View source for Zoptions: Focusing on Your Future (lost Canadian children's educational film; 1990s)

    {{InfoboxLost
    |title=<center>Zoptions: Focusing on Your Future</center>
    |image=19921103_Squamish_Times-15 (Thumbnail).png
    |imagecaption=An ad by the Canadian Minister of State for Youth in the ''Squamish Times'' mentioning ''Zoptions'' for “Canada Career Week 1992”.
    |status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
    }}
'''''Zoptions: Focusing on Your Future''''' (also called '''''Zoptions : L'objectif : votre avenir''''') is a short educational film about showing children possible career paths created for the Canadian government in the early 90s to be shown across Canadian schools and accompanied by a curriculum and workbook.

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== Synopsis ==
''Zoptions'' is about a group of five children at a video arcade playing a cabinet called “Zoptions” that shows them possible career paths and futures that they could pursue and teaches them about the importance of completing their education so that they get said jobs. It promotes ideas of entrepreneurship, life-long learning, and sound career planning. Teachers’ guides also mention its use in anti-dropout prevention, which goes with the idea of completing one's education. It was part of a module in Albertan schools called ''Stay In--You Win''<ref>[https://archive.org/details/stayinyouwinproj00albe/page/n53/mode/2up ''Stay In–You Win'' module one project overview (1992)]. Retrieved 6 Aug '22</ref>. There was likely a sort-of mascot for the game called “Zoppy," an eyeball.<ref>[https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=8479.msg183986#msg183986 2007 ''Slap Magazine'' forum post on "stupid movie ideas".] Retrieved 6 Aug ‘22</ref>

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== Background ==
According to a page on the Canadian government’s ''TERMIUM Plus'' database, “The video was produced in 1989 by R. Charbonneau Productions, Inc. for Employment and Immigration Canada, now Human Resources Development Canada.”<ref>[https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=&index=alt&srchtxt=ZOPTIONS%20OBJECTIF%20VOTRE%20AVENIR 1997 ''TERMIUM Plus'' database page on ''Zoptions.''] Retrieved 6 Aug ‘22 </ref> The site also claims that the film is an “International award winner," though no proof of this could be found. A ''WorldCat'' listing also lists the Canadian Ministry of State for Youth as another author for the film. While the ''TERMIUM'' page lists a production date as 1989, the ''WorldCat'' article gives a copyright date of 1991<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/title/745929320 ''WorldCat'' listing for ''Zoptions: Focusing on Your Future.''] Retrieved 6 Aug ‘22 </ref>, though an Albertan teaching guide says 1990<ref>[https://archive.org/details/journeymansguide00albe/page/30/mode/2up ''A Journeyman's guide to preparing career talks'' (1993).] Retrieved 6 Aug ‘22</ref>, other given dates may vary.

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== Availability ==
It was released on VHS in both French and English, with a runtime between 10-15 minutes (One listing has 12 minutes<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/title/741401348 ''WorldCat'' listing for ''Zoptions : L'objectif : votre avenir.''] Retrieved 1 Apr ‘23</ref>), running for 20<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/title/317623421 ''WorldCat'' listing for French and English ''Zoptions'' VHS.] Retrieved 1 Apr ‘23</ref>-24<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/title/70474236 Different ''WorldCat'' listing for bilingual ''Zoptions'' VHS.] Retriever 1 Apr ‘23</ref> minutes including the French version seemingly sometimes included on the tape. The ''Zoptions'' video was likely also shown with other videos, such as ''Rap-O-Matics'' and ''Borderline High''<ref>[https://squamishlibrary.digitalcollections.ca/uploads/r/squamish-public-library/2/0/20704/19921103_Squamish_Times.pdf November 1992 ''Squamish Times'' newspaper.] Retrieved 6 Aug ‘22</ref>, in some schools, which is possibly why one source lists the run time as 57:38<ref>[https://maria.cloud.constellio.com/constellio/dl?id=00000031449 ''Société d'Histoire et de Généalogie Maria-Chapdelaine'' digital directory.] Retrieved 6 Aug ‘22</ref>. That and that this is possibly a TV broadcast recording.

It was given out to schools across the country as a teaching aid and in some provinces came with a "Facilitators Handbook"<ref>[https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED441309.pdf 'NEADS ''Career Choices For Youth With Disabilities'', July 1997 resource package.] Retrieved 1 Apr ‘23</ref> which was used with teaching modules and packages called ''Stay In–You Win'' that focused on dropout prevention. The ''Stay In–You Win'' program was made for Alberta, though the ''Zoptions'' video was shown in schools around Canada, evidenced by newspaper articles from B.C and NewfoundLand<ref>[http://lib-lespaul.library.mun.ca/PDFs/gaboteur/Vol09No11Avril1993.pdf April 1993 issue of Newfoundland ''Le Gaboteur.''] Retrieved 6 Aug ‘22</ref> and a Québecois history society. It was, again, produced in Ottawa and there is an anecdotal account of it from P.E.I.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/lostmedia/comments/wdr4yn/fully_lost_zoptions_focusing_on_your_future_1991/ ''Reddit'' post mentioning a library in Charlottetown, PEI which had ''Zoptions''.] Retrieved 1 Apr, ‘23</ref>

A listing for ''Zoptions'' on Library and Archives Canada officially has the run time as 23:45 and has the production and release date as 1989<ref>[https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?app=filvidandsou&IdNumber=314661&q=Zoptions Library and Archives Canada listing.] Retrieved 1 Apr, '23</ref>. It also has Les Productions R. Charbonneau Inc. as the production company and the government as its sponsor, which is the same as the ''TERMIUM Plus'' listing. With its language being listed as both French and English it can be assumed that this has both versions of the film on the same tape, though it is unknown why some ''WorldCat'' listings have varying runtimes and release dates. 

One ''WorldCat'' listing for ''Stay In–You Win'' specifically mentions a ''Zoptions'' VHS in its contents, with a runtime of 25 minutes<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/title/1312976999 ''WorldCat'' listening for ''Stay In–You Win'' with ''Zoptions''.] Retrieved 6 Aug ‘22</ref>. This is the longest runtime given for just the Zoptions tape. Along with the four module packets, it makes mention of the facilitator's handbook, again.

The document from the Québec historical society mentions ''Zoptions'' and its aforementioned 57-minute runtime lists a ''YouTube'' link that is supposedly a recording of ''Zoptions'' and whatever else made up the nearly one-hour runtime. The video is private and no archives of it exist. This source also gives the year 1992.

Lastly, the Library and Archives Canada page shows that it is possible to buy a copy of the film with the express written permission of the current copyright holder.

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== Gallery ==
    <gallery mode=packed heights=175px>
    19921103_Squamish_Times-15.png|An ad for Zoptions in the ''Squamish Times.''
    ERIC_ED351633-44.png|''Zoptions'' mentioned ''Stay In–You Win'' module three.
    </gallery>

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== See Also ==
*[[Rap-O-Matics: Catch the Beat of Science and Maths (lost Canadian children's educational film; 1991)|Rap-O-Matics: Catch the Beat of Science and Maths (lost Canadian children's educational film; 1991)]]
*[[Borderline High (lost Canadian afterschool special; 1992)|Borderline High (lost Canadian afterschool special; 1992)]]*

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== External Links ==
*[https://www.worldcat.org/title/741401348 First ''WorldCat'' listing for ''Zoptions.'']
*[https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED351633/page/n43/mode/2up ''Stay In–You Win'' module three.]
*[https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&srchtxt=ZOPTIONS%20OBJECTIF%20VOTRE%20AVENIR&i=&index=alt&sg_kp_wet=1573517&fchrcrdnm=1#fichesauve-saverecord1 ''TERMIUM Plus'' page.]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiDyW0U6YCA Private ''YouTube'' video.]

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== References ==

    [[Category:Lost films]]
    [[Category:Completely lost media]]