About the Producer and DirectorDoltyn Snedden is a current senior at Westminster College of PA studying Media Art & Design and Communications. Along with a proactive mindset, Doltyn has always been eco-conscious of the world around him. With an interest in photography and videography for most of his previous years, this project really hits home.
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About the Documentary
Who?
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On May 17th, a traveling volunteer named Brooke and I will take flight headed towards Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. Costa Rica offers some of the planet’s lushest vegetation and features over 250 species of animals only native to Costa Rica. The topic of deforestation and “climate change” is very “hot” right now, so I felt it was suitable to choose a topic on something such as this, that I am very passionate about. It is engaging to the community and is a topic that will constantly require assistance. It is, unfortunately, near timeless. For some facts, trees provide approximately 20% of all of the oxygen in our atmosphere. Roughly 2/3rds of this percentage comes from rainforests alone ranging around the globe. Along with the trees, plants provide an additional 70% of the oxygen contributed to our planets overall ecosystem. Between trees and plants, roughly 90% of the oxygen on Earth is comprised. It is estimated that every single year, nearly 4% of the Earth’s rainforests are being flattened, industrialized, and cut down. When the trees go down, the oxygen levels go down. When the oxygen levels go down, the air gets thinner and temperatures begin to rise. The issue of deforestation can be contradicted from a business standpoint, and from an eco-activism standpoint, but the facts remain. This needs to stop, or some alternative needs to arise.
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What? |
This documentary will showcase the efforts of organizations like Kids Saving the Rainforest and individuals like Brooke to restore our planets vegetation and bring our Earth back. This will not be your typical documentary. As I had discussed before, the story will follow 3 characters. The first character is Jennifer Rice who is the president of KSTR. She will narrate her portion of the video through active, in-field voice overs and sound clips. Our next character is Brooke Novotny who is working as a traveling volunteer and intern donating her time and services to the rehabilitation of and care for injured and orphaned animals living in the sanctuary, along with replanting rain forest trees and working to study patterns in changes in the atmosphere related to the effects of deforestation. She will serve as the main character as she will have the widest range of perspective. Our final character is one that has seen and felt everything there is to know about the rainforest. Through the perspective of a three toed sloth named Anakin, who had been paralyzed at the age of 2 weeks by a falling tree located on a logging site, I will showcase the beauty of the rainforest and its benefits by means of creative montages, time lapses, and unique perspectives through the eyes of Anakin, and also giving the forest itself a voice. I plan to let the sounds of nature and rainforest destruction speak louder than words.
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How? |
Using a cinematic style by including montages, time lapses, various narrators, and multiple perspectives of characters, I plan to truly capture the essence and beauty of the rainforest and its inhabitants in a strong, emotionally appealing piece of work. In my opinion, nothing is more powerful than the images and sounds of life, or in some cases to be shown, the loss of life. My vision will be accompanied by using equipment that will keep the footage steady and fluent. I plan to avoid handheld, “guerilla” type shots as much as possible. Perspective will be my friend.
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Why? |
This project was designed with a purpose. As we travel to Costa Rica to help save the rainforest, the message is clear. WE as humans and inhabitants of Earth need to be proactive instead of reactive. This documentary will show the importance of the rainforests in at least one way that every single person that watches it can relate. Whether it’s the rehabilitation of a paralyzed sloth due to the effects of deforestation, or the bone chilling images of a used-to-be forest that now is home to dust and infamous history, something in this documentary should spark your interest to want to make a change and protect this planet, one tree at a time.
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