VIDEO VOTER

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• VIDEO VOTER
• Election Coverage for your Community
• Presented by the
• Center for Governmental Studies

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What is Video Voter?

• Video Voter, a project of the Center for
  Governmental Studies (CGS), works to provide all
  candidates for public office and ballot measure
  committees with free television time to
  communicate their views directly to voters.

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How-to Video Voter

• CGS has prepared a comprehensive guide and
  website detailing the process of producing voter
  information programming from start to finish
  (www.videovoter.org).

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VideoVoter.org

• Detailed start to finish how to produce Video
  Voter Programming
• Interactive Forum for Questions
• Downloadable Resources
• Candidate Letters Sample Releases
• Legal Section (FCC guidelines)
• Website Help
• Case Studies

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Example LA 36

• Challenge
• How to create election programming with no
  budget that fills an information void in your
  community?
• Answer Voter Minutes!
• A pioneering new series aimed at bringing
  ballot information to voters via cable television
  and the Internet.  The new Voter Minute series
  offers concise summaries aimed at demystifying
  the statewide ballot measures (plus County
  Measure A)

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LA 36 Voter Minute Clipballot measure 71

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LA 36 Voter Minute Clipballot measure (as seen
online)

• http//la36.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_i
  d15

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LA 36 Step by Step

• Pre-production
• Focus group research shows people prefer short
  election information programs.
• Secretary of State Voter Guide Pamphlet shows
  official statements for pro con plus who is
  listed as proponents who as opponents.
• BR Created Ballot Grid- see handout
• BR took first ballot initiative and created the
  script from grid (both available on
  VideoVoter.org) from that information- BE CAREFUL
  NOT TO EDITORIALIZE!!!!
• BR LA36 producer evaluated and then split up
  the remaining props, wrote scripts then met again
  to evaluate and cut to time.

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LA 36 Step by Step contd

• Production
• Host, Camera, Teleprompter and black background
  (the chromakey set had a large footprint so we
  couldnt use it!!)
• Total cost of equipment rental
• Each of the scripts were taped as individual
  entities ranging from 60 to 90 seconds- makes it
  easy to insert!
• Taping took 2 hours to cover 17 ballot
  initiatives!

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LA 36 Step by Step contd

• Post Production
• Graphics used off the shelf programs Photo Shop
  After Effects
• Very little hard cost- (no extra staff used)
  estimated 1500
• 500 to rent equipment edit
• Done over 2 weeks (2 hours a day)
• 2 days- 3days for one person
• Will use template for other programs

• Upload
• Use a hosting Company (Granicus)- Advantage many
  can access programming and wont shut down

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LA36 Results

• Results
• Voter Minute was the first major use of our
  on-line, video on demand service. For the period
  10/21/04 through 11/02/04, we received 8771
  unique hits on our website to access Voter Minute
  videos. Its difficult to compare to previous
  records as this was our first use of video for
  us, but based on traffic alone we estimate that
  this represented an 8x increase over our normal
  usage.
• Stephen Grace
• President
• LA Cable Access Corporation

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Video Voter Website Example
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Video Voter Website Example
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Other Video Voter formats

• Candidate Statements
• Head-and-shoulders shot of candidate speaking to
  camera
• Candidates speak directly to voters
• Allows the candidates to address issues that
  concern them
• Does not require a moderator
• Cost of production is low
• Requires only one camera
• Candidates can submit tapes

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Other Video Voter formats

• Candidate Interviews
• One on one with a host or interacting with a
  group of interviewers
• Questions organize information, making it easier
  for viewers to digest
• Less awkward for the candidate to talk to a
  person than a camera
• Candidates can answer key questions surrounding
  the elections without having to do so in the
  competitive format of a debate

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Other Video Voter formats

• Candidate Debates
• Candidates come together to discuss the issues
  of the election
• Allows for a public face-to-face meeting between
  all candidates 
• Gives a chance for the community to ask questions
  and compare candidate responses on specific
  policy points
• Can reveal how candidates interact with others

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Public Television, Radio Video Voter

• You are a key information resource in your
  community creating voter minutes are easy!
• A staff familiar with the issues
• Simple (inexpensive) production you can do
  anywhere.
• Multiple uses - internet on air between shows

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Ideas for Public Radio

• Candidate Audio Statements
• 60 seconds
• Use same audio with picture of candidate on
  website
• Issue shows
• Ask all candidates to answer the same broad
  questions - i.e. the most important issues in
  your community

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Final Thoughts

• Video Voter is about creating programming that
  gives people information they need in formats
  they can use. Providing the electorate
  on-demand information will create a more
  informed, and ultimately a more involved
  electorate.

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Work with Partners

• CGS is here to help
• Other Partners can help too
• Newspapers
• Universities
• LWV Educational Fund
• Rock the Vote

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Work with CGS!

• Visit www.videovoter.org www.cgs.org
• Contact Us
• Betsy Rosenfeld
• Center for Governmental Studies
• [phone]
• brosenfeld_at_cgs.org