Paid-Per-View: Utilizing the Power of Video to Inspire Compassion

“Paid-Per-View” is a challenge in which we invite people to watch a 4-minute segment of the 12-minute eye-opening MFA documentary Farm to Fridge, and afterwards they receive a dollar.

Exposing consumers to the realities of modern animal agriculture is a powerful way to inspire change. With your help, we can reach thousands of people with a message of compassion and help give farmed animals the respect and consideration they deserve.

Paid-Per-View screenings are often held on college campuses but can also work at indoor festivals or other venues. Interested in hosting a Paid-Per-View event, but don’t want to cough up the cash yourself? Good news – VegFund, a vegan outreach non-profit, can fund your Paid-Per-View events so you don’t have to use your own money to pay participants. Click here for more information on funding and how to apply.

After watching only a few minutes of Farm to Fridge, many people walk away swearing never to eat animals again. We hope you take advantage of the Paid-Per-View program and utilize the power of video to inspire others to choose compassion.

Click here to download the 4-minute version of the film for your event.

How to Set Up the Event

1. Choose a popular area that many people walk by. Locations such as libraries, the Student Union building or Main building on college campuses where student groups can table are usually good spots.
2. Contact the college administration to reserve a space (near a power outlet) for the day you plan on holding the “Paid-Per-View” event.
3. Set up monitors or laptops. It’s ideal to have 4 monitors, but even one can have a huge impact for farmed animals.
4. Create a viewing booth out of black foam board or cardboard. This is to create a personal experience for the viewer as well as raise curiosity of other people passing by. Here is an example:

   

5. Test the video to make sure that the video works and the sound is working on each setup.
6. Set up headphones with each monitor so participants will be able to hear the documentary as well as have a personal experience.
7. Set up chairs with each monitor so participants can get comfortable and focus only on the documentary.
8. Download our free sign to attract passersby to your table. It reads, “We’ll Pay You $1.00 to Watch This 4-Minute Video.”
9. Display literature on your table. Mercy For Animals’ Vegetarian Starter Kit contains thought-provoking information about the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of a plant-based diet, as well as many vegan recipes and can be ordered online from the MFA Literature Store.

The Screening

1. Once your exhibit is ready to go, stand by the signs to warmly invite people to take the "challenge." You can keep it simple and say, “We’ll give you one dollar to watch this 4-minute video.”
2. Bring individuals interested in taking the challenge to an unoccupied seat in front of a viewing booth, and set them up with the headphones and start the DVD.
3. Afterwards, hand them a Vegetarian Starter Kit with a dollar bill inside, and thank them for watching. For some people it may be their first time watching the reality behind modern animal agriculture, so make sure to be friendly with them and answer any questions they may have. If you don’t know the answer to a question it’s okay to refer them to ChooseVeg.com for more information.

   

Funding and Other Materials

Now that you know how to set up a Paid-Per-View event and how to hold the screenings, how are you going to come up with the money to pay people a dollar for each viewing? What about the other materials? No worries! We’ve got you covered.

• Money – This is where the good people at VegFund come in. VegFund is an organization with the goal “to empower vegan activists worldwide by funding and supporting outreach activities that inspire people to choose a vegan lifestyle.” A simple application is all that’s necessary to request financial support. Once approved, you can receive funding for the dollar incentive.
• DVDs – Click here to download the four minute version of Farm to Fridge, along with instructions on how to burn the film onto a DVD. Click here to order a free copy of the full length version of the film.
• Literature – MFA's Vegetarian Starter Kit can be ordered online from the MFA Literature Store. Feel free to display your own animal rights literature or check out the other brochures available in the Literature Store.
• Other Equipment – The table, monitors/laptops, chairs, headphones, and viewing booth can be provided by members in your animal rights group or by the hosting college or library.

If you plan on holding multiple Paid-Per-View events, you can request even more free equipment to be sure that your event is a success!

• DVD players – Click here to request free 9" portable DVD players from A Well Fed World to show Farm to Fridge.
• Headphones, headphone splitters & viewing booths – You can request this free equipment by emailing Farm Animal Rights Movement.

If you have any questions on setting up a Paid-Per-View event, please send an email to info@mercyforanimals.org.