Project Vision:
One in three working American are part of the “Gig Economy” as freelancers, independent contractors, and workers for companies like Uber and Instacart, yet many outside of the freelance economy are oblivious to its difficulties and the potentially dystopian future of our current trajectory. According to the Financial Times in 2019, “By 2050, it is possible that up to 5bn of the 6bn workers worldwide will be employed in the gig economy and their boss could be a piece of software.” We are creating a documentary as well as a social media movement to tell this story and share the stories of workers from around the US.
What we need:
In search of: Recently graduated and upcoming Filmmakers, Producers, Video Editors, Researchers, Journalists, Reporters, Copywriters, Social Media Managers, Political Science & Sociology grads, etc.
Time Commitment: As little as 2 hours a week depending on interest. Production for the documentary is estimated to be June 2020-June 2021. Commitment for the entire length of production is NOT required.
Work Opportunity: Gig the Doc is using a democratic cooperative model where different aspects of the documentary are managed by committees, much like a non-profit or board might. Professionals interested in joining the project will first attend a virtual informational meeting where the vision and opportunities of the project will be explained in more detail, after which they can discuss committee interest.
Current Committee Needs:
Research Committee – Looking for Producers (Researchers, Journalists, PoliSci, Sociologists, etc) who can take initiative to chase stories and become experts in the content. Work includes attending weekly committee meetings, reading/watching/cataloguing Looking for Producers (Researchers, Journalists, PoliSci, Sociologists, etc) who can take initiative to chase stories and become experts in the content. Work includes attending weekly committee meetings, reading/watching/cataloguing content, presenting short informal summaries to the team and other committees as needed, contacting and beginning dialogue with experts, setting up remote interviews for the production team, and joining optional documentary “virtual screening parties”.
Engagement Committee (includes Editing & Social Media) – Gig the Doc will be receiving dozens of self submitted videos from workers around the country every week. Many will be used in the documentary, but first, these stories will be edited into bite sized video clips to be shared on our social media platforms. It is important to tell these important stories NOW, and it will encourage new people to submit videos. Work includes some combination of editing these social media videos (which might become part of the final doc), helping manage social media platforms and engage with gig workers, and actively working as a Producer to chase after real gig worker stories and encourage new submissions.
What we can offer you:
Potential Profit Sharing: Gig the Doc is not a funded project, and as such, does not have the resources for pay. Instead, ALL team members, including young professionals, will log their time and contributions through the equity sharing program Slicing Pie. By becoming a part of the Gig the Doc team, you will be joining in the potential profit sharing of the project, and if the documentary is ever sold or picked up for distribution, all team members will receive payouts based on their work investment.
Mentorship & Resume: New experience working with other industry professionals in substantive positions as Producers, Editors, etc. There are no “production assistants” or “internships,” and the goal is that everyone will walk away with a good credit, new skills, and a positive life experience on a professionally crafted documentary.
Community: We will be working together for as long as a year and have done substantial planning to make this experience as fulfilling and enjoyable as possible for everyone. During these difficult times for many, we believe Gig the Doc can be an outlet to make new friends and connect over creativity while working on something meaningful.