Journey Home is in that quasi-limbo land of post production. I wish I had cool things to post about it, but, honestly, it's really all writing, planning and storyboards at the moment. Watching paint dry would be far more entertaining...really.
As we enter 2013, I am struck by the fact that I will have worked on the film for parts of 2011, 2012 and, now, 2013. The doc is truly a journey in itself.
Looking back on 2012, I can say with some assurance that it was a very memorable year for the film. Highs....lows...success and failure. I wouldn't trade a second of it all for the experiences I've gained.
So what does 2013 look like? Is there a timeline in place for what happens when? Yes....and no.
I want to have the film completed in time for Loggerhead's "Turtle fest" in April. I also "want' a million dollars and the ability to play the banjo. What will determine the timeline for the film is how long it takes me to craft the best story possible. Period. Still, my personal deadline is April 1st. That might work out on many levels.
However, during this period of post production, support becomes critical. I will continue to bounce concepts and footage off of my "fans" throughout this time. I'll be looking to you folks to tell me what works and what doesn't.
So, here's to hoping 2013 is a an amazing and wonderful new year for all of us.

Peace, love and cheers,
-Rick

When I'm working on the film - even when I'm not actually "working" on it, too - I can get tunnel vision and not see the world around me. I get lost in the story as it unfolds.
Filming the cold-stunned sea turtle rescue operation was like that. Once I was rolling, there really was nothing but the drama of 35 turtles being transported more than a thousand miles in an effort to save their lives.
Saving lives, whether it is in regards to turtles or people, is dramatic by its very nature. Even after the turtles made it safely to Florida from Massachusetts, they faced uncertainty and a long recovery.
What they need now is caring and compassion - and they are getting it in spades at Loggerhead MC.
I post about this now because it also relates to how we, as journalists, can be when it comes to a tragedy like the recent mass shootings in Connecticut. When you cover an event like that you might have tunnel vision at first - just focusing on the "story." But there are lives involved....emotions and pain. No matter how "dramatic something is, if we fail to see the humanity of the situation, we also fail to exercise humanity in our coverage.
My heart goes out to all of those affected by the recent tragedy. My heart also goes out to all of those left with "tunnel vision."
Sometimes, it's OK to put down the camera....and simply weep.

-RW

The last scenes of primary footage were filmed today. In a 4.5-hour-long filming marathon, I was able to get footage of research, conservation efforts, educational programs and a few, last bits of medical care for a shark bit victim (turtle).
What this means is that the re-shoot for Journey Home, which started in September, now moves into post-production or the editing phase.
Journey Home 2.0 is a very amazing story...and one that is phenomenally different from the first, completed film.
I feel that I "lucked out" again in having the opportunity, not just to do it over, but to craft a stronger, more "timeless" documentary.
The newer story encompasses the global problem of saving a species as seen through the efforts of Loggerhead Marinelife Center.
I can say with 100-percent certainty that this would not be possible without the help and support of many, many people.
I wasn't a one-man band in doing this film. I'm still not.
I'm grateful for that.
As I have said once before, "now begins the hard part."

I finally got around to rendering a new trailer for the documentary re-shoot. There are just a couple of fine tuning items I'll need to finish before it's ready to go live. Having said that, I'm pretty sure it'll be done tomorrow!
One can only hope, anyway.
In the meantime enjoy these stills from the production.
Cheers,
-Rick

When I started filming "Journey Home" in October of 2011, I knew I'd see drama unfold during the course of saving the lives of sea turtles. I knew, too, there would be loss and sorrow.
For more than a year, I've seen triumph and tragedy play out too many times to count. As a filmmaker I think about how "lucky" I have been to capture these dramatic - yet not overly emotional - scenes.
Time and time again the most poignant scenes are the ones that illustrate just how directly - and, in some cases, adversely - humans impact the life cycle of these endangered species.
Sometimes it's the unintentional by-product of an industry, like commercial fishing or boat operation, but far too often it comes from ignorance and carelessness.
I have watched turtles die because of it.
"Journey Home" will carry the message of sea turtle awareness and education. In subtle scenes, viewers will see the results of litter, negligence and apathy on creatures who - if left unmolested - might have numbers so healthy as to no longer carry the "endangered species"  identifier.
There is only one chance at this and it is right now. If we fail in preserving and protecting sea turtles, they will vanish into extinction.
My philosophy while filming is simple: tell their story. It's not to "create" a story or "embellish" a story...it is simply to show others what I have been privileged to see.
Of course, as a visual artist, I hope to do it in a way that will be interesting and will have an impact on anyone who sees it.
What's more, you don't have to wait for the film to finish production. All of the information and tools to educate folks about the issues facing sea turtles are here - on the film's site. If you have other questions or want more information, visit Loggerhead Marinelife Center's website: http://marinelife.org/

More filming today. LMC staff were hard at work by the time I got to the center and had already finished the intake for two of the new turtles.
Though they still have numbers on their carapaces, they now have names like "Frosty" and "Boomer."
The "buzz" and energy level was on high as staff and volunteers measured, weighed and assessed all five of the loggerheads.
A couple of the new patients were already showing signs of their feisty spirit and swam vigorously in their tanks.
It's a good sign, I think, of the road ahead.

Cheers,
-RW

As the U.S. Coast Guard C-130 taxied towards the small crowd of sea turtle rehab personnel, you could almost hear Samuel L. Jackson dealing out a profanity-ridden line involving turtles on a plane.
The operation undertaken today in Orlando involved more than a dozen federal, state, local and private organizations.
When the wheels of the plane skidded to a halt and the ramp came down, USCG crew members were preparing for New England Aquarium staffers to begin the unloading process.
35 cold stunned sea turtles rescued on the shores of Cape Cod are now finding hope (and much warmer weather) in Florida.
The massive operation unfolded without a hitch and Loggerhead Marinelife Center received five loggerhead turtles from the flight. LMC staff moved quickly to secure and transport the new patients back to the center in Juno.
I was lucky enough to have a "front-row seat" for the events today and filmed it all. The footage conveys how coordinated and expertly executed the operation was from the flight arrival to landing and offloading to ground transport of all of the turtles in less than 40 minutes.
I can't describe how proud I am to see that kind of cooperation and effort.

Turtle Power!!!

Cheers,
-Rick

Resumption of filming today meant testing out new gear in the "field" and solidifying the direction of the new film.
Along with an additional hour of raw footage, I was able to sit down with LMC staff and chart a course for the final bits of filming before Journey Home 2.0 goes into post-processing.
There will be a rapid succession of filming events and scenes at LMC over the next few weeks. I hope to finish primary filming by mid-January.
And, as insane as it might sound, I hope to deliver a completed film by the end of March.
This is a slightly-accelerated schedule but it is doable...and necessary.
Journey Home needs to be seen. It needs to be talked about. There is no time to wait.  Every day lost is a day we can never get back in the march towards extinction.

*Warning: Thar be preaching ahead!*

The real problem is that we don't see enough of ourselves in them. Sea turtles are easy to marginalize because of it. But that fishing line that snapped, the plastic grocery bag that accidentally flew out the window, that need we had to open up the boat's throttle because it's fun to do so...it kills them. The oil we spill, the encroaching beach side developments, those lights we need along every inch of road...we are killing them. And THIS MOMENT is that one point - that ONE MOMENT IN HISTORY - when we can save or doom an entire species.
I know it sounds "dramatic." I know there are species in more critical danger in places all over the world. But sea turtles CAN be saved. We just have to commit - as a whole society - to do something about it.
I'll exit my soapbox on that.... for now.

Cheers,
-Rick