Video Blog Entry – Original Story

This was the biggest challenge I faced in the making of Little Red:

 

PSA – Sript

water-fluoridation
 
Script for Public Service Announcement about Fluoridation of Port Angeles’ Public Water
 
At the base of the Pristine Olympics, a mountain range of snow capped peaks, Glistening streams, spectacular waterfalls, and swiftly flowing rivers lays Port Angeles.
 
You would think the town was blessed with water just as pristine, but this is not the case.
 
The public water here has been contaminated by a highly toxic hazardous chemical.
 
This chemical is so harmful that it has been documented to kill crops and herds. It is so toxic that anyone handling it must wear full hazmat suits and it must be labeled as a poison.

 

The worst part is that this toxic chemical is intentionally being poured into the city of Port Angeles public water system.

 

What is this toxin in our water?  It is actually a combination of two chemicals, Hexafluorosilicic Acid and Sodium Silicofluoride neither of which has been proved to be safe or effective for human consumption on any scale. And together they are conveniently labeled ‘fluoride’.
 
Why is it being added to our water? We are told it is added for our benefit.  That it prevents tooth decay but there is no evidence to back this claim.  In fact 98% of European countries do not fluoridate their water and they do not have higher incidents of tooth decay.
 
The real reason is because it provides a convenient and lucrative alternative to otherwise treating these chemicals as the hazardous byproducts that they are and disposing of them according to strict EPA regulations.
 
Where does fluoride come from?  During the production of phosphoric acid from phosphate rock, fluoride chemicals are removed in the form of Hexafluorosilicic Acid and Sodium Silicofluoride .  These chemicals used to be released as gasses into the air until it was discovered they were killing the surrounding vegetation and animals.  So the mining industry installed scrubbers on the factories to remove these gasses before they were released into the atmosphere.  They discovered they could sell these toxic chemicals to public water works and make a profit under the guise of ‘public health’ because of a vague study done on naturally occurring ‘calcium fluoride’ that may have had a connection with reduced cavities.
 
But the fluoride that is being put in our water is not naturally occurring and recent studies are showing that it causes more harm than good.
 
Proponents of fluoride will tell you that it is an essential nutrient.  An essential nutrient being a substance required by the body that must be obtained from the diet.  Much like the addition of iodine to salt or vitamin d in milk.  But the National Academy of Sciences has repeatedly determined that fluoride is not a nutrient.
 
Fluoride as defined by the EPA is a drug used to prevent tooth decay.  And a drug that has not been tested for safety.
 
And Fluoride does not just affect our teeth but also accumulates and affects all the tissues in the body.
 
New studies are showing that fluoride is an endocrine disrupter, that it may lead to decreased bone density and 24 studies have shown that fluoride reduces children’s IQ.
 
One of our basic human rights is the right to consent to what medications we take and yet fluoridation of our public water supply denies us this basic right.
 
Fluoridation is nonconsensual mass medication of a toxic hazardous byproduct labeled as a drug that has never been proven to be safe or effective.
 
Fluoride is intentionally posing the water of our city.
 
And it is not just people affected by fluoride.  Public water runs off into our streams, rivers and into the ocean affecting all life all along the way.

 

Do your own research, speak up and help stop the Fluoridation of Port Angeles’ public water…

Video Blog – Making of the Mini-Documentary

Here is the first  video blog entry about the making of my mini-documentary project….

And here is a great kinetic type piece narrated by Ira Glass that inspired me to carry on…

Ira Glass on Storytelling

Welding Live

20130504_0636The assignment? Film a Live Event.  So a friend mentioned he was going to help set up a forge at a street fair in Sequim.  That sounded fun so I loaded up my camera and my family and the video below is what came out of it.  I’m sick of jerky shots and I’d like to find a better way to pan, zoom and hold my dslr camera.  It is what it is….

Anyway, you can’t go too wrong with buff black smith types…..
PC Welding Live

Public Service Announcement Proposal

Fluoride_Kills_TestPublic Service Announcement “Toxins in our Water” –
The water of Port Angeles is contaminated with a deadly toxin.  While it is diluted enough not to be life threatening, it still poses serious health risks.  A by-product of industry, this toxin is knowingly placed into our water supply and labeled in the interest of the public but in process we are all being ‘medicated’ without our consent.

This short clip will briefly illustrate what fluoride actually is, why it is being placed in our water, and the actual consequences.

Style: Combination of footage, graphics and music to quickly illustrate the point.

Shooting Schedule:
May 7-14

Audience, Marketing & Distribution: The intended audience includes those living on the Olympic Peninsula especially residents of Port Angeles and Forks as well as those interested in the fight against fluoridation. The film will be available on Youtube and local blogs.

                              Days                        $Cost                      $Total

        Equipment

        Microphone and Tripods                      /                           300                          300

        Travel and per diem

        Van and Gas                                         1                           50                           50

        Food for Assistant                                1                          25                            50

___________________________________________________________________________________

GRAND TOTAL                                                                                                                              $400

Mini Documentary Proposal

banner

Short film about the fiber mill on the Tarbo Peninsula. From their website, “Barry and Linda Taylor divide their time between raising sheep and running their custom carding business in the beautiful Tarboo Valley of Quilcene, WA. Barry’s experience with wool started as a child growing up in a mill town in Yorkshire, England, Australia, and finally America, and now on the Olympic Peninsula operating Taylored Fibers.” In their own right, Barry and Linda have a unique and interesting story to tell as well as useful skills to share.

The intention of the film is to introduce Barry and Linda and their cottage fiber mill along with the sheep to yarn to (possibly) garment process.  In this day and age of industrialization and the shipment of industry off shore, very few people are in touch with the processes that go into their everyday garments. While the processing of fibers for hand spinning is not the same as large scale fiber production for mass market clothing, it is a look at small scale methods for cottage industries and hobbies.  Also, the ‘Buy Local’ movement is taking flight and designed to support our local economies and small business like Barry and Linda’s and in order for these business to get the attention they need to survive and thrive, the public needs to know about them.  This video is intended as the first in a series to shed light and help the community get to know the wonderful resources we have right here on the Olympic Peninsula.

Shooting Schedule:
April 29 – At the Fiber Mill and interview with Barry and Linda
April 30 – May 1 – Hand spinning
?        –  Shearing Sheep (dependent on a shearer, as of now we have two sheep, but no shearer)
More as needed……..

Audience, Marketing & Distribution: The intended audience includes those living on the Olympic Peninsula as well as those interested in the fiber arts and/or supporting local businesses. The film will be available on Youtube and local blogs.

Production Costs:

     Days                        $Cost                      $Total

        Equipment

        Microphone and Tripods                            /                           300                          300

        Travel and per diem

        Van and Gas                                                  2                           50                           100

        Food for Assitant                                          2                           25                            50

___________________________________________________________________________________

GRAND TOTAL                                                                                                                    $450

Transmedia Storytelling

bookheader2Transmedia Storytelling is telling stories across multiple platforms and in so doing creating ways in which viewers can become involved with the story and/or different ways to present material.  It’s a new way of creating interaction with audiences and a way to deepen a media experience.

It’s an exciting time to be in media with all the possibilities to create interactive, involved experiences.

Below is an promotional example for a film called “Sound of My Voice”.  This is the first 15 minutes of the film with click-able spots throughout that lead to outside websites and YouTube videos.
http://www.soundofmyvoicemovie.com/index2.html

The Candian National Film Board has an interesting collection of interactive stories approaching transmedia here http://www.nfb.ca/interactive

One of the project showcased there is Bear71 which tells the true story of a grizzly bear trying to live wild yet caught in a wired world.  Still images, video, music and other interactive elements lead the viewer to experience the story.

And here is an article about another kind of Transmedia storytelling project that takes a very different form,  “Transmedia Storytelling Comes Alive with Secret Cinema”

From entertainment to education, transmedia storytelling is giving us new ways to step ‘inside’ a story and experience it in a deeper way.

Enjoy!

First Interview

chicken

mom

The task of this assignment was to interview someone and really listen to what they were saying and include visuals that were relevant to the conversation.  I chose to interview a local quilter, who also happens to be my mother. I had a list of questions ready but didn’t end up asking very many because once she started talking she just kept going and so, I did as assigned and listened.  What she talked about led to what I I chose to film to add the visual elements.  I asked her about her creative process, what she liked about it, why it was important and what inspired her.  She elaborated with how her creativity started and the lessons she learned along the way with her mother as well as much more that didn’t make it into the final edit.

Here it is…an interview with Marilyn Hiestand

What type of storyteller?

ogreThere are two themes that I’m interested in exploring with film.  The first is bringing to light truths that are hidden or forgotten.  For example, how astrology and astronomy tie into our modern holidays, the roots of our language, the history and hidden meanings behind mathematics, the true history of our modern medical and educational systems, or the true nature of the fluoride in our public drinking water. The second theme is stories that inspire people to better themselves and their communities. I enjoy stories that are well written, with depth of layers, and a bit of the surreal.  I also love it when people can point out utter stupidity in a humorous way.  I’d like to emulate these qualities in my own storytelling.

Here is a short mini-documentary about how fluoride affects the pineal gland in the brain.
http://youtu.be/XSZQ3ixu7a4

And I here’s a great example for pointing out inconsistencies, and falsehoods in a humorous way…
http://youtu.be/jLXyB5GtfBU

And this is a great example of an inspiring film and one that awakens awe for this incredible world of ours…
http://youtu.be/ioONhpIJ-NY

Educating with Awe

How creating educational materials is approached depends a great deal on the intended age groups.  I personally am rather against using videos and similar visual mediums for educating children.  I don’t think it is effective and possibly does more harm than good.  I do think that when approaching children with the intent of educating them on some topic it is important to involve them in an emotional level including but not limited to humor.  We (both children and adults) tend to become more involved in subjects when we are emotionally involved.  A great way to do this is by using stories.  Children are especially receptive to stories because not only does it appeal to their emotions but also to their imaginations.  The more that is left to their imaginations, the more children become involved in the story.  Video’s tend to take out the imagination element and becomes pure entertainment…the child’s mind becomes less involved with the subject.

The greatest gift we can give children is to encourage their imagination and nurture their sense of awe for the world around them.  Our world really is a miraculous place and very young children recognize that but as adults we tend to get mired in the mundaneness of our daily lives.  We get so used to seeing what we expect to see that we forget to see what’s really in front of us and fail to recognize the miracles that exist everywhere.  I don’t believe that media is a good way to reintroduce children to the wonders around them.  It is far better for them to experience it for themselves.  Media is however a great way to remind adults that the world is awesome, to pay more attention and to take a  new look at what is around them.

Here are some examples of educating with Awe (or humor)….

Media and Waldorf Education:


Educating with AWE:

Golden Ratio

The Secret Life of Plants

For fun….Educating with humor (You just gotta love Weird Al):

  • "Few people have the imagination for reality." Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
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