Definitive Films Bruce Spargo www.definitivefilms.com [email protected] [email protected] 786.200.0252
Unscripted TV Series (13x52’) Proposal
Wildlife Warriors Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa
Prepared for:
Studio Consideration Proposal Issued: 09.14.2018 Vulcan Productions, Inc. 505 Fifth Ave S, Suite 900 | Seattle, WA 98104 P 206 342 2000 E [email protected]
Confidentiality/Disclaimer Copyright © 2018 Definitive Films | This proposal and supporting materials contain confidential information. These materials may be printed or photocopied for use in evaluating the proposed project, but are not to be shared with other parties. Also note that any projections are provided for reference only and are not guarantees of performance. Actual results may vary due to the dynamic nature of the film industry. Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Wildlife Warriors - Overview
Wildlife Warriors is targeting the vast global conservation, is currently negotiating with online Nat Geo and WWF anti-poaching, educational, and eco-concerned market – magazines for the use of their platform. Wildlife Warriors including the largest generation of youth in history, 15 to 24 is also pursuing partnerships with The Global Initiative year olds (Generation Z and young Millennials). Against Transnational Organized Crime, NRA, Julian Rademeyer from Killing for Profit and as well as other The program will be a high action, hard hitting unscripted prominent digital stakeholders in the Anti-Poaching and TV series and exposé of the rhino and elephant poaching Animal Conservation arena. (and many other species) crises in Southern Africa that will finally serve to tell the truth of this conservation and anti- Additionally, Wildlife Warriors is partnering with content poaching effort that has become … a war! producers and distributors in the USA, UK and South Africa to produce and market the series and will take Partnered with Kruger National Park [SANParks], Associated advantage of the exploding ‘golden age of tv’ over the Private Nature Reserves (APNR), Chiefs Tented Camps, waning Hollywood film market to produce content that and Save African Rhino Foundation, Wildlife Warriors appeals to a broad, global audience.
... the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty, the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.
- David Attenborough
Purpose
To elevate the profile of this catastrophe creating Shift social consciousness concerning this crisis. heightened global awareness. To awaken, inform, and inspire a new community of To reframe the issues and reshape the narrative citizen stakeholders to demand and initiate change. surrounding the crisis to dispel myths and misinformation and provide a clearer and more In the telling of the story, we will provide a valuable accurate representation of the real challenges facing contribution in building the evidence base for improved stakeholders. policy setting, coordination and action. That is our sole and expressed purpose … to tell the truth!
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Wildlife Warriors Unscripted Television Series
Logline
Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa
Format
The format will be a self-contained hybrid.
It will be a show built around a new pool of strong, knowledgeable presenters as they unpack a disaster that is unfolding before our eyes but which the world pays lip service to.
While the weekly breakdown of the show will be structured and have repeatable elements every week with follow up stories from prior episodes, there will be scope to change the format according to the stories that lead that week.
4 Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Content Considerations Ensure a weekly 1-hour TV program updates informs and educates a global audience of what exactly is unfolding with this problem
Give historical context to current poaching crises in Southern Africa
Correct misconceptions about the medicinal properties of rhino horn
Illustrate the implications of global inaction and explore the potential for ultimate extinction of species and its far-reaching impact
Gauge public knowledge of the crisis, both in and outside of Africa
Expose barriers to progress, mismanagement of resources, misrepresentation of facts, and double standards which push us further toward catastrophe
Dramatically show the true-life stories of “life on the ground” for rangers and all stakeholders currently feeling the devastating effects of the crisis
Propose solutions and encourage public participation in bringing about changes vital to a lasting remedy
We will work with the broadcaster and SANparks to align the thematic and conceptual ideas of the series ensuring these philosophies are embedded in our stories
Our presenters will reflect the questions we wish to explore, and we will we answer them
Audience USA and Worldwide target audience: Adults 15-65 [55 percent male and 45 percent female]
Structural Elements Length of episodes: 46 to 52 minutes
Number of episodes: 13 [Season 1]
Structure of episodes and story arcs [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions]
Suitable Cable Networks
National Geographic, Animal Planet, History Channel, Discovery, HBO, FX, and A&E
Targeting adventurous, wildlife enthusiasts… not-easily-offended audiences craving an original high action, hard-hitting series
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World and Background
More than 6,000 rhinos have fallen to poachers’ bullets in Africa over the past decade. Driven by seemingly insatiable demand in Southeast Asia and China, rhino horn has become a black-market commodity that rivals the value of gold, platinum and cocaine.
The impact of rampant poaching and deeply entrenched transnational criminal networks over the past decade has been severe. Today there are estimated to be about 25,000 rhinos left in Africa, a fraction of the tens of thousands that existed just half-a-century ago. Numbers of white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) have begun to stagnate and decline, with 2015 population figures estimated at between 19,666 and 21,085. While the numbers of more critically endangered black rhino (Diceros bicornis) - estimated to number between 5,040 and 5,458 – have increased, population growth rates have fallen.
Since 2008, incidents of rhino poaching have increased at a staggering rate. In 2015, 1,342 rhinos were killed for their horns across seven African range states, compared to just 262 in the early stages of the current crisis in 2008.
The vast majority of poaching incidents occur in South Africa, home to about 79% of the continent’s last remaining rhinos. The country’s Kruger National Park – which contains the world’s largest rhino population – has suffered the brunt of the slaughter. While South Africa experienced a marginal dip in poaching figures in 2015 – the first time that the numbers had fallen since 2008 – this was offset by dramatic spikes in poaching in Namibia and Zimbabwe, two key black rhino range states.
While Vietnam remains a key destination and transit country, growing numbers of Chinese nationals have been arrested and prosecuted in recent years in Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States for smuggling rhino horn.
The killing shows little sign of slowing. Despite the valiant efforts of many law enforcement and government officials, prosecutors and game rangers, the transnational criminal networks trafficking rhino horn are as resilient as ever and – with rare exceptions – impervious to attempts to disrupt their activities.
Fragmented law enforcement strategies – often led by environmental agencies with little political power and no mandate to investigate or gather intelligence on organized crime networks - have had little impact on syndicates that operate globally, with tentacles reaching from Africa to Europe, the United States and Asia.
Borders, bureaucracy and a tangle of vastly different laws and legal jurisdictions are a boon to transnational criminal networks and a bane to the law enforcement agencies rallied against them. Entities like Interpol, Europol, CITES and the World Customs Organization are only as good as the government officials in member states who are delegated to work with them.
Again and again, their efforts to target syndicates in multiple jurisdictions are hamstrung by corruption, incompetence, governments that are unwilling or incapable of acting, a lack of information-sharing, petty jealousies and approaches to tackling crime that wrongly emphasize arrests and seizures over targeted investigations and convictions as a barometer of success.
6 Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Access to Story and Sources We have been given carte blanche and unprecedented access to Kruger National Parks and APNR resources, facilities, personnel and traversing rights across the park
Full support of all stakeholders in the region
Producers and Presenters’ Approach Singular focus on Southern Africa’s crisis and the impact on its citizens
Connecting Southern Africa’s fate with inevitable reverberating national and global effects
Heightened sense of urgency throughout each episode
Proposal of innovative, actionable solutions
Objective, balanced presentation
Accurate representation of the methods of conservation, and needs of the communities
Presentation of research and interviews which clear up common misconceptions and misinformation
Project Stage Timeline [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions]
Distribution and Marketing Production Phase [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions]
Branding Strategy [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions]
Distribution Plan [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions]
Audience Engagement and Social Impact [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions]
Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa 7 Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Proposed Presenters
Rudy Reyes Land Ops, Tracking, and Rescues
At the age of 17, Rudy Reyes and was a member of the lead winning series. Rudy has gone on to emancipated himself, left an combat force that served in both work in both film and TV, all while orphanage with his two brothers and Afghanistan and Iraq. working for the U.S. Department of raised them in Kansas City, MO. He State on counter-terror operations excelled at Martial Arts and MMA, His unit was depicted in the best- across the world. Rudy has retired and as a champion he was able to selling nonfiction book about the from active service and is focused provide for his family. Iraq War written by Rolling Stone exclusively on his career as an correspondent Evan Wright. It later actor, spokesperson and role model At the age of 26, he was seeking a became a 7-part miniseries on HBO for fitness and issues affecting higher calling and joined the United titled ‘Generation Kill’. Veterans. States Marine Corp., where he was selected straight out of boot camp Rudy Reyes was hired originally as While working and on his days off, to try out for the elite Marine First a consultant on the production, but Rudy is dedicated to physical fitness Reconnaissance Battalion (Special soon after became the only Recon and constantly pushing himself to Forces). Rudy served his nation Marine to play himself in the award- new heights.
8 Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Proposed Presenters (continued)
Zach Blue Education, Community, and Public Relations
As an avid hunter, fisherman California and the booming fishery went college at Golden West and and outdoor enthusiast, no one of Pacific Bluefin Tuna off the coast competed on their swim team. understands and embraces the of California and the list goes on. He then became a Seal Beach tenets of true conservationism better Lifeguard and enrolled at Vanguard than Zach, with an understanding Zach’s passion for wildlife is evident, University. At the age of 23 he that humans have been charged understanding that Conservation decided to jump into business as a with responsibility of protecting and works and that the number one Commercial Insurance Broker. maintaining the health of the planet’s threat to the planet’s endangered wildlife populations. resources is poaching, with Beside fishing and hunting as much irresponsible management as a as possible, Zach’s other interests Zach has seen the effects of close second. include archery, shooting, fitness responsible wildlife management and playing guitar. first hand, with the flourishing elk At the age of 19 Zach left his herds of Northwest Colorado, the hometown of Bakersfield, CA He is married and has two children carefully managed deer herds of for Huntington Beach. Here he with his wife Erica.
Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa 9 Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Proposed Presenters (continued)
Lindsey Leitelt Education, Community, and Public Relations
Lindsey is best known for her survival Lindsey is a co-founder of The adventures on Discovery Channel’s Road 4 Life organization (raising Naked and Afraid and Naked and awareness for and sharing stories Afraid XL All-Stars where she braved of children with Duchenne Muscular the elements in both Namibia and Dystrophy and Cystic Fibrosis). the Selati River Basin of South Africa. She is currently working on a Lindsey has had a lifelong passion for documentary highlighting her 500- animals and conservation. mile journey along the Camino de Santiago with her Road 4 Life team. As an Ironman, public figure, fitness instructor and chef she can impart Lindsey’s goal is to instill in others her love of travel, health and the same passion for wildlife, food, adventure to the world. fitness, and adventure that she has.
10 Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Proposed Presenters (continued)
Chris Charles Land Ops, Tracking, and Rescues
Chris Charles has been an the same across Africa. international actor, host and model for over 30 years. He holds a Black Belt in Jiu-Jitsu and instructs when he can. Originally from Pennsylvania, he has lived and traveled all over the world. When not filming, you will most likely find him on the mat teaching As an avid outdoorsman, he is an ISA and training Jiu-Jitsu; out on his boat Certified Arborist, an accomplished free diving; or wrenching on one of rock climber, SCUBA diver and his vintage motorcycles. fisherman. Currently, he is hosting a travel A lifelong motorcyclist, he has show focusing on ports of call crossed the United States, Mexico around the world. He resides in and Europe; and hopes to soon do Miami with his wife and three kids.
Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa 11 Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Proposed Presenters (continued)
Gary Albyn Aerial Ops, Drones, and Tracking
With a blend of luck and design, Gary After leaving the war-torn country Released in 2017, Albyn’s first Albyn’s inner compass has served as in 1981, he attended university in historical novel, ‘A League of an unerring guide to the challenges South Africa to become an engineer. Warriors,’ continues to sell briskly and adventures he so earnestly around the world. seeks. Originally from Rhodesia - With the lure of the open skies it Zimbabwe today - he has never been wasn’t long before Albyn was back in He is close to completing ‘Red one to let the grass grow beneath the air, earning his civilian helicopter Talon,’ the much-anticipated sequel. his feet. In a career spanning several pilot’s license. In early 2010 Gary While ‘A League of Warriors’ is not decades, including directorial co-presented a feature documentary autobiographical, the author drew positions in the corporate arena, shot in Iraq. heavily on his experiences as a Albyn has amassed an enviable set of military pilot; Iraq War veteran; As a highly-qualified bodyguard, skills and experiences along the way. bodyguard and qualified medic. Albyn currently splits his time His life-long passion for aviation between protecting high net worth As a seasoned presenter and public started as a trainee pilot with the individuals around the globe and speaker, Albyn travels extensively Rhodesian Air Force in the late 1970s. writing his next best-seller. promoting his various books.
12 Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Proposed Presenters (continued)
Jessie Lloyd-Hales Research and Investigations
Jessie Lloyd-Hales has worked in development skills for all aspects of Co-producer on Manzovo: Place fast-paced and challenging jobs that production. of the Elephants – a feature combine 20 years of experience documentary in development in management and leadership Jessie has made numerous trips which depicts one man’s quest within the film production, logistics, to Africa and, having experienced to raise awareness of the plight marketing, sales, and contract the beauty of African Wildlife, has of the African Elephant. management fields. heavily researched the human/ animal conflict that exists today. Co-producer on At the Gates As the co-founder of Definitive of Thunder – a feature film in Films, Jessie has an array of talents Jessie’s TV experience includes: development which tells the including documentary production, story of the African exploits of Producer and Presenter of storyboarding and set design. David Livingstone. Kurdistan: The Other Iraq – a
An accomplished artist, she is an travel adventure documentary Co-producer of After America – innovative and creative thinker who shot in Iraq a dramatic scripted television contributes a wide array of strategic series in development
Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa 13 Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Structure
We will use a structural framework for the series to hold up all the parts of the story, supporting and organizing the time elements into a coherent and interrelated whole. Although unscripted, this will ensure that each episode will unfold dramatically, allowing it to build - moving through moments of tension and conflict - from beginning to middle to end and so taking the viewers takes through the dramatic terrain of the program.
Working in tandem with the structure, is the actual ‘creation’ of each episode which is always going to be the ‘creative compass’ or guide for the structure of the film.
Capturing the crafting of this series is an ‘event’ in each of our presenters’ lives, and we will ensure we see this process from the start, through transformative changes, to finish. It will draw the viewers in, compelling them to stay and to discover the outcomes. We don’t know the outcome of each story, but we will be spelling out possible twists, turns and endings of each episode.
Theme
This series, while rooted in a particular time and place and addresses the overarching societal issue of the plight of the poaching in its Southern African environment, will have a global impact.
This theme will be embedded in each episode, as will the constant unfolding and updating of situations on the ground - keeping each episode focused and on track.
Style
Many documentaries and miniseries have been made on poaching and anti-poaching in Africa. None, however, have had the access that we have been afforded, nor the connectivity to key stakeholders in the region.
This allows us to approach the series in an epic way and with a strong human involvement. Too many Nature films portray this in a kind of romantic and dishonest way – without humanity represented at all (apart from the film-makers themselves). I see this as an opportunity to redress this with a strong human involvement.
The film will employ the very finest HD photography. We want to approach it with all the production values required to hold its presence across all platforms.
This series will be designed from the off. Each episode will be epic and will capture the unique movements of animals and portray the personalities of the presenters.
We prefer to work with natural light – usually cross lighting that enhances texture (think of the rhino hide and face and the faces and skin tones of the human element.) The colour must be prime and vivid throughout but achieved naturally where possible.
Interviews as such will happen naturally, free flowing within a given scene and will not be set up in the orthodox fixed way. We want every episode to feel natural and believable throughout.
14 Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Sound
Sound is vitally important and is something to which we will pay particular attention to. We want people to feel not just that they could almost step into the episode… but to feel they are actually there. Sound is the way to achieve this. Obviously, it should be mixed as surround sound. Editing Editing will be mature and not hyperactive and, although we will be working with multiple camera units, we want the viewer to feel there is only one at play. No camera angle should suggest the ridiculous or impossible. In some scenes, however, we may allow for VFX but it shouldn’t be resorted to through laziness. We all know if one works hard enough you can get the most amazing real imagery.
Stock Footage and Re-enactments Stock footage, when required, will be introduced in a relevant manner. We will defer on whether to enhance it in any way once we see the quality of the original archive material. The acting and re-enactments, if requires, will be naturalistic and believable. Voice and Point of View ‘Voice’ is a many-layered thing…so when considering voice, we have to ask, ‘Who is the storyteller and whose story is being told? The answers to these questions determine not only the viewer’s sense of intimacy with the characters, but the programs point-of-view. This is a truly personal story - the teller and subjects are one and the same. It is the presenters telling… their viewpoints and it must be engaging. Audience will be drawn in by them and their passion and by our film-making. “Must Haves” for Presenters Must be unique with distinctive personalities and show their true characters
Must be charming and entertaining… but drive the producers crazy!
Must show their conflict, drama and struggles with the subject matter and the other presenters
Presenters are the “heroes” tackling this problem, but they are not in control of the show
Must have a good work ethic
Must be “who you are” and not be an “asshole”. This production will have a “no asshole” policy Music Music is important, but it must be used by stealth. We will create and compose something fresh, and relevant. We will use music with confidence so that it is genuinely affecting and will not smother the episode as many others do without respite with the stuff, like muzack in an elevator, to falsely accelerate their film.
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Look and Feel What are the intended visual aesthetics of the series? [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions]
What is the Style of the show and… how will it appear to audiences? [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions]
What are the techniques, colors, compositions and visual influences on the series? [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions]
Visual References
A visual gallery of references that provide a mood board and visual guide to the aesthetic style of the show will be produced prior to broadcaster pitch
Interiors, exteriors, tones, textures, style, costume and design. We may draw elements from other shows that resonate with us
Sizzle Reel To be discussed with Vulcan Productions
Financial Information Budget [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions]
Fundraising Strategy [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions]
Product Integration [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions]
16 Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Successful Unscripted/Reality Wildlife TV Series
Whale Wars
This stunning and dangerous limited series spotlights both the controversial Japanese whaling trade and the tactics that the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and its staff and volunteers use to cripple it.
Aboard the Motor Yacht “Steve Irwin” the group seeks out the Japanese whaling fleet and then uses it’s Delta Zodiac, helicopter, and other innovative techniques to enforce the law, including close-quarters ship-to-ship contact, to disable and/or sink the Japanese whaling ships in the fight to enforce international laws on the high seas where law enforcement is minimal or non-existent. The successful confrontations disrupt whale carcass processing and disperse the fleet of whaling vessels.
Whale Wars is a weekly American documentary-style reality television series that premiered on November 7, 2008 on the Animal Planet cable channel. The program followed Paul Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, as he and the crew aboard their various vessels attempted to stop the killing of whales by Japanese whalers off the coast of Antarctica.
Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa 17 Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Successful Unscripted/Reality Wildlife TV Series (continued)
Big Cat Diaries
Come along on an adventure with Jonathan Scott, Simon King, and other professionals and camera crews as they journey through the Masai Mara game park Kenya, Africa.
In their travels they follow many different families and prides of animals, mainly focusing on a few different lion prides, leopards, and cheetahs, stunning males, aggressive yet loving females, and cute cubs too!
Big Cat Diaries was a long-running nature documentary series
on BBC television which follows the lives of African big cats in Kenya’s Maasai Mara. The first series was broadcast on BBC 1 in 1996.
Eight further series have followed, most recently Big Cat Live, a live broadcast from the Mara in 2008.
The original presenters, Jonathan Scott and Simon King, were joined by Saba Douglas- Hamilton from 2002 onwards.
Kate Silverton and Jackson Looseyia were added to the presenting team for Big Cat Live.
18 Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Successful Unscripted/Reality Wildlife TV Series (continued)
River Monsters
River Monsters is a British and American wildlife documentary television program produced for Animal Planet by Icon Films of Bristol, United Kingdom.
Hosted by extreme angler and biologist Jeremy Wade, who travels around the globe in search of the most fearsome freshwater killers, looking for clues, eyewitnesses, and stories about people who were dragged underwater by these vicious predators, he tries to catch the biggest specimens and then release them back into the wild.
His aim is to save these rare creatures from extinction and to help people understand the truth behind the horrific attacks on humans.
River Monsters became one of the most- watched, most successful programs in Animal Planet’s history, and one of the most-viewed series on Discovery Channel too.
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Successful Unscripted/Reality Wildlife TV Series (continued)
The Ivory Game
The Ivory Game is a 2016 American documentary film, directed by Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani.
The film examines the ivory trade, which has become a global concern, pitting governments and environmental preservationists against poachers and Chinese ivory merchants.
Ivory is a prized status symbol for middle-class Chinese, and poachers in pursuit of white gold are slaughtering African elephants in record numbers.
Filmmakers went under cover for 16 months, infiltrating and documenting the deep-rooted corruption at the heart of the global ivory trafficking crisis.
The Ivory Game had its world premiere on September 16, 2016 at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released to Netflix on November 4, 2016.
The film received mostly positive reviews.
20 Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Successful Unscripted/Reality Wildlife TV Series (continued)
Deadliest Catch
Deadliest Catch is a documentary series chronicling the real-life high-sea adventures of the Alaskan crab fishermen.
So before complaining about the market price of Alaska king crab, check out this gripping documentary series, revealing the mortal perils and intense discomfort that fishing crews face on the Bering Sea to catch the delicacy.
Those perils include 40-foot waves, 700-pound crab pots that can easily crush a careless crewman, and freezing temperatures around the clock.
Deadliest Catch is a documentary television series produced by Original Productions for the Discovery Channel.
It portrays the real life events aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab, opilio crab and bairdi crab fishing seasons.
Deadliest Catch premiered on the Discovery Channel on April 12, 2005, and currently airs in over 200 countries.
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Successful Unscripted/Reality Wildlife TV Series (continued)
Virunga In the forested depths of eastern Congo lies Virunga National Park, one of the most bio-diverse places on Earth and home to the planet’s last remaining mountain gorillas. In this wild, but enchanted environment, a small and embattled team of park rangers - including an ex-child soldier turned ranger, a caretaker of orphan gorillas and a dedicated conservationist - protect this UNESCO world heritage site from armed militia, poachers and the dark forces struggling to control Congo’s rich natural resources.
When the newly formed M23 rebel group declares war, a new conflict threatens the lives and stability of everyone and everything they’ve worked so hard to protect, with the filmmakers and the film’s participants caught in the crossfire.
A powerful combination of investigative journalism and nature documentary, Virunga is the incredible true story of a group of courageous people risking their lives to build a better future in a part of Africa the world’s forgotten, and a gripping exposé of the realities of life in the Congo.
From director Orlando von Einsiedel and executive producer Leonardo DiCaprio.
22 Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Key Creative Team [To be discussed with Vulcan Productions] Executive Producer – Lucas Foster Supervised or produced over 50 feature films working with ‘A’ level talent and crews including Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Jumper, Street Kings, Law Abiding Citizen, Walking Tall, Man on Fire, Bad Boys, Crimson Tide, and many others
$3 billion+ in global revenue
8 Academy Award nominations
Unique combination of major studio and independent production / finance experience
Detailed insight into all aspects of tv and film development, production, marketing and distribution
Long history of consistent returns for financiers
Major talent relationships in every important category
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Early Partners
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Production and Media Partners
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The War on Poaching
Excerpts from The Tipping Point
South Africa is home to 70% of the world’s last remaining rhinos. The Kruger National Park is the eye of the storm, accounting for roughly 60% of poaching incidents over the past seven years. It is there that a complex “war on poaching” is being waged, one that has led to the deaths of at least 200 suspected poachers, soldiers, field rangers and policemen.
Contrary to popular images of poaching gangs equipped with night sights, semi-automatic weapons and even helicopters, most poachers are poorly equipped for the bush. Military weapons are a rarity, although there has been an influx in recent years of increasingly sophisticated .375 and .458 caliber hunting rifles equipped with silencers.
At any time, more than a dozen poaching gangs are operating in the park, sometimes saturating areas where large numbers of rhino are found. It is a dangerous work, but for those prepared to take the risks the rewards can be high with poachers receiving payments ranging from as little as $2,000 to as much as $20,000.
In 2015 it is estimated that at least 7,500 poachers entered the park, a 43% increase on the previous year. Against seemingly improbable odds, rangers managed to hold the line, preventing another significant spike in poaching numbers.
The closure of the police’s Endangered Species Protection Unit in the early 2000s, widespread maladministration, corruption and political meddling in the South African Police Service and its Crime Intelligence division and pervasive ill-discipline in the South African National Defense Force have had a severely detrimental effect on efforts to curb poaching
On the frontlines of the Kruger National Park’s “war on poaching” are around 400 field rangers, 22 section rangers and 15 special rangers. This equates to roughly one ranger for every 47 km2. But that would only be the case if they worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In reality, less than half that number are deployed at any given time. They are supported by a dozen investigators, four helicopter pilots, a fixed-wing pilot and three Bantam microlight pilots.
The park – roughly the same size as Israel or Wales - covers an area of 19,485 square kilometers. Driving along the tourist roads and dirt tracks that loop through dense bush past waterholes teeming with wildlife, it is difficult to comprehend the sheer expanse of the terrain.
The networks that traffic rhino horn and other wildlife products are ruthlessly efficient, imaginative, endlessly adaptive and free of the strictures imposed by legal jurisdictions, bureaucratic regulations and international boundaries. They are everything that the government bureaucracies and law enforcement agencies rallied against them are not. Time is of the essence and the onslaught on wildlife and the environment is only worsening.
An assessment of the capacity of the South African strategy and capacity to prevent rhino poaching has shown several critical weaknesses. The “war on poaching” is increasingly being understood as an unwinnable war. And reducing a complex struggle against transnational criminal syndicates to a “war” between poachers and rangers over-simplifies an extraordinarily difficult
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The War on Poaching (continued) challenge that requires much greater global and regional co-operation.
Disrupting the criminal networks, requires a radical rethink of reactive and fragmented national and international law enforcement strategies and a concerted effort to uplift and include communities living in and around national parks in conservation and law enforcement efforts.
Systemic weakness in law enforcement institutions in Southern Africa and Asia undermine the efforts to address wildlife trafficking, which is an issue of questionable national priority, given the numerous other security, economic and developmental challenges currently facing the country.
Corruption is at the root of the problem and any efforts to address wildlife trafficking will require concomitant efforts to address corruption in State, police, intelligence and conservation agencies and the private sector.
However, transnational rhino horn trafficking networks cannot be addressed in isolation in rhino range states or destination and consumer countries. To have real impact, they must be disrupted along the length of the illicit supply chain.
High-level political interventions including bilateral and multi-lateral law enforcement agreements on wildlife trafficking are required and should be led by government ministers in the police, state security, justice and foreign affairs portfolios in the affected countries.
Capacity and resource constraints in the police, conservation agencies and national parks must be urgently addressed. Illicit financial flows and money-laundering linked to wildlife trafficking are key to understanding and dismantling criminal networks and much greater efforts are needed to follow the money.
Poverty, inequality and limited opportunities in economically underdeveloped rural communities near national parks create livelihoods and economies that are sustained through wildlife trafficking and poaching.
Violent crackdowns on poachers and the communities where they are recruited will only exacerbate rifts with police and government agencies. Communities in and around national parks are essential to finding a solution and their involvement and inclusion in conservation and law enforcement strategies is key to their success.
The complexity of the challenges facing those trying to protect the rhino and other African wildlife from virulent and versatile professional criminal networks are enormous. There is no easy answer: responses will need to be comprehensive, integrated and multi-faceted.
It will not be the job of this television series to propose a response framework, as this is an exercise that will have to be lead and owned by the countries and key stakeholders in the region.
However, in the telling of the story, we will provide a valuable contribution in building the evidence basis for improved policy setting, coordination and action.
Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa 27 Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
28 Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]
Wildlife Warriors | Exposing the Illegal Poaching Trade in Southern Africa 29 Definitive Films | www.definitivefilms.com | [email protected]