Overview
Follow us as we document community efforts to save the Eastern hellbender salamander in Indiana’s southernmost rivers. Our film takes audiences into the perspectives of the hellbender and the many Hoosiers who work towards increasing their numbers. Centering around the healing of Indian Creek, a tributary to the Blue River in Corydon, Indiana, the film shows that what we do as Indiana citizens, be it an industrial farming operation or not picking up after our pets in the backyard, impacts our environment. The hellbender’s decline shows the connectedness of people with the land and how we can reverse our adverse effects on nature.
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Synopsis
The Eastern hellbender salamander is an indicator species for river health. The population has declined noticeably since the early 1980s, with records of decline dating as early as 1957 credited to water quality issues. In Indiana, this large salamander is now only present in the Blue River watershed on the way to the Ohio River. Scientists and other organizations from all over the state are collaborating to improve our water. We followed some of them as they worked for better watershed health for hellbenders and humans.
One of our characters Jerry Sweeten, is a retired professor turned environmental consulting firm founder. He runs Ecosystems Connections Institute with his wife Melinda Sweeten and their operations manager Herb Manifold. In October 2019, they were contracted to remove two low-head dams in Corydon, Indiana’s Indian Creek. The removal of this dam will ideally clear the water of sediment and reconnect this tributary to the Blue River which leads into the Mississippi, a perfect scenario for hellbender augmentation.
Teardrop Pictures is a documentary film company based in Indianapolis and founded to capture outdoor, adventure, and conservation stories. Last year, we started this film on the banks of the Blue River and in special facilities designed for rebuilding the population of hellbenders in Indiana’s watersheds.
Team
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Katelyn Calhoun | Teardrop Pictures
As a documentary filmmaker, Katelyn highlights moments that spark empathy in others. Her work tells outdoor, adventure, and conservation stories. Last year, she produced a short film on the northern long-eared bats of Southern Indiana, Snag in the Plan, for the Indiana Forest Alliance. The film concerns what’s at stake for the people of Indiana if the bat species diminishes beyond repair. In 2018, she co-produced Braided with the Current funded by Indiana Humanities and the Nina Pulliam Charitable Trust. Braided with the Current focuses on the people’s relationship with the unassuming White River of Indiana and calling action to its appreciation. Early in her career, she was an associate producer and editor on Indianapolis Prize documentary coverage and an assistant editor of Mabingwa, a documentary short about young conservationists in Kenya with Mays Entertainment. She was a 2019 Indiana Arts Commission On-Ramp Fellow and has received two NATAS Emmy nominations. Her goal is to represent Indiana on a national and international level as she creates non-fiction films about communities all over the world.
@teardropictures
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JD Schuyler | Skyler Creative
From the team at Skyler Creative, JD Schuyler will serve as the project’s director of photography. Skyler Creative toured their first feature documentary in 2019, Last Man Fishing, a cinematic look at the vastly changing seafood system through the lens of small-scale fishermen across the United States. Funded by two Patagonia grants, the film explores the dichotomy between the industrial model and sustainable fishing methods that focus on conservation and quality. The film weaves a collection of intimate stories from coastal communities with expert interviews to portray the complex struggle between corporate giants and family fishers. Last Man Fishing has shown in BendFilm, New Hampshire Film, Newburyport Documentary Film Festivals, and most recently Indy Film Fest. JD has shot, produced, and directed short documentaries for over a decade.
Last Man Fishing Trailer
@jdschuyler & @skylercreative
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Kayla Woodward | Editor
Kayla is a non-fiction video and podcast editor. She is currently releasing her third season of Mesa Verde Voices, a podcast about the intricate past of the Southwest connected to today’s world, Kayla specializes in editing an emotional and informative story tailored to the audience.
@k.a.y.ward
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Paul Nurkkala | Aerial Videographer
Paul is not your average drone operator. He spends the majority of his year in the FPV drone racing world. He builds drones and flies against other pilots around the world for a living. In past films, we have utilized the crossover of a racer into filmmaking to re-create bat flying patterns and shots zooming around trees. Paul contributes a unique experience for the audience and innovative take to traditional aerial film storytelling.
@nurkfpv
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Eric Salazar | Composer
One of the most sought-after clarinet players in Indianapolis, Eric Salazar has released ten albums so far in his career, including the Snag in the Plan Original Soundtrack. Eric’s focus on raw emotion in his music drives empathy towards the creatures featured in the short films he accompanies. When he isn’t composing music, Eric is the Director of Community Engagement at Classical Music Indy, where he brings live music to over 100,000 people annually. Additionally, he is the Director and Clarinetist of Forward Motion, Indianapolis’s premier new music ensemble. They actively commission, premiere, and record new music by Indiana composers.
@theclarinetguy
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Jessica Dunn and Justin Shimp | Animators
Our animation team, BrainTwins, the duo of Jessica Dunn and Justin Shimp, combine their backgrounds in fine arts and technology to create transformative analog and digital experiences. They focus primarily on frame-by-frame animation combined with other experimental techniques. In Hellbender in the Blue, they will construct map animations and hellbender visual aids to illustrate scientific concepts for the layman.
@braintwins
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Big Car Collaborative | Fiscal Sponsors
We are grateful to have Big Car as our fiscal sponsor for the project making all crowdfunding donations tax deductible.
As a nonprofit art and design organization, Big Car Collaborative utilizes tools of culture and creativity to build community and social cohesion — helping connect people as a way to boost quality of life. Formed in 2004 and based in Indianapolis, Indiana USA, we also work in other communities and collaborate with artists from around the world.
As an adaptive and flexible cultural organization, we draw together people of all backgrounds to promote and perpetuate creativity, invigorate public places, and support neighborhoods. Big Car is a creative community builder working to boost livability from an engagement-based arts perspective.
Big Car's mission statement: We bring art to people and people to art, sparking creativity in lives to support communities.
@bigcarpix
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What We Need & What You Get
Our campaign is designed to raise $25,000 for summer filming and post production efforts of the film. The funds raised here cover additional shoot days, travel, our editor’s stipend, music composition, audio mix, transcriptions, and anything else that brings our documentary to the finish line.
We have several perks to thank our donors. Please check out the listings and perks to determine what contribution level works best for you.
The Impact
The goal of the piece is to convey the situational urgency in conserving our watershed through awe-inspiring visuals and the eyes of the Eastern hellbender salamander. The story involves closeup scientific research that defines the biological diversity and ecological value of our watersheds in Indiana. Additionally, the film will address the struggle over the hellbender’s successful repopulation efforts in the past and coming years. Overall, the final piece will take a human-interest approach as Hoosiers and their conservation associates fight for the preservation of our watersheds.
Other Ways to Help
Money isn’t the only contribution that makes a difference. Supporters can volunteer with local organizations, write to their representatives about the issues facing our Indiana Eastern hellbenders and the quality of our water, and share this campaign with their networks!
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