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Your story

SHARE YOUR STORY

We are collating stories of how people have been impacted by MIQ and New Zealand's border policy, to share on social media and with the media to help spread the word about the personal impacts of this system. If you would like to share your story, please complete the form below and indicate how you are happy for the story to be used. Only your first name and location will be published. Your email address may be used to contact you if we have further questions about your story. 

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How can we use your story? Select all that apply:

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Please note we are having some issues with the 'Thank you' messaging showing after you press submit, but rest assured we are receiving your stories when you fill in the form and press submit. 

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GROUNDED KIWIS VIDEO

General footage for use

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We would like people to film themselves, their families, and/or those who they are separated from sharing their experience. We need videos of no more than 1 minute. These videos may be compiled together, or shared individually on our social media platforms. 

 

Try to broadly cover the following:

 

  1. My name is .......(first name only)

  2. I’m currently in..................with/separated from ..............(any partner, children)

  3. I’ve been trying to get back (or leave NZ and get back) for…..(e.g. 3 months)

  4. What impact has MIQ had on you? What are you struggling with the most? How has it felt to be locked in or out of New Zealand? [choose one of these, which is the closest to you, and share.]

  5. I was number ……. in the lottery [if relevant to you]

 

If your partner/children/family/friends want to also share the impact of being separated, or if you want to include any snippets of them saying they miss you etc, screen records of zoom or whatsapp calls etc, feel free to also upload this kind of footage for us to edit in. We want this to be as ‘human’ as possible. 

 

Uploading footage

 

Please upload your footage to our drop box at the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/request/NfSK48HcM4Vb7Xsbuce5

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Instagram reels and videos

 

We need one minute Instagram reels or videos about who you're missing. Grounded Kiwis and supporters from NZ: describe missing your person/ people overseas. Grounded Kiwis offshore, please work with an onshore friend or family member and tell your story together. For inspiration, check out these reels on our Instagram:

  •  'Let my daughter come home'/ Texas sun/ Texas hat

  •  'Can't stop crying'/ Bob Marley

  •  'Today is mum's 60th'/ Runaround Sue

  •  'When will you FIXMIQ?/ 'My life has so much more meaning'

 

How to make stories/a reel

  1. Jot down a few ideas or words covering:

    • What impact the border closure/MIQ has had on you and them?

    • What are you or they struggling with the most?

    • Have you or they missed anything significant?

    • How has it felt to be locked apart from each other, in or out of New Zealand?  If relevant note number(s) in previous lottery(ies).

  2. Pick or take photos or videos from your phone of people/ places/ pets etc that illustrate your story. Be as creative as you like. If taking new videos, you can speak 'face to cam'* (tips below).

  3. Go to Instagram Stories - which acts like a basic design software - to make a set of story images that can be used for storytelling in a reel. 

  4. Press the + button; create a new story and tap bottom left to upload each pic or video one at a time.

  5. Edit each to how you'd like them to look, leaving 2 cm with just image at the top and bottom, and 1cm at the sides, for example:

    • Write 3-4 words on top of each from your notes, using the Aa icon and various font and backing colour options. Use the slider on the left to re-size the writing. Use the colour selector tool to pick a colour from the image to have them match.

    • Use the sticker icon and + cards icon to add other images on top of your original image.

    • Use the sticker item and search and add Gifs (which will be saved 2D). 

  6. Don't post your story.. instead, click cross top left and under the discard menu, click save draft. Repeat for multiple 'designed' images.

  7. Press the + again to start new reel.

  8. Click the plus bottom left to upload your drafts & scale to crop out Instagram guff.

  9. Move the right-hand white line to the left to choose how long the pic should be displayed for and click add. Repeat for all pics.

  10. Click sound icon; search; choose and add music, sliding the song at the bottom to have the piece/ lyrics you think works best.

  11. Press Preview, then Next. Then write a 1-2 sentence caption with 3 words capitalised and the rest in normal sentences, conveying the main messages in the video. Type and tag hashtags #GroundedKiwis #fixmiq #fixtheborder #newzealand.

  12. Unclick 'also share on feed'.

  13. Crop profile image.

  14. VERY IMPORTANT: Click 'Tag people', search and tag @groundedkiwis.

  15. Click 'Share'.

 

Filming tips

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  • If you are recording on your phone, ensure your camera is horizontal not vertical UNLESS filming for instagram, in which case please use vertical

  • If you want to film using a camera, make sure you have it propped on something and you are fully in frame. 

  • If you are using your phone, please set your phone to highest capture. On iPhone, go to Settings> Camera> and select 4k at 30FPS.  

  • Check to make sure any sunlight is in front of you not behind you.

  • Make sure the backdrop behind you is not too busy, and that you are not somewhere noisy. 

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