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 23 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, Tom Longboat, and Paldi.
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
The organization seeks to create an engaging new 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.
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 a project treatment written by Historica Canada on the approved treatment.
The Minute will be made available in English and French.
PROJECT TIMELINE*:
*Note: This is an estimated timeline for the production of ONE Heritage Minute. However, 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.
September 21, 2023: RFP opens
November 20, 2023: RFP closes
Late November 2023: Teams selected for interviews will be contacted
Early December: Top teams interviewed
December: Contract awarded
January 2024 – March 2024: Internal scripting development; consultation with selected teams, historians, and cultural experts
April– May 2024: Production Phase – execute shoots for new Minute
June– August 2024: Post-production Phase – complete all edits, team to deliver final product
BUDGET:
The maximum budget, before taxes, is $170,000 for the Heritage Minute.
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)
- UDA fees, as per the Heritage Minute agreement* (Session fees multiplied by 2.5 times to guarantee full broadcast and new media rights in perpetuity. *Applicable only if on-screen dialogue is in French.)
- 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 before taxes.
Please submit your budget using the Telefilm Canada top sheet template.
TOPIC:
We are asking companies to submit a treatment on: Quebec film history.
The exact story for the 2023 Heritage Minute has not been selected yet. Please include your specific story idea in your application. Stories must be relevant to the overall theme of Quebec film history. One specific topic of interest is Rock Demers, but other suggestions are encouraged.
Please note that Historica Canada does not make Heritage Minutes about still-living figures. While we have on occasion made Minutes about people who have recently passed, we do generally aim for a twenty-year gap between their death and their selection for a Minute.
Please note that it is highly likely that multiple companies will submit pitches referencing the same story related to Quebec film history. Companies will be evaluated separately from story pitches.
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)
- An executive summary of your company or team
- Full contact information for the applicant, including phone number and email address
- Links to reels of recent work for your company and proposed creative team
- Please include any potential scheduling conflicts and other big projects your team is taking on in the above timeframe
- A short, one paragraph treatment on how you would approach the proposed topic (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
- 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, including appendices. Proposals over 10 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 Quebec residents are represented on the creative team, including a minimum of one key creative (Director, Producer, DOP).
Competition is limited to Canadian companies and Canadian citizens only; particular attention will be paid to Quebec-based companies. The Heritage Minute must be filmed in Quebec. 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 November 20, 2023 at 5 p.m. ET to productions@historicacanada.ca with the subject heading “Heritage Minutes RFP 2022-Quebec film history- ‘YOUR COMPANY NAME’”.
Questions may be sent to productions@historicacanada.ca by or before November 17, 2023 at 4 p.m. ET. 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 late November 2023. 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.
