Wild Wander Season 2 Details
Who we are:
Peter Kleinhenz has quite literally spent his life seeking out and telling environmental stories. I first met him in 2012 in a filmmaking capstone course at Miami University, and the reason he was in that class was made clear on day one. He wanted to become the host of a nature program. In a class that typically attracts people who are interested in cinematography or directing, this truly stood out. At one point, among our many mid-day after class margaritas (it was college,after all), we discussed our interest in working together on a show he could host. This idea however, as most ideas do, came and went.
Fast-forward to early 2017. Peter is working at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and I am doing video production full time in Dayton, Ohio. Frustrated with monotony and my lack of life experience, I formulate a plan for an experiment that has me quitting my comfortable job and giving up my apartment to explore the country living out of my Prius. I create a list things I want to do and places I wish to visit. The very first thing I add to this list is to go make a show with Pete.
Together, while he balances his full-time job and I surf his couch, we shoot what would become the 14-part web series Wild Wander: Apalachicola River. This was a fast-paced, social media optimized, millennial-focused window into the value of, and threats to, the endemic species living in one of America’s most incredible biodiversity hotspots.
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Now, a year later, we’re taking what we’ve learned, stepping up everything, and diving back in for round 2:
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Wild Wander: The Fire Forest
What's new this time around, Peter?
This season, we’re bringing in the folks who know our subjects best: the researchers themselves. Some of the most brilliant, and charismatic, researchers working in the southeast base themselves in and around Tallahassee, Florida. These dedicated professionals will help me as I seek to understand the past, present, and future of the forest that once dominated a large portion of our country but, now, has all but disappeared. Join me for what promises to be an exciting and fascinating journey to better understand: The Fire Forest.
Why we need your help:
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Jordan
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This season will highlight species of birds, which will require much larger lenses than the ones I currently own.
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Since we plan to have more than one person on camera at once this year, ideally we would have a secondary wireless mic set-up for them.
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I’ll be driving from California to Florida to shoot with Peter, and from there we’ll be traveling together to a number of different locations across the ecosystem, so travel won't be a minor expense.
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We’d love to be able to pay someone to be our 3rd set of hands. Only 2 people making something like this, especially when carrying additional gear this time around, can be incredibly taxing.
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We’ll be navigating bogs which will require acquisition of proper waterproof apparel.
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To save on time and gas, we’ll occasionally need to camp, which often comes with fees.
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Given the run-and-gun nature of this show, gear repair and/or replacement could likely become a significant expense. In the past year alone I’ve lost a $200 audio recorder and $150 tripod, damaged the frontal glass element of a $600 lens, repaired my Sony a7s’ jammed shutter for $350, repaired my Mavic Pro drone for $300, and ran over my $200 50mm lens with my own car like a real smart guy. I shoot a lot in uncontrolled environments, and the more I shoot, the more these things happen. Insurance? I have it, but unless the expense is over like $800, it’s not worth the claim.
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Pete and I don’t expect to raise enough to be compensated for the copious hours we pour in to making these, but if that were to happen, that sure would invigorate our efforts.
Pete:
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We want to be able to distribute our final product as widely as possible, in order to educate different audiences about our country’s version of the tropical rainforest. Our hope is that awareness inspires care which, in turn, will inspire action
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I frequently give programs about the conservation of northern Florida’s natural resources free of charge. I want to incorporate Jordan’s excellent footage into these presentations to, again, spread our conservation message to new audiences.
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Gas is expensive!
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We don’t want this to be it. We want to continue making more, and better, seasons of Wild Wander. This is what Jordan and I want to do one day and, with your help, we can.