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The World's Smallest Problem

Thanks for checking out some of my work! I've been a filmmaker since I was 8, when I'd borrow my mom's cell phone to shoot videos with my cousins (with or without her permission!). Since then, I've directed documentaries, music videos, short films, and commercials. I've received awards from across the world and have had the remarkable opportunity to present my work as far as Beijing.🛎️ Make sure you explore each project as a group, to see all the associated assets. Click on a poster image to explore trailers, excerpts, and more context in the notes! 🛎️

Sagi's Work

Thanks for checking out some of my work! Feel free to browse through some of the scholarly articles I've been an author on, particularly those investigating the problem of microplastics in our oceans. And take a watch through of the PBS documentary I'm featured in, Dynamic Planet! You'll see me and some of my collaborators tagging whales in freezing Antarctica.

Shirel's Work

A multimedia educational campaign to preserve our oceans and reduce microplastics.

We're Shirel and Sagi, a sister and brother duo from Canada.

is a marine biologist with a PhD from Stanford. She was recently nominated for the Ocean Prize, and is one of ocean conservation's youngest rising stars. She was recently featured in the PBS documentary, Dynamic Planet.

is a filmmaker and installation artist that has exhibited work to audiences across the world. He's won the Norman Jewison Filmmaker Award, the Harvey Hart Award, and was a recent nominee of the Young Director Award in Cannes.

Together, we want to bring the world's smallest problem into the conversation...

... through the lens of the world's largest animals.

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles polluting our oceans, harming marine life at every level. Fish, turtles, and even plankton mistake them for food, causing internal damage and poisoning the food chain. These invisible invaders are choking our oceans, threatening marine ecosystems and even the seafood we eat. If we don't act now, the ocean's delicate balance could collapse.

Shirel is one of the leading researchers on this issue. In 2021, she discovered that whales may ingest up to 10 million particles of plastic, every single day.

But microplastics are a hard problem to visualize. To get people to care about this critical issue, we need something as majestic as the mighty whale.

Shirel and her team are headed to South Africa to tag and study whales, as well as study the pollution in the waters they inhabit. We want to capture this amazing team of bright young researchers on photo &amp; film as they go about changing the world, one tiny piece at a time.

Giving the problem of microplastics a global audience.

Built for social formats like Tik Tok and Instagram.

By driving attention to the problem and directing audiences to partner NGO's like the <a href="https://www.bluemarinefoundation.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Blue Marine Foundation</a> and <a href="https://parley.tv/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Parley For the Oceans</a>, we can make meaningful change. It's not too late for our oceans, and it's not too late for us to care.

Shirel retrieving a whale tag in Antartica.

Why we need this grant:

Shirel and her team of scientists have received travel &amp; research funding from Old Dominion University, where Shirel is a professor. But we need the support of this grant to be able to document her journey, and create the content that will influence meaningful change to combat this problem.Sagi has been generously sponsored by <a href="https://leica-camera.com/en-int" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Leica Camera,</a> receiving an equipment grant that covers the documentary camera needs for the film. We've also received a small production funding grant from <a href="https://www.thedeli.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Deli</a>, a Toronto based production company. Post-production will be sponsored by <a href="https://marauder.ca/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Marauder Creative</a>. However, we still need to cover:

<ul data-task-list=""><li data-task-list-item="">Underwater Camera Housings</li><li data-task-list-item="">Sound Gear Rentals</li><li data-task-list-item="">Film Crew Travel Costs</li><li data-task-list-item="">Camera Boat Rentals</li><li data-task-list-item="">Colour Correction</li><li data-task-list-item="">Film Scoring</li></ul>

One of Sagi's previous documentaries, Before the Plate.

If not for our Aunt Daniela, who is a professor of Ecology, Shirel would never have become a marine biologist. Having a role model in the STEM field like Daniela inspired Shirel to chase her dream of studying whales, and today she is doing just that. Shirel wants to give that opportunity to other young girls and underrepresented people who need a role model in the sciences. Seeing a young researcher like her working to improve the world will have a ripple effect on the next generation of change-makers.

For Sagi, this project represents a chance to use his skills in a way that can give back to the world. He is passionate about preserving our planet, and is (just a little!) jealous of his sister, who is able to contribute so meaningfully in that capacity. Having the chance to learn new skills like underwater photography while creating genuine art with an impactful purpose would be a huge push forward creatively. Succeeding with a project like this will open creative doors for him, and allow him to continue pursuing wildlife films and photography.

We want to create action, inspire a wave of audiences, and do our part to help repair the world.

And most of all, we want to create action, inspire a wave of audiences, and do our part to help repair the world.

Production Outline:

We're currently in Pre-Production, which is Phase 1 of any media or film project. In this phase, we plan, estimate, guess-timate, plan, and plan again. Did we mention plan? Although this is primarily a documentary project, we'll also begin scripting the social series, so that we capture enough content to create ongoing content after the trip.We've put together a rough budget estimate, which accounts for some of the sponsorships we've received, and some estimated production costs. Although the budget may be updated and refined as we get closer to production, this gives us a good plan that can be achieved with the support of the Imagination Fund and our other fundraising efforts.

Phase 2 is Production, in which we'll actually head to South Africa, and implement our plans from the Pre-Production phase. We'll shoot interviews with the scientists, capture beautiful aerial and underwater footage of the whales, and investigate the problems microplastics cause. We'll also adapt to the situation on the ground, and follow any dramatic threads that reveal themselves during production.Phase 3 is Post-Production, and is the phase where we begin editing our footage into digestible content. The plan is for the social series to capture audiences on social media, and drive them to the documentary and photo series. Once there, they'll learn about how plastic waste contributes to the spread of microplastics, and will be directed to our partner NGO's so that they can help make a change in the world. We'll also aim at a film festival run with the documentary, and a photo exhibition for the photo series. We've identified a thorough list of appropriate exhibition opportunities for both.

Sagi's work ranges from documentary feature films to immersive, 360 degree video installations. He's worked as a film director &amp; editor, and has managed productions large and small. Shirel's work has taken her from California to Antarctica, asking and answering critical questions about marine biology and the ocean's health. Please explore both of our portfolios below!

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Documentary Moodboard

With the help of the Imagination Fund, we can educate, inform, and raise awareness about the dangers of microplastics and the threat they pose to our oceans. We can change the world, even if it's just in a small way.Because like our Aunt Daniela taught us, even a small action can have a big reaction. And when we're dealing with the world's smallest problem, every small action counts.