Inspiring Ted Talk on Happiness & Productivity

Good idea for the New Year - let's be thankful, happy and productive for 2013

Shawn Achor on Happiness and Productivity

5 techniques to change your attitude, be happier, strengthen your productivity:

- Express gratitude daily; write down 3 things to be happy about, say thank you and express appreciation for what you have
- Journal
- Meditate
- Exercise
- Practice random acts of kindness


 http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work.html

The Premiere of SAYING GOODBYE my documentary on Sean Davison, who helped his 85 year old cancer stricken mother to die. 

This is his painful story of the impact this had on him and his family.

Watch the trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f2QHr7Tp8g&feature=youtu.be

and 'like' the facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/SayingGoodbyeDocumentary/info

The Return of the Hippo

Finished a promo for Richard Kruger and Bronwyn Berry on THE RETURN OF THE HIPPO

The Hippopotamus -- powerful, massive and potentially dangerous
This mighty mammal has gradually been eradicated from the Zambezi River in North Western Zambia. This has put the eco-system in danger and the livelihood of the local community at risk. Peter Fisher, a dedicated game reserve manager who grew up in this area, has accepted the dangerous mission to move a pod of eight Hippo 494 miles (795 km) in an attempt to restore the eco-system to it's former glory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiSh-Wt6jcE

FEARLESS ENCOUNTERS
A new documentary film, Honoring the Kuwaiti Oil Firefighting team. The film was never edited or released until 2011. Shot 20 years ago by the Kuwaiti filmmaker, Talal Showaish-Salem , who spent 6 weeks with the team ,in the horrific inferno . Telling the inside untold story of the Kuwaiti oil firefighter's heroic Fearless Encounters . when the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein was forced out of Kuwait by the world Coalition forces in February 1991, out of spite and hatred he ordered his defeated retreating army to Blow up all of Kuwait's Oil wells. More than 650 Oil wells ,where on fire for 8 months, burning on average 6 million Barrels of Oil P/Day. In total, more than 1 Billion Barrels of Crude oil was burnt. The Kuwaiti firefighting team started 180 days after the main 4 world famous, American and Canadian oil firefighting teams. the Kuwaiti Team overwhelmed the world by their unmatched speed in killing the fiercest oil well fires, reaching temperatures of 2000C . Against all bets, the Kuwaitis, managed to Extinguish the biggest well in Kuwait BG160, which was burning 60,000 Barrels of oil per day. Their speed and relentless enthusiasm, they ignited the competitive spirit amongst all the other firefighting teams, which lead to extinguishing all the fires in 7 months only, compared to the initial world expert predictions of 5 years.


 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BctJHHIeu9M     English Promo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcLISnVBMMU  Arabic Promo

The RELATE TRUST

I recently had the honour of working with THE RELATE TRUST in Cape Town

We've created two beautiful videos for RELATE and UNITED AGAINST MALARIA


A 2'00" version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Cva7zhlN8

And a 6'20" version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sP52lPFTcw&feature=related

Thanks to my brilliant team:
Rozie on production management
Nic van der Westhuizen & Etienne Fourie on Camera
Craig Ryneveld on sound
Geoffrey Butler did the editing
Lloyd O'Connor doing final mix
Lesoko Seabe from Tongue Twisters for the VO
Filmmedia for supplying gear
Glenn Gillis, Matthew Brown & Wynand Groenewald at Seamonster for graphics & support
To all the beaders and people at RELATE, allowing us to film them
Big Thanks to Ross & Kingsley for extra UAM footage

Video on Climate change

Video on Climate Change for Letters from the Sky COP 17

BIG THANK YOU to:
Marius van Straaten for his time and for creating beautiful images
Visual Impact for the gear
Braam du Toit for allowing me to use his music (the track is MEISIE - KLASKAMER IN DIE VELD)
Cameron de Klerk for being such a star
His parents, Edwin and Nathalie for allowing him on the shoot
Nathalie, Marius and Jo for being the voices of the film
Tusa for lending us her 'hand'!
Linda for antique looking things like fans, heaters and light swithces
Al-Marie and Alten for the fan
Sarna for the heater
All the people I met on the road
Kai Losgott from LETTERS FROM THE SKY for the inspiration and advice
letters-from-the-sky-project.blogspot.com/2011/06/open-call-for-films-proposals-south.html

My friends for support, criticism and advice
Johan, for uploading and pouring my wine while I work
And all the people I met on the road


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNDz57DTMXg

Just finished.....

A documentary on the FIRES OF KUWAIT 
FEARLESS ENCOUNTERS pays tribute to all the fire fighters and in particular the Kuwait fire fighting team that helped put out the oil well fires in 1991.

Promo will be up soon!