Melanie, Video Producer for the BBC has been touch with further details about the videos they are producing for the Headroom campaign.

It would now seem that the video can be filmed by contributors themselves, in their own home and time, using a camera and training provided by the BBC.

Alternatively, Melanie would go along and assist with filming if required.

Please see below a briefing that Melanie has provided:

Video Nation: Self Harm brief

Video Nation has been commissioned to produce short films for the Headroom / Video Nation websites on the theme of Self Harm.

Each film (video diary) should focus on the personal story of self harm that individuals are currently experiencing, or have experienced.

The main aim for the Video Nation films is for the audience to be able to watch and empathise with others’ experiences, to relate to and understand that how they are feeling is experienced by many others, to be inspired and motivated by the contributors’ progress in dealing with their issues.

Contributors:

• In each film the subject should be encouraged to tell their personal story and experiences of Self Harm, and discuss their personal ‘triggers’.
• The person should talk about how they are coping / have coped and steps they are taking / have taken to manage their problems.
• The person should also talk about the support they have received /continue to receive from friends, family, colleagues, work place and educational institutions etc.
• If there is a family group affected by a person’s self harm, that might also be appropriate to follow up as a story idea in the mix of films.
• We would also like to find a young South-Asian woman to contribute in the mix of films too – to tie in with one of the themes.

About BBC Headroom

• A pan-BBC audience support and information campaign on the subject of mental health and well-being.
• BBC Headroom launched in May 2008 and acts as an umbrella support resource for the wide variety of mental health and well-being related activities taking place across the BBC. The aim is to provide easy-to-access audience information and tackling stigma surrounding mental health and wellbeing.

The films should:

• be a maximum of 2 minutes in length
• have a positive outcome (in terms of being on a journey, not just being at their lowest ebb).
• cover a variety of areas within the topic of self harm.
• talk about practical solutions for a problem; how the subject expresses their feelings and thoughts through creativity, artwork, taking exercise etc.
• have a ‘sense of normality’, be something that many people can empathise with.
• show a sense of progress in the situation

Once again I would ask that anyone interested in taking part email Jules@firstsigns.org.uk as soon as possible. Thank you.