Application Tips and Guidelines

A few insider tips for putting together your proposal:

THE PROPOSAL

  • Grants are for new projects not yet in production. We do not fund completed works.
  • We do not award grants to documentaries. We accept creative, narrative proposals.
  • The running-time is as stated in the Bravo!FACT Agreement. This is NON-NEGOTIABLE.
  • The project must be considered as Canadian Content according to the guidelines set out by the CRTC. For more information, please visit www.crtc.gc.ca to ensure your project qualifies.
  • For the technical treatment, please provide a description of the technical aspects of your project – what kind of film/camera you will be using and why, any lighting or special effects or animation techniques you will be using, etc. The technical treatment should be about one paragraph to one page long, depending on the complexity of your project.

THE SCRIPT

  • Industry Standard is 1 screenplay page = 1 minute of screen time.
  • Do not submit a script that is shorter or longer than the specified running time.
  • If you do not use a screenplay formatting program such as Final Draft, basic formatting details are as follows:
    • Top page margin is .5″ (or three single lines) before the page number.
    • Bottom page margin is at least .5″ (or three single lines).
    • Total page length is a maximum of 60 lines, including page number and CONTINUEDs (but not including the 3 line margins at the top and bottom of the page).
    • Paper size is 8.5″ wide by 11″ long.
    • Use 12-point Courier (not Courier New) or Prestige Pica. These are fixed-pitch fonts that yield ten (10) characters per horizontal inch and six (6) lines per vertical inch.

BUDGET

  • Please submit your proposed budget using the form provided in the application.
  • You may request up to $10,000 for a 1:00 minute short or up to $50,000 for a 7:30 minute short. With very few exceptions, these amounts will be considered the maximum amounts awarded.
  • When filling out the Additional Financing Sources area, do not include the amount you are requesting from Bravo!FACT. In addition, do not include donations/cash deferrals from the Donated column. This area is for other grants you have applied for (from the NFB, for example) or broadcast second-window commitments or private investment funding (again, this cannot include donations/deferrals).

DEMO REELS

  • We accept submissions on DVD format only. If submitting material on DVD, it should contain a menu, and only the clip(s) you want us to see—we cannot fast-forward on DVDs.
  • Key cast and crew must be attached to the project when you apply.
  • DVD Demo reels are required for producer, director, lead actors and any other key creatives.
  • Please ensure your DVD plays on a conventional DVD player (not just on a computer)
  • For music demo material, please remove any shrink-wrap packaging from new CDs (label both case and CD with project title and track number).

RIGHTS

  • If you’re adapting a published short story you must obtain permission to use the story for your project and provide a copy of the confirmed rights.
  • Any clearance rights, whether for music, brand logos, or other copyrighted material, must be WORLDWIDE, FOR ALL MEDIA, IN PERPETUITY

THE AWARD

  • The grant awarded is conditional upon the following points;
  • Changes to a project that has been awarded a grant (including, but not limited to) production team, performers, running time and concept must first be approved by Bravo!FACT.
  • Bravo!FACT reserves the right to withdraw the offer of the award if changes are made to a proposal after receiving a grant (including, but not limited to) changes in the production team, performers, running time or concept.
  • The copyright is retained by the awardee, while Bravo! and its affiliated and related services receive the right of first broadcast and thereafter non-exclusive broadcast and non broadcast rights.
  • Bravo! retains first right to future series development, for a period of up to one year (twelve months) from the premiere broadcast of the project.
  • In exceptional circumstances, Bravo!FACT may allow a theatrical pre-release of the finished project.
  • Bravo! shall be granted right of first negotiation and last refusal for distribution of all Bravo!FACT shorts. If an awardee wants to self distribute the short and Bravo! approves of the distribution strategy, Bravo! may release the distribution rights to the awardee.

GENERAL

  • DO NOT bind the proposal in any way: NO staples, NO binders and NO brads. Use paper clips or fold-back binder clips to hold papers together.
  • DO NOT place materials in plastic sleeves.
  • Use only regular-weight paper. DO NOT use card stock.
  • Label everything with your project title: demo reels (both the case AND the CD/DVD inside), actor head shots, storyboards, etc. PLEASE NOTE: only send copies of CDs/DVDs, application materials will not be returned and will be destroyed after the jury meeting.
  • Please print neatly or type when filling out the application form. If we cannot read the participant names, budget or your contact information, we cannot properly process your application.
  • When corresponding with us ALWAYS mention the title of your project. We deal with hundreds of applications on a daily basis, so your name doesn’t always immediately bring your project to the front of our minds.
  • If you are applying as an emerging producer, we recommend you connect with a mentor producer who can assist you throughout the production to ensure the delivery of a broadcast quality short.
  • Please keep a copy of your completed application. DO NOT SEND ORIGINALS. Reminder: Application materials will not be returned.