REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS – HERITAGE MINUTES:
Historica Canada’s Heritage Minute collection contains more than 100 one-minute shorts about key moments and figures in Canadian History. More than 25 years since the first Heritage Minute premiered, these spots have become an enduring part of popular culture in Canada. Historica Canada has released 25 new Heritage Minutes since the project was re-launched in 2012, including: Tom Longboat, Chloe Cooley, The Discovery of Insulin, Acadian Deportation, D-Day, Vancouver Asahi, Jim Egan, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and Paldi.
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
The organization seeks to create 2 new engaging Heritage Minutes that resonate with the brand and legacy of the celebrated collection while offering a fresh vision to capture new audiences.
This new vision might include period dramatizations such as those seen in the established Heritage Minutes, as well as new visual treatments including blending re-enactment with animation (2D and 3D) and CGI, and/or documentary formats. Fully animated proposals will not be considered for this project, but animated portions may be accepted.
Historica Canada will work with historians and consultants, who will provide consultation on script development and production. All aspects of the concept, script, casting, creative direction and production, however, will be required to meet with the final approval of Historica Canada. This is a collaborative process. Historica Canada will be regularly engaged throughout the production process. Each team should have a writer with credits, who will develop the script.
The selected team will be provided project treatments written by Historica Canada once approved.
Both Minutes will be made available in English, French, and descriptive video.
TOPIC:
We are asking companies to submit a treatment on: Mary Riter Hamilton, and/or Edwin A. Baker. Both Minutes are set in the same period (in the aftermath of the First World War), and were paired deliberately to make the shoots and schedules complimentary.
PROJECT TIMELINE*:
*Note: This is an estimated timeline to produce ONE Heritage Minutes. Please note that in our experience, the general life cycle of a Heritage Minute production from start to finish ranges from between 6 months to a year, depending on the topic and scale of the project. Therefore, the production of 2 minutes simultaneously would take slightly longer.
December 19, 2023: RFP opens
January 23, 2024: RFP closes
Early February 2024: Teams selected for interviews will be contacted Mid-February 2024: Top teams interviewed
Late February: Contract awarded
March 2024 – May 2024: Internal scripting development; consultation with selected teams, historians, and cultural
experts
June–July 2024: Production Phase – execute shoots for new Minute(s)
July– Sept 2024: Post-production Phase – complete all edits, team to deliver final product
BUDGET:
The maximum budget for both minutes, before taxes, is $340,000 for both Heritage Minutes combined ($170,000/Minute). It is preferrable for companies to submit a proposal for both Minutes, but not required.Your budget should take into account:
- - English and French versions for each Minute (language dubbing is required; subtitles are not sufficient)
- - ACTRA fees, as per the Heritage Minute agreement (Session fees as per the current Independent Production
Agreement, plus an additional 60% of each performer’s net fees for broadcast and new media rights in
perpetuity)
- - The possibility of high-profile performers who work above scale
- - Crew, set design, costuming and props
- - Shooting at different locations, including possible crew travel
- - Post-production including editing, music, voice over narration and visual effects/CGI
- - Final broadcast-ready deliverables in both official languages
- - Contingency
Please note, all admin/overhead costs should also be factored into the budget. The total should be $170,000 per Minute, or $340,000 for two Minutes, before taxes.
Please submit your budget using the Telefilm Canada top sheet template only.
PROPOSALS:
If you wish to submit a Heritage Minutes proposal to Historica Canada, please prepare a .pdf document which includes the following:
- Your creative team (including your planned producers, director, and DOP)
o An executive summary of your company or team
o Full contact information for the applicant, including phone number and email address
o Links to reels of recent work for your company and proposed creative team
o Pleaseincludeanypotentialschedulingconflictsandotherbigprojectsyourteamistakingoninthe
above timeframe
- A short, one paragraph treatment on how you would approach the proposed topic (or topics) (treatment can
include your notes on narrative approach, artistic style, theme etc. NO scripts please)
- - A mood board on how you would approach the proposed topic
- - A draft budget following the aforementioned specifications using the Telefilm Canada Top Sheet
o Production companies are encouraged to provide additional funding they may have access to for this project (ie: provincial grants), but the 170k budget described here must cover the cost of the Minute being pitched.
Please limit your proposal to a maximum of 10 pages for 1 Heritage Minute proposal, or 15 pages for both Heritage Minutes proposals including appendices. Proposals over 15 pages will be automatically rejected.
SELECTION CRITERIA:
Selection will be based on the assessment of four aspects of submission:
Treatment Concept: Overall vision and appropriateness for the organization’s needs and brand will be considered; including any innovative elements in your proposed concept. Demonstrated research into the topic will be considered an asset.
Work Samples and References: Quality of your portfolio, such as: your experience with similar projects including client work; your flexibility pertaining to potential shifts in project scope or timelines; integrity; and your process for developing and carrying out the project in a timely manner. Please note that the production team or company should be available during regular working hours.
Budget: Budget must be submitted through the Telefilm Canada top sheet template and must be appropriate and reasonable to the project. Budget lines and a best estimate of pro bono work must be clearly defined in the proposal.
Community Relevance: Demonstrated involvement in the communities on which this series is focused. Historica Canada is committed to working with the communities depicted in each Heritage Minute. Interested production companies should ensure that persons with disabilities are represented on the creative team, including a minimum of one key creative (specifically for the Edwin Baker Minute, casting someone with a visual impairment to play Mr. Baker). Where possible, roles on the creative team should be filled with women, especially for the Mary Riter Hamilton Minute.
Competition is limited to Canadian companies and Canadian citizens only. All team members and performers must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Historica Canada is a charitable organization that offers programs in both official languages that you can use to explore, learn, reflect on our history, and consider what it means to be Canadian.
Information about the organization and programs may be found at www.historicacanada.ca. All of the Heritage Minutes may be found here.
DEADLINE:
An electronic copy of the proposal in .pdf format is due January 23rd, 2024 at 5 p.m. ET to productions@historicacanada.ca with the subject heading “Heritage Minutes RFP 2023-Hamilton/Baker ‘YOUR COMPANY NAME’”.
Questions may be sent to productions@historicacanada.ca. No extensions will be granted. No phone calls please. We regret that due to the high volume of applicants we are unable to provide detailed feedback to unsuccessful
candidates.
This is an open and competitive process. Proposals will be evaluated immediately thereafter. Historica Canada will select
up to 5 proposals for follow-up interviews in person or by zoom in early February 2024.
Please note that the services performed by the selected production company in regard to the new Heritage Minute shall be for the exclusive benefit of Historica Canada. All work products generated as well as copyright for the Heritage Minutes shall belong to Historica Canada.
