can potentially be farmed out to a separate editor instead) is $8,000-$10,000.
• Travel costs will be separate and reimbursed.
• Exclusive perpetual rights are assigned to Smart Growth America, though you retain rights for any personal or professional use.

Desired qualifications

• A proven ability to communicate complex policy into simple, understandable videos accessible to a wide range of audiences.
• Basic understanding of transportation issues as well as a readiness to listen and learn more.
• A quality portfolio of videos designed to educate and demonstrate a need for change.
• Experience creating art that communicates the equity implications of policy or decision-making, and that accurately depicts a range of demographics including people of color.

How to submit a proposal

Please submit proposals to Steve Davis at [email protected] by Thursday, November 24 at 11:59 p.m. ET:

• A short one- or half-page letter describing your approach and interest in the project.
• A draft budget for the project.
• Some samples of recent work, preferably that which renders complex subjects clearly and understandably, comparable in length (less than 10 minutes), work done for non-profits, etc.

Timing

Though we are aiming to select a vendor before the end of the year, the goal is to schedule shoots in late winter/spring 2024 (weather is a consideration), releasing final videos in concert with the planned June 2024 release of Dangerous by Design 2024.