The filmmaker’s brief
Interested in joining the list of our filmmakers? Here’s what we’re looking for.
The short version
A little brief
Many youth working in their neighbourhoods have felt disheartened. The communities that seem to have it all feel far away, and too many efforts focus on outcomes, procedures, and numbers. What goes missing is the soul of it, what we call Rúhi’l Bahá’í, the spirit of Bahá’í.
This feeling is strongest in communities where love, fellowship, and inclusion live in the manner of everyday participation, in the in-between moments.
Rather than describing activities and outcomes, Rúhi’l Bahá’í inspires viewers through emotional connection.
Feeling this spirit or even getting a glimpse of it makes our passion for service grow multifold. So we are gathering camcorder and cinematic footage from Bahá’í youth filmmakers across the world, cut with nostalgic editing and relaxed voice-over, to carry it.
How the filming works
There are no fixed shoot dates. Film when you see a magical moment in your community, over one or two months, and email or message us any time with questions. Clips from many creatives around the world will be gathered, and the ones that best tell the story will be used in the final film. We are doing our best to include as wide a range as we can. Your work is appreciated.
Fourteen settings
Places where the spirit tends to show, and shots to look for in each.
- Wide shots of the room
- arts-night performances
- people laughing and chatting
- Kids running around playing sports
- close-ups of their artwork
- little children with their parents
- older kids playing with younger ones
- Late-night candle-lit devotionals
- sunrise devotionals
- games during breaks
- lunch and dinner
- Candles around the room
- close-ups of a guitar being played
- people singing
- hugging
- songs around a fire pit
- Close-ups of writing and brainstorming in the books
- laughing and playing games
- service projects
- visiting neighbours
- Community-wide shots of the room
- close-ups of handmade decorations
- someone reading a prayer fervently
- children performing
- Planning meetings
- before-and-after of a beach clean-up
- friends working together
- getting prepared
- People talking to door-knockers from their porches
- the outreach team interacting
- getting excited
- showing joy
- Close-ups of notes on the table
- handheld shots of consultation
- ideas on a whiteboard
- people hyping others up
- Creative ways of memorising a quote
- connection between participants
- presenting what they’ve learned
- late-night study
- A reverent devotional or chant sung in the temple
- kindness and hospitality in the gardens outside
- People reuniting after a year
- arts nights
- trivia-night hype
- teams playing sports
- a children’s class
- Wholesome interactions between junior youth and animators
- games in sessions and in breaks
Camera, in short
Film on whatever you have: a phone, a digicam, a camcorder, a cinema camera.
Camera settings
Vol. 01 · 2026- Resolution
- 4KXAVC S 4K on Sony, or the largest file format you have.
- Frame rate
- 25Higher if you want slow motion.
- Orientation
- LandscapeHorizontal for all footage, please.
- Colour
- LogSony S-Log3, Panasonic V-Log, Fujifilm F-Log, Nikon N-Log, Canon C-Log3.
Shots
Mix stable wide shots with handheld and close-ups. Get creative: gimbals, slow shutter, slow motion.
Audio
Don’t worry too much about sound. If a moment calls for it, capture it. Little interview questions and people’s remarks are welcome.
Data
Send your footage through the site. It goes straight into the film bank, in a folder with your name on it.
Phone footage and digicam or camcorder footage are just as welcome.
Three questions
As well as gathering b-roll, we would like you to sit a few people down and interview them.
Offer all three, and let them pick the one they want to answer.
- No. 01
Describe a time in the Bahá’í community that you felt changed your life, or where you felt transformed?
- No. 02
Have you experienced a situation before where you felt incredibly close to and felt a lot of love from or for your community members? What was that like?
- No. 03
What’s your favourite thing about your community, or about attending Bahá’í gatherings?
Then give them a minute to think about it before you roll.
Timeline
Briefing meeting
One to two months of filming in your community
Meeting the other filmmakers, sharing progress
More filming
Collecting the footage. Post-production, music, and sound
Distribution
Join
If you want to film your community, write to Raina and Zahra. Tell them where you are and what you have to film with. Novices are welcome alongside professionals.
Sending footage
When you have filmed something, send it through the site. It goes straight into the film bank, in a folder with your name on it.
Submit footageGet in touch
Email Zahra or Raina with anything at all.
Thank you. Raina and Zahra