Ocean Conservation Student Film
Donation protected
My 25 - The Ocean Between Us
a UWE student film by Inka Cresswell
THE FILM:
'My 25 - The Ocean Between Us' is an authored short film switching between memories and reality to tell an intimate story of how our oceans have changed from the perspective of multiple generations exploring the state of our oceans and ultimately their fate. This film follows my own personal relationship with the ocean diving into the threats that face our oceans today and showing how much has changed in just my lifetime. It is a story of resilience, a story of hope but ultimately a call to action for us to decide what legacy we want to leave behind for our children.
www.Inkacresswell.com/film
Why Now?
Our oceans are changing at an unprecedented rate but while pockets of resistance still exist in our marine protected areas there is still time for a change. These small pockets of resistance allow us to take a step back in time, to step back to the days when sharks were still the ruling apex predators in our oceans and humans were just visitors. Our oceans are powerful and resilient places but they need our protection, they need us to find a way to live in harmony if they are ever to return to the vibrant thriving seascapes they once were. This film will highlight the power of marine protected areas but most importantly show a community that is looking to the future and bringing their coastline back from the brink of extinction.
I believe this film is a story that our generation needs to hear. It is intended to be a visually emotive story drawing people into the beauty of our oceans and showing them it is not too late to save them. We are at a critical point in time where our actions now could have eternal consequences but this film is not intended to be another sad story about the devastating state of our oceans but instead a story of hope that will leave its audience with real solutions and feeling empowered to be able to make a change.
This film looks at two islands each with a unique relationship with our oceans. One that is the perfect example of a pristine ecosystem preserved through local culture and one that has been impacted by human stress’s and is now fighting to recover its coastline.
The Alligator Head Foundations work will be the light at the end of the tunnel. This small foundation set up by the community for the community is working to cultivate and transplant corals, plant mangroves and recover the fish biomass in the Portland fish sanctuary. Jamaica lost over 95% of its reefs in the last 30 years but due to the dedication of a few people such as Dr. Buddo and the support of a local fishing community their reefs are recovering with a 5% increase in fish biomass after just 200 days of work. This new MPA is the perfect example of the resilience of our oceans and their ability to recover with our support showing it is not too late to protect our oceans.
Why Donate?
Your donation will go towards the production costs on this film this includes but is not limited too: travel, accommodation, living expenses while filming, production equipment, boat hires, tank fills, Marine park fees while filming, and all post-production costs.
I thank you in advance for all of your donations no matter what size and can't wait to show you the final film.
I am so unbelievably grateful for all of your support and as a thank you, I have arranged some little perks to act as a token of my gratitude, thank you, thank you, thank you! These rewards will be mailed out to you after completion of the project so please keep an eye on your email for address requests. (Currently I can only send these rewards to the UK and USA but if it is a donation of £200+ please contact me first and I will try to organize some form of international shipping to get your prints to you.)
This project cannot be achieved without your support. If you can donate in any way your help would be greatly appreciated and allow me to see this dream realized.
The Concept:
I grew up surrounded by incredible stories of thriving oceans and breathtaking seascapes so full of life they sounded like a fairy tale. Our oceans have changed an unprecedented amount in the last 25 years, we have witnessed the decline of coral reefs globally with mass bleaching events and coral acidification headlining newspapers. We have watched as groundbreaking numbers of species have been shifted onto the IUCN red list and observed fish stocks crash locally and on a global scale. In just 25 years, in just my lifetime the amount our oceans have changed is staggering and the stories I grew up with of incredible thriving oceans have disappeared into history books. Our impact on our planet exists, it can be seen now and it can be seen globally. When you grow up in a time when terms like global warming, deforestation, and extinction are common vocabulary its hard to fully understand the full extent of the level of impact we have had on the natural world, to understand what we have lost we must first know what we had. This film takes its audience on a journey back in time showing how much our oceans have changed from the perspective of multiple generations, illustrating the importance of key habitats such as mangroves and coral and showing how much we have lost in just one generational shift.
However, this will not be a film about the loss, it's a film about hope. I will be highlighting the power of marine protected areas showing there are still places that exist that are thriving and that while we still have these pockets of resistance there is time for us to make an impact and save our oceans. I will show the power of human will and one group's dedication to ocean conservation, planting mangroves, restoring reefs, returning fish biomass to their coastline, and ultimately showing us it is never too late to make a change, it is not too late to save our oceans.
About Me:
I grew up on the coast of the UK and from a young age have been fascinated by our oceans. As an avid diver my father filled my head with incredible tales of pods of wild dolphins so big they were like an offshore wave break and reefs so abundant with sharks it was impossible to imagine a time when they could ever be gone but in just my short lifetime, In just one generational shift these stories have become just that, stories and tales of abundant thriving oceans have disappeared into history books.
It was my passion for ocean conservation that lead me to San Diego State University where I trained as a Marine Biologist. However, during my time studying marine biology I found one consistent problem, the movement of critical information outside of the scientific community. So many of the threats our oceans face today can be changed by increasing education and general awareness of how our actions impact our oceans.
It was this that lead me into underwater photography and to my work with The Watermen Project. My goal is to be able to showcase the incredible work researchers are doing all around the world in beautiful inspiring films increasing general awareness about critical ocean problems and to act as a role model for girls looking to pursue careers in STEM and Ocean conservation.
I am currently completing a Masters in Wildlife filmmaking at the University of West England and will be completing this film as my final project. Over the last 6 months, I have been developing this film in pre-production and in April will begin filming. I will be acting as Producer/Self-shooting Director, as well as completing the edit in House at UWE Bristol delivering the final film this October (2019). This dream cannot become a reality without your support. Donations no matter how big or small to assist me in creating this project will be hugely appreciated.
Educating the Next Generation:
I am a self-proclaimed geek and passionate Marine Biologist. It is my goal to act as a role model for the next generation showcasing Girls in STEM and showing young people that it is not too late to save our oceans. In collaboration with this project, I will be developing a series of educational materials that can be used in conjunction with the film to educate young people about marine ecology and ocean conservation topics. I will also be available for classroom talks about Ocean conservation or Skype classroom calls to share my stories about the production of this film as well as to share my knowledge on a variety of ocean topics. If you are interested please contact me for more information at www.InkaCresswell.com
Follow our Journey:
Throughout the filming of this project, we will be giving live updates over social media giving our audience a behind the scenes view of what is going into the creation of this project. These updates will be a combination of live feeds, vlogs, blogs and behind the scenes photos bringing you closer to the action than ever before! This additional social content will also allow us to dive into the science behind some of these conservation topics in greater detail maximizing our educational impact.
Collaborations :
If you represent a brand or company and are interested in sponsoring this project please contact me on the link below to find out more about potential collaborations.
Contact me via my website: www.inkacresswell.com
MA Wildlife filmmaking:
I am completing my Masters in Wildlife Filmmaking with the University of the West of England. The programme is run by course director Peter Venn in collaboration with the BBC Natural History Unit. Throughout the making of this film, I will be working closely with Peter and a mentor assigned from the BBC Natural history Unit, I will also be supported by the amazing technical staff at UWE Bower Ashton. This film will be completed as my final project for this course and will be screened at the Everyman in Bristol after completion to a variety of Industry professionals before being entered into Film festivals and released digitally. I will also be partnering with the University of Bristol Music composition MA to create a bespoke soundtrack for this short film.
Contact Update:
I recently received a message from someone who was kind enough to make a donation informing me that GoFundMe's contact link was not working. If you want to reach out you can contact me via the contact form on my website www.inkacresswell.com or via Social media @InkaCresswell (unfortunately GoFundMe policy prevents me from sharing my email on this site).
Thanks again for all your support!
All the best,
Inka
a UWE student film by Inka Cresswell
THE FILM:
'My 25 - The Ocean Between Us' is an authored short film switching between memories and reality to tell an intimate story of how our oceans have changed from the perspective of multiple generations exploring the state of our oceans and ultimately their fate. This film follows my own personal relationship with the ocean diving into the threats that face our oceans today and showing how much has changed in just my lifetime. It is a story of resilience, a story of hope but ultimately a call to action for us to decide what legacy we want to leave behind for our children.
www.Inkacresswell.com/film
Why Now?
Our oceans are changing at an unprecedented rate but while pockets of resistance still exist in our marine protected areas there is still time for a change. These small pockets of resistance allow us to take a step back in time, to step back to the days when sharks were still the ruling apex predators in our oceans and humans were just visitors. Our oceans are powerful and resilient places but they need our protection, they need us to find a way to live in harmony if they are ever to return to the vibrant thriving seascapes they once were. This film will highlight the power of marine protected areas but most importantly show a community that is looking to the future and bringing their coastline back from the brink of extinction.
I believe this film is a story that our generation needs to hear. It is intended to be a visually emotive story drawing people into the beauty of our oceans and showing them it is not too late to save them. We are at a critical point in time where our actions now could have eternal consequences but this film is not intended to be another sad story about the devastating state of our oceans but instead a story of hope that will leave its audience with real solutions and feeling empowered to be able to make a change.
This film looks at two islands each with a unique relationship with our oceans. One that is the perfect example of a pristine ecosystem preserved through local culture and one that has been impacted by human stress’s and is now fighting to recover its coastline.
The Alligator Head Foundations work will be the light at the end of the tunnel. This small foundation set up by the community for the community is working to cultivate and transplant corals, plant mangroves and recover the fish biomass in the Portland fish sanctuary. Jamaica lost over 95% of its reefs in the last 30 years but due to the dedication of a few people such as Dr. Buddo and the support of a local fishing community their reefs are recovering with a 5% increase in fish biomass after just 200 days of work. This new MPA is the perfect example of the resilience of our oceans and their ability to recover with our support showing it is not too late to protect our oceans.
Why Donate?
Your donation will go towards the production costs on this film this includes but is not limited too: travel, accommodation, living expenses while filming, production equipment, boat hires, tank fills, Marine park fees while filming, and all post-production costs.
I thank you in advance for all of your donations no matter what size and can't wait to show you the final film.
I am so unbelievably grateful for all of your support and as a thank you, I have arranged some little perks to act as a token of my gratitude, thank you, thank you, thank you! These rewards will be mailed out to you after completion of the project so please keep an eye on your email for address requests. (Currently I can only send these rewards to the UK and USA but if it is a donation of £200+ please contact me first and I will try to organize some form of international shipping to get your prints to you.)
This project cannot be achieved without your support. If you can donate in any way your help would be greatly appreciated and allow me to see this dream realized.
The Concept:
I grew up surrounded by incredible stories of thriving oceans and breathtaking seascapes so full of life they sounded like a fairy tale. Our oceans have changed an unprecedented amount in the last 25 years, we have witnessed the decline of coral reefs globally with mass bleaching events and coral acidification headlining newspapers. We have watched as groundbreaking numbers of species have been shifted onto the IUCN red list and observed fish stocks crash locally and on a global scale. In just 25 years, in just my lifetime the amount our oceans have changed is staggering and the stories I grew up with of incredible thriving oceans have disappeared into history books. Our impact on our planet exists, it can be seen now and it can be seen globally. When you grow up in a time when terms like global warming, deforestation, and extinction are common vocabulary its hard to fully understand the full extent of the level of impact we have had on the natural world, to understand what we have lost we must first know what we had. This film takes its audience on a journey back in time showing how much our oceans have changed from the perspective of multiple generations, illustrating the importance of key habitats such as mangroves and coral and showing how much we have lost in just one generational shift.
However, this will not be a film about the loss, it's a film about hope. I will be highlighting the power of marine protected areas showing there are still places that exist that are thriving and that while we still have these pockets of resistance there is time for us to make an impact and save our oceans. I will show the power of human will and one group's dedication to ocean conservation, planting mangroves, restoring reefs, returning fish biomass to their coastline, and ultimately showing us it is never too late to make a change, it is not too late to save our oceans.
About Me:
I grew up on the coast of the UK and from a young age have been fascinated by our oceans. As an avid diver my father filled my head with incredible tales of pods of wild dolphins so big they were like an offshore wave break and reefs so abundant with sharks it was impossible to imagine a time when they could ever be gone but in just my short lifetime, In just one generational shift these stories have become just that, stories and tales of abundant thriving oceans have disappeared into history books.
It was my passion for ocean conservation that lead me to San Diego State University where I trained as a Marine Biologist. However, during my time studying marine biology I found one consistent problem, the movement of critical information outside of the scientific community. So many of the threats our oceans face today can be changed by increasing education and general awareness of how our actions impact our oceans.
It was this that lead me into underwater photography and to my work with The Watermen Project. My goal is to be able to showcase the incredible work researchers are doing all around the world in beautiful inspiring films increasing general awareness about critical ocean problems and to act as a role model for girls looking to pursue careers in STEM and Ocean conservation.
I am currently completing a Masters in Wildlife filmmaking at the University of West England and will be completing this film as my final project. Over the last 6 months, I have been developing this film in pre-production and in April will begin filming. I will be acting as Producer/Self-shooting Director, as well as completing the edit in House at UWE Bristol delivering the final film this October (2019). This dream cannot become a reality without your support. Donations no matter how big or small to assist me in creating this project will be hugely appreciated.
Educating the Next Generation:
I am a self-proclaimed geek and passionate Marine Biologist. It is my goal to act as a role model for the next generation showcasing Girls in STEM and showing young people that it is not too late to save our oceans. In collaboration with this project, I will be developing a series of educational materials that can be used in conjunction with the film to educate young people about marine ecology and ocean conservation topics. I will also be available for classroom talks about Ocean conservation or Skype classroom calls to share my stories about the production of this film as well as to share my knowledge on a variety of ocean topics. If you are interested please contact me for more information at www.InkaCresswell.com
Follow our Journey:
Throughout the filming of this project, we will be giving live updates over social media giving our audience a behind the scenes view of what is going into the creation of this project. These updates will be a combination of live feeds, vlogs, blogs and behind the scenes photos bringing you closer to the action than ever before! This additional social content will also allow us to dive into the science behind some of these conservation topics in greater detail maximizing our educational impact.
Collaborations :
If you represent a brand or company and are interested in sponsoring this project please contact me on the link below to find out more about potential collaborations.
Contact me via my website: www.inkacresswell.com
MA Wildlife filmmaking:
I am completing my Masters in Wildlife Filmmaking with the University of the West of England. The programme is run by course director Peter Venn in collaboration with the BBC Natural History Unit. Throughout the making of this film, I will be working closely with Peter and a mentor assigned from the BBC Natural history Unit, I will also be supported by the amazing technical staff at UWE Bower Ashton. This film will be completed as my final project for this course and will be screened at the Everyman in Bristol after completion to a variety of Industry professionals before being entered into Film festivals and released digitally. I will also be partnering with the University of Bristol Music composition MA to create a bespoke soundtrack for this short film.
Contact Update:
I recently received a message from someone who was kind enough to make a donation informing me that GoFundMe's contact link was not working. If you want to reach out you can contact me via the contact form on my website www.inkacresswell.com or via Social media @InkaCresswell (unfortunately GoFundMe policy prevents me from sharing my email on this site).
Thanks again for all your support!
All the best,
Inka
Organizer
Inka Cresswell
Organizer
England
