Mother Nature Network profiles me in eco-comedy article!

Recently, a writer from Mother Nature Network asked to include me in a story about eco-comedians. And today that story was published. You can see the section about me by clicking here. And that's that. I can't think of anything witty to add. Which kind of undermines the story's claim that I'm one of the funniest eco-comedians. So I'll just end this post now and hope nobody notices that it wasn't funny. (Although, hey, by writing that this post wasn't funny, I'm supporting her claim that "Josh Rachlis specializes in his own brand of self-deprecating eco-irreverence." Ok,  whew. Reputation salvaged.)

Watch our show to popularize your blog!

Check out the latest episode of The Creative Itch at http://vimeo.com/21530095 or below. The Creative Itch is a new advice show that teaches people how to pursue the creative careers of their dreams. After seeing our first episode where we explained the concept, Olga reached out to ask for advice on how to get lots of people to read her blog. Gwen and I sat down with her and gave her so many useful tips, Olga could start a blog about how to write a blog. Hey, that's not a bad idea, actually. We'll have to have her back as a guest so I can add that tip. In the meantime, what are your favourite tips from this episode? Any tips of your own? Post in the comments section, and let's all help each other scratch our creative itch!


The Creative Itch: How to get hits for your blog from Josh Rachlis on Vimeo.

My eco-comedy video wins eco-comedy video contest!

So, I heard about an eco-comedy video contest. Of course I was happy about this, because it means the eco message is getting spread. But it made me feel less special to know I'm not the only one making eco-comedy videos. Fortunately, my feeling of specialness returned upon receiving notice that I won the contest. Yah, that's right - Bring it on, eco-comedy videomakers! Bring it on!!! Wait, that's not very Gaia of me, is it? Ah, screw it. It's every environmentalist for him/herself. So I'll paste in the announcement email below to intimidate any future eco-comedy videomakers who might be getting any bright ideas. Like they used to put heads on poles to warn people what would happen if they made eco-comedy videos. Or something like that.

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Subject: Winners of the Eco-Comedy Video Competition

Dear Friends,

I want to share with you the short, humorous video projects submitted to the Third Annual Eco-Comedy Video Competition.  We launched this competition as a way to encourage the use of humor in the fight for conservation.

All submissions are now available for you to enjoy here under the "Video Responses" heading.  I’ve included the four finalists at the end of this e-mail.  

I thank the Sierra Club, Eco-Sense, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Mill Reef Productions for making this competition possible through a partnership with SOC's Center for Environmental Filmmaking at AU.  I especially thank the Sierra Club for putting up the $1,000 prize money.

Congratulations to all our participants, and a very special congratulations to the two winners, Josh Rachlis for An Inconvenient Ruth, and Ben Zolno for Plastic State of Mind.  Josh and Ben will split the $1,000 prize from the Sierra Club.

Best, Chris

2011 Finalists:

ScamWOW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMQCj9UHCpM 

The Energetic Energy-Saver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDMha4-DQwA

Plastic State of Mind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0D0c4qXV90

An Inconvenient Ruth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mmkOF9qJAU&feature=email 

Professor Chris Palmer

Author of Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom  (Sierra Club Books, 2010)

Distinguished Film Producer in Residence

Director, Center for Environmental Filmmaking

School of Communication, American University

4400 Mass Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20016-8017

palmer@american.edu

cell 202-716-6160; office 202-885-3408; home 301-654-6137

Center website: www.environmentalfilm.org

SOC profile: http://www.american.edu/soc/faculty/palmer.cfm

Shooting in the Wild on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/gOTUlc

Shooting in the Wild website: http://bit.ly/a4L3LU

Chris’s Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/#!/chrispalmer47

Follow me on Twitter @chrispalmer_au

Chris’s blog: http://soc-palmer.blogs.american.edu/

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And here's my winning video, to reinforce to eco-comedy videomakers what they're up against when they mess with me:

Can you bear how cute this cartoon is?

For their latest shelf display sign, eco-friendly soap company The Soapworks wanted to teach people that hand sanitizers aren't enough to keep your hands germ-free - you also have to wash with soap. I wandered into the forest for inspiration and came across this poignant scene, which I quietly captured with pen and paper while crouched unseen in the bushes. Yes, that's the level of commitment you get when you commission an illustration from Josh Rachlis.