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.

A Ray of Light Gets Its TV Broadcast Premiere Tonight!!

Filming the underwater sequences in Mallorca

A quick heads up for all you people lucky enough to live in sunny Spain. Tonight, at 7pm, on Canal 4, Mallorca Today, "A Ray of Light" gets its TV broadcast premiere.

That means that tonight, it will be seen by thousands of people across the whole Spanish mainland and the Balearic Islands, so a project which was initially an idea for a grassroots conservation project Brad discussed with me on Skype a couple of years ago is about to take another huge leap forward and we did this all on our own! Brad, Bea, Gabriel Morey, Stefan Lawrence, Erica Lay, Joves Navegants, myself and some very enthusiastic volunteers are continuing to show that great things can be achieved in the conservation sphere without the help of the big conservation groups. That's not to say we wouldn't welcome the support, of course we would, especially Brad, it's just not been offered.

So what does this mean? First and foremost, Spain is now talking about marine conservation, a nation with a major impact on the declining health of our oceans, is starting to look at the concept of local marine conservation projects. The media are interested in finding out more, the numbers of people volunteering to take part has gone through the roof and some really great things are in the pipeline in regards to new projects and involvement of yet more influential people in Mallorca.

At the risk of repeating myself as well...I shot this film on my own as a one man crew for 750 quid of my own money and so far it has;

• Been seen by roughly 15,000 people, a figure which will increase enormously tonight
• Raised over £35,000 in donations for the project, that's more than 45x what it cost to make
• Been requested for inclusion in two film festivals
• Resulted in a television feature, two radio features and press articles about the project

That's all from social media and word of mouth only.

Just imagine what I could do with some financial backing, especially if, say, I had a rather amazing idea for "A Ray of Light II"...

Anyway, 7pm, Canal4 tonight, the perfect aperitif to the main course of United beating Madrid at the Bernabeau ;)

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.

"A Ray of Light" - New Short Film

Here it is, as promised, my new short, a film about the human aspect behind grassroots conservation, in particular, Brad Robertson and his project in Mallorca to help protect the visiting, breeding Stingray population.

Watch on Vimeo

Read more about the production here, there will be some more info in the coming days relating to how this film was shot on pretty much zero money with only one camera and some additional footage provided by Brad and his trusty Canon G9, if anyone is interested enough to get some behind the scenes info.

This is also the first project to be launched by my brand new production company Scarlet View Media through which everything I do will be released meaning I can ensure it is of the quality each project deserves and also that I can have complete control of the output which, to a control freak like me, is nothing short of essential. Website and more details coming soon.

As I say in the linked article, if you enjoy this, share it and don't be shy with it. The more people aware of Brad's brilliant project the better and it also might serve to open the eyes of people who think merely clicking "like" on a Facebook page is conservation. If more people start taking steps to protect what is on their own doorsteps, the world will be a better place, find out what projects are local to you or even start your own!

The Mallorca Stingray Survey Facebook group is here
The From the Office to the Ocean page is here
The Ondine Escape page is here

The film has been downscaled to 720p for faster loading and for you Windows folk, if you have the option to watch in HTML5 (Chrome, Safari) do so for a higher quality viewing experience.

I want to hear your feedback, if you enjoy the film, please tell me and tell me why, ditto if you don't like it, I'm a big boy, I can take it :)

Anyway, less talk more watch...Enjoy.

A new short film coming very soon...

Hard at work chasing Stingrays

As alluded to in my previous blog, I have recently returned from three weeks in Mallorca where, in rather typical fashion, I created a new mountain of work to get through by coming up with the idea to use my "holiday" to shoot a short film about a brilliant conservation initiative set up and run by my equally brilliant amigo, Brad Robertson. I am involved in that I support it and offer advice where I can, helping in bits and pieces where my skill set is needed but this really is Brad's baby.

The Mallorca Stingray Survey (click the link and join the group) is a simple and endearingly positive project whereby divers can volunteer to take part in regular Stingray counts throughout a twelve month period, in a Marine Reserve with Brad to try and gain better understanding of the visiting Stingray population and when they are present throughout the year. That's pretty much it, grassroots conservation that unites the local community and actually allows people the chance to get their hands dirty and contribute to the collection of scientific data. Once again, our friend, the immeasurably cool Gabriel Morey, is involved and giving us the political, governmental and scientific clout we need to actually maybe even make a difference.

 

 No photoshop on that, honestly!

As far as films go, it doesn't sound the most exciting, but if you're expecting a run of the mill film about people counting Stingrays then you're very much mistaken.

There are very few true conservationists out there in the world, by true conservationists I mean the spit and sawdust individuals who spend every waking hour fighting red tape, apathy, financial limitations, the weather, exhaustion and countless other obstacles. The people for whom conservation isn't a Facebook status but a way of life, the people who know all too well that glamorous photo shoots, glossy PSAs and clicking "like" on something hasn't saved a single shark, whale, rhino or whatever regardless of how many "fins up" you get.

 

Conservation projects like this cost money, create mountains of work dealing with people who ultimately let you down, offer glimpses of hope before inevitable crushing disappointment and for all you romantics out there, believing in something enough to dedicate your life to it fucks up relationships. We can all live in a world where "A click a day keeps the finners away" or we can start living in the real world and that is what this film is about.

I decided to approach this film looking not primarily at the project, but the person behind it, my "thing" is animals and people and the relationships bound by a very one sided passion. Brad is a very close friend and someone for whom I have the utmost respect and he was very brave in opening up over the course of three interviews during which we discussed pretty much anything and everything relating to the reality of starting a conservation project in a hotbed of corruption and bureaucratic fuckwittery and most importantly, the effects on his and wonderful wife Bea's life.

I also shot the film in a very specific way, filming often when neither Brad, Bea or anyone else for that matter were aware I was even there so this is very much a look into the lives behind what seems on the surface, a small, embryonic conservation labour of love.

 

So why shoot it like this? A number of reasons really, firstly, I wanted it to be interesting! In this world of instant gratification, platitudes, back slapping and the sycophantic felching of the self proclaimed conservation heroes who don't actually do anything, I once again (much like in "Of Shark and Man") want to focus on the real heroes, the ones you haven't heard of because they're too busy working their arses off to try and make the world a better place while everyone else is limiting their contribution to 140 characters or less.

This is the reality behind grassroots conservation, of all the NGOs contacted for advice and/or support, (as far as I am currently aware) not a single one has responded despite the project having governmental support, every single cent spent on the project has come from Brad and Bea's pockets whilst they try to build their business after a Winter of barely working at all. This is the sixteen hour days, the strain on relationships, the continued disappointments, the apathy, rejection and sacrifices made because they believe in something enough, but it is also the wins, the people who begin to believe in Brad and his project and the moments which make it all worthwhile (car sized Stingrays anyone?...)

Incidentally, this film also received no outside funding support, I paid for the whole thing out of my own pocket and Brad and Bea's involvement in regards to doing the dives etc was entirely funded by themselves also so once again, this was a case of three friends doing something on their own because they felt it was the right thing to do.

 

It was an interesting experience for me as this time I was the entire film crew. This was a "one camera" shoot which creates very specific issues when it comes to the edit and getting the shot. Being responsible for every single shot, the sound, the lighting and of course direction and production was an enjoyable challenge, dealing with whatever arose, both opportunities and problems was a hugely rewarding experience, especially with having a very specific look and flow in mind for the finished result before a single shot had even been done. As always, I filmed everything with the edit in mind and when capturing reality that can be a very risky thing to do but I am happy to say that the end result will more than exceed my expectations.

Aside from "Of Shark and Man" of course (which is looking sumptuous by the way,) this is very likely my favourite thing I've ever done and you should be able to see it in the next week to fourteen days, for free, in the usual places so I'll leave it up to you to judge for yourselves.

As always, when I have the final cut, I will send it out to a select group of industry people and subscribers to the mailing list first and shortly thereafter it will be online for everyone. With projects like this, if you like it, or you know someone you think might, share it, please share it! The Stingray project needs support and Brad can only maintain it if we get that support and interest in the media we produce is a great way of showing potential investors that it has the backing of public support.

The film doesn't have a definite title yet and will be around the twelve minute mark. I am actually interested in putting it forward to any film festivals that may be interested so if you have any suggestions please feel free to put them forward to me.

Anyway, not long to go now and I have an edit to finish so keep an eye out over the coming days to find out when and where you can see it.

Finally, a huge congratulations to my mate Colin and his lovely wife Emma on the birth of their second little person, Oliver. Col is a big supporter of "From the Office..." and a reader of this very blog so well done mate, pass on my best to Emma and tell Lily uncle sharkboy will no doubt see her again soon!

:)

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