Does Film Have a Role To Play In Shark Conservation?

Photo by the amazing Michael Patrick O'Neill

Marine Conservation is a pretty big thing nowadays, to the point where it regularly gets media exposure and every day on Social Media, I am being asked to sign a petition to do with some aspect of saving/protecting some form of marine eco-system or animal.

Once the preserve of the scientific community, Marine Conservation is now so mainstream that a phrase now exists for ordinary members of the community getting involved in Scientific research and studies, "Citizen Science." I don't really like that term though to be honest, science is science even if it's carried out by people who aren't actual "scientists" and the disconnect between the two is something I feel only serves to alienate the everyman further from the scientific community.

I'm interested in Marine Science and Science in general but more in its practical application and its effects in the outside world, I have no desire to sit indoors writing papers or any of that stuff, I like what it teaches me and I like how it helps me understand the world and without the people who actually want to do the paper shuffling and late nights behind a computer, I wouldn't have that so they are undoubtedly a valuable commodity.

However, more and more of the scientific community are now creeping out from the labs and classrooms into the social media world and utilising Twitter and Facebook to spread news of their work, take Matt Taylor, he of the ludicrous "Shirtgate" controversy in which he was the victim of a baying (albeit small) online mob of people desperate to be outraged by something who single handedly ruined his experience of achieving something truly, mindbogglingly incredible with his life and bullied him into a tearful apology on TV all for the heinous crime of wearing an awesome shirt. Regardless of all that, Taylor is clearly a cool guy, the opposite of what many think of when they think "Scientist." He's a rockabilly type dude, tattooed with a love for cool music and the esoteric, he's engaging, funny and clearly, astonishingly intelligent and because of all that, people who don't normally "like" science, like him and as such, it helps to inform "ordinary" people further about the work he and his colleagues undertake.

There are others of course, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye and so on, all of whom are proving a bit of a hit with Twitter, not only that, there is of course I Fucking Love Science with almost 20 million likes on Facebook. Some are, of course, better than others, more entertaining than others and most importantly, more engaging than others. Whilst there are those who stick to sharing their work, there are others who invite us into their lives and those who, through having a few Twitter followers are now actively courting the media as they attempt to grow their own perceived "celebrity" status.

With this growth in the use of Social Media outreach, has come more interest in using Film and Video as a tool to spread word of their ongoing research and this is something being embraced most by non-scientists and that is the point of this blog.

A Scientist and Film-Maker are two totally different things, Film is art and Science is the pursuit of knowledge. Facts are facts whereas art is a subjective thing in which reality can be manipulated, messages can be hidden and in which interpretation is something which may differ from individual to individual so how can the two worlds meet? How can something as "rigid" as science be presented in art which by its very nature is totally open to personal interpretation?

Well, it can and has been for centuries but it's not easy and is a scientist the best person to create art which highlights his work? Short answer, no, he is not, much like if my car broke down, I wouldn't ask an Opera Tenor to fix it.

Of course there are exceptions, Scientists who are skilled Film-Makers and Film-Makers who have an expert understanding of Science but with Marine Conservation Science, it's slightly different because it's all about hearts and minds, you need to get people to care about your science if you want it to be effective and simply grabbing a camcorder and telling people about your findings will not do that because your intended audience simply won't have an interest in watching it, you need to make them care and doing so in Film is very difficult and a skill not many people have.

I saw a Twitter discussion a while back where one scientist was asking others about "making a video" about their work, i.e. doing it themselves and at no point in the long discussion did anyone even think of suggesting they actually speak to a Film-Maker and get their advice. They've got a camera and iMovie so it's easy right? Wrong. Yes you could shoot something and cut it together but it being any good and actually engaging enough to reach an audience is another and although its all very well if your friends, family and other Scientists watch it, it's of no use whatsoever if your film and therefore message, fails to reach a wide audience.

There are also those, often lamented (rightly so) by the Scientific community who are making films about Marine Conservation issues and getting the Science completely wrong so therefore spreading a message which is at best misleading, at worst damaging to the cause as a whole.

All this highlights the single biggest problem, the Scientific and Creative communities just don't communicate with each other enough.

Mallorca Stingray Survey

Now of course, the big stumbling block is money, no professional worth his salt will work for free on what could be a long, arduous and time intensive Film project because, believe it or not, we have bills, rent, kids etc and we have to eat, not only that, we don't conjure up the thousands of pounds worth of equipment we use (and need) out of thin air. You don't work for free, why should we?

With that in mind, Science is not an industry where money is easy to come by and that brings me on to my next point, another recent Twitter discussion, that of crowdfunding scientific research projects. This is actually a great idea but if you're going to do this, first of all, speak to a proper Film-Maker with experience of this kind of work and discuss what you want from your film and most of all, listen, he or she knows a lot more about this kind of stuff than you do. When you have your idea, find out how much it will cost to make, don't offer them a figure you've plucked out of thin air, actually ask them. When you know, add it to the figure you need to crowd fund, don't do what so many others do, raise an amount then ask a professional to work for free because you didn't plan your campaign properly.

You may be planning to make the film yourself, after all, you have a GoPro and a Mac and you're a PADI Open Water Diver, that's all you need right? If you have £20,000 to spend on your wedding, would you get Uncle Bob to do the photos because he has a DSLR or do you hire a pro?...

If you're a Film-Maker with dreams of making a Marine Conservation film, talk to experts in the field and get your content rock solid and not just scientists either. If a Scientist is an expert on Shark Biology and spends their life in classrooms, labs, or on boats but barely, if any, time in the water, can they ever claim to be an expert on the shark behaviour in your location? No, they can't, speak to the divers who spend every day in the water with the sharks as well as others who can give you the expert insight you need. You may have seen a few documentaries and read a few books, that doesn't make you an expert, make sure to include those who are!

When I began my career as a Film-Maker I did it for two reasons, neither of which are particularly noble, I wanted to make myself happy and nobody was making the films I want to see so just figured I'd just do it myself. Overly dry and science heavy films bored me to tears and the hyper-sensationalist macho man/hippy chick films were equally as boring with the added annoyance factor thrown in, nobody was making films about real people and most importantly, where was the storytelling?

So can using film media help your cause? Undoubtedly, I know this from personal experience, A Ray of Light helped raise upwards of 80,000 Euros for Asociacion Ondine to fund ongoing grass roots conservation projects, of which I didn't take a single penny (I actually paid for that production out of my own money) and A Ray of Light II is proving hugely popular, most importantly with ordinary people of all ages who are now showing passionate interest in the marine animals in their own back yard.

 

A Ray of Light II from Scarlet View Media on Vimeo.

A Ray of Light II focuses more on the actual work undertaken by Asociacion Ondine so fits the style more appropriate for all you Scientists out there, the idea however, still being to engage the public through a story they can relate to, thus drawing them in to the actual research project itself.

The reason this was such a successful production was down to something extremely simple. The Research team (proper scientists) were left to do what they do best, I had complete control over the production of the film and the boat crew were in charge of running the boat. Much as I didn't tell the Research drew how to tag the Stingrays, they didn't try to tell me how to do my job, in short, the experts were allowed to do what they're experts at and the results are clear.



"Of Shark and Man" Teaser Trailer 3 (Letterboxed Version) from Scarlet View Media on Vimeo.

With Of Shark and Man which will be released this year, this is undoubtedly the most in-depth look at the Shark Reef story in existence and also the most comprehensive look at Shark Feeding on film certainly and probably anywhere else but that aside, this was always intended to be a hugely ambitious and complex piece of art, Marine Conservation inspiration delivered through absolute free creative expression.

Put simply, if you believe your Scientific work and credentials deserve the absolute best, do not scrimp on your film output if that's an area you want to explore and do not think it's something you can do yourself. Speak to Film-Makers with the appropriate expertise and if you're a Film-Maker, don't cut out the Scientific community, we should all be working together and remember, some people are made to be in front of a camera, others are not, if you have an ego, leave it at home, it won't do you any good in the long run.

A Ray of Light II Going Live on Monday, December 8th

Ready and waiting for you!

It's not been easy sitting on A Ray of Light II for so long, it seems like forever really, but I'm excited to say that it will finally see the light of day on an internet near you sometime around midday UK time on Monday, December 8th.

If you haven't already seen them, please do take a bit of time to check out Lockie's two "Making Of" featurettes below:

The three weeks in Mallorca shooting the film was a big challenge to say the least, exhausting both physically and mentally and at times emotionally draining and it shows in the film.

Whereas the first film was a pretty straightforward affair, this was anything but and has a far more expansive, documentary feel to it. As opposed to taking a retrospective look at things that have already happened, A Ray of Light II gives you an insight into things as they happen and an intimate and deeply personal look at how Brad's life has changed in the two years from the first film.

It's a longer film, coming in at just under 29 minutes, the cinematography is better, the sound is better, the story is better and the overall look of the film is a vast improvement from the first, which people still comment very favourably on. The post production of the film was a big job, much bigger than I expected and I think the time and effort I took to get the film how I wanted really shows in the finished result.

A small group of people have already seen the film outside of the premiere and feedback from both has all been overwhelmingly positive so I'm pretty confident if you liked the first, you'll hopefully like (maybe even really like) A Ray of Light II.

As with the first film, A Ray of Light II will be free to view online wherever you are in the world (barring maybe North Korea), that doesn't mean it was a cheap production, far from it! With that in mind, Vimeo's "Tip Jar" feature will be enabled so if you enjoy the film and want to show your appreciation, feel free to chuck a few quid/dollars/yen/whatever in there, every little bit helps recoup costs but of course there is no obligation.

I do ask though that if you enjoy it and value the film and/or the project featured within, that you share the film on your Social Media, Blogs and Websites with a description of why you're sharing it, the more people aware of the work of small, independent Conservation orgs like Asociacion Ondine, the better, they really are a shining light in the marine conservation world.

So, set a reminder, mark your calendars, A Ray of Light II is out this coming Monday. As always, feedback is warmly welcomed!

A Ray of Light II - Behind The Scenes Films

A pic from my time in Palma

I've just got back to the UK from five weeks in Palma on a commercial film shoot for a plastic pollution educational film, not only that, it was also the premiere for A Ray of Light II which was a huge success. If you're wondering where the film is, it will be out in the next few weeks and I can't wait for you all to see it, those who have, all seem to have very passionate feelings about it, or at least various aspects and it certainly created a lot of discussion about its content, to the degree where it wasn't unusual to hear the film being discussed in the bars of Palma by people completely unaware that people responsible for it were within earshot and totally unable to avoid listening in! That was a pretty weird experience for me!

The filming process for part II was much longer, much more complex and a more intense experience, I knew it would be beforehand so enlisted the help of the newest addition to the Scarlet View Media team, Lachlan Stewart-Baker, or as he's better known, "Lockie".

Lockie is new to Film-Making but he's super passionate, enthusiastic and a great person to have on set. For  a big project like this with a lot of expectation attached, it would have been much easier, maybe even more sensible to take someone with experience but Lockie's biggest attribute is his attitude and willingness to get involved and learn.

To help Lockie gain experience in both shooting and editing, alongside helping with the shooting of the film itself, I asked him to make a Behind The Scenes film of the process. I think BTS featurettes are great, they are an excellent promotional tool and really help a viewer engage with the people involved in the production and thus, hopefully, the story in the film itself.

I'm really happy to say that Lockie has now finished his BTS film, which he has split into two parts and I think he's done a great job!

They films feature footage from A Ray of Light II and also, of course, some BTS stuff and both are based around an interview I did with Lockie for which he had total control over the content. I offered advice here and there when asked but these are without doubt, Lockie's own work and he should receive all the credit for their creation. So, here they are!

Part 1:

 

Part 2:






Let us know what you think and if you like them, please share them on your social media groups and pages, not only do they give an insight into the film itself, but also highlights the massive amount of effort which went into making it and if you're in Palma, Lockie owns Mojo Bar so pop in, buy a beer and say hello!

Great stuff Lockie!

A Ray of Light II Premiere!

Photo by Vicki McLeod

I'm still on a shoot in Mallorca so super busy and as such, instead of doing a separate version, I'll just direct you to this very short post about the premiere of A Ray of Light II last week!

Enjoy and keep checking for the update here as to when you can see it for yourself!

A Ray of Light II Is On It's Way

It's been a manic few months. The first cut of "Of Shark and Man" is on it's way to California so the Sound Design stems can be added.

If you don't know what Sound Design is, it's basically the creation of sound, its manipulation, mixing and mastering, all of which gives the viewer more of an emotional and sensory experience. Some films have a simple, more straight ahead sound design, especially in factual film, however, having gone down a far more complex and ambitious route, we have hundreds of sounds to mix in a cohesive way which will hopefully give you a fuller viewing experience and aid in the narrative of the film. We will end up with a mix of four "stems," one each for the narrative, voice over, topside ambiance and underwater sound, however, currently we have fifty so David Lawrie has his work cut out but what we have sounds incredible!

As post production on "Of Shark and Man" has been reaching completion, alongside commercial work for various clients, I have been putting the finishing touches to "A Ray of Light II."



A Ray of Light from Scarlet View Media on Vimeo.

If you haven't seen the first film, predictably entitled, "A Ray of Light," you can do so above.

The film took me by surprise in the level of success it attained, headlining various film festivals around the world and having been viewed to date, in 151 countries. I'd always intended to do a sequel because the reaction to Brad and his work was overwhelmingly positive, indeed, as more people saw the film, the level of support for Brad's work increased to the stage where he was able to raise sponsorship to start Asociacion Ondine, an official non-profit, grassroots marine conservation organisation based on the island.

I don't want to give too much away but A Ray of Light II is a longer film (29 minutes) much less retrospective with a first person insight into Asociacion Ondine's biggest conservation project to date (a Stingray tagging expedition) and has much more by way of content. It focuses on the effects the first film had on Brad's life and conservation on the island, the growth of Asociacion Ondine, the huge changes to Brad's personal life and also confronts the challenges and more controversial aspects of marine conservation in Mallorca. Where the first was something of a vignette, the sequel is a more rounded, documentary style film which asks the difficult questions and gives the important answers.


In short, I am really, really proud of it.

Production-wise the film was shot on two Canon 7D's, various L Series and EF-S Lenses, about 6 GoPros (meaning lots of mounted POV type shots) and two aerial drones. Sound was captured on a Zoom H1n, Rode Video Mic and Rode Video Mic Pro and underwater sequences were filmed primarily on 7D in a Nauticam housing, with two Sola 1200 lights, with some additional footage captured with GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition, both mounted and hand held.

Post-Production was all done on Adobe Production Premium CS6 on a custom built Novatech edit suite and graded in Da Vinci Resolve Lite 10 with a few of my secret little tricks added on top (they stay secret!) Sound Design was mixed and mastered by David Lawrie on Logic on Mac.

As always, big thanks to the awesome Fourth Element, Apeks and Aqualung!


A very small handful of people have seen it and the feedback has been pretty overwhelming to be honest, so far all but one have admitted to shedding a few tears (the one who hasn't, I think may have at least experienced a little moistening ;) ) and all seem to feel this is a big leap forward in terms of the quality of everything.

A Ray of Light II gets its full premiere at Palma Aquarium, in Mallorca on October 30th, where they will also be screening the first film, Gabriel Morey will be giving details of findings of the Stingray Survey to date and Brad, Gabriel and myself will also be doing a Q&A session so if you're on the island, make sure to get down and see it!

The film will then get an online release (free of charge again) some time in November and will be hopefully hitting some festivals next year.

To make sure you are amongst the first to see it when it's out, join here and here as all details will be posted there and there will also be a "Making Of" featurette as well!


** By the way, if you haven't already seen the great news, please have a read of Mike's blog here!**

June 6th in Falmouth...Get Yourselves There!

 One of many international screenings of A Ray of Light

Bit of a heads up for you English people, especially those of you lucky enough to live in the Cornwall area...

On Thursday June 6th, the international touring film festival, Beneath The Waves finally reaches our shores and not only will A Ray of Light be screened on the night (which it is at every Beneath The Waves screening around the world) but I will also be there in person, to give a brief talk about this film, "Of Shark and Man" and a little bit about how I ended up in a position to call myself a professional Film-Maker and Cinematographer.

The Falmouth Beneath The Waves Film Festival is being held at The Poly on June 6th and will feature films and still photography from some passionate and brilliantly talented people and, if I am correct in thinking, is followed by drinks and a chance to meet new people and discuss, amongst other things, the films on show earlier in the evening.

If you can't make it to Falmouth, I will be at Robin Hood Watersports on June 12th to screen A Ray of Light and do a bit of a presentation as part of their open night as they launch their new travel centre.

The London Eco Film Festival was apparently a huge success. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it to the event but I am told photos from the night will be available soon.

I'm really excited about the Falmouth Film Festival, I love Cornwall and it will be the first time I will have seen one of my films in a cinema setting so it should be a great evening and one at which I would love to see as many of you as possible!

Thanks to everyone who has so far taken part in the shark feeding discussion on the last blog which, for the most part, has been a really well informed, balanced and intelligent discussion. If you know someone who has opinions on the issue and wants to discuss it away from the crazies and angry lunatics you find on social media, feel free to invite them over!

Finally, if you haven't already, make sure to get your hands on a copy of the current issue of Sport Diver and check out my five page, cover article about the experience of my final dive on Shark Reef!

Of Shark and Man update and more good news about A Ray of Light!!

 Missy, hard at work editing

How's about an update?

Of Shark and Man

Serious progress has been made over the last few weeks to the point where I am now 1 hour and 14 minutes in with only three main sections left to edit. I was always wondering if the film would hit ninety minutes and it looks like the first cut will go slightly beyond that. That is not me trying to stretch the film out by the way, it's merely that I want to cover everything properly and not just fly through everything to get you to the commercials quicker! 

I really dislike the modern day trend of just glossing over everything, giving you the minimum you need to class the film as "factual" and then trying to create some kind of drama where there is none. This film is jam packed with content, talking points and even a bit of controversy and I want to do the story justice so I'm not concerned about its length.

I have a few bits and pieces I want to film which will only take a couple of days and two of the remaining three sections are quite straightforward although one is very complex but I am tentatively saying that the first time line for Of Shark and Man will be completed by July. Yes, you read that right, this is the first time I've put a completion timescale on the edit, that's pretty big news.

The animation team have been hard at work and I have to give extra special mention to Lian for her heroic efforts so far and to Faeez for offering to help animate a bar graph for me. They are an incredibly talented group who I am over the moon to have on board as part of this film, thanks to them, a vital aspect of the story will be presented in a fitting way. I cannot wait to see their finished work!

When the first cut is done, I will colour correct and grade it, before recording the voice-over with Adam and Liam at the Banter Media Studios in Manchester. Following that, Mark and I will sit down to the arduous task of sound design and soundtrack, including composing and recording bespoke pieces for the film as well as using music from other talented musicians, including Chris Zabriskie, an ever present in all my film work.

Aside from actually constructing the film, I have also been coming up with a plan for promotion and release. I will start work on the second Teaser Trailer next week, focusing more on the sharks this time. This will be accompanied by something else connected to the film's promotion which will go a long way to determining how successful this film can be so please, make sure to keep an eye out for that.

I do have a few things I am very keen to do, when the first cut is done the first thing will be a small batch of individual test screenings for industry friends, other film-makers and objective voices, so that I can look at ways the edit can be improved. When those improvements are made, I will then move on to a few small scale test screenings for members of the public so I can evaluate their feedback and again, if any changes need making, I can make those changes.

That's when things will get interesting. Some of you reading this will be contacted about receiving a pre-release copy of the film to watch and review on your blogs, websites, video channels, newsletters and websites. I already know most of the people who will be contacted and you will know a lot more about it nearer the time.

After that, it will be an official premiere screening for members of the press and public before the film festival submissions start.

It's all getting rather exciting now!

 A Ray of Light

Another film festival has requested A Ray of Light to screen at their event. The London Eco Film Festival which takes place on Sunday May the 12th and I will be there if I am able to attend. At this stage, it's not listed on the website but that's only because I haven't sent the DVD yet, that will be going next Tuesday. This will be the first public screening in the UK of "A Ray of Light"

On Thursday June the 6th, the UK stop of the Beneath the Waves Film Festival in Falmouth, at The Poly, will be screening A Ray of Light and not only that, I will be introducing the film and even doing a Q&A session afterwards. Please feel free to come along, watch some films by some talented people and ply me with alcohol in the bar afterwards.

Have a top weekend!

A Ray of Light Just Keeps On Truckin'!

Beneath The Waves 2013 line up

You probably all know the story by now. Went to Mallorca, shot a short film, released it for free on the internet, film gets seen in over 120 countries, helps start a community conservation project in Mallorca, gets shown on TV and now, I am very pleased to say, in the most recent stage of its story, film gets included in one of the biggest marine film festivals around!

Beneath The Waves 2013 opening in Savannah, Georgia, has 63 films on this years roster, meaning many of the films will be alternated in the various venues, however, I am incredibly proud to be able to report that, from the guys behind the festival themselves;

"Your film's first screening will be at the Beneath the Waves Film Festival in Savannah, Georgia on March 21-24, 2013. We also plan on bringing Ray of Light on the road with us as a headlining film for our mini-festivals around the world, especially in Europe...with festivals planned in Germany, Iceland, Portugal, Spain, the UK, throughout Oceania, and the US."

"A headlining film..." Wow! That is awesome!

This film just won't go away (not that I want it too of course!) We had zero budget and the whole thing was a one camera shoot, filming as and when I could, often without the film's stars knowing they were being filmed. They had no idea what the film would be like either so it was interesting to see their response especially and the response from the public, which has been overwhelming really. There was no fanfare, just a quiet online release and all of a sudden it kind of went everywhere and just kept on going, so this is another big win for our tiny little film!

Huge thanks go to the stupendously talented Chris Zabriskie for his music which lends so much to the film's emotional journey and of course, to Brad and Bea about whom, this film is very much a love story in some ways and a testament to their sacrifice, dedication and determination.

If you go to one of the festival dates and you get to see A Ray of Light, please let us know what you think!

Congratulations to all the film-makers whose work is being featured in this year's festival, you can be assured that much expense, effort, sweat and toil has gone into every single one of the featured films, so if Beneath The Waves comes to your town, go down and see what's on offer and support the talent on show, more often than not, made at the film-maker's expense with zero support in doing so and if any of the film-makers are there, buy them a beer and give them some feedback! They deserve it :)

Thanks to Austin and all at BTW for supporting my little film with a big heart.

Behind Blue Glass and Monetizing Video

 Xisco Perez and I on his boat, "Katy"

I was having a chat with a very good friend of mine on Saturday in Manchester, who I had gone to visit as, due to my life being consumed solely by work, I had not seen for two years. He was telling me about how glad he was I was following my dreams and how he has always struggled to find that one thing which he knows he could achieve and which would give him the life fulfilment he and everyone else craves.

Of course, the issue got on to finances and how everything we do is dictated by money, or rather, the lack of it and it reminded me of my own experiences but also something I read a couple of years ago that issued a stark warning that as soon as you set out on the journey to build a career out of something you would do for fun anyway, people automatically expect that you should punish yourself by not being paid properly and living a life overshadowed by constant financial stress, which is, of course, complete and utter nonsense. I work harder than most people I know, I work longer hours then most people I know and now that I have finally launched Scarlet View Media, putting a value on my time, expertise, energy and effort is not just an act of principle, it's also an exercise in analytics and maths. I understand that a part of making a promise to myself to maintain my own standards through everything I do, means not doing things on the cheap, sacrificing quality and therefore, that also means there will be times when I turn down opportunities because a potential client simply isn't willing to pay what the job is worth.

This all took me back to the production of Behind Blue Glass and A Ray of Light which took place either side of "Of Shark and Man" and both of which represent stark differences in how ready I was to run productions with such lofty artistic and creative ideas. Behind Blue Glass was shot with a four man crew, three of whom, myself included, had never made a film before and A Ray of Light was just me with Brad helping on a couple of the organisational things.

Behind Blue Glass cost around €3200 to make or at least that was the budget we had, that had to cover four people, all food, transport, salary, board and diving for almost three weeks, the pre-production phase and also the post-production phase and what I actually earned myself by way of being paid for the enormous amount of time and energy I put in, over a period of four months, is roughly the same as what I would charge now, for a day's work and works out on the BBG time sheet, at less than £1 an hour...

Before you start feeling too sorry for me, I should point put that it was entirely my fault because that's what I asked for, making the biggest and most common mistake first time film-makers are guilty of, assuming people won't pay you properly so pitching at way, way less than you should so you can convince the people funding your film to let you do it.

Despite grossly undervaluing myself, my time, my energy and my expertise, the production of Behind Blue Glass was an invaluable learning process for me, it is far from perfect, mistakes were made but what I really love about it is it has a heart and soul, a group of friends setting out to do something really, really difficult and succeeding, not only that but the content is actually, really, really good, an in-depth look at the story of Great White Sharks in the Mediterranean and the human interest aspect of positive shark/human interactions. In May Brad and I held a screening of the film in Mallorca and the room was packed, there weren't enough seats in fact and the feedback was really, really positive, a few people picked up on things like parts where the sound could have been better (wind...I HATE wind) but given that we had a bare minimum of resources available the end result is still pretty impressive. Behind Blue Glass is a film made by passion, endurance, good will and positive energy and it shows.

A Ray of Light was an infinitely simpler, more streamlined and artistically successful production, aided by the fact I had come off the super intense, non-stop crash course in film-making that was making "Of Shark and Man." I went into it knowing how I wanted it to look, what I wanted the message to be and how I wanted to express myself as an auteur and it also introduced my natural style of film-making. A Ray of Light is different to Behind Blue Glass in that a lot of BBG was scripted, a constructed narrative delivered into camera in a very pure documentary style and that was originally what I had intended for "Of Shark and Man." It was only two days into production in Fiji that it became clear that I was more natural just being me, no script, just genuine emotion, feeling and honesty, captured in a conversational style, as though there is no barrier between you and the viewer.

This stylistic imprint now defines how I make films, they must be honest and they must be aesthetically appealing, to me, film is not just putting an image on screen, each shot counts and each shot should tell the story in itself, its composition, framing, focus points and colours, anyone can point a camera at something, not everyone can engage you in a story. A Ray of Light was shot primarily when the people involved weren't aware they were being filmed, a window into that point in time in which one man's story is told, a story we ultimately found out cut a little too close to the bone for some of the glossier yet more impotent NGOs out there. It is popular though, the feedback has been quite incredible and at the time of writing, it is closing in on 13,000 views and it is that number which encouraged me to write this blog...

A Ray of Light helped raise almost €40,000 for the Mallorca Stingray Survey and cost about £700 to make, not including payment to me as the Director, Producer, Cameraman, DoP and Editor, had that been included, it would have cost around £5000-6000 to produce. The reason I don't include that is because it didn't exist, I didn't get paid because I paid for the production out of my own pocket, that £700 came out of money I had earned for an order of Behind Blue Glass DVDs.

We live in a world where, like music, people all of a sudden feel entitled to films for free, why should you have to pay for music and films when everyone who makes them is a millionaire right! It's also easier to put a film out now than ever, more people are doing it than ever which is great but does that mean there are loads of great films out there now? No, there are still the same amount of great films, there's just more really, really bad ones making it harder for the good ones to get seen.

I was chastised by a scientist a while back for suggesting that the worlds of art and science should work closer together to make use of each others expertise, science is about analysis, statistics, solid facts, years of research, art is about expression, emotion and story telling but this particular individual felt that no, the scientific community should be responsible for its own film-making and media output, presumably on the assumption that, because they know the results of their research on the subject matter, they also know the best way to present that in an engaging and thought provoking way to the lay man which is, of course, complete nonsense. That is why I suggested the two worlds should work closer in the first place.

Making films can be pretty easy, making good ones though, isn't, making good films which appeal to an audience who may otherwise not be interested in the subject matter, is really, really difficult and that is challenge with conservation related media. Conservation isn't about scientists and how they spent years in a lab researching something, it's about how law makers, game changers and the man on the street take the information provided by the scientific community and put it to use to make the world a better place. The scientist in question didn't seem to grasp that dry statistics, white coats and laboratories doesn't really stir the emotional loins of the average person.

The one thing that makes good films happen, good films which can help make the world a better place, is money. Films cost money, the people who work on these films deserve to be paid properly and they need to be marketed properly, its hardly rocket science. That brings me back to the 13,000 number...

Introducing Vimeo Tip Jar and more Creator Services from Vimeo Staff on Vimeo.

If every person who had viewed A Ray of Light had made a voluntary donation of £1 then the film would have raised an extra £13,000 which would go towards recouping my costs, marketing and promoting "Of Shark and Man" and making more films to highlight important environmental issues. It would also show that people accept and appreciate that there is value in work like this and it deserves to be rewarded by helping the film-maker have the luxury of perhaps a few less sleepless nights worrying about the next bill to come through the letterbox, food, stuff like that...

People have complained for years, myself included, at the quality, or rather the complete lack of it, in media representation of sharks and the ocean environment, through expensive, yet completely soulless, cynical and contrived shows and series like "Shark Men," "Whale Wars" and most of the stuff we see on Shark Week and the simple way to get better, is to support the people who make better quality media. Shows like the aforementioned ones are merely pretty wrapping around the commercials, they're not there to save the world, they're there to make you watch the adverts and buy shit you don't need, that's all.

How do you do support the film-makers who want to make the stuff you want to see? Financially, that's how, if the money isn't there to make proper shark related films, then they won't get made, simple, so if you watch the video above, I have decided to add Tip Jar to A Ray of Light, Love Sharks Love Fiji and The Sanctuary so if you like it, you think it's well made, you like the message or the way it's filmed, please make an affordable donation which will help me keep making these types of films and giving a voice to all of us who want a better world for our marine creatures.

To go back to Behind Blue Glass as well, in 2013 Vimeo are launching a Pay to View service meaning that finally, regardless of where you are in the world, for a very fair one off payment, you can stream the film whenever you like for the rest of your life. As soon as Vimeo implement it, I will be adding BBG to it and will of course be announcing it here, the mailing list and on the Facebook Page.

I make these films for the message and I make these films for you, I appreciate your support, it is one of the main things that keeps me going and I hope you also see the value in financially supporting independent film. Nobody is owed a living, but I do believe that effort, hard work, get up and go and artistic creativity do deserve to be rewarded.

I would love to read comments from you all about this, particularly from other film-makers and also all the people who make an effort to watch low budget productions as well.

Over to you...

Blog Number 100 - A Miraculous Conservation Success Story

 

Thanks!

Would you believe it? 100 blog posts and unique hits creeping up to 100,000 in the two years since I started "From the Office..." from a completely standing start, two years ago. There's been highs and lows, celebration and controversy, delight and despair and without exception, as we move forward, the popularity of this project and everything that goes with it is increasing at a fantastic rate and even though you might not agree with everything you read here, you certainly keep reading so thank you. As the curator of the world's greatest online blog about someone from Manchester who makes films about sharks, I would like to let you all know I appreciate all your support.

Since I realised this would be blog 100, I wanted to make it a good one and asked on the Facebook group for suggestions as to what it could be about and I had quite a few come through various channels with a "highlights so far" piece being suggested by a few people.

I had actually decided on that but as it turns out, through a gloriously happy twist of fate, blog 100 will be me delivering some incredible news about an amazing achievement which is, in turn, one of the highlights of the last two years

A Ray of Light from Scarlet View Media on Vimeo.

Remember Brad? My antipodean partner in crime who, like me, believes in actually doing things!

Since Brad first contacted me towards the back end of 2010, we have shared many great moments together, some great ideas and epic highs and lows, all of which emanating from our desire to actually go out there into the wild and try to contribute, in our own ways, to making the world a better place.

If you haven't seen the video above, A Ray of Light, watch it, then come back and continue reading because everything will all make so much more sense.

What seems like forever ago, Brad and I talked about a project he had come up with, a survey to find out more about the yearly appearance in the Bay of Palma, of big numbers of Stingrays, many of which we have since discovered, were heavily pregnant. The concept being that he could set up a Stingray survey, utilising volunteers from the yachting community alongside divers and try to understand this annual aggregation more, how big the numbers are, why they're there and maybe even where are they coming from and going to after they leave?

 

This was a monumental undertaking from the get go because there was no money, no real support from government except from our ever-present and always super cool friend, Gabriel Morey. We talked about how, in order to get people interested in protecting the Stingrays, we would first need to know a lot more about them and their yearly visits to the Bay of Palma. Anyway, long story short, a few months later, Brad emailed to tell me it was up and running and he was conducting surveys with a small handful of divers.

I had been working like a dog for two years solid and had just taken the first order for Behind Blue Glass DVDs and figured I needed a holiday. I had been planning on going over to stay with Brad and Bea anyway and then one night, in bed, I had the idea of shooting a short film about the project but not the usual "... this is bad, look at these horrible images of dead things, we're all gonna die" type PSA, more of an engaging story about the very, very rare breed of people who sacrifice, sacrifice and sacrifice all for a cause they believe is worth fighting for. So, my "holiday" turned into a film shoot and the rest, as they say, is history. Read the full story here.

 

Good to be back in my "room" at Brad's

In real world conservation, that is, outside in the sun, wind, rain, snow etc, where hopes, dreams and self belief are crushed on a daily basis and where the world seemingly tries its utmost to destroy you, the single biggest problem is lack of funding, followed by apathy, everything else is merely a mild annoyance.

Brad was spending all his own money on the surveys, losing working days, burning through fuel like there was no tomorrow, using all his own gear and surviving on about three hours sleep a night, I paid for the production of the film entirely out of my own pocket and battles with beurocracy were a daily occurrance. We needed to inspire people to care about an animal which just isn't as inspiring as sharks or tigers or as easily marketable as whales and dolphins. The issue here was that we had what was a complete oddity in the Med, a healthy population of a marine creature, so we figured we should do what we can to maintain those healthy numbers and use it as a reason as to why marine protected areas in the Mediterranean, especially those around the Balearics, are so important.

Three weeks in Mallorca and three weeks at home and I had the finished film, releasing it to an entirely poistive response, interest in the project increased overnight, we even bit the bullet with the obligatory Facebook page and launched an Indiegogo campaign with the approach being a requested single donation of $5 from everyone interested enough in marine conservation to help with the running costs of the project but social media based animal awareness pages and groups just don't work like that unfortunately and despite only asking for donations of $5, Brad who was by now becoming quite the overnight sensation, found fundraising desperately slow and immensely frustrating.

And herein comes our amazing news...

 

Stefan and Irena Lawrence

 Just when things seemed at their most desperate, I am absolutely overjoyed to announce that one individual, the fantabulous Stefan A Lawrence, has pledged a donation of €35,000!!

Stefan's family has lived on Mallorca since the 60's after moving from New York, all of whom share a passion for the sea and all its creatures. In Stefan's on words;

"What gets us up in the morning (apart from our rambunctious two year old) are people like Brad and Bea. These are the doers not the talkers or worse yet the takers in life. As such it is our pleasure to work with and give back to the Med by supporting ONDINE's stingray survey."

This is a testament to Brad's tireless hard work and passion and the whole thing makes me beam with pride for a few reasons but primarily that this has all come from a small group of friends wanting to do what they felt was the right thing to do, to start a project from scratch with zero support, to build that project and make it totally inclusive and to achieve what looked like almost impossible goals. This funding is not borne from a desire to gain plaudits, to benefit financially and nor does it come with a long list of restrictive demands for things in return, it's just someone else doing what they think is the right thing to do.

This is a sign that very real conservation projects can be established by ordinary people in the face of what seem insurmountable obstacles, that there are people out there who believe in action over endless talk and deliberation and that you can just get out there and inspire people to help our marine environments. There are great conservation opportunities on your doorstep, wherever that may be. Whilst people may be railing against dolphin slaughter in Taiji, shark finning in Costa Rica, or the unsustainable harvest of Bluefin Tuna, signing petitions, sending emails and creating Facebook pages, there are projects in your area which need your help and involvement so go find them and get involved! By all means do the other stuff too but don't ignore local issues simply because they may not seem as glamorous at first.

This money means that Brad can get the materials needed for the surveys, cover fuel costs, the hiring of boats and maintenance of equipment. This means that more ground can be covered, proper study can be undertaken and most importantly, that we are now no longer hampered from simply not being able to afford doing even some of the most basic things that are required to run a long lasting conservation initiative. This doesn't mean that opportunities to help the project have now closed of course, to keep the initiative running for years to come will mean that financial support will always be gratefully received and you can get involved by contacting brad direct at brad@ondineescape.com

 

Brad's ultimate goal has always been to make the project self sufficient, so it can be grown and passed on for as many people to take part in as possible, he has always said that this isn't his project, it's Mallorca's project and I absolutely love that, it's a sign of the man and his approach to conservation, he doesn't want people kissing his arse or getting his face on the TV, he just wants the project to achieve its goals. The man is a genuine hero.

This also bodes well for future projects, one in particular I have had in mind for many, many years and which will hopefully be our next project. Obviously I won't be saying anything until Brad and I have the wheels in motion but what I will say, is that if we get it off the ground and it is successful, it will be one of the most amazing and important things you will ever see. Yes really.

In the meantime, to our hugely generous donor, we love you and cannot thank you enough, I am over the moon to see that Brad, who keeps this project running 365 days a year, is getting the support he deserves, the man is a genuine conservationist and Balearic marine life has a brighter future because of him and Bea.

This is conservation with a focus on social issues as well given the partnership with Joves Navegants and which is geared towards encouraging as many people as possible to join in and this incredibly kind gesture by an ocean lover means that it can only get bigger and inspire more people. Good things do happen to good people and sometimes, the nice guys get the rewards they deserve and if that doesn't make you feel good, nothing will!

If this does make you feel good, send Brad a message of support, he deserves a bit of love  for all his effort.

Mallorca Stingray Survey Update

 

From the Office to the Ocean has gone a bit Stingray mad in the last few weeks but fear not, I'll be back onto the sharks soon! However, you do need to know that Brad has now launched an Indiegogo campaign (click me!) and as you will see, there is one suggested donation of only $5, if you want to donate more, you can and that would be massively appreciated but times are tough for everyone, this is a community project and every cent is vital so we didn't want anybody to feel as though their contribution was any less gratefully received than those who make larger donations.

So where does the money go? As I have and will continue to repeat ad nauseum, conservation costs money, running costs, transport, equipment hire, electricity, support materials, all that stuff and more needs to be paid for and unfortunately, neither Brad nor myself is a millionaire and if this project can't operate, there will be nothing in place to go towards gaining a greater understanding and protection of something which is unusual in the Mediterranean, a healthy population of something living in the sea! We can either act now to keep it that way, or set up pointless Facebook groups in a few years saying "Stop killing Stingrays in Mallorca!!!" or as it's otherwise known, locking the gate after the horse has bolted.

 

A spearfisherman makes his way into a Marine Reserve to shoot Stingrays 

The Facebook group has 101 members now so that should really be a minimum of $505 in the campaign, then there's all the marine conservation groups throughout the social media world as well so this campaign should be really successful, as a very dear friend said to me once "if everyone who clicks 'like' on a Facebook group donated a bit of money to the cause as well, then things would start to change" and he was of course, correct. Although I probably don't need to, I will still point out that I am not part of the financial team behind this project, I don't see any money for my involvement and I paid for the production of the film entirely myself, I just believe in the project and help Brad with running it when I can.

If you like the project and think Stingrays in Mallorca are worth protecting, then please feel free to donate if you can afford to, if people donate to keep the project running, that then means you can even take part yourself, if nobody donates and the project cannot be maintained then nobody will be around to protect these stingrays with the passion and vigour that Brad does so it's $5 very well spent!

Donate here! 

Thank you. 

An amazing response and it's already making a difference!

 

It's been three days since A Ray of Light was launched and the feedback and interest in the project has been overwhelmingly positive!

The film has been viewed in 49 different countries and it appears that not only do people love the project and the concept of a small group of friends trying to do something because we think it's the right thing to do, people also seem to love Brad and so you should!

The purpose of this film is twofold, for me as a film-maker, it was to make an engaging short which showed the reality behind grassroots conservation, the lack of support, funding and commitment, the long hours, the personal strain and million and one thankless tasks, all to try and make your community a better place but which also showed why we do it and to draw attention to a brilliant and very simple, project currently being built in the Mediterranean. It wasn't intended to be, and nor is it, a "woe is me" piece, merely an honest reflection of the good guys you haven't heard of, because they're too busy outside trying to make things a little better for everybody.

 

What has been so satisfying for me is that people have really "got" what the film is about and have related to Brad in the way I hoped they would. The day after the film was launched, Brad got a call from a young couple in Spain who were so touched by the film they pledged to donate €1000 to the funding of the project...That's one thousand euros!

We have also been contacted by some very influential people, an NGO and an internet television channel who want to show the film but once again, the primary source of support for this project has been the "everyman," the ordinary man on the street, not involved in conservation or really nature at all, but who have been touched by the film and who want to learn more, to share it with their friends and to maybe even help fund the project with small donations.

From a professional standpoint it's a great feeling to have people comment on the quality of the film, the production, editing, filming, post-production etc, as it reinforces in me the feeling that hopefully, I am doing something right. It also goes to prove what I have been saying all along, that it is possible to make high end media with no money (and in this instance, no crew!) and gear that is easily accessible to the average consumer. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to say to anyone out there who may be in a fortunate position to help projects like this in the future, that I did this with no financial backing whatsoever, nada, imagine what can be achieved with your financial backing. Just saying...

I would like to thank everyone for their kind messages and support and huge thanks to those who have shared the film with friends and on social media, please keep doing so, we need all the exposure we can get. 

I would also love to enter this film in any suitable film festivals or competitions so if you know of any or have any suggestions, please get in touch!!

Before I share the film again, I am going to make a flagrant appeal to the wonderful people at Adobe. I have always edited on Windows and with your brilliant CS4 Master Collection, I love it, I happen to think Color Finesse III is quite possibly one of my favourite things on the planet. However, in order for me to continue with "Of Shark and Man," I need to upgrade to CS5.5 or CS6 but there is no way I can afford to at this present time, any chance you fancy joining the likes of Canon, Novatech and  Fourth Element and supporting what is probably the best shark based film project around at the moment? Get in touch... david@officetoocean.com

If you don't shoot, you don't score I guess...

So here it is again, this time on Youtube if that's your thing, if not, watch on Vimeo  

Your feedback is important to me so please leave a comment and please, please, please support the Mallorca Stingray Survey 

Thank you to DaShark and RTSea Productions for such kind words and support!

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