FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Silver Bullet Productions?
We are a not-for-profit educational film company.
We use filmmaking as the vehicle for positively impacting education and supporting economic and cultural preservation of rural and tribal communities.
Why is it important that Silver Bullet Productions continue to grow and thrive?
SBP influences education at the very grass roots of New Mexico – each small community. The heart of each of New Mexico’s rural communities is its school, the one unifying center of the community. By engaging children, we engage the communities in educational reform. Involving schoolchildren in the process of making a film enhances academics and provides a viable skill base, vocation or motivation for higher education and economic hope for students of all abilities and cultures. SBP’s workshops teach skills that are relevant and offer the promise of good paying jobs after graduation in an industry receiving the state support. The final product, a short documentary, unifies the adults and students in a film about the community and school.
Why is SBP unique?
- SBP uses community leaders and their culture as the resources for educational film projects.
- Children first attend academic and film workshops, then participate alongside a professional film crew in the film process. The edited film is professional quality, with significant contribution from student rolls, to be used to promote or celebrate the community.
- In some educational models, film equipment remains with the school. In all models, the benefits to the community include teaching with materials developed for that community’s attributes, educational enrichment, and a completed short documentary video.
What are the guiding values of SBP’s objectives?
- Education can be enhanced by making learning more relevant to students’ interests and community attributes. Writing, speaking, organization skills are necessary skills for preparing a documentary treatment, and necessary for lasting academic success.
- Learning is more relevant when skills are applicable, motivating, and useable after graduation in a vibrant industry that is heavily supported by the state of New Mexico.
- Communities must be intimately involved in the project in order to have immediate as well as lasting benefits. This means that community leaders (educators, elders, business people, and elected or chosen officials) participate in selecting the theme of the film, the cultural or linguistic aspects to be probed and preserved.
- Each community’s attributes are included in the design of student materials.
- Film is a medium that stirs imagination, creates relevancy, and motivates learning.
- The industry of film professionals (Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo) must be “grown” by developing interests and skills in K-12 children.
- Each community is unique; that unique culture can be celebrated and preserved in the educational process.
- The economics and culture of NM’s rural and tribal communities are at risk or dying and worth reviving; if towns die, schools die; SBP’s program is an instrument of revitalization.
- Children’s self-esteem effects learning. Skill mastery and honoring a child’s “home” increases self-esteem.
- Families and other community leaders who participate in this educational project will increase the adult participation in education after the educational film project.
What are SBP’s plans to achieve its goals?
- SBP, working with New Mexico Public Education Department, Rural Education, and Indian Education, concerned corporations and individuals, and other non-profits, will complete at least five projects per year. SBP will provide additional film opportunities that affect educational enrichment in the state.
- SBP will provide supportive workshop opportunities as well as follow up in-service to support film skills and academics related to organizing documentary treatments.
- SBP offers a variety of educational models designed to meet the needs of the community and school, compatible with the goals and funding needs of that community.
Who is responsible for leading SBP?
- The CEO is responsible for the project creation and oversight, development of appropriate materials, and negotiating contracts and service providers.
- The CFO is responsible for managing the day to day financial obligations, revenues, and filings, with oversight by the Finance Committee Chair.
- The volunteer Board of Directors offers guidance to the organization in specific areas of expertise for which each is uniquely qualified. Each Director selects his or her own committee to assist in setting committee goals. The Chair and co-Chair of the Board communicate with the officers and Board members. As the leaders of the Board of Directors, they are responsible for participating on the Executive Committee, challenging the policy, focus, and outcome to protect adherence to the Mission statement, goals, and values.
What are the key operating principles of SBP?
- As a corporation, SBP is committed to improving education one community at a time, and celebrating the diversity of New Mexico’s rural and tribal communities. If community education improves, the education of the state can improve.
- Each Board member, Advisor, and officer is committed to the success of SBP’s goals. Each member of SBP’s team – Board, advisors, committee members – is selected to give something essential to SBP’s success.
- SBP operates on the highest level of professional excellence in marketing, execution of projects, financial accounting systems, and interaction with students and community members.
- SBP associates treat each other with respect. We value discourse, welcome challenges, and consistently seek areas to improve how we affect education and communities.
- SBP professionals and contracted employees are aware we are guests in each community; we treat our hosts, the community, with courtesy and respect, and protect the privacy of the community rituals and honored traditions.
What is a “typical” educational film project designed by Silver Bullet Productions?
Each project is, by design, as unique as the community and school who host the process. Nevertheless, typically, the characteristics of the project include:
- Workshops for students on writing, organization, theme development, interviewing, and documentary treatment
- Workshops for students and faculty on camera use, film techniques, and editing of a documentary
- Filmmaking with total involvement by students, teachers, members of the community, and businesses in the community
- Professionally edited short documentary by students and adults about the school and community
- Equipment remains with the school for future use by school students and faculty
How are projects funded?
Each program can be unique in its funding source. Foundation grants, state or federal government agencies, legislative action, corporations, or the communities themselves can underwrite projects. SBP receives donations from individuals in addition to the support of 100% of the Board of Directors.
The ideal funding is a collaborative effort by private and public resources.
What is the origin of the corporation’s name, Silver Bullet Productions?
The metaphor of the Silver Bullet applies to a straightforward solution to difficult problem. It may have originated with the Lone Ranger whose trademark Silver Bullet brought justice; or it may refer to the antidote to werewolves. For this corporation, it refers to education, and in particular, the use of educational film projects to solve difficult problems facing rural and tribal communities in New Mexico.