In the world of social media, some of the best tools for awareness are videos. At Face Facts, we are slowly building a library of short videos for people to get the word out about facial pain on social media. Our next project, which we hope to complete before October 1, features YOU.
All you have to do to become one of the “stars” of our next awareness video is shoot a short video selfie answering a few simple questions, and then email it to us at [email protected]. From there, we will stitch the submissions together to create a short video that you can share far and wide, for awareness with a personal touch.
The Two Goals and Two Audiences
We want reach people outside of the facial pain community, to let them know how facial pain conditions change lives. The story we tell will be of the many challenges of facial pain, and one of meeting those challenges overcoming them. We want people to know what facial pain is, and we want them to know that Facial Pain Warriors are strong, capable individuals who fight daily battles with these hideous conditions, yet often still lead vibrant and active lives, despite their conditions.
We also want this video to speak to people within the facial pain community, to encourage everyone to be cheerleaders for each other. Sadly, there is a subtle culture of judgment within the chronic pain community that effectively punishes tales of victory. As Facial Pain Warriors, we should be proud of every single thing that we are still able to do – from making the bed to running a marathon – yet, frequently, people do not share their triumphs for fear of being considered “too healthy and happy to have facial pain” by their facial pain peers. We seek to change that narrative by celebrating victories, large and small, and encouraging others to do the same.
Facial pain is no joke and we will not sugar coat the hardship it brings, but this video will be more than a maudlin tale of disability and victimization. The story we want to tell – the accurate and hope-filled story – gives considerable weight to our abilities and triumphs as well. (If you are among the rising chorus of those who wish people would stop using the outdated and inaccurate nickname “suicide disease,” then this video will be for you.)
The Questions
- What is your facial pain diagnosis?
- What are the top three (3) THINGS YOU WISH YOU COULD DO, BUT NO LONGER CAN since developing a facial pain condition? Examples: kissing your kids, jogging, volunteering, camping, or anything else that you miss.
- What are the top three (3) THINGS YOU STILL CAN DO, at least some of the time, since developing a facial pain condition? Examples: working, exercising, going out to eat, visiting with old friends, or anything else that you’re happy about.
Your video does not have to be polished or perfect. As long as it includes the above three elements, it’s acceptable. We will be editing out any bloopers, long pauses, or missteps, so don’t be shy with your submissions.
The Nitty Gritty
- Preferred video format: MOV or MP4
- Orientation: portrait (taller than wide,) not landscape (wider than tall.)
- Run Time: 60 seconds or less. Videos longer than 60 seconds will not be accepted or viewed.
- Videos must be submitted by Sunday, October 24, 2017, to be considered for inclusion.
- Disclaimers:
The production of this video is entirely dependent upon the level of participation. If there is not enough material to produce a video, we will assume it means there is not enough interest and we will move on to another awareness project.
We cannot guarantee that every video submitted will be used in the final cut. The video you submit may or may not be used, depending upon a variety of production variables. Any and all unused video will be deleted from our server at the end of this project. - Content restriction: Do not include information that doesn’t directly answer the above three questions. Extraneous material won’t be included. To get the most out of your time, use the script below as your guide.
Script
I have ____________. (state your diagnosis)
Because of it, I can’t ________________. (state three things you can’t do)
Despite it, sometimes I can still __________________. (state three things you can do)
Happy filming!