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Give up tomorrow: how documentary uses new digital platforms to create social change

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Give up tomorrow: how documentary uses new digital platforms to create social change

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GIVE UP TOMORROW:
HOW DOCUMENTARY USES NEW DIGITAL

PLATFORMS TO CREATE SOCIAL CHANGE

by

Gemma Cubero del Barrio

_________________________________________________________________

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements of the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM-THE ARTS)

May 2012

Copyright 2012 Gemma Cubero del Barrio
ii
Acknowledgements
I am most grateful that this moment to thank everyone who has supported me
throughout the writing of this thesis has come. First, I want to thank Sasha Anawalt for
making possible all that I have benefited from in the MA in Specialized Journalism (The
Arts) Program at the USC Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism. Her
support and encouragement as my thesis chair has fortified this stimulating process. I am
most grateful to Tim Page for his kindness and for encouraging me to always exercise my
voice and to Vicki Callahan for opening my filmmaking horizons with her teachings
about the expansive field of digital media. I want to also thank David Ulin for the
preliminary edits to this piece during his class and the inspiration his big mind has
offered.
I will never forget the support of my cohort member Sabrina Artel who read the
many first drafts I wrote while crafting this piece. I want to thank her not only for her
intelligence, but also for her emotional support and for the humor shared during the many
late nights writing.
To my partner Amelia Borofsky who chose to be in one of the most remote places
in the world while I embarked on this thesis, always inspiring and forcing me to learn a
great deal about myself. I thank her for offering her deep mind and eyes to this work.
And finally, to the main subjects of this research whose patience and collaborative
spirit made this work possible. My deepest appreciation to Paco Larrañaga and his family
and to Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins, the protagonists and filmmakers of “Give Up
iii
Tomorrow.” Their courage, determination and belief in the search for justice continue to
inspire me to this date.

iv
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... ii
List of Figures .............................................................................................................. v
Abstract ........................................................................................................................ vi
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................ 1
Chapter 2: Give Up Tomorrow .................................................................................... 6
Chapter 3: The Film’s Story ........................................................................................ 7
Chapter 4: Facing the Funding Challenge ................................................................... 13
Chapter 5: Designing Digital Tools with Intention ...................................................... 15
Chapter 6: Completing a Monster Edit ........................................................................ 20
Chapter 7: Testing and Reaching an Audience: Crowdfunding .................................. 21
Chapter 8: Finally, the Film Premieres ........................................................................ 26
Chapter 9: Creating Change: Measuring Impact ......................................................... 28
Chapter 10: The Campaign to Free Paco Continues .................................................... 30
Chapter 11: New Ways of Storytelling ........................................................................ 35
Chapter 12: The Work Never Ends .............................................................................. 37
Chapter 13: Final Words from Paco’s Cell .................................................................. 39
Chapter 14: Conclusion................................................................................................ 40
References .................................................................................................................... 43
Appendix: Timeline: Evolution of Film with Digital Platforms .................................. 45

v
List of Figures

Figure 1: Skype Interview with Producer Marty Syjuco and Director Michael Collins ..... 5

Figure 2: Paco Larrañaga’s message goes viral in 2005 through Pacodocu.com ............... 11

Figure 3: “Give Up Tomorrow” Website Launched in March 2011 ................................... 16

Figure 4: “Give Up Tomorrow” Facebook Page Launched in March 2011 ........................ 17

Figure 5: Free Paco Now Website Launched in October 2011 ........................................... 18

Figure 6: “Give Up Tomorrow” IndieGoGo Campaign Launched in March 2011 ............ 23

Figure 7: The family together in Spain after Paco is granted 24 hr. permit to attend
public screening. From left to right: Cousin Maisha Ortoll Margot, Paco and
Manuel Larrañaga ................................................................................................ 33

Figure 8 Filmmakers with Paco and family after Public screening in Spain
From left to right: Michael Collins, Cousin Maisha Ortoll, Margot, Paco and
Manuel Larrañaga with Marty Syjuco ................................................................. 42

vi
Abstract
This thesis examines how the making and distribution of documentary films has
been impacted by the use of new digital technology, and how these digital tools have
changed the relationship that the filmmakers have to their audience. By focusing on the
making of the documentary film “Give Up Tomorrow,” directed and produced by Marty
Syjuco and Michael Collins, this thesis shows how documentaries are evolving in our
constantly changing digital landscape, and how we can maximize these changes to bring
about justice and create more effective social change.

1
Chapter 1
Introduction
I have worked in documentary filmmaking since 1999. In the last decade, I have
personally experienced how new digital platforms such as crowdfunding and social
networking have transformed the way we produce films and interact with our audience.
Living through these changes made me want to investigate how other documentary
filmmakers utilize digital tools to enhance their work, especially with respect to audience
engagement.
In 1999, when I began working as an associate producer and researcher on
Lourdes Portillo's “Señorita Extraviada,” we used the newest technology, which was
digital video. We communicated by e-mail with our funders and audience. When the film
went into postproduction, we developed a website to reach our audience. Because
“Señorita Extraviada” investigated the killings of young women in Ciudad Juarez,
Mexico, we added a “How You Can Help” section for those who, decrying the injustice,
could take action. Our website provided a sample letter to the Mexican Government, an
address for sending money to support NGO’s working with the families in the film, and
links to such human rights organizations as Amnesty International. Digital film, e-mail
and a website were the full extent of our digital tools and in this regard we followed a
traditional model for audience engagement. We did not have any other ways to interact
with people who would care about our film and bring about social change. At the time,
we were cutting edge.

2
In 2002, when “Senorita Extraviada” premiered at Sundance, its distribution
pattern was also typical for the time and followed a best-case scenario, which was as
follows: the film wins awards at a major festival, which makes the press pay attention,
the film is covered, and the audience flocks to see it. At the festival, the filmmaker,
flushed with success, hires a sales agent and a distributor who makes sure the film
reaches an international audience. “Señorita Extraviada” premiered at the Sundance Film
Festival in 2002 and won the Special Jury Prize. Films Transit International and Women
Make Movies, respectively, a prestigious international sales agent and a distributor,
picked it up.
In 2012, this distribution pattern no longer holds true. Since “Señorita Extraviada,”
I have collaborated on four long-format documentaries as a producer and director and
founded my own production company, Talcual Films. I have seen how the digital
revolution has impacted the field. As film distribution pioneer Peter Broderick explained
in an article for IndieWIRE, the documentary film distribution world has been divided in
two: Old World of Distribution and New World of Distribution. “Many filmmakers are
emigrating from the Old World, where they have little chance of succeeding. They are
attracted by unprecedented opportunities and the freedom to shape their own destiny.”
1

In the Old World of Distribution, the filmmaker was obligated to hire a
professional intermediary who distributed her film, using a network of built-up
relationships with film festivals, theaters and television stations. In the Internet age,

1
Broderick, P. (n.d.). FIRST PERSON | Peter Broderick: “Welcome to the New World of
Distribution,” Part 1. Retrieved January 15, 2012, from http://www.indiewire.com/article/
first_person_peter_broderick_welcome_to_the_new_world_of_distribution_part1

3
however, this intermediary is no longer essential. Today, documentary filmmakers are
able to identify and target an audience themselves and much earlier in the process,
engaging with it through a variety of platforms as the film is being made. There has been
a major paradigm shift. The audience no longer sits back as a "passive receiver," but can
be actively engaged in the film’s life, sometimes even becoming part of the production
team through such popular online funding mechanisms as crowdfunding.
Crowdfunding is a group of people who contribute a portion of a larger
investment over the Internet.
2
Two of the most successful crowdfunding platforms are
IndieGoGo and Kickstarter. Crowdfunding allows people to come to these websites and
make a financial contribution to a project close to their hearts just by clicking on a page.
These sites have opened the landscape of independent film funding. They make
fundraising more democratic and far-reaching. Filmmakers no longer depend on the few
foundations and institutions that traditionally fund documentary films, but now can reach
out to anyone who has Internet, a credit card, and a social conscience. The “new model of
distribution” begins the first moment the filmmaker launches her fundraising campaign.
Since I completed my most recent film, “Ella Es El Matador” (She Is the
Matador) in 2009, the film has aired nationally on PBS through the documentary series
P.O.V. [Point of View] and reached an international audience through festivals and
screenings. It turns out, this was merely the beginning of its life. For “Ella Es El Matador,”
we provided four additional 5-minute webisodes that never made it into the final film.

2
Part 2: Crowd funding, Investing and Donation 2.0. (2008). Co>Innovative. Retrieved from
http://coinnovative.com/part-2-crowd funding-investing-and-donation-20/

4
Through our e-mail newsletter, our Talcual Films production website and the PBS/P.O.V.
outreach campaign, we offered viewers new material.
All these new digital opportunities, however, also create some significant
challenges. Documentary film now has a longer life with its online presence and
immediate interaction with its audience, but this means we have to constantly feed our
audiences new content through social media sites, which effectively contributes to a
higher workload for filmmaking and a need for more funding and collaboration.
Embarking on a documentary film requires willingness to navigate uncharted
territory. “Ella Es El Matador” found its audience through bullfighting organizations,
schools and women’s studies classes at universities. The film went out into the world in
the middle of the flux between old and new world of distribution. “Ella Es El Matador”
screened in India, Morocco, China, and many cities in Europe touring through the
Cervantes Institute without ever premiering at the largest festivals or theaters. Three
years later, we continue to look for new ways that the film can interact with audiences
and bring awareness to issues of bullfighting and women’s rights.
Based on my personal experiences making “Señorita Extraviada” and “Ella Es El
Matador,” I wanted to look at how new digital platforms affect distribution, audience
engagement and social change. I wanted to find new ways. This thesis focuses on two
young filmmakers, Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins, who maximized the use of digital
platforms to bring about social change with their first film, “Give Up Tomorrow.” I tell
their story because it provides an excellent case study (figure 1).
5

Figure 1. Skype Interview with Producer Marty Syjuco and Director Michael Collins.

6
Chapter 2
Give Up Tomorrow
I first met Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins, the producers and directors of
“Give Up Tomorrow,” in April 2008 when they were in their thirties. The three of us had
been invited to pitch projects at Tribeca All Access, a program that matched filmmakers
with industry professionals. At the time, Syjuco and Collins had already spent four years
working on their project. “Give Up Tomorrow” tells the story of Paco Larrañaga, a young
man who the filmmakers believed was wrongly sentenced to death row for kidnapping
two young women in the Philippines. The prosecution alleged that on July 16, 1997, Paco
and six other men abducted and raped sisters Marijoy and Jacqueline Chiong before
throwing their bodies over a cliff.
Syjuco’s brother is married to Paco Larrañaga’s sister, Mimi. “Paco was at my
mother’s house in Manila at the time that the alleged crime was happening in Cebu. This
is a city that is 350 miles away,” Syjuco had explained to me at the time. Syjuco’s mother
is one of Paco’s witnesses, but she was not allowed to testify at Paco’s trial in 1997 for
these gruesome murders. I couldn’t get their story out of my head; in 2011, I returned to
interview Syjuco and Collins for this thesis and to follow up on how their film may have
influenced Paco’s fate.
“It was such a blatant miscarriage of justice, such a universal story. We thought
by making a film, we could call attention not only to this man, but to a thousand of other
Pacos out there, to the problems of corruption with the corruption and the death penalty,”
Syjuco told me. Paco is alive, remains in jail.
7
Chapter 3
The Film’s Story
In 2004, Syjuco and Collins had been in a relationship for 2 years and had full-
time jobs, but were not at the time filmmakers. They were both looking for an
opportunity to do something they could be passionate about. Paco had been arrested in
September 1997. In February 2004, the Supreme Court of the Philippines sentenced him
to death row. When Paco’s family asked Syjuco and Collins for help, they both quit their
jobs, bought their first camera and flew to the Philippines.
“There was a real sense of urgency to tell the story because his life was in danger,”
recalls Collins. Paco’s case is unique because he holds both Spanish and Filipino
nationality. During the 7 years that he was in prison, up until the Supreme Court
delivered his death sentence, he had never had the chance to testify. The filmmakers and
Paco’s family knew that the legal roads in the Philippines had been exhausted. If there
was any hope for Paco it would be in Spain.
A few months into filming, Syjuco and Collins realized that they had to capture
Paco’s voice, and the only way to record his testimony, was to smuggle a camera into the
notorious Bilibid prison in Manila. “The prison is essentially a walled city ran by gangs.
It is like a mafia run prison,” explains Collins. “The guards generally stay in the outside.
Inside there are drugs, knives, everything and anything you want, you can get it in.” At
that point, Paco had been in jail for about 7 years so they knew how the system worked
and who to ask to sneak in the camera. “We split the camera up into as many pieces as we
could, the tapes, batteries and plugs and we had it brought in little by little,” describes
8
Collins
3
. An added benefit of the changes in digital technology is cameras are smaller
than they used to be.
“We had it hidden inside and when we came in to see Paco, we shot and took the
tapes out with us, because they would not search us on the way out,” adds Syjuco. “After
we were done filming, we put the camera in a Ziplock bag and buried it underground for
safe keeping, because once in a while security raids the prison. In fact the camera is still
there.”
4

With this camera, Paco recorded a 90-second urgent message asking for help from
the Spanish people. In May 2005, Syjuco and Collins flew to Spain, held a press
conference and released Paco’s direct message to the media imploring, “NO ME
ABANDONEIS” (“DON’T ABANDON ME”).
With this single stroke, Syjuco and Collins provided Paco with access to his
future audience of thousands. The filmmakers had already begun the process of social
change 5 years before finishing the film.
“This was before Facebook,” states Collins. “So when we did this press
conference in Madrid, we stamped on the video a watermark of Pacodocu.com. We did
this so people who got the message in the news could come to the site and join our e-mail
list. We also started collecting their e-mails. It was our way to shed light into the case and
start a conversation.”
5

3
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal Interview, February13, 2012.

4
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal Interview, February13, 2012.

5
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal Interview, November13, 2012.
9
From the very first time that this short video was released to the Spanish Media,
the filmmakers began to develop their audience. By November 2005, Syjuco and Collins
had also edited a 1-hour report titled “Atrapados en La Injusticia” (Trapped in Injustice).
The program aired nationally on the Spanish television channel Canal Cuatro. Since
Paco was still on death row and could be executed any day, this program was used as an
advocacy piece. Again, all this occurred far before finishing even a rough-cut of their
documentary.
Paco’s message went viral generating a movement. The Spanish newspaper
Diario Qué started a signature campaign, raised hundreds of thousands of signatures and
delivered it to Spanish congress. The Spanish Government sent congressmen and senators
to the Philippines to visit Paco and meet with the President of the Philippines Gloria
Macapagal- Arroyo. Amnesty International made Paco the poster child in their signature
campaign against the Death Penalty. More than 210,000 people rallied outside the
Philippine’s Embassy in Madrid with giant lethal injection needles asking the President
of the Philippines not to kill Paco.
6
Without meaning to, the producers and directors of
the film had created a social movement. They did this through smuggling in a small
camera, holding a press conference, interacting with their audience and creating
international dialogue.

6
Más de 210.000 personas piden a la presidenta de filipinas que no se ejecute a Paco Larrañaga.
(2005, October 10).Amnestía Internacional. Retrieved February 20, 2012, from http://www.es.amnesty.org/
noticias/noticias/articulo/mas-de-210000-personas-piden-a-la-presidenta-de-filipinas-que-no-se-ejecute-a-
paco-larranaga/

10
On October 2005, Juan Carlos King of Spain and the President of Spain, José Luis
Rodríguez Zapatero, asked the President of the Philippines for leniency in favor of Paco
Larrañaga.
7
Syjuco and Collins believed that this development was directly connected to
the attention that their media campaign had drawn in the Philippines from Spain.
“We know that the King of Spain spoke directly with President Gloria about Paco
and she said to the King, ‘Don’t worry Paco will never be executed while I am President,’”
remembers Syjuco. “On the day that she was leaving for a visit to Spain, she signed the
bill to abolish the death penalty and she brought it to the King as a gift (figure 2). Since
then, she has been applauded and honored in Spain for being a champion of Human
Rights, because she abolished the death penalty.”
8

By June 2006, the death penalty was officially abolished in the Philippines.
9
The
sentences of 1,230 death row inmates were commuted to life imprisonment, in what
Amnesty International believes to be “the largest commutation ever of death sentences.
10

While larger political forces motivated this, Paco’s case provided a good example and
Syjuco and Collins found themselves and their film at the center of the conversation.

7
LD Agencias. (2005, October 5). El Rey y Zapatero pedirán Clemencia a la presidenta filipina a
favor del español condenado a muerte. Libertad Digital Societal. Retrieved from
http://www.libertaddigital.com/sociedad/ el-rey-y-zapatero-pediran-clemencia-a-la-presidenta-filipina-a-
favor-del-espanol-condenado-a-muerte-1276262325/

8
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal Interview. February 13, 2012.

9
EFE. (2006, June 7). El Congress de Filipinas Aruba la Abolition de la Pena de Muerte. EL PAIS.
Retrieved from http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2006/06/07/actualidad/
1149631205_850215.html

10
http://dfa.gov.ph/main/index.php/newsroom/dfa-releases/2225-statement-of-the-department-of-
foreign-affairs-on-the-commemoration-of-human-rights-day
11

Figure 2. Paco Larrañaga’s message goes viral in 2005 through Pacodocu.com. His
message was posted on YouTube in June 2007.

12
“Once we knew that his Paco’s life was saved, we were able to get back into the story,
continue production and fundraising to make a proper film,” states Collins. For them, the
goal of saving Paco’s life came before the completion of the documentary film. Yet,
despite all their work at the time of this writing Paco remains in prison.
Syjuco and Collins were not only making a documentary, but building a social
movement. By engaging their future audience in a campaign before the film’s completion,
they had already built their base. Using political leverage, international communication
and traditional media outlets, Syjuco and Collins got their social message out ahead of
the film. This is unusual in social change documentaries where usually the film is
released and the campaign happens. The immediacy of information, connection to the
audience through digital communication and political change allowed for the movement
to build before the documentary.

13
Chapter 4
Facing the Funding Challenge
For the very first years, Syjuco and Collins were a two-person crew. They self-
financed the first film shoots in the Philippines. “We kind of got by with the kindness and
generosity of our family and friends and about 3 years in, we realized that in order to
make a real cinematic film, we needed to raise significant funding,” says Syjuco.
Fundraising became an arduous process. After many rejections, they got their first
grant from the Jerome Foundation. This created a domino effect. In 2008, the project
received funds from the Sundance Documentary Fund, opening the doors to more
funding from The Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund and a presale from the BBC. This
was a major turning point because it secured a national television broadcast in the UK.
“We still had a lot of money to raise but that helped us to turn a major corner,”
remembers Syjuco. “After four rounds, we got funding from PBS through ITVS
[Independent Television Services] Open Call, and finally raised all the funds to complete
the film,” says Syjuco.
Throughout the making of their film, new social media tools have evolved and
rapidly grown, changing forever the way Syjuco and Collins interacted with their
audience. “Keep in mind that even 4 years ago, the whole movement of outreach
campaigns and audience engagement had just really started,” states Syjuco. This new
reality also changed the requirements that funders have set for documentarians to reach
their audience. Without meaning to, Syjuco and Collins found themselves at the forefront
of these changes.
14
The Sundance Documentary Fund was one of the few funding sources that was
very interested in knowing how we would create impact. ITVS [Independent
Television Services] required in their contract that we had a website. Very little
pieces were in place.

When we first started applying for grants in 2006, funders asked to describe our
outreach strategy in a short paragraph in the entire proposal and we were like
‘what is outreach?’ Funders forced us to think about our audience and start
planning how to reach out to them, he states. “If you seek funds for a project
today, this section takes probably half the proposal so you really have to think
long and hard about the outreach campaign.
13

According to Collins, the relationship between funder and filmmaker is like a
mirror. Funders are asking filmmakers to develop outreach campaigns because they see
documentary film as a medium that can change an issue. The funders want as wide an
audience and as large an impact as possible. Funders force filmmakers to think and
implement audience engagement campaigns and filmmakers experiment and test these
strategies. Together funders and filmmakers see how it works in the real world with the
constantly changing digital landscape. “We are all just learning from each other and we
are all sort of evolving together,”
14
says Collins.

13
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal interview, November 13, 2011.

14
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal interview, February 13, 2012.

15
Chapter 5
Designing Digital Tools with Intention
Despite becoming an example, Syjuco and Collins did not think of themselves as
technically savvy when they embarked on this project. Nor could they foresee that during
the making of the film, that they would need to learn the ropes of social media. All along,
they knew that while they worked in the film, Paco was serving a life sentence in the
Philippines. Their intention was to make a film and build a campaign that would set him
free.
To create the film’s outreach campaign, they developed multiple websites and
Facebook pages to reach their audience. Each digital platform was designed with a
specific intention.
They also learned that in this new age of social media, branding is key as well as
the need to build a product. The artwork they designed for the film’s poster became their
icon for all the digital platforms. They created a recognizable image or brand that
furthered the cause of their film.
On the “Give Up Tomorrow” website, people could get information about the
film, the trailer, background on the story and information on screenings (figure 3). The
“Give Up Tomorrow” Facebook page became the vehicle for the most direct interaction
with the audience. For instance, when the filmmakers took the film to a new town, they
would create a post asking their “friends” how they could fill out the screenings, what
ideas their supporters had to expand the film’s impact and how it could be used most
effectively in their communities. Audiences do not want to simply watch a documentary
16

Figure 3. “Give Up Tomorrow” website launched in March 2011.

and feel helpless. Audiences want to connect to something larger than themselves and
participate in the process. “Give Up Tomorrow,” allowed audiences to do this.
Collins explains that they have always wanted to keep a bit of separation between
the film and the campaign to free Paco so each digital platform leads viewers into a
targeted message for action. “The campaign is so robust on its own now that we have
created a Free Paco Now website,” he states (figure 4).
17

Figure 4. “Give Up Tomorrow” Facebook Page Launched in March 2011.

“We want this site to be something that could exist whether or not you know about or
have seen the film.” Apart from the documentary film, Syjuco and Collins found
themselves creating a movement.
18
For this site the filmmakers created a two-and-a half-minute video that condensed
14 years and 400 hours worth of footage. Visitors can find action steps to ask for Paco’s
freedom such as signing a petition, download letters to send to the President of Spain or
directly write e-mails to the members of the European Parliament. The Free Paco Now
campaign also has its own separate Facebook Page (figure 5).

Figure 5. Free Paco Now Website Launched in October 2011.
All the web pages are linked to Twitter, so every time Syjuco and Collins write on
any of these walls, the messages go out as Tweets. “It is a lot of work. You need to take
pictures at a festival, go through the process to post them on the sites so you have
19
something to share with your new audience. You are always generating content,”
15
says
Collins. The Tweets unite the two websites and two Facebook pages helping to
streamline the amount of new content the filmmakers need to produce.

15
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal interview, November 13, 2011.
20
Chapter 6
Completing a Monster Edit
While Paco remained in prison, Syjuco and Collins spent 2 years editing the film.
“We had a monster edit,” remembers Syjuco. The biggest challenges were how to present
all the injustice in Paco’s case, and take the viewer on an emotional journey where all
characters involved were three-dimensional.
They went through a couple of editors and a couple of assistant editors. In the
middle of the edit, they had to drop everything and fly to the Philippines to shoot the
ending and capture new developments in Paco’s case. “Then we ran out of funding so we
had to raise more money to continue the edit,” remembers Syjuco. Political developments
in the case and funding resources dragged out the length of editing. This time, however,
could have allowed them to interact with their audience before completing the film.
Collins and Syjuco did not build their social media platforms and websites until
the film’s completion. “We were working around the clock to complete the film. In the
ideal world, funding would come in early on and you can hire people to do this stuff, but
I don't think that that is realistic for most documentary filmmakers,” states Collins.
16
In
hindsight, they realized they should have started building the websites and social media
tools much earlier.

16
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal interview, November 13, 2011.
21
Chapter 7
Testing and Reaching an Audience: Crowdfunding
The director and producer held a secret screening at the True False Film Fest in
March 2011 to assess audience reaction to the film. Syjuco shares that after the screening,
everyone felt devastated and wanted to do something to help Paco. They realized that the
film worked, and that they could build a comprehensive campaign around the film to free
Paco. They also knew that they could not embark on this work without getting more
funding.
Online crowdfunding did not become readily available to documentary
filmmakers until 2009. At that screening, they decided to launch an international crowd-
funding campaign. People could help immediately by providing finishing funds.
We learned very quickly that you don’t have to do this work on your own. We
could build partnerships. The first most obvious partners for us to reach out to
were the people and organizations who were already working on Paco’s
Campaign in the past. These have been sort of in a roadblock, and for years, they
haven’t really done anything, explains Collins. But by having a film, this has now
reinvigorated their interests in the case. All of a sudden it sort of gives them a
platform again to stand on.
17

Syjuco and Collins were again ready to build a collaborative movement with the support
of their secret screening audience.
Syjuco and Collins looked into both Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. Kickstarter
required donors to sign up for an Amazon account. They knew that a lot of their potential
supporters would come from outside of North America and from countries that were not

17
Michael Collins. Personal interview, December 12, 2011.
22
familiar with Amazon. They thought this could be a deterrent. All you needed with
IndieGoGo was a credit card.
With Kickstarter, if they did not raise the money goal, they would lose all the
money raised. With IndieGoGo, if they did not reach their fundraising goal, they could
keep the money raised minus IndieGoGo’s processing and credit card fees.
18
Syjuco and
Collins decided to go with the IndieGoGo campaign and easily set it up.
Within 45 days, the Justice for Paco/Justice for All IndieGoGo Campaign raised
$20,178 of an $18,000 goal. This funding allowed them to build a proper website, design
the Free Paco Now site, and to take the film onto the international festival circuit (figure
6).
Collins believes that crowdfunding is filling a void in the independent film-
funding world. “We would have missed out on a lot of opportunities if we didn’t do this
IndieGoGo Campaign,” states Collins. Syjuco adds to the conversation:
Crowdfunding has created a way for filmmakers to fundraise through DYI [Doing
it Yourselves] means so you are not completely dependent on media funders that
are so subjective, and where you are competing with thousands of other projects
around the world. It is a way for people to support you in a community driven
way.
19

Through the IndieGoGo campaign, Syjuco and Collins raised the needed money and built
up a team of co-producers and supporters.

18
Confessions of an Indie Game Developer: IndieGoGo vs. Kickstarter vs. 8-bit Funding.
(n.d.).Confessions of an Indie Game Developer. Retrieved from
http://confessionsofateenagegamedevelop.blogspot.com/2011/03/indiegogo-vs-kickstarter-vs-8-bit.html

19
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal interview, February 13, 2012.
23

Figure 6. “Give Up Tomorrow” IndieGoGo Campaign Launched in March 2011.

Crowdfunding is not just about raising money. It creates an avenue for the
filmmakers to expand their audience. By the simple act of supporting the project
financially, the audience becomes engaged participants of the film’s conversation. This
often happens before the film even reaches completion. The audience connects and
becomes a part of the entire process.
24
You are inviting people to participate. You are not saying, ‘Listen, I am this
person over here and these are my thoughts.’ You are telling them, I know how
we all feel about this issue. I have this media that I have collected, I can put out
this great story, you can help me do that and then it will be ours. We will all take
ownership, explains Collins.

I am going to go to festivals with it but this is what you can do; you can go out
into your community and help publicize the film and take all different actions,”
he continues. “It is just a way to be more inclusive and not just to be speaking at
people. It is about having a conversation and not about having a monologue.
21

Over 147 funders participated in the conversation. By posting thank you notes and
constant updates over the 45-day campaign, they interacted directly with their donors and
future audience.
Syjuco shares the story of their biggest donor in the IndieGoGo campaign, an
Irish woman who was so moved after seeing the film on the BBC, that she went on their
website, signed up for the newsletter and followed them online for months.
When we launched the IndieGoGo Campaign I don’t think that she immediately
contributed but towards the end, when we had hours left and we had not reached
our goal and we were lacking a couple thousand dollars, at the very end she came
up and donated, he describes with emotion. She gave the biggest donation and we
were able to reach our goal and beyond. This came from a complete stranger in
Ireland.

Collins just came from a festival screening in this woman’s hometown in Ireland.
This same woman worked around the clock to promote the film.
When I walked around town, I saw that every single business I went into had a
poster of the film. The screening was sold out. She went to the heads of the
University Departments and said, ‘This is going to be a good film for your
students to see.’ She was just working every single angle talking to the media,
adds Collins.

21
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal interview, February 13, 2012.
25
The global network of “Give Up Tomorrow” sets a good example. The story
takes place in the Philippines, but has its political support and campaign in Spain. The
filmmakers are from the Philippines and from the United States, respectively. The donors
came from all over the world and the largest individual donor from Ireland. The film has
screened around the world. With new digital platforms, participating audiences are global.

26
Chapter 8
Finally, The Film’s Premiere
In May 2011, after 7 years into the filmmaking and 14 years of Paco’s
imprisonment, “Give Up Tomorrow” premiered in the competition category at Tribeca
Film Festival. It won the Heineken Audience Award for Best Documentary.
22
The award
helped secure notice, but it is important to note that the film took time. Documentary
filmmaking, even in the age of digital media, remains a slow process.
Paco’s family came from the Philippines for the premiere. Everyone who had
been involved in Paco’s case attended the screenings and participated in the Q&A.
“When Paco’s parents came out of the audience everyone got really get emotional.
Audiences would come up to us after the screening. They would patiently wait for their
turn, and when we were able to give them a little bit of time, they would just thank us for
making this film because they have a friend who has a father who suffers the same fate,
who was also wrongfully accused.” A mother would come up and say, “I kept thinking
that this could have happened to my son.” Everybody had some sort of personal
connection,” notes Syjuco.
The personal connection that audiences felt with the film, allowed Syjuco and
Collins to immediately recruit them to be a part of the cause. They had people sign up on
mailing lists and sign petitions to free Paco at the screenings and these audience members

22
Give Up Tomorrow Wins. (2011). Heineken Audience Award! | Festival Features. (n.d.).
Tribeca Film. Retrieved from http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/features/
Give_Up_Tomorrow_Wins_2011_ Heineken_Audience_Award.html

27
fast became a part of the film’s social media outlets. They utilized the emotional
connection as a way of connecting and building a movement.
Syjuco shares how one woman wrote about it on her blog:
There was this one woman who wrote in her blog that she felt like Paco was her
brother, because this could happen to my brother. You know it was that type of
reaction. We realized that the film could be used as a great tool for social change.

Syjuco and Collins kept abreast of how audiences reacted and anything audiences posted.

28
Chapter 9
Creating Change: Measuring Impact
One of the more challenging questions that funders ask social issue documentary
filmmakers is whether the films create change and how to measure their impact.
It is difficult to measure impact. In some ways it is very concrete, I can tell you
how many signatures we have collected, how many people have signed the
petition. There are measurable ways and that is great! In this film in one sense, if
Paco is freed, that will be a way to measure impact. But there are so many other
ways that are important for me, says Collins.
23

Having Paco’s family come here after 14 years of having their entire country turn
against them, treat their son like a monster, and then to show up to sold out
crowds where people are seeing their story. Having Paco’s mother just turn to us
in tears and say, ‘I just think that I am surrounded by so much love for the first
time in 14 years.’ We will never be able to measure it but that to me is impact,”
asserts Collins. No matter what happens next, the film has already play a role in
getting people to think about their responsibility the role they play in safe
guarding human rights.

And although, “Give Up Tomorrow” continues to receive accolades around the world,
Paco remains in prison.
In October 2009, Paco was transferred from his prison in Manila to a Spanish
prison near the city of San Sebastian. This transfer took place after a treaty for sentenced
prisoners was signed by the Philippines and Spain. The treaty allows prisoners in both
countries to serve their prison sentences in their home countries.
24

23
Michael Collins. Personal interview, November 13, 2011

24
Xinhua. (2007, May 21). Philippines, Spain sign treaty on transfer of sentenced prisoners.
www.people.com.cn. Retrieved from http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200705/21/
eng20070521_376555.html
29
“The treaty is written for people who were guilty. There is no provision in the
treaty for wrongfully convicted or innocent people because basically, if the system works,
if you are in prison then you are guilty,” explains Syjuco.
25

The Supreme Court in the Philippines had ruled against Paco’s case, so the
Spanish Prison Review Board was treating Paco as a prisoner. “They were trying to get
him to admit his guilt in order to be even considered him for parole,” adds Syjuco.
At the Tribeca Film Festival world premiere and at Silverdocs screening in
Washington D.C. people from the Spanish Embassy came. Soon after that, Paco called us
and he said, “Things are changing here. They are no longer asking me to admit my guilt.
They are starting to give me the privileges that they would give to someone who is on the
path towards parole,” adds Syjuco.
26
Paco could feel and communicate the immediate
impact of the campaign.
Web analytics provide quantitative data that can be used to measure impact. The
data shows how many hits and clicks a website receives, where users came from and
what key words they searched. Syjuco and Collins use web analytics from Blue Host,
their website hosting company, and Facebook’s weekly analytics to learn about users and
find out how many mentions. These tools remain a new area for exploration and a
possible way of measuring digital impact. For Syjuco and Collins, their impact is
measured by their ability to create a social movement and directly impact Paco’s case and
the death penalty in the Philippines.

25
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal interview, February 13, 2012.

26
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal interview, November 13, 2011.
30
Chapter 10
The Campaign to Free Paco’s Continues
Syjuco and Collins just cut a new ending for the film premiere in Spain. Instead of
ending with One Year Later, which is what viewers saw at Tribeca, it now says Two
Years Later, and it is actually more updated and more exciting. I do not want to give it
away,” states Syjuco with hope.
“Paco is looking into cooking schools in the area, and for the first time, feels like
he is getting into the road to freedom,” reveals Collins. But unfortunately, because his
case in still under Philippine Jurisdiction, according to Collins, it could still take years
before he gets any kind of parole. “This is why we are doubling down our efforts to get
this Free Paco Now Campaign launched in Spain right away. We are translating it all into
Spanish and have screenings coming up in the next couple of weeks there,” explains
Collins
The film is making a direct impact in Paco’s case. Since the film came out, the
filmmakers have listed Paco’s mailing address on their websites, so Paco is receiving
mail directly from viewers. “I think his whole perspective of the world has changed a
little. Where everyone thought he was a monster, now he is feeling love from people all
over the world,” Collins says.
We got tons of press recently in Spain, so we sent it all to Paco in a package. Paco
says he likes to read all the mail slowly, because inside the prison, he always
wants to make things last. So he has been very excited,” explains Syjuco.

Since the film came out in Spain, he told us that volunteers and prison personnel
have gone to the Free Paco Now website, downloaded the letter, and sent it to the
President of Spain. So he is really feeling the impact.
31
Days after the Free Paco Now website is launched in Spain, Syjuco, Collins and
Paco’s family are back in Spain to screen the film at Zinexit, a Human Rights film
festival located in the Basque city of Bilbao, only a few hours from where Paco remains
in prison.
Following the film progress on the “Give Up Tomorrow” Facebook page, I read
the last minute announcement that Paco has been granted a 24-hour -permit to attend the
his first film screening.
“The activity on Facebook skyrocketed. Usually we get 10 to 12 likes, where we
were getting 111 likes,” recalls Collins. “People were really paying attention and were
clicking out to all the links to all the articles about him.”
27

In a phone conversation after the screening, Collins explains that Zinexit is a
Human Rights Film festival sponsor by the government so the festival reached out
directly to the prison and asked for his permission to attend.
“We found out a week before that it was probably going to happen, but we
couldn’t publicize it,” recalls Collins. “But the day of the screening they announced on
government radio that Paco was going to be there. We had no idea.”
28

We thought that the screening was going to start, he was going to sneak in and
then watch it and then afterwards we would invite him to speak. But they made
the announcement on their own, so when Paco showed up he was just surrounded
by media. There was like a circle of cameras around making his way into the
theater, shares Collins.

27
Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. Personal interview, February 13, 2012.

28
Michael Collins. Personal interview, December 12, 2011.
32
“It was his first time being in the theater in 14 years and he was there watching a film
about your life.” Paco said, “It was kind of surreal.”
Despite getting this permit, Paco is still treated like a prisoner. As a participating
audience and writer about “Give Up Tomorrow,” I myself wanted to contact Paco. In my
efforts to talk to Paco directly, I learned that he is only allowed to talk on the phone with
his parents and his sister Mimi. The conversations cannot be longer than five minutes. I
wanted to hear from him what was it was like to be at that screening. Thanks to e-mail, a
few days later I received his response in writing:
I was so lucky that after not seeing the inside of a movie theatre for 14 years, the
first film I ever watched was “Give Up Tomorrow. I watched it with my parents,
and my family like a normal person. I cannot describe to you how happy I was. It
was significant to me in so many levels. My first thought after watching the
documentary was wanting to apologize to Mike Collins and Marty Syjuco.

I realized how difficult I made it for them to film me. I remember Mike asking me
questions, emotional questions, about things that I did not want to dwell on
because it made me very sad and I answered the bare minimum. Marty and Mike
were very patient with me and never gave up on me. I think ‘ Give Up Tomorrow’
must also be their motto!

Seeing footages of Bilibid prison, made me miss the good men that I met there
through the years. Most of all, I felt tremendous gratitude to the filmmakers for
risking their lives and committing seven years of their lives to make this film.

Talking to the audience was very scary. I am not used to being in a crowded room
that is dark with so many strangers, so the sensation already threw me off. But I
felt the love and support of everyone around me. Some of the audience came up to
me and gave me hugs and said, ‘Animo Paco, we believe in you!’ and it really
touched me. It made me less shy and more comfortable to speak up. Seeing all
that at the screening in Bilbao, gave me so much strength to keep on fighting.
29

29
Paco Larrañaga. Written response sent to author via e-mail, February 17, 2012.
33
After the screening the filmmakers went to have dinner with Paco and his family
by themselves. At 3 a.m. they drove Paco back to San Sebastian, spent the night there,
and the next day he went back to jail (figure 7).

Figure 7. Paco with family when he is granted 24 hour permit to attend public screening.
From left to right: Cousin Maisha Ortoll, Margot, Paco and Manuel Larrañaga.

It is precisely the immediacy of social media that allowed people to feel the
emotional impact the film had on Paco and his family. People could follow the event
through Twitter and Collins asserts that this was the moment of highest activity in their
34
Facebook “Give Up Tomorrow” and Free Paco Now Campaigns. The audience could
emotionally connect to Paco in real-time without setting foot in the theater.

35
Chapter 11
New Ways of Storytelling
While Paco awaits for parole in Spain and “Give Up Tomorrow” travels around
the world Syjuco and Collins continue their campaign for justice. Collins believes that the
new digital platforms are giving documentary filmmakers new opportunities to frame the
story.
We made this one piece which is 90 minutes long, but now I am going back and
I am starting to cut smaller pieces and putting it out there because we are
interacting with an audience, with real people, who genuinely care and who are
asking questions. By going around to all of these festivals, I know the questions
that are burning in people’s minds,” explains Collins.

Collins has interacted with the audience throughout the process both in person at
screenings and virtually through their social media websites. He knows what audiences
are asking and can cut short webisodes, or extra video shorts to be posted on the website,
based on audience’s interests and questions.
Some of the lingering questions include: What happened to the other men in the
Philippines co-accused with Paco? Is there any hope for them? Are they going to focus
on their campaign after Paco gets out? “One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t have a
place for that in the film. We got the footage but we pulled it out because there wasn’t
room,” confesses Collins. Webisodes are part of the second life of the film. Knowing that
they did not have room for this material, Syjuco and Collins now can create it.
Syjuco and Collins are going to create webisodes, 5 to 8 minutes, self-contained
short films made for the web. Each webisode will have a theme and story arch and will
36
hone in certain aspects of the story. The storytelling does not end with the long format
documentary. The story continues.
One of the webisodes will be around the idea of torture and how the police use
that as a normal form of interrogation not just in the Philippines, but all over the
world. We will partner with an organization such as Amnesty International for
that because they have a big thing on torture, explains Collins.

These webisodes will satisfy their audience’s need to know more, and tap into a whole
new audience that may not have seen the film. “We are trying to create a spider web that
reached out in different ways and would start crossing audiences over each other.”
The webisodes and the partnering with Amnesty International are prime examples
of how “Give Up Tomorrow” uses digital media to create social impact. The filmmakers
continue to interact with their audience years after the premiere of the film and
continually provide new content.

37
Chapter 12
The Work Never Ends: The Impact on Personal Life
It is important to consider how the amount of material needed to fulfill the
information age impacts the personal life of the filmmaker. Filmmakers can be in contact
with their audience at all times through iPhones and smartphones. Tweets become a
constant medium as does Facebook and the website. Being a documentary filmmaker
always involved a time-consuming labor of love, but social media makes it a 24-hour
endeavor.
From the moment Syjuco and Collins wake up to the moment, they go to bed this
film becomes “a 24-hour-thing,” where there is little time for their personal relationships.
The couple thought that once they completed the film, they could sit back and enjoy the
festivals and connecting to their audiences. They admit to be busier than ever. “We are
not complaining; we are very grateful, but it is not what we thought it was going to be,”
shares Syjuco. They find themselves constantly connected through their mobile phones
and computers, keeping updates, continuing to create new content.
Collins and Syjuco look back at the personal impact that this film has made on
their 10–year relationship and the intrinsic challenges this profession presents for couples
who work together.
When we started the film, we had no idea what we were doing. We very quickly
felt the responsibility of saving a guy’s life. In the Philippines we worked against
all odds. No one wanted to talk to us because it was kind of a dangerous story to
talk about. I don’t know if being on our own we could have survived, shares
Collins.

It did cause a lot of tension but getting through it also strengthened our relation-
ship. I feel that if we get through this we can get through anything. In the end,
38
neither of them feels that they could have completed the overwhelming amount
of work without the other. The digital age and the immediacy of social media
requires even more teamwork than before for documentary filmmakers. It’s too
much work for one person to do alone.

39
Chapter 13
Final Words from Paco’s Cell
As for Paco, I am left wondering what has the making of this film meant for him?
How has social media and the direct interaction with the film impacted him? Digital
technology allowed me to e-mail him; and for him to respond while he remains in prison
in Spain, I sit at my desk in Los Angeles. Here are his words:
After the abolition of the death penalty in the Philippines, this documentary is the
second miracle that has happened to me. For a person who was not allowed to
testify in his own trial, whose witnesses were not allowed to testify, for someone
who has lived through what I have lived through, I am so relieved and overjoyed
that my story, the TRUE story, is finally going to be told and people are going to
hear it. I thought my story would die with me when I was executed. I could have
been just another innocent guy, wrongfully convicted and executed. With this
documentary, my story, which is sadly not a unique story, has a chance to show
people in the Philippines, just how broken the justice system is there, and also
show people around the world that the Death Penalty needs to be abolished
because innocent people fall through the cracks.

I feel that this documentary will save other lives and will prevent more injustices.
For myself, I feel like it will give me my life back. I am a convict. Innocent or not,
I am a convict. Everywhere I go for the rest of my life, people will have doubts
about me. I feel like people who will know the truth, because of watching “Give
Up Tomorrow,” will treat me like a normal person. I believe that this
Documentary will change my life and save me, concludes Paco.
30

After 15 years in prison Paco still awaits for parole in Spain.

30
Paco Larrañaga. Written response sent to author via e-mail, February 17, 2012.
40
Chapter 14
Conclusion
As I close telling the story of “Give Up Tomorrow,” I take with me words of
wisdom from Syjuco and Collins’ journey hoping that I will be able to apply them in my
future documentary film projects.
One is that the news media landscape will not stop evolving. More than ever,
filmmakers need to cultivate a flexible attitude and be ready to embrace and react to these
changes in this new landscape. From now on, we can no longer leave the development of
a website to the end of our production, but we need to build an online presence and build
the audience for our projects as early in the production of the film as possible.
The design of our websites will never be perfect nor complete. Our online
platforms will constantly evolve in content and engagement tools to feed our audience’s
need and provide incentives to keep them engaged.
Documentary filmmakers are no longer making a film. The scope of the work has
become greater. We are directors, producers, researchers, fundraisers, editors, audience
engagement managers, distributors, web designers, social media managers, and
distributors.
Funders will require more and more that we provide mechanism to evaluate the
impact of our films. They know that they could not bring about change without having
test new strategies in the real world without our reach to our audience, and we are not
alone.
41
Funders and filmmakers are creating more and more partnerships with community
organizations and NGO’s to wider the audience reach and effect social change. This need
to create outreach campaign has created a new industry of professionals, not only web
designers, but audience engagement consultants and experts on social media. They bring
their expertise all adding cost. Crowdfunding has been revolutionized the way we
fundraise for independent films and these added expenses. But crowdfunding is not only
about money. The most important goal is not the “money goal” but to create partnerships,
build community, and amplify the reach of your message.
And in this new landscape, we navigate now the storytelling no longer ends with
the long-format documentary. The current explosion of webisodes online, allows us to
transform the storytelling, reframe the message to expand the reach to a new audience.
This audience has become part of the film’s team production. We share with them the
ownership of our films and our work to bring about social change.
Documentary filmmakers today must keep abreast of the latest changes before
they happen and implement them into their ever-expanding network to create social
change. “Give up Tomorrow” provides an example that documentary filmmaking from
production to distribution has changed. The old model will fade into the past and the new
model will continue to change. Despite all the challenges, I too must give up tomorrow
(figure 8).

42

Figure 8. Filmmakers with Paco and family after Public screening in Spain. From left to
right: Michael Collins, Cousin Maisha Ortoll, Margot, Paco and Manuel Larrañaga with
Marty Syjuco.

43
References

Broderick, P. (n.d.). FIRST PERSON|Peter Broderick: “Welcome to the New World of
Distribution,” Part 1. Retrieved January 15, 2012, from
http://www.indiewire.com/article/first_person_peter_broderick_welcome_to_the_
new_world_of_distribution_part1

Confessions of an Indie Game Developer: IndieGoGo vs. Kickstarter vs. 8-bit Funding.
(n.d.).Confessions of an Indie Game Developer. Retrieved from
http://confessionsofateenagegamedevelop.blogspot.com/2011/03/indiegogo-vs-
kickstarter-vs-8-bit.html

EFE. (2006, June 7). El Congreso de Filipinas Aprueba la Abolición de la Pena de
Muerte. EL PAIS. Retrieved from http://internacional.elpais.com/
internacional/2006/06/07/ actualidad/1149631205_850215.html

Framed for Murder? Filipino Paco Larrañaga Speaks from Jail. (2007). Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmQeYIppWeg&feature=youtube_gdata_pla
yer

Give Up Tomorrow Wins. (2011). Heineken Audience Award!|Festival Features.
(n.d.).Tribeca Film. Retrieved from http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/
features/Give_Up_Tomorrow_Wins_2011_Heineken_Audience_Award.html

LD Agencias. (2005, October 5). El Rey y Zapatero pedirán Clemencia a la presidenta
filipina a favor del español condenado a muerte. LIbertad Digital Sociedad.
Retrieved from http://www.libertaddigital.com/sociedad/el-rey-y-zapatero-
pediran-clemencia-a-la-presidenta-filipina-a-favor-del-espanol-condenado-a-
muerte-1276262325/

Más de 210.000 personas piden a la presidenta de filipinas que no se ejecute a Paco
Larrañaga. (2005, October 10).Amnestía Internacional. Retrieved February 20,
2012, from http://www.es.amnesty.org/noticias/noticias/articulo/mas-de-210000-
personas-piden-a-la-presidenta-de-filipinas-que-no-se-ejecute-a-paco-
larranaga/Part 2: Crowdfunding, Investing and Donation 2.0.
(2008).Co>Innovative. Retrieved from http://coinnovative.com/part-2-
crowdfunding-investing-and-donation-20/

Public Service Unit. (2010, December 10). Statement of the Department of Foreign
Affairs on the Commemoration of Human Rights Day. The Philippines
Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved from http://dfa.gov.ph/main/
index.php/newsroom/dfa-releases/2225-statement-of-the-department-of-foreign-
affairs-on-the-commemoration-of-human-rights-day

44
Thoughtful Robot. (2011). Give Up Tomorrow. Website. Documentary Film. Retrieved
from http://freepaconow.com/

Thoughtful Robot. (2011). Filmmakers with Paco’s Family. (Photo credit for figure 8.
Filmmakers with Paco and family at screening in Spain.)

Thoughtful Robot. (2011). Free Paco Now Facebook Page. Retrieved from
https://www.facebook.com/FreePacoNow

Thoughtful Robot. (2011). Free Paco Now. Website. Documentary Film. Retrieved from
http://freepaconow.com/

Thoughtful Robot. (2011). Give Up Tomorrow Facebook Page. Retrieved from
http://www.facebook.com/giveuptomorrow

Thoughtful Robot. (2011). Paco with His Family. (Photo credit for figure 7. Paco with
family when he is granted 24-hour permit.)

Xinhua. (2007, May 21). Philippines, Spain sign treaty on transfer of sentenced prisoners.
www.people.com.cn. Retrieved from http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/
200705/21/eng20070521_376555.html

45
Appendix

Evolution of “Give Up Tomorrow” Film Production
Along with Digital Platforms and Social Media

Blue Timeline: Evolution of “Give Up Tomorrow” film production
Green Timeline: Development of digital platforms and social media

46
Evolution of “Give Up Tomorrow” Film Production
Along with Digital Platforms and Social Media

Blue Timeline: Evolution of “Give Up Tomorrow” film production
Green Timeline: Development of digital platforms and social media

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Asset Metadata

Creator Cubero del Barrio, Gemma (author)

Core Title Give up tomorrow: how documentary uses new digital platforms to create social change

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Specialized Journalism (The Arts)

Publication Date 05/02/2012

Defense Date 04/01/2012

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag documentary film,OAI-PMH Harvest,Philippines,social change,Social Justice,spain

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Anawalt, Sasha (committee chair), Callahan, Vicki (committee chair), Page, Tim (committee chair)

Creator Email gemmacubero2@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-25367

Unique identifier UC11288944

Identifier usctheses-c3-25367 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-CuberodelB-728.pdf

Dmrecord 25367

Document Type Thesis

Rights Cubero del Barrio, Gemma

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA