Our friends over at Shifting Baselines have launched a new website and video contest where you can create and submit your own PSA:
The contest comes at a time when more than ninety percent of large fish in the oceans are being consumed, coral reefs around the world are dying due to coral bleaching, and large lifeless regions called “dead zones” are expanding each year. The problem of ocean decline has reached global crisis stage. Shifting Baselines’ objective is to create solutions by having more effective “communication” to inform people about the problems and the goal of the contest is to give young creative filmmakers the opportunity to relay the message through creative outlets in filmmaking.
The videos will be reviewed by a host of celebrity judges. Read the full press release for more information:
Los Angeles, CA (August 2, 2006)– The Shifting Baselines Ocean Media Project, a partnership between ocean conservation and Hollywood, announced today the start of its SB FLIX CONTEST: offering aspiring filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their work by creating Public Service Announcements to help save the oceans.
The PSAs will be viewed by celebrity judges that will include actors ZOOEY DESCHANEL (“Failure to Launch”), GREGORY ITZIN (“24”), WENDY MCCLENDON (“Reno 911”), TIMOTHY OLYPHANT (“Deadwood”), MICHAEL RAPPAPORT (“Boston Public”), and RAINN WILSON (“The Office”) among others. The judges will pick the best entries and select the finalist whose videos will run on the Shifting Baselines website and two-dozen other partner sites including founders The Ocean Conservancy, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Surfrider Foundation, and supporting partners World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, Oceana, NRDC, Heal the Bay, Wyland Foundation, Project Aware, and Environmental Defense.
The contest comes at a time when more than ninety percent of large fish in the oceans are being consumed, coral reefs around the world are dying due to coral bleaching, and large lifeless regions called “dead zones” are expanding each year. The problem of ocean decline has reached global crisis stage. Shifting Baselines’ objective is to create solutions by having more effective “communication” to inform people about the problems and the goal of the contest is to give young creative filmmakers the opportunity to relay the message through creative outlets in filmmaking.
“We’re really aiming for high school and college kids in particular,” says contest director Tyler Carlisle. “Over the past year there’s been an explosion of ‘viral videos’ on the internet, from youtube.com to firefox.com. This is a way to channel some of that youthful energy into an important topic — the fate of our oceans.”
Shifting Baselines has previously produced television commercials and short films featuring such comic talent as Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller, Henry Winkler, Tom Arnold and the Groundlings Improv Comedy Theater. The project began in 2003 and has produced serious Flash pieces on ocean decline including, “Shifting Baselines in the Surf,” featuring the photographs of some of the world’s top surf photographers with music from Jack Johnson.
“We’ve broken new ground over the past three years,” says Shifting Baselines’ co-founder Dr. Randy Olson, who recently directed the feature documentary, “Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus.” “Now it’s time to tap the energy and vigor of all these creative kids on the internet.”
For further information visit: www.shiftingbaselines.org
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jean Sievers
The Lippin Group
323-965-1990
jsievers@lippingroup.com
