Baptized an Environmental Filmmaker by the Ganges

One sweltering day on the banks of the Ganges River, in a naïve moment that would alter my life, I followed the example of so many around me and submerged myself in the cool…contaminated waters. I emerged from the hospital needing to know what made me sick.

As a hydrologist, I could trace deadly disease to the sources of water pollution. But information alone changed little. Far more powerful was my subsequent role in revealing the source of social and ecological risk through the dynamic media of video.

Viewed by millions, our nature documentary aired on French National Television. Its impact on the public was striking. On me, it was irreversible. That unhappy baptism gave birth to my dual obsession with natural science and modern media.

From Conservation Advocacy to Multimedia

For years I kept busy with advocacy and policy work, developed a global network of water and environmental professionals, engaged the government of France on water conflicts born of inequity, mobilized funds with the EU. I launched water and biodiversity conservation projects in Africa and then implemented them on the ground. I favored participatory approaches that empowered local communities in conservation projects, securing ownership, health and project sustainability.

But only when I combined the message with new mediums could I make an enduring impact.

Five years ago, as the web was fast evolving, I decided to master the media tools and go back to school. My family and I moved from the edge of the Kalahari, Botswana, to San Francisco, where I was trained to harness the power of multimedia.

I wrote scripts; created graphic designs with Photoshop; applied the aesthetic rules of photography; enhanced interviews with advanced lighting techniques; and mastered the latest audio, photo and video gadgets and software wonders: Photoshop, ProTools; Final Cut Pro; After Effects.

A decade after my Ganges baptism, still deeply committed to the value of environmental science and to new media, I could merge both my passions into one unique current.

Over the last four years of freelancing, I not only took video productions from their conception through execution but also secured their promotion, on online via YouTube.

By combining my ecological training with the video production skills acquired at San Francisco State University, I can present conservation-oriented ideas, projects, people, campaigns and organizations with the added advantage that I grasp the content and deliver great formats to reveal what matters most.

I can help you make your project a reality. Please feel free to call me at (1) 415-702-9962