Posts by RZ

12/12/12 One Day On Earth

Posted by RZ on Dec 12, 2012

One Day on Earth – 一緒に記録しよう 2012年12月12日 from One Day on Earth on Vimeo.

Get your videos out today and be part of a unique film made by people right across the planet.

Some details below:

https://www.facebook.com/onedayonearth

http://www.onedayonearth.org/

Thank You For Your Participation! Every Nation, 24 hours, and You.

On December 12th, 12.12.12, across the planet, documentary filmmakers, students, and other inspired citizens will record the human experience over a 24-hour period and contribute their voice to the third annual global day of media creation called One Day on Earth. Together, we will create a shared archive and a film.

Founded in 2008, One Day on Earth’s first media creation event occurred on 10.10.10. and the second on 11.11.11. The 10.10.10 collaboration was the first ever simultaneous filming event occurring in every country of the world. One Day on Earth collaborations create a unique geo-tagged video archive as well as an annual feature film.

Together, we are showcasing the amazing diversity, conflict, tragedy, and triumph that occurs in one day. We invite you to join our international community of thousands of filmmakers, hundreds of schools, and dozens of non-profits, and contribute to this unique global mosaic. One Day on Earth is a community that not only watches, but participates.

http://www.onedayone…age/participate

1. What is the goal of the project?
   To create an open shareable archive and documentary film of the world on 12.12.12. We hope to enlighten, teach and benefit humanity through global collaboration and inspired media creation. We seek to find a deeper understanding of life on this planet.
2. Are there rules to using the site?
   Yes, please review our Do’s and Don’ts under the How Do I Participate? section above.
3. Is this a one-time event?
   No. The first One Day on Earth was 10.10.10, the second 11.11.11, and 12.12.12 will be the third and we hope to have many more down the road.
4. Why 10.10.10, 11.11.11 and 12.12.12?
   It’s easy to remember. We needed to pick a day that people could remember and gravitate towards for their own reasons. 10.10.10, 11.11.11, and 12.12.12 are as unique and normal as any other day on Earth.
5. Does everything need to be created on 10.10.10, 11.11.11 or 12.12.12?
   Yes, for all official submissions. But this is a community, so please feel free to share anything you’d like on your profile, discussion, or group pages before or after 12.12.12 and into the future.
6. How can I help?
   Sign up. Invite friends and family around the world. Participate on 12.12.12. If you want to get more involved emailinfo@onedayonearth.org. If you’re feeling charitable, we need help, all donations are tax-deductible – Donate
7. Do I get a copy of the final film?
   Yes, If you participate and contribute at least 1 minute of legal content to the project you will receive online access to the final film.
8. I am part of a non-profit, how can we collaborate?
   Please visit www.onedayonearth.org/cause to find out about our initiative to support causes around the world.
9. I am an educator and would like to participate. Where do I find out more information about your educational program?
   Please visit www.onedayonearth.org/education.
10. What do you want me to film or document on 12.12.12?
    It’s up to you. Check out our causes & events page for inspiration.
11. I would like to report abuse of the One Day on Earth site or project what do I do?
    We strive to sustain a positive and supportive community that is interested in the public good. We take any abuse of our community infrastructure very seriously. Please feel free to report any grievance to the Report an Issue Page. Please include links and a detailed explanation of the issue.
12. I wish to document a controversial subject, what is your stand on censorship?
    We do not desire to censor content. However, certain subjects carry both legal and logistical issues that could be harmful to our network if not properly regulated. You are responsible for your own content. No sexually explicit material or ****. No videos that incite hatred, include hate speech, defamatory or discriminatory speech or videos depicting unlawful acts or extreme violence. If you believe you have a special topic that is important, but fear it may violate our guidelines, or present a personal safety issue in crediting you to the content please email info@onedayonearth.org with the subject heading “special topic”.

—————————- Submission Guidelines

1. Save all your original high resolution content: given that compressed video and photo files hosted on our site are not of a high enough quality to use in a motion picture, broadcast, or print, it is critical that you save all your original high resolution elements.
2. Should my video be edited? There is no requirement for editing. In fact, if you intend to edit, we ask that you upload and share you best selection of footage before you do a fully sculpted edit. This will increase your chances of being prominently featured.
3. What is the maximum video size and length? Vimeo is our video services partner. All technical specifications are in line with their requirements. In accordance with Vimeo, upload file size is limited to 500 MB. However, you are welcome to upload multiple clips within the limitations of your Vimeo account.
4. Should I compress my videos before uploading them? Possibly. It could mean you can submit a longer upload of equal quality. Please see Vimeo’s compression suggestions for the best advice on how to do it.
5. What video formats are accepted? As per Vimeo’s guidelines we accept all resolutions in the following file types: asf, asx, avi, divx, dv, dvx, m4v, mov, mp4, mpeg, mpg, qt, wmv, 3g2, 3gp, 3ivx and 3vx.
6. Who owns my content? You do. You will retain ownership and rights. In order for us to create a film and other creative projects you will need to agree to grant One Day on Earth the nonexclusive royalty free license.
7. What is the submission deadline for content? Uploaded or post marked by Januaruy 15th 2013. If you know in advance that transportation of content may be difficult or tardy based on regional resources please feel free to email us atinfo@onedayonearth.org with questions or concerns.
8. Photo Submission Specifications: Photos may not exceed 10MB in size. We support photos in .jpg, .gif, and .png formats.

The Twelve Tax Dodgers of Christmas

Posted by RZ on Dec 9, 2012

Merry Christmas to Us All

If you think its time the Rich paid their taxes, instead of just telling the rest of us
what great companies or people they are

..here is a 12 Days of Christmas Message that’s worth sharing with everyone you know..

Times are tough, stop stealing our money!

You can get a great downloadable version from 38 degrees to print out and stick on a lamp-post outside your local tax-dodging company – or put one outside the post office to remind people that Ebay and Amazon etc are not playing fair. There is also a “Share” link – on the 38 degrees site, to share with all on Facebook.

Love Thy Nature: A Film About Who We Are

Posted by RZ on Dec 3, 2012

A film in the making by award-winning documentary film maker Sylvie Rokab 
who says of it “this is the film I was born to make,”

“As far as we know, only our planet gives birth to life
and among all species on earth ours is the most gifted

But have our gifts taken us too far away from what sustains us?

Take a journey through the new era of human evolution
where our hearts and minds are inspired by the wonders of nature…”

The film is currently on Kickstarter and has 10 days to go to reach its required funding

Love Thy Nature demonstrates how communion with the natural world transforms us as individuals and communities.

And that transformation encourages us to not only restore our ecosystems, but also to embrace our role as a species of double-wisdom: as stewards of our planet, including our human family.

Poppies Blowing in the Wind

Posted by RZ on Nov 11, 2012

Remembrance Day

On the 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month. We take a moment to remember those who have been killed in Wars, with the words…

We Will Never Forget

The 20th Century was the most brutal in human history – especially in the context of globalisation through modern weapon systems.

If one includes civilian casualties of war the death toll for 20th Century wars is a staggering 241 million people.

A00228 We Will Never Forget: Card by RainbowZebra

London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony

Posted by RZ on Jul 31, 2012

The long awaited London Olympics got off to an inspiring start with a very successful opening ceremony under the direction of British film director and producer, Danny Boyle, known for films such as Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting.

Instead of trying to compete with previous Olympics, Boyle turned this into a uniquely British production, virtually producing a movie using the British people as his cast.

Introduced as “Isles of Wonder” and starting in the green and pleasant rural past, the storyline moved through the industrial capitalism that tore up the tranquility and the earth and its people and raised steel mills and generations of miners and migrants. It told the story of how the Olympic Rings were forged and how the cauldron was created and lit, while telling the story of the people themselves. The design of the torch or cauldron was a reminder that the two threads are inseparable.

The show took 284 rehearsals by 7,500 people who each put in 150 hours… and the energy of Danny Boyle and his ability to forge relationships with everyone from Sebastian Coe to the volunteer meant it all paid off in an amazing production.

Rehearsals took place during some of the worst summer weather in living memory – which often made complex changes of scenery impossible and saw volunteers wringing out the water from drenched hoodies

Boyle made a point of making this a true British production all levels and of the 737 manufacturers and suppliers used, 96% were British.

The rich multi-media production managed to draw in threads from all parts of the fabric of British life, from favourite soap operas to the Beatles and Mr Bean, from inspired dance and music to James Bond and the Queen, paying tribute to some of the great contributions the British have made, including a special tribute the man who enabled a quantum leap in cultural evolution and could have become one of the richest people in the world. Fortunately for all of us Tim Berners Lee, inventor of the internet chose to give his invention to the citizens of the world for free.

Choosing a combination of British childrens literature and the NHS as two main themes was very appropriate as these games are all about inspiring future generations, and British writers are a priceless mine of creative wealth, and it is the imagination that opens doors to the future. In a similar vein, the NHS is a beacon of inspiration of what a nation can achieve if it works together for the greater good and believes in higher gods than that of money.

Having the Nationl Health Service as a major theme at this point in time was a stoke of genius. It is Britain’s largest employer, provides free healthcare to all and is one of the greatest public institutions ever forged in the UK. It is also under real threat at  present of being privatised which would eventually make its services only available to the wealthy.

Boyle did not use actors to portray the NHS, but invited NHS workers to represent themselves. Betsy Lau-Robinson, 59, a senior nurse at London’s University College Hospital was one of them and said “Danny reached out to us, we got an email asking NHS volunteers to audition. When we first started, most of us had two left feet. By the end of it, my children said they had no idea I could dance like that.”

Writer on the project, Frank Cottrell Boyce said Boyle’s team could throw out ideas unencumbered by practicalities  “Some were easy, sending rings into space is just cameras on balloons and the cycling doves are straightforward. But the chimneys? Yes, I still don’t know how they pulled that one off. The Queen was easy.”

Sebastian Coe was sent to Buckingham Palace to get permission for the scenes with James Bond and the Queen. They expected to be using a double to play the Queen, but she proved she had a good sense of humour and was happy to deliver the immortal line “Good evening, Mr Bond” herself and even brought along her own corgies to the filming which took place earlier this year at the palace.

It was far less easly to get permission to fly and film the helicopter along the Thames and through Tower Bridge, and the biggest headache was getting permission fror everything – from extracts of poetry and plays to music – not because the artists were unwilling to participate but because of the amount of time it required.

One of the many impressive things about the production was the fact that it was such a well kept secret. In a time of Wikileaks, telephone tapping and kiss and tell stories, 10,000 people were sworn to silence – and all kept it.

It was kept so well that 18 year old Jordan Duckitt, one of the young people who lit the cauldron came to the ceremony alone, as his parents had flown off on holiday, unaware that he was involved in any way.

One of the secrets that stayed intact was what the Olympic Cauldron would look like. Over the years it had been getting bigger, higher and taller with each new Olympics Ceremony. Thomas Heatherwick, the designer of “Betty” as the British cauldron was codenamed decided to take a different approach.

Secrecy wasn’t easy and testing was done at 3am when all volunteers had left and there were no helicopters over London. “We’re normally designing buildings,” Heatherwick said. “It is like the biggest gadget that anyone can make in a shed but this shed is the most sophisticated shed in Harrogate. It was like the Bond gadget workshop.

Cottrell Boyce said it did not surprise him that 10,000 people had managed to keep the secret  “Those volunteers redefined the nation for me,” he said. “We’re told people need to be paid great sums to get results, but those who are motivated by money cock up. Because they’re crap. People who are motivated by things like love, family, friendship and humanity are the ones who have something to offer.”