Hello!

My name is Jess Webster and I'm a Zoology graduate currently studying for a Masters in Wildlife Filmmaking at the University of the West of England, Bristol. This course is run in partnership with the highly renowned BBC Natural History Unit and has been both challenging and enjoyable so far.

But this is where I embark on my biggest and most exciting challenge to date. As part of the course, I'm going to be producing a short (10-12 minute) film, which will be screened to industry professionals and distributed towards the end of 2018 (November). Having been extremely passionate about killer whales since I was young, I can't think of a better subject to focus on than the critically endangered Southern Residents, who number just 76.

Unlike other types of orca, the southern residents rely almost exclusively on Chinook salmon for food, which has declined significantly in recent years. Without their primary food source, these orcas are struggling to survive, and it's hitting the babies particularly hard. A recent study showed that two thirds of pregnancies are failing due to malnutrition, and even calves surviving to birth are dying shortly after, despite the best efforts of surrounding relatives. Without sufficient new individuals to maintain the population, these whales are projected to go extinct.

And that will be a tragedy. Not only will that mean a loss of biodiversity, and of individual lives and families, but also a loss of culture, history and livelihood for the local people.   

Based on this, it's my vision at this critical time to make a film about these unique whales and the struggles they face by exploring their relationship to the local community.

But I can't do this without your help.

 Filmmaking is notoriously expensive, and it's my aim to make this to the highest standard possible, so I can enter the film into festivals and help to raise awareness of this important issue across the world.

Please donate whatever you can to help me turn this project into a reality. Any contribution will help me immensely no matter how big or small. Please continue reading to find out more about the film and how you can help.

The Film

Background

The southern resident killer whales make up one of four groups of orca resident to the north west region of the pacific ocean. Whilst they face threats common to all orca such as PCB pollution, boat noise and historically, captivity, they are unique in that they have a very specialised diet comprised primarily of Chinook salmon. Due to a combination of factors including overfishing, habitat loss and the spread of disease from fish farms, wild chinook salmon have declined significantly in recent years, and this is causing the southern residents to starve. Like many social animals, killer whales learn predatory tactics from one another and this particular group have not adapted to target other food sources. This situation has caused the population to plummet, and it is unclear whether they will ever recover. If nothing changes however, then extinction is a fore gone conclusion. This is a devastating thought for the local community inhabiting the islands around the Salish sea; they have come to know these whales on a personal level and many make their living through ecotourism, with the whales bringing people from all over the world to visit the islands.

Southern resident killer whales are critically endangered, with only 76 individuals left. Under 30 of these have the potential to reproduce.

One of the most concerning aspects of this situation is the whales' impaired ability to reproduce successfully. We know from research two thirds of pregnancies are failing in this population due to malnourishment, and even successful births are not leading to a happy ending; many calves are dying shortly after birth due to starvation and some have been orphaned by their mothers also succumbing to this fate. In 2016 and 2017, there were no successful births.

But, there may be hope. The local community is not giving up fighting for these whales who are themselves doing all they can to support the future generation. Remarkable stories of orcas giving up their own food for their younger siblings, and trying to pull babies to the surface when they have lost the strength to do so have emerged, and all of this has unfolded under the watchful eye of the surrounding communities. Pressure is being put on the governments (both in Canada and the US) to put in measures to protect these whales, and as long as people continue to fight, there is a glimmer of hope.

Synopsis

The southern residents are comprised of one clan split into three pods, J-Pod, L-Pod and K-Pod. J-Pod is made up of 23 named individuals (https://whalemuseum.org/collections/meet-the-wh...) and there is one story in particular that we think the world should hear.

In 2015 a matriarch female named Polaris gave birth to a calf- Dipper, in a year that saw a boom in births. Polaris had been deteriorating in health since the birth of dipper and began to trail the group. She died in 2016 leaving Dipper orphaned. Without his mother's milk and in the absence of a good food supply, Dipper began to starve. His older sister Star, cousin Notch and other relatives all tried to save Dipper by getting as much food to him as possible, and dragging him to the surface to breathe when he became delirious. There are photos of his dorsal fin covered in tooth marks from these desperate attempts. Sadly, these efforts could not save Dipper and he died shortly after his mother. This is a powerful example of the urgent situation these whales find themselves in, and of a family banding together to protect their young.

This story will form part of the backdrop for the film, before we explore how the southern residents are doing this year, and meet some of their biggest advocates.

Locations

Filming will take place in and around the Salish Sea, which is located off the coast of Washington state. The two island locations are Vancouver Island and San Juan Island.

Vancouver Island, British Columbia

San Juan Island, USA

Contributors

To help tell this story  we are lucky to be joined by Ocean Ecoventures Captains and researchers Gary Sutton & Tasli Shaw. Gary has spent years on the water studying the southern residents, and has  valuable insights into their plight and also their importance in the local community. Tasli is also an orca advocate and illustrator and her work can be viewed at the following link: http://taslishaw.com/

We have also been in contact with the Center for Whale Research, and it is likely we will be able to interview some of their staff who are leading experts on the study of the southern residents.

Support from UWE/The BBC

UWE is providing great support for this film through the provision of passionate staff and excellent pre and post production facilities. We will also be making use of an existing partnership between UWE and Bristol University that will enable us to collaborate with a masters student studying 'Music Composition for Film,' meaning that we will have music specially created for the film. In addition, we will be assigned a BBC Mentor to give editorial help, and will also be pitching our idea to a BBC producer for feedback, providing an opportunity to get expert support in story development.

The Film Crew

JESS WEBSTER- Producer, Director, Camera, Editor 

Jess holds a First Class Zoology degree from Royal Holloway, University of London and worked in higher education before commencing the MA in Wildlife Filmmaking at UWE. During her final year research project she focused on the feeding behaviour of the invasive Chinese mitten crab, and got this work published in the Journal of Aquatic Invasions (http://www.aquaticinvasions.net/2015/AI_2015_We...).

Jess has also completed a research internship at the Zoological Society of London, working on the EDGE of Existence conservation programme. In addition, she is Scuba certified and has used her filmmaking skills to produce content for Somerset Wildlife Trust and the Slapstick Comedy Festival. In her spare time Jess volunteers for a national charity, and plays a number of musical instruments.

TOM CAMPBELL- SECOND CAMERA

Tom holds a degree in Photography from the University of South Wales, and freelances as a filmmaker and photographer, with clients including BBC, Global Drone Surveys and Tern TV.
 He has a particular passion for British Wildlife and his photographic work has been featured on exhibition across the country and most recently at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre. Tom is also completing his Masters in Wildlife Filmmaking at UWE, and is focusing on the conflict between hill-farming and sea eagles on the Isle of Mull for his own project.

To view Tom's work please visit: https://www.facebook.com/Tom-Campbell-Photograp...

Where your money will go...

There are a number of areas that we need to invest in so that we can make this project work.

Travel- 40%

This film will be set in British Columbia and Washington state (San Juan island). The biggest expenditure will be the flights from the UK to Vancouver Island. We will then need to travel by boat to San Juan Island, before heading back to the mainland for departure. We will have to hire a car in order to get around both islands. This fee will also include the cost of transporting camera kit, which will need to be purchased as extra baggage and the cost of getting to/from the airport. In addition, we will need to pay a significant fee for a document (Carnet) that enables us to transport kit out of the EU. If we do not raise enough money to cover travel we may need to compromise on filming locations which will affect the quality of the film and the likelihood of finding the orca.

Accommodation- 20%

The crew will be staying in basic accommodation over the course of the shoot, most likely in homestays of local residents. This will support the income of local people, thus contributing to ecotourism.

Boat access- 20%

In order to film the southern residents, we will need to pay for access to boats and boat staff. To have the best chance of filming the whales, we will need to take multiple trips out on boats. If we are unable to raise sufficient funds to cover these trips, our opportunity to capture images of the whales will be greatly reduced, and we may have to rely on archive footage, which will not be as authentic to the film. 

Equipment hire-7.5%

We will need to pay for some additional equipment such as SD cards, batteries, and external hard drives for back up. Whilst the University provides the majority of the camera kit, there are some pieces of equipment that we will not be able to take overseas such as drones, which we feel would enhance the production value of the film. In order to hire a drone and operator once on location, we will need to pay for this cost.

Location fees- 2.5%

We will need to pay for permits to film in some of our locations including in around the city of Victoria, Cowichan Bay and San Juan Island. We would also like to do some filming in national parks to help set the scene, and this too will require a permit and an associated fee. 

In order to run this campaign we have to pay the platform, and also need funds to cover the perks that donators will get. Additional costs may be incurred in promoting the campaign, such as the use of copyright images. We also intend to enter the film into a number of film festivals so it can raise awareness across the world. This too will cost money, but is an important part of our budget.

Exceeding our target

In the unlikely event that we exceed our fundraising goal, or have any funds left over due to unforeseen factors, we will donate excess funds to the Center for Whale Research (CWR). The CWR is dedicated to the study and conservation of SRKW's and has pioneered a lot of the research that has helped us understand the threats facing these animals.

The Impact

With your support we can increase the awareness people have about the issues facing the southern residents, which may help to conserve them in the future. A lot of the conservation measures proposed by the Center for Whale Research and other organisations relate to policy changes at a government level, meaning that people can individually make a difference by contacting their local representative and applying pressure.

In addition, this film will give members of the local community a chance to speak out about what is happening and why it is so important that we do all we can to protect these majestic animals.

Risks & Challenges

With any big project, there are a number of challenges to face, but we are determined to overcome these!

It will not be easy filming killer whales in the wild, which is why we want to have as many opportunities to get out on the water as possible and will be paying local boat operators to take us, as they will have the best chance of locating the whales. We have had excellent training in camera work on the course, and are confident we will be able to get good footage of the southern residents once we have found them. We will also be consulting local photographers/videographers to ask for any particular advice on capturing the best images of killer whales.

By far, the biggest risk is not raising enough funds to complete the project to the standard we envisage. If we do not raise enough funds we will need to make cuts, which will mean compromising on filming locations, boat access and if funds are scarce, the use of additional crew members. This would mean the director would have to self shoot, leading to increased pressure, which will affect the quality of the film.

Please donate so that we don't have to cross that bridge!

The project will be planned in detail, including the preparation of risk assessments, shooting scripts and film treatments so that we are best prepared for the shoot. The crew will also be in a fit and healthy condition to film, but most importantly, will both be passionate about the project.

Other Ways You Can Help

We appreciate that sometimes it is just not possible to give financially. But we would still really value you supporting the campaign, and here's how you can do that:

• Share this page with anyone and everyone- however you choose to do so (email, social media)
• Like our Facebook Page for regular updates: https://www.facebook.com/thefinalbreach/
• Support the work organisations like the Center for Whale Research (https://www.whaleresearch.com) or the David Suzuki Foundation https://davidsuzuki.org/project/orca-and-salmon/