Two minutes.

That’s all you get.

Two whole minutes to change someone’s perception of the world.

That seems like an impossible task, but in a world of fast food, cars and money; people expect their information to keep up. As the breakfast around the table with a cup of Joe and a newspaper is being replaced by caramel macchiatos in rush hour on the way to work, the way of information needs to be quicker… two minutes quick!

As a photojournalist, I have always sided that visuals are a clear and quick way of getting a certain point of view across. This past year, I’ve only confirmed my belief in photography and video as a powerful tool for awareness.

Small Change Fund, a non-profit charitable organisation that supports small and local grassroots organisations all across Canada, had me join their team as the multimedia intern. They had an idea for a campaign called the Seven Small Wonders of Canada and included seven selected projects to be showcased on the website.

The main problem we found with the projects was that a lot of these organisations were very small and did not have material to showcase on the site. Low quality pictures with a couple of handy cam interviews were all we had to put a campaign together. I was then hired in order to visit all seven of the projects in order to really get some good information.

I had the opportunity to visit each project and create videos, take pictures and write blogs about my experience. I made videos for each project which were put on the website in order for people to see first hand the projects they were donating to. The ability to have video for each project was truly special and had a direct impact
on most of the projects being fully funded.

Video gives you the ability to see and experience information from all over the world in minutes. Speed is one benefit of video—you can put a lot of information about an organisation in a video and still have it be captivating to the viewer. But it is not the only benefit. One of the greatest joys of my job is the ability to have people tell their own stories. I believe that having people tell their own story is much more powerful and a real way to evoke empathy in your viewer.

While working for Small Change Fund, one the projects was in the province of New Brunswick. I was on the Acadian Coast where the people are officially bilingual. Literally meaning they will switch from French to English, back to French and then back again to English all in the same sentence! It is very much a part of their culture and their uniqueness. The project I was there to report on was also about their unique coast and how they were going to have to deal with the inevitability of coastal erosion due to climate change. I decided to really show emphasise all these points in my video. I utilised the people that lived on the coast, hearing their stories of floods, friends and romance that the coast had to offer. I heard these stories in both French and English. Only by capturing video of this project were you able to see and hear the unique and corky feel that I witnessed only by coming to this area. It was a very special place and the people had such as great energy that having the video to pair with the project really made people want to donate.

Video can bring a project to life like it did for the one in New Brunswick, but it can also save lives, like the project I did while in the North West Territories. The Revisit to the Berger Inquiry project was a great example of the power of journalism. For a little Canadian history, the original Berger Inquiry was a report that was revolutionary for its time 35 years ago. The proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline was to be built in 1974 and was to be the biggest private construction project in history. It was to be built from the Beaufort Sea to markets in the south but before it was to be built a report had to be made on the impact it would have on the North’s economy, environment and people. Justice Thomas Berger was appointed to do this report but no one expected the results he gave. The report ultimately stopped the pipeline from being built and showed that the people of Canada are important. Berger embarked on a three-year mission across the Arctic talking to the local people and what the pipeline would do to their way of life. The hearings that followed showcased the voices of the Dene people and ultimately stopped all plans on a pipeline.

Now, once again the plan for a pipeline is moving forward. The Dehcho Devisional Education Council believed the solution was to educate. They invited original participants from the Berger Inquiry to share their photos, audio and experience of the inquiry with the Dehcho children. All along the Mackenzie River, reporter Drew Ann Wake, photographer Linda MacCannell, journalist Peter Gorrie, lawyer Michael Jackson and creator of maps of Dene land use Elizabeth Hardisty, talked and did workshops with the Dene youth to connect them back to their ancestors and teach them how to active citizens in their communities. The workshops that the students received consisted of radio and print journalism, videography and photography. In this example, video was not just helping the project, but video was a large part of the project itself. It is giving youth all across the Mackenzie River the skills to record their culture, critically ask questions, and ultimately make them more aware and educated about their role in keeping their land pipeline free.

The Small Change Fund campaign was a great way for me to show how much video can help an organisation. The donations rose after the videos were posted to the website and in some cases completely funded! People now could see first hand the land they were helping save, or the youth they were funding to go to camp, or the supplies they bought for the canning workshops. With one small video, the people receiving and donating money are on the same page of where it is going and proof of what it will be used for-- and in the non-profit world that is a huge advantage.

Videos give you faces and voices of the people directly impacted and that connection to the story cannot be faked. As a photojournalist, I strive everyday to help people tell their stories because I truly believe that it is important. So I challenge you to watch a video…

Two minutes

That’s all you get

Two whole minutes to change YOUR perception of the world.

Before Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall launched his high-profile campaign to overhaul EU fishing laws, James Morgan travelled halfway across the world to make his own investigation into the impact of modern fishing practices on the waters and people of the Coral Triangle.

Using a combination of stunning stills, moving imagery, text and graphics, People of the Coral Triangle looks at how the increasing popularity of explosive fishing devices is devastating the lives of people in the area.

Morgan’s underwater images of the Bajau Laut, a nomadic people who spend most of their lives at sea, are interspersed with interviews and statistics about the live fish trade. As their coral habitats are blasted out of existence the fish understandably head off for more hospitable waters, and those people who depend on the sea for their food are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. 

A brief video of how to make an improvised fishing explosive from some matches and an empty bottle demonstrates how quickly and easily local fishermen can create their dangerous tools. Morgan’s shots of a surprisingly large explosion and a dead, grey sea bed leave us in no doubt about the catastrophic damage these crude devices can wreak on the environment, let alone the people who live there. 

When we later see a woman whose hands have been reduced to stumps the implication is clear, although Morgan doesn’t sentimentalise his subjects so the project never comes across as overly didactic or moralistic.

Morgan manages to fit a surprising amount of information into his tightly edited 11½-minute project, considering the subject matter could easily merit a full-length TV documentary. People of the Coral Triangle is a genuine and successful attempt to bring our attention to a particular problem affecting a far-off place and the people who live there.

People of the Coral Triangle was broadcast on Thursday 15^th December at 23:15 on the Community Channel and can be viewed in full on "http://jamesmorganphotography.co.uk/multimedia/the-bajau-laut" James Morgan’s website.

Firefly Photofilms produce multimedia and photography projects that make a difference, question preconceptions and provoke change. We work with charities and NGO’s assisting them with their media requirements, documenting the difference they are making to communities and individuals using photography, video and audio. Using these mediums charities and NGO’s, no matter what size they are or what issue they represent, are able to create a larger awareness of their work. The work we’ve done has helped charities secure more funding from grants, awards and the general public.

FireFly Photofilms  also provides a community to share and discuss photography work. In London we host MediaMash Meet Up a photography event where you can talk to your peers and receive feedback about your work. We also provide online resources for photographers such as informations about upcoming competitions, events and reviews. As well as a sister site that hosts videos and podcasts from organisations such as Foto8, Panos Pictures and Frontline Club.

Firefly Photofilms was founded by Charley Murrell, Rajan Zaveri and Andy Ash. 

                  Charley Murrell                                                             Rajan Zaveri                                                                    Andy Ash

What are Photofilms?

A photofilm is a combination of high quality still photography, video and audio. These multimedia are tailored to each of our clients needs.The productions are particularly effective as a campaign tool; often embedded into websites, on social media sites or used for marketing and adverts. They provide a great way to have an immediate impact towards provoking change.

We offer a unique and intelligent way of promoting businesses and charities online via websites as well documenting stories throughout the world.We can provide a service that cost much less then hiring a film crew with a faster turn around time. Companies will also have theadded benefit of receiving all the images from the photofilms to use for any other purposes.