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International call for submissions

We are looking for Veterans with compelling personal stories to tell.

From anywhere on the globe.

So Proudly We Hailed is a musical webseries featuring veterans’ stories in their own words. This project is hosted by New Musicals Inc., a non-profit workshop which develops musicals for digital platforms and stage. This project is supported in part by the Helen and Jose Colton Foundation, the Peter Glenville Foundation, and the California Arts Council.

 
Honorees’ stories will be workshopped and filmed as musical video shorts.
You don’t have to be a writer or musician. You’ll join a creative team of composer, director, actor, and dramaturg to develop your story based on your own words.
Each story will be approximately 10-15 minutes long. These will be filmed as singular, one person musical monologues (in English).
We will register the piece through the Screen Actors Guild New Media Agreement. New Musicals Inc. will develop and produce each episode. Each honoree will receive $1000. Copyright will remain with the Veteran; you will own your work.

Submission deadline: March 1, 2022

Here’s what to submit.

  • Brief description of your story (100-200 words). This can be fairly casual prose … no need to write your story; just jot down the highlights of your story, or just chat into a phone. You canbe from any section of the armed forces, in any nation.
  • Optional: also send us a video or audio telling of the story if you like. Don’t worry about the quality of the  recording. A phone is fine.
  • Brief paragraph of your personal history (100-200 words).
  • Personal note. (100-200 words) Why do you want to tell this story. Who should hear your story?

For examples of stories we have already produced, check out the SO PROUDLY WE HAILED webpage.

Questions? Check out our FAQ.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I apply if I know absolutely nothing about music?
Absolutely! You do not need to know anything about music. We will match you with a professional team who will take care of all of that.

2. What do you mean by a compelling story?
Think of the application as a moment of after-dinner storytelling…you have a table of captivated people all listening to you. What one story would you like to share with them? Tell us about an incident during your service in which you felt particularly helpless, or particularly powerful or where there was a Moment of Decision.The incident does NOT need to be the most dramatic or harrowing or funny story ever told! Even the seemingly-ordinary incident will give the civilian insight into a veteran’s life and mind. Having said that, dramatic or funny would be GREAT.

3. Can I submit a song I wrote?
We’re looking for the story behind the song. Tell us that first. If your story is chosen, we might be able to incorporate your song into the musical, but don’t send us the song yet.

4. I produced a very professional music video. Can I submit that?
No. Our format is different. Check out our website to get examples.

5. Should I include a writing sample?
No. Just tell us the story you want to tell. If you get selected, our creative team will help you tell it.

6. Do I have to summarize my entire military career?
No. We need you to drill down and give us just one story from your time in the military. You may have spent thirty years in the military, but if you experienced one incident that lasted only five minutes during that thirty years, it’s the five minutes of that life changing experience or an incident you will never forget that we want to hear about.

7. Can I enter a story about my mom who served in Vietnam?
Yes. We had a son/father team who collaborated in the George Nolly story, for example.

8. Do I have to work with your creative team if I don’t want to have any part of the development process?
To a certain extent so we can tell your story as accurately as possible.

9. Can I submit more than one story?
Yes. You can submit up to two separate stories but use a separate application for each one.

10. What do you mean by we hold on to the rights?
That means that your story remains completely your story and you can tell it in any other format you want (novel, movie, television, poetry) without checking in with us or your collaborative team.

11. I served thirty years in the military and did many interesting things: Is that enough of a story?
Not quite. We are not looking for your resume. We want to hear about one story and how it shaped you and your outlook to the world around you.

12. Is this just for Americans?
We welcome and are excited to receive submissions from any country. If your story is chosen for development you will be paid via PayPal.

13. My story about my time in the military might be very negative and even shocking to civilians. Is that all right?
Yes. We are open to any kind of story.

14. Can my story be about any topic?
Sure! Can’t wait to see what you come up with as long as it’s true.

15. Does my story have to be true?
Yes.

16. What type of stories get chosen for development?
In the stories we choose, there’s always one thing, sometimes one very small thing that happened, something very down to earth and solid, something small and personal happened just to them that personalized the story to that particular veteran so it wasn’t just a large, sweeping event they were writing about like the war in Afghanistan. The war in Afghanistan is almost too big of a story for most people to grasp, but people can relate to a soldier who accidentally buys way too much bread for his unit so they can enjoy one Christmas dinner in between their patrols. Check out Addison Blu’s story on our webpage.

17. I am from a foreign country where English is not our first language. If my story is chosen, can I get it subtitled in my native language?
Yes, we were able to do that with our Portuguese veteran. His story was included in the United Nations Peacekeepers Day Celebrations. Check out The Messenger by Paulo Gonsalves on our webpage.

18. Can I submit an idea after the March 1 deadline?
Yes, we will allow rolling applications, but bear in mind it won’t be considered until the third season which could be 2023 or later and depends on funding. Your best chance for development is to submit by the March 1 2022 deadline.

19. I wrote a self-published book about my father’s service during WWII. Can I send you a copy of the book and let you choose a story?
No, please don’t - as we won’t have time to read it as part of the submission process. It would be great if you could pick the story. Watch the musicals on our website to get an idea on what we are looking for.

20. Do you have to be a combat veteran to get selected?
Definitely not. We currently have a story in the development queue about a bill collector, which she described as the worst job in the Air Force. She said there was no glamor, and she never got to go anywhere exciting. There was something universal and very “Everyman” about her experience; at the same time we understand that it takes all jobs and military occupational specialties to keep an Army/Navy/Air Force/Marines/Coast Guard/Space Force running smoothly.

21. My military career was pretty boring and I did nothing heroic. Is there any reason for me to apply?
Military life is unique and what a veteran may construe as “boring” would not necessarily be interpreted that way to a civilian. In fact, the “boring” aspect of the story might just make up the meat of the musical.

22. Do we get paid and if so how much?
You will receive an honorarium of $1000.

For any other questions, New Musicals keeps an Artistic Ambassador on staff who is a military veteran. Her name is Melissa and she remains very passionate about helping veterans get their stories told. If you have any questions, please send an email to admin@nmi.org

 

Submission Form for VETERANS

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