Conveying your wetland message through videos (10/12/07)

Hello everyone:

I thought readers might be interested in two videos I have recently seen on the internet, each delivering very clear messages to their target audiences in quite contrasting ways.

1. This first is a 7-minute video entitled "A Way Forward: Confronting Climate Change", and you can look at it here http://www.un.org/webcast/climatechange/highlevel/ (it’s in the pale green box, just under "Opening Session" title). You will need Real Player to view this.

Since we at the Ramsar Secretariat are currently looking into producing a new Ramsar video in time for COP10, I was particularly interested in the approach used here. There are no interviews in the film, only voice over comments, and it’s very short, just 7 minutes, yet I found it a very powerful communication tool on climate change.

2. The second link is to a 20-minute animated video which uses simple but engaging animations with a human interpreter. This looks at how environmental costs are externalised in the “materials economy” or what the interpreter calls “stuff”. Some viewers may find the political message a bit strong (others may think it entirely appropriate!) but I think the approach succeeds in conveying in fairly simple terms a technically complex subject. I would guess this video would work well for high school level. You can watch it at http://www.storyofstuff.com – you may have to be a little patient because of the buffering time but it’s worth it.

With best wishes, Sandra Hails, Ramsar Secretariat

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