SEA-Inside: Event Press Kit

This press kit page contains several items:

Press Release
a brief Announcement
a brief Bio
Quotes
Sponsors
Pictures for this event
Posters
Kitsap What's Up article

Additional information supplied upon request.

PRESS RELEASE

Still Hope Productions, Inc., P.O. Box 1407, Suquamish WA 98392

Contact: John F. Williams
Days: (360) 598-4152
Evenings: (360) 598-4152
Email: jw@StillHopeProductions.com

For Immediate Release

UNDERWATER NEIGHBORHOODS: A VIDEO TOUR

What do these have in common: a 9 foot tall mermaid, the seasons below the surface of Puget Sound, underwater Audubon-like fish counts, derelict fishing gear, a host of creatures that look like they’re from another planet, and student-built robots scooting around underwater?
Answer: you don’t get to see these unless you spend some time underwater -- or unless a diver with a camera brings images of these to the surface.

Underwater videographer John F. Williams will be bringing excerpts from his TV series SEA-Inside: Pacific Northwest to Poulsbo, along with a display of underwater photos and an audience-participation discussion about how art, science, education, and recreation are involved in protecting and preserving the health of Puget Sound. Why are those offshore critters important to us? How are we important to them?

For almost 20 years, John Williams spent much of his time on research vessels making detailed maps of the ocean floor in most of the world’s oceans and SCUBA diving in his spare time. In 2001, he began making short movies in order to give the non-divers a chance to see some of the mysteries hidden beneath the surface of the water and to encourage public involvement in the important issues facing our Pacific Northwest waters. John's video footage has appeared on Seattle broadcast TV stations KING-5, KOMO, and KIRO, satellite TV, PBS, and even on French National TV. His work has also been shown at marine science research conferences and marine science centers around the Puget Sound region.

“Since mini-documentaries take weeks, months, or even years to make,” said Williams, “and more months to promote, I wanted to share these amazing sights with people right away. This led me to create regular TV series that could bring events in the underwater world to a viewing audience relatively quickly."

The series, SEA-Inside: Pacific Northwest can be seen on more than 50 community cable stations covering most of the Puget Sound region, the Portland/Vancouver area, and other areas scattered throughout North America from British Columbia to Washington DC. It reaches over 4 million homes. But since only about half of homes have cable TV, Williams is organizing this series of events all around Puget Sound. “Not only will these events bring the underwater world to people who don’t watch cable TV,” said Williams, “but they will be opportunities for people to discuss what they are seeing with their neighbors.”

SEA-Inside: Pacific Northwest won three awards from Bainbridge Island TV: "Best New Series" (2006), "Best Use of Technology" (2006), and "Best Educational Series" (2007). It also won a national award for "Best Magazine Show" from the Alliance for Community Media in 2009.

To find out more about these events visit:

http://StillHopeProductions.com

-end-

Brief Announcement:

UNDERWATER NEIGHBORHOODS: A VIDEO TOUR

A stone's throw from shore is a world that very few get to see, yet it is a major part of our neighborhood. Join underwater videographer John Williams for a breathtaking journey through our water wilderness and a discussion about how art, science, education, and recreation are involved in protecting and preserving the health of Puget Sound.

John will be showing excerpts from SEA-Inside: Pacific Northwest -- the Northwest's only TV series about what's below the surface.

To find out more about these events visit:

http://StillHopeProductions.com

BIO
John Williams spent almost 20 years helping to map the ocean floor all over the world, from the deepest of the deep, the Mariana Trench, to the flanks of Surtsey, Iceland, some of the newest real-estate on the planet. At the beginning of this century, he embarked on a new adventure: turning his love for SCUBA diving into a new career making educational underwater movies. Recognizing some of the serious issues facing our oceans, yet basically optimistic that they can be addressed through public awareness and involvement, John founded a media production company called Still Hope Productions, Inc.

His video has been seen on broadcast, satellite, and cable TV, and at science conferences. John's movie about the four seasons underwater in Puget Sound, "Return of the Plankton," is in many schools and libraries around the U.S., and it toured the country with the Kids First! film festival in 2007. For the last three years, John has been producing the Pacific Northwest's only underwater TV series, SEA-Inside: Pacific Northwest. It is a non-profit project that airs on more than 50 community TV stations, reaching over 4 million homes.

John is a member of the 911 Media Arts Center, Bainbridge Island Broadcasting, Northwest Film Forum, the Alliance for Community Media, and he served on the steering committee for the Puget Sound Partnership's ECO Network.

Quotes about the TV series SEA-Inside: Pacific Northwest

"SEA-Inside: Pacific Northwest is a powerful way to illuminate the underwater habitat and its biology, as well as highlight many projects that already aim to restore and preserve this unique ecosystem."
--Senator Phil Rockefeller, Washington State, District 23

"good writing, photography, and production values"
-- Jeff Renner, Chief meteorologist, KING TV-5 Seattle

"A well made program that takes the viewer on an adventure to the bottom of the ocean. This program is not only educational but entertaining and visually pleasing."
--Matt O'Dell, Oregon Public Broadcasting:

How is this series funded?

SEA-Inside: Pacific Northwest is a non-profit project in association with Northwest Film Forum and eligible for tax-deductable donations. The series is made possible by donations, sponsorships, donated content, and mainly volunteer labor. It See the "SPONSORS" and "HOW TO HELP" links for details.

Co-sponsoring organizations who have assisted with contributions, organizational assistance, outreach, etc. include:

PICTURES

Click on small picture to see a larger version, or right-click to download. If you need an even higher resolution version of these pictures, please contact me and I'll be happy to get you one. These photographs may be used to promote these events, and for no other purpose. Please credit the photographer when using these photos.

Drawing of diver and rockfish at Langley, Whidbey Island by Jan Kocian