TV/E and WWF hook up with young filmmakers to highlight climate change one million times #BAD09

Posted on 15 octubre 2009

tve will launch ‘A million views on Copenhagen’, a series of short, quirky, irreverent climate change videos from the YouTube generation, on Tuesday October 13th at 18.00 BST.

tve launched ‘A million views on Copenhagen’, a series of short, quirky, irreverent climate change videos from the YouTube generation, on Tuesday October 13th at 18.00 BST.

tve in partnership with WWF has commissioned hit YouTube filmmakers – including Eddsworld, Ted Crusty and Custard Productions – to give their individual takes on climate change in the run-up to the UN’s climate change summit in Copenhagen in December. For a teaser go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eClwLcqt1So .

At Tuesday’s launch event in Central London, Edd Gould and Tom Ridgewell of Eddsworld, the second most subscribed UK comedy channel on YouTube, and Michael Tapshott of Ted Crusty, whose short climate change disaster film notched up thousands of views in days, was available for interview. The films were live on tve’s YouTube Channel at 18.00 BST on Tuesday 13 October(http://www.youtube.com/user/tveInspiringChange) and tve aims to attract more than one million viewers before the crucial conference in December.

Viewers are also invited to Vote Earth and send a message to world leaders by going to www.panda.org and joining the call for a global deal on climate change at Copenhagen.

The series of films and animations have been created by cult YouTube producers with vast following of on-line fans. They’re joined by a 16-year-old schoolgirl from Nepal and an award-winning Namibian animator. A polar bear falling from the sky, plastic trees and a Lego campaigner against carbon tax are just some of the ways these members of the YouTube generation deliver their takes on climate change.

British animator Edd Gould, 20, said: ‘Most people would rather watch shallow entertainment than a heavy documentary that makes them feel bad about themselves and their future. We hope our contribution will entertain as much as it informs and gain the interest of a generation which would normally glance over the issue.’

Australian animator Keshen Matus, 20, whose Lego dramas have attracted millions of viewers, adds: ‘Young people should not only be interested, but critical. Never go along with what looks good on the surface, do your own research and come to your own conclusions.’

Cheryl Campbell, executive director of tve, described the experience: ‘It's been fantastic fun working with some of the most exciting and innovative young filmmakers around. But there's been a serious purpose underlying all that fun: we wanted to make sure that huge numbers of young people who follow YouTube channels had a chance to engage with Copenhagen - we hope that by linking up with these YouTube mega-stars we will achieve that. tve is hugely grateful to the Artemis Charitable Foundation for making this all possible."

Martin Atkin, Director of External and Media Relations for WWF International said: “The YouTube generation is the one which will have to deal with the worst impacts of climate change. One Million Views is their chance to send a powerful message to decision makers in Copenhagen, whilst giving us all a good laugh at the same time. “

Background

The YouTube videos are being launched at 18.00 BST on 13 October at the offices of Artemis, Cassini House, 57 St James’s Street, London SW1. For more information, or to interview the filmmakers: Ed Gould and Tom Ridgewell (Eddsworld) and Mike Tapscott (Ted Crusty) contact Isabel Morgan email: [email protected] or +44 (0)207 901 8855
A million views on Copenhagen is run in partnership with WWF and is made possible by the support of the Artemis Charitable Foundation.
For 25 years tve has created compelling programmes on environment and development for audiences worldwide. In 2008, thanks to its global network of partners, tve’s films were seen in 172 countries in 300 million homes via global broadcast and by half a billion more people on national, regional and local channels and through the internet. www.tve.org
About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation
organizations, with almost 5 million supporters and a global network active in
over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's
natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with
nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of
renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of
pollution and wasteful consumption.

For further information:
Isabel Morgan, [email protected], +44 207 9018840
Martin Atkin, [email protected], +41 22 364 95 65