We are running a video series named “Off the Trail”. This video series of YouTube documentaries are meant to inspire our community of socially-engaged Europeans and to show that European journalism is not only about covering EU institutions. 

To get an idea of the kind of video stories we like, check out the first three videos of the series here. 

We are looking for pitches of compelling personal stories from the European continent around the topics of: 

• Social justice

• Environment

• Identities and migration 

What makes an Off the trail video: 

• Human stories, not hard facts

• Immersive reporting

• Delving into universal social issues (can a viewer from Italy relate to a story shot in Georgia?)

• Showing solutions rather than focusing on problems

• Showing a different face of Europe

• Making new voices heard

• Create a relationship between the protagonist and the viewer

Please pitch us, if you: 

• Have a good story that young viewers from all over Europe would find interesting;

• Have at least some experience with video and the necessary equipment to shoot a high-quality video piece.

You think you have a story for us? We aim to publish between four and five stories. If feel that you have a story interesting for our community, then please fill this form 

If your idea is chosen, we expect you to: 

• Work with our video coordinator to develop your pitch into a compelling story

• Do the reporting and filming

• Provide translation for interviews if needed (we have in-house translators for English, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Polish, Hungarian)

• Work with our in-house video editor on the first edit to shape the story

• Provide feedback on a second edit, which will be done autonomously by our video team

• Once published, share the video in your network and your social media channels

What we offer: 

• A flat fee between 1100- 1400 euros flat fee (includes shooting, max 3 days of remote editing with our in-house video editor, reporting expenses - travel and accommodation costs)

• Editorial guidance and support with brainstorming, story development, editing

• In-house video editor who will be on board from development process and finalise the editing, including motion graphics

A media partnership with the pan-European media ereb. This implies the publication on two YouTube channels : 1) Sphera network channels : Selected videos will be published on Sphera Network channels translation and publication of the short doc in 7 European languages (English, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Polish, Hungarian and Polish) 2) On ereb channels in French, English, Italian