2019 IMPACT CASE STUDY: CHASING CORAL Exposing the indisputable and tragic death of coral reefs Galvanizing the climate movement and reaching beyond the choir Photo: New Cal Panorama 04 - March 2016 © The Ocean Agency / Richard Vevers 2 Chasing Coral | The Film 3 Chasing Coral is an Exposure Labs production, directed by Jeff Orlowski and produced by Larissa Rhodes. It tells the story of a team of divers, photographers, and scientists who set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. The film, for the first time, shows time-lapse THE FILM footage of the terrifying phenomenon. Coral reefs are home to a quarter camera designers, and renowned of all marine species, a remarkable marine biologists, the story unfolds ecosystem that sustains our as they invent the first time-lapse existence. Yet with carbon emissions cameras to record bleaching events warming the seas, a phenomenon as they happen. Unfortunately, called “coral bleaching”—a sign of the effort is anything but simple, mass coral death—has been and the team must doggedly battle accelerating around the world, and technical malfunctions and the the public has no idea of the scale forces of nature in pursuit of their or implication of the catastrophe golden fleece: documenting the silently raging underwater. indisputable and tragic transformation below the waves. Told through the collective will and wisdom of an ad man, a self- With its breathtaking photography, proclaimed coral nerd, top-notch nail-biting suspense, and startling emotion, Chasing Coral is a dramatic revelation that won’t have audiences With its breathtaking photography, sitting idle for long. Filmed over three years with 500+ hours nail-biting suspense, and startling underwater, including crowdsourced footage sent in by over 500 people emotion, Chasing Coral is a dramatic from 30 countries, Chasing Coral offers irrefutable, visual proof of the revelation that won’t have audiences crisis that is unfolding, and channels sitting idle for long. our emotional reaction to move us to action. Photo: American-Samoa © XL Catlin Seaview Survey – The Ocean Agency - Richard Vevers 4 Chasing Coral | The Film 5 International: available in Website 190+ COUNTRIES SOCIAL MEDIA and in 20+ LANGUAGES 700,000 Facebook Instagram Twitter views 71,000 45,600 14,200 followers followers followers 4.2M Community screenings: people organically 18,300 9,800 reached by the film’s mentions on Instagram mentions to Facebook posts @ChasingCoral on Twitter In US: to #ChasingCoral NYC and LA WHO SAW IT? WHO SAW 150K PEOPLE theaters (for 1 wk qualifying run, July 2017) PRINCETON 80+ FILM FESTIVALS, 2017 PEABODY AWARD ENVIRONMENTAL FILM ATTENDING INCLUDING: FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL: AUDIENCE FAVORITE Sundance Film Festival Hot Docs Canadian International Press hits: Documentary Festival 2018 NEWS AND PHILADELPHIA DOCUMENTARY EMMY® AWARD ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL: Sheffield International Documentary FOR OUTSTANDING NATURE DOCUMENTARY, AND Festival 2017 TWO NOMINATIONS FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY, ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY SXSW Film Festival AND OUTSTANDING MUSIC AND SOUND AWARD San Francisco International Netflix Original: 7,000+ Film Festival SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: BOULDER INTERNATIONAL global premiere Sydney Film Festival INCLUDING: 30+ AWARDS, U.S. DOCUMENTARY AUDIENCE FILM FESTIVAL: The Washington Post: “A new documentary seeks to BEST CALL2ACTION FILM / BEST July 14, 2017 make coral reefs the ‘poster image of climate change’.” AWARD DOCUMENTARY / PEOPLE’S CHOICE, FEATURE LENGTH FILM Director Jeff Orlowski was named Netflix Trailer The Los Angeles Times: “At Chasing Coral screening, by the UN a Views: an environmental alarm goes off.” UNEP 2017 Champion of MOUNTAINFILM: AUDIENCE 2018 EDWARD R. the Earth for his work on Chasing Coral, CHOICE AWARD: STUDENT MURROW AWARD: the United Nations’ highest CHOICE AWARD EXCELLENCE IN VIDEO 427,000 environmental honour. Action Guide: Email list grew to over Exposure Labs received the 2018 ENVIRONMENTAL FILM ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIA FastCompany award for World Changing FESTIVAL AT YALE: GRAND AWARDS (EMA) 2017 62,000 Ideas in Photography and Visualization. JURY PRIZE / AUDIENCE NOMINATION: downloads 19,000 CHOICE AWARD DOCUMENTARY FILM *Data and numbers as of June 2019 6 Chasing Coral | The Film 7 John Steiner & Margo King FILMMAKERS EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Julie & Brad Senet David J. Cornfield Linda A. Cornfield Ryan W. Ahrens PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH: Jill K. Ahrens Sustainable Films Ben Cotner Code Blue Foundation Jason Spingarn-Koff Earthsense Foundation Lisa Nishimura Director Jeff Orlowski Producer Co-Producer IMPACT TEAM THE TEAM (Chasing Ice – 2012) Larissa Rhodes Stacey Piculell Samantha Wright, Impact Producer & Managing Director ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS Megha Agrawal Sood, Director of Programs Shari Sant Plummer & Daniel Plummer Max Steinman, Campaign Director Shannon O’Leary Joy Alan Chan, Director of Development and Operations Donna & Kevin Gruneich Meghan Welsch, Director of Screenings Jeff Seibert Bre Graziano, Community Engagement Manager Lynda Weinman & Bruce Heavin Zack Rago, Youth Outreach Manager Wayne Chang Samantha Adler, Campaign Strategist Greg Brockman And Jennifer 8 Lee Savannah Miller, Program Strategist Editor Cinematography Writer Nion McEvoy Caroline Beaton, Impact Operations Coordinator Davis Coombe Jeff Orlowski and Vickie Curtis William Donnelly Mark Crawford, Short-Form Video Producer Andrew Ackerman Andrea Van Beuren Vickie Curtis, Education Consultant Ginny Jordan Gretchen Sisson It took a village to bring this film and the impact WRITERS campaign to life. The team expresses gratitude Vickie Curtis, Davis Coombe, Jeff Orlowski to their incredible film subjects, their amazing WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM scientists, beloved film crew, and the countless BRITDOC Circle others for helping bring this important story MUSIC BY The Tiffany & Co. Foundation to the surface. Dan Romer & Saul Simon MacWilliams Sundance Institute Including: Sundance Institute Catalyst To see the entire team, please go to Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program www.chasingcoral.com/the-team IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Open Society Foundations The Ocean Agency & View Into The Blue Ford Foundation Justfilms Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Nancy Blachman Kayvon Beykpour IN ASSOCIATION WITH Bob O’Connor Argent Pictures & The Kendeda Fund Buffy Redsecker & Alan Chung 8 Chasing Coral | The Film 9 TRADITIONAL IMPACT CAMPAIGN Director of Programs: Educational Outreach Partners: DISTRIBUTION Megha Agrawal Sood The Ocean Agency Teens4Oceans Campaign Director: Underwater Earth Max Steinman Impact Documentation: Director of Screenings: Mark Crawford, Forrest Lotterhos, Meghan Welsch Dave Wruck, Joseph East, Netflix Originals Impact Campaign Strategy: Community Engagement Manager: Mass FX Media ORGANOGRAM Samantha Wright Bre Graziano Impact Braintrust: Submarine (Sales Agent) Jeff Orlowski Program Strategist: Savannah Miller Cara Mertes Larissa Rhodes Holly Gordon Brigade (Festival PR) Erin Sorenson HQ Operations Manager: Paula DuPré Pesmen David & Linda Cornfield Joan Hobbs Bob Inglis Dish Communications (Awards PR) Geralyn Dreyfous Impact Producer and Impact Local Organizing Partners: Paul Hawken Verdant Communications (Awards PR) Team Managing Director: Charleston County School District Samantha Wright Conservation Voters of South Carolina Impact Team Expansion: Paula DuPré Pesmen (Distribution Consultant) Environmental Voter Project Samantha Adler Film Subject, Youth Outreach Alan Chan Global Organizing Partners: Ali Fujino & Joan Hobbs (Festival Support) Manager: Zack Rago Caroline Beaton The thousands of amazing organizations who hosted local Interns & Additional Support: community screenings Michelle Russell (intern) Mackenzie Moran (intern) Discussion Guide & Curriculum Colette Smith (intern) Development: Erik Tobeler (shipping Blueshift Education coordinator) Hot Docs — Docs For Schools Sara Cottle (operations Doc Academy coordinator) Vickie Curtis * See timeline for greater detail on how the impact team formed and disbanded throughout the campaign 10 Chasing Coral | The Film 11 PRODUCTION BUDGET TOTAL: $2M+ IMPACT CAMPAIGN BUDGET “ Chasing Coral brings the The Kendeda Fund TOTAL: $2M+ issue of climate change David J. Cornfield The Kendeda Fund dramatically to life.” Linda A. Cornfield Far Star Action Fund — Argent Pictures Argent Pictures Former US Representative, Ryan W. Ahrens BRITDOC Circle Beto O’Rourke Jill K. Ahrens Tiffany & Co. Foundation Shari Sant Plummer & Daniel Plummer Sustainable Films BUDGETS Shannon O’Leary Joy Code Blue Foundation Donna & Kevin Gruneich EarthSense Foundation Jeff Seibert Private Individual Philanthropy Lynda Weinman & Bruce Heavin Wayne Chang Greg Brockman & Jennifer 8 Lee Nion McEvoy William Donnelly Andrea Van Beuren Ginny Jordan Gretchen Sisson Sustainable Films Code Blue Foundation EarthSense Foundation BRITDOC Circle Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program With support from Open Society Foundations Ford Foundation JustFilms Robert Rauschenberg Sundance Institute Catalyst Tiffany & Co. Foundation Nancy Blachman Kayvon Beykpour Bob O’Connor Buffy Redsecker & Alan Chung John Steiner & Margo King Julie & Brad Senet 12 Chasing Coral | Campaign & Impact 13 CAMPAIGN & IMPACT 14 Chasing Coral | Campaign & Impact 15 Exposure Labs launched their campaign at the film’s THIS FILM AND CAMPAIGN SHOW THAT AMPLE FINANCING AND A BIG TEAM world premiere at Sundance 2017, then led a two- – A DEDICATED AND EXPERIENCED