Ingenious by Pollinate In Collaboration with Mastercard Call For Filmmakers

This is an international competition available in 31 countries around the world (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA).

Pollinate and Mastercard has always put the success of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) at the centre of what they do, empowering every business to achieve more. They have now united to promote and celebrate the success of SMEs in the face of unprecedented economic and social challenges brought by COVID-19. Local businesses are crucial to economic growth and recovery and the health of their communities.

Digital payment and business solutions from Pollinate and Mastercard are designed to give small businesses the powerful business tools, data insights, access to capital and community connections only previously available to large businesses, helping them grow and prosper.

This international competition sponsored by Pollinate is a global platform across brand, marketing, and PR to find and tell powerful stories about SMEs — how their ideas, coupled with the latest technology, are enabling them to reinvent themselves, embrace digital technology, and succeed.

Your mission is to capture an inspiring story of a small business in your local community in a 2-3 minute documentary-style film – how reinvention, reimagining, reconnecting or entrepreneurship has enabled them to succeed. Pollinate and Mastercard is eager to learn more about how businesses, or entrepreneurs have adapted using digital tools in the face of COVID & its wider economic and social impact.

Whether it’s transitioning from offline to online, making sanitizer not sangria, embracing the support of a loyal community, or supporting the community themselves, these small business stories are up to you.

The final film should:

Tell an inspiring story of new ideas, change in business strategy or ways of working to overcome challenges or adversity
Be about a local business who ‘sells’ something (product or service) – anything from an individual trader to a chain of shops, a dentist to an advisor
Show the role technology has played in their story
Show how the business is connected to their community, with emphasis on humanizing digital business-to-consumer connections

As well as the main prizes, the final film also could be reflective of one of the themes below, which have separate awards. You submit one film and have the option to enter it in as many relevant categories below:

Get Paid – How did the business owner ensure that they can be paid for their goods or services despite the current difficulties?
Get Digital – Was the business already digital prior to 2020? If not, what motivated them to move their business online? And how is it pivotal/instrumental to the current business model? What technology do they use? Please read Do’s and Don’ts on restrictions on how the technology could be described/named.
Get Capital – What were the challenges of finding, maintaining, or raising capital for the business in the face of the challenges of 2020? How did they overcome them?
Loyal to Local – What is the importance of the business to the local community? How is it connecting to its customers, creating loyalty, and giving back? Does it support revitalisation of local businesses and community centers?

Please note, the subject of your film does not have to use Mastercard products, although Pollinate and Mastercard would prefer you show Mastercard on footage where there is a choice between different payment providers.

Potential topics/questions for your films:

What were/are the challenges your business is facing since the global pandemic?
How did you pivot? What were the main changes to your business /business model?
What has been the most important business lesson you’ve learned?
What tools/technology helped you to survive and thrive despite the current economic uncertainties?
Did you feel supported by the local community? How did your business support the local community?
Where do you still feel you need support? What are your next challenges to tackle?

Pollinate and Mastercard is looking for authentic content that tells a story and incorporates both the passion that businesses have for their craft as well as the tools/technology they use to overcome the challenges that have arisen over the past year. Their focus is on small and medium businesses; no matter where you find a great business story, they want to hear it. Remember – no business is too small to be ingenious, or to have its story told. Street shops, bodegas, start-ups, online merchants, service providers, and entrepreneurs of all kinds are welcome!

SME stands for Small and Medium Enterprises. Pollinate and Mastercard defines businesses with 1-10 employees and annual revenues of less than $500K USD as “micro businesses.” Businesses with 11-50 employees and $500K-$10MM USD are defined as “small businesses.” Businesses with 51-250 employees and $10MM-1B USD annual revenues are defined as “medium businesses.” Pollinate and Mastercard considers micro businesses to be included in the SME acronym. In summary, Pollinate and Mastercard are looking for stories from businesses with 1-250 employees and turnover of $0-$250MM.

Slight VO changes
Editing out a scene
Graphics changes
Blurring of logos etc.

In addition, Selected Creators may be asked to create shorter cuts, or trailers to promote the final piece. Selected Creators will receive compensation for the additional work.

REQUIREMENTS

Do’s:

Your final final films must be between 2-3 min in length
Ensure you have a business’ permission before filming
Include an interview/footage with the owner
You can include several different businesses’ stories in your film, however please make sure it follows a clear storyline
- PLEASE follow your local government’s guidelines on Social Distancing and the prevention of the spread of disease.
Films can be recorded in any language. But all films should include English subtitles using dark grey block background with white text.
Use any method of audio to tell your story: dialogue, voice over, sound effects or music
Please include the location and size of the business in the description section when uploading your submission.
Please provide talent releases for all talent that appears in your film, including recognizable individuals and VO’s.
- Blank talent releases are available for download in the Materials and should be filled out and attached to your submission at upload.
Please fill out all release forms in the materials folder and attached to your submission at upload.
- Addendum to the Membership Agreement – Ingenious
- Competition Release Form – Ingenious for Small Businesses
- Competition Release Form – Ingenious for Filmmakers
Please fill out an audio license form for any music used in your film.
- Blank audio license forms are available for download in the Materials and should be filled out and attached to your submission at upload.
Must include Ingenious intro and end cards supplied
- There is both a black and white version of the end card. Although the preference is white, feel free to use either colour.
- Music can be played over the intro and the end card, or it can be silent.
- The end card should be visible for at least 5 seconds (if used static cards, not animated)
Do try to license your music from one of our approved music partners below

Don’ts:

Do not show the use of competitor products (e.g. Vis, Amex, PayPal) where possible (only show Mastercard products if any). If you mention any non-Mastercard or bank sponsor products or services, you can describe functionality and what they do, please do not name them.
Do not show any logos, artwork, or other personally identifiable information in your films (otherwise you will likely have to edit them out later)
Do not use any YouTube music or SFX
Do not modify any provided logos
Do not use swear words or derogatory language
Do not reference the use of drugs or alcohol

AWARDS CRITERIA

All eligible entries will be showcased on the competition social media channels (Instagram and Twitter) and the website www.ingenious.global. Selected films will be featured on the Mastercard and Pollinate digital and social channels to drive traffic and awareness to the film.

If opportunity arises, we will approach individual filmmakers for potential collaboration for entries in national and local film festivals.

Awards criteria: