FIRST ANNUAL SB FLIX CONTEST AWARDS GO TO:
"WHAT'S WITH THE WATER," (1ST), "YOUR DINNER" (2ND), AND "OCEAN WAR" (3RD).
The Shifting Baselines Ocean Media Project announces the winners of the first annual SB FLIX Contest, sponsored by Patagonia, Disney Environmentality and Seed Magazine. The cash awards and prizes will go to three videos which are about water pollution, fish contamination, and a micro-documentary about the war President George W. Bush has apparently declared (at least in the filmmakers' imagination) upon the nation's oceans.
The winners are among over 70 submissions of one minute videos submitted since last fall, addressing environmental problems of any sort, with a focus on the oceans. The contest called for creativity, energy, and different perspectives, which clearly the winners achieved.
"We were overwhelmed with the originality and hard work that was put into the submissions," says contest originator and Shifting Baselines Director Ty Carlisle. "Every day of running this contest left us on the edge of our seats wondering, 'What are we going to get next?'"
"'What's With the Water' and 'Your Dinner' do a great job of addressing serious ocean issues," says Shifting Baselines founder Randy Olson, "but my favorite is 'Ocean War.' It's a video that goes around the bend -- so far off into dumb space that it's actually brilliant. The filmmakers truly captured the Shifting Baselines vibe as I've always envisioned it, especially with the scene of soldiers punching the waves."
The celebrity judges were also impressed with the contestants. "What an honor it was to watch these videos," said comic actress Wendi McClendon-Covey ("Reno 911!"). Gregory Itzen ("24") sounded a similar note, saying, "Hooray for consciousness raising!" And Rainn Wilson ("The Office") said, "I hated all these videos. They're so smart and funny and will help spread the word about the demise of the oceans. That sucks. I want the oceans destroyed. I want global warming. I actually like pollution, death, heat, industry, and soullessness. That's why I live in L.A."
The contest was co-created by twenty-somethings Carlisle and filmmaker Ryan Cummins. "It was aimed at all the young, amateur filmmakers, that care about the world, and want to somehow be a part of the solution," says Carlisle. "The social network created by Youtube® and other internet sites has given this generation an unprecedented ability to have their voices heard. Most of the announcing of the contest was done through websites such as MySpace® and CraigsList®. But we also had help from partner groups such as Orion, Greenpeace, and Surfrider." Plans are underway for a second round of the SB FLIX Contest later this year.
Shifting Baselines, now four years old, is a partnership between Hollywood and ocean conservation to develop new and innovative ways to communicate the severity of ocean decline. It has over twenty partner groups, with the Shifting Baselines Blog on Seed Media Group's Scienceblogs. The term "shifting baselines," refers to the slow and gradual loss of perspective that happens when we lose track of reference points ("baselines") and begin to assume that what we see today is the natural and pristine state simply because we no longer remember how things used to be.
For further information, contact Ty Carlisle at: info@shiftingbaselines.org.
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