Wetland Restoration
The Blue World
I Created a Mini Docu-Series About Texas Wetlands
Hello! My name is Olivia Grace Barnes and for 2 months I researched and learned about the state of Texas wetlands.
I have been interested in producing a documentary-style video by collecting b-roll from around the city, my own animations, and interviews from experts for a while.
And when I was shocked to learn that many Houstonians did not know that the concrete jungle of Houston is sitting on top of a wetland, an idea for this project was born.
After I realized that there was a conservation story waiting to be told in my own backyard on the state of Houston wetlands, I set to work to bring it to life.
With a borrowed camera and some connections from the Houston Zoo, I was able to kick off The Blue World, a mini docuseries about Texas wetlands.
This project aims to create a resource for others who wish to learn about the state of Texan wetlands and to explain why the conservation and restoration of these natural spaces are so important.
Check out the 4 episodes that I made
Title: The Blue World | #1 | Underneath the Concrete
Publish Date: May 9, 2022
Description: This first video to the Texas Wetlands Project of The Blue World, a documentary series (or docu-series for short) about environmental conservation, sets the stage for the health of wetlands in Houston, Texas. Wetlands are extraordinarily beautiful environments but have begun to disappear underneath the concrete foundation of Houston Texas.
Animation: Olivia Barnes
Videography: Olivia Barnes
Title: The Blue World | #2 | The Fading Heartbeat
Publish Date: March 23, 2022
Description: In this video of The Blue World, we explore our first question of video #1: how the destruction of wetlands affects the species that depend on them. With Karen Sprague from the Houston Zoo, this video covers both the necessity for increased awareness and the vital importance of Texas wetlands. The heartbeat of Texas wetlands is fading but is not yet gone. Time still remains for these amazing environments to make a comeback.
Animation: Olivia Barnes
Videography: Olivia Barnes
Title: The Blue World | #3 | The Pockets of Peace
Publish Date: June 2, 2022
Description: In this video of The Blue World, we explore our second question of video #1: how the preservation of wetlands can benefit Houston. We also expand upon 4 main ways that wetlands prove their importance. These pockets of peace throughout Houston are few and far between. But helping restore wetlands will not only benefit the species that depend upon them but also Houston and the surrounding areas in general.
Animation: Olivia Barnes
Videography: Olivia Barnes
Title: The Blue World | #4 | Inspiring Action
Publish Date: June 7, 2022
Description: In this last video of The Blue World, we cover the question that I was most curious about: how visual communication can play a role in inspiring action around conservation. With segments of an interview with Interpretive Planning Manager Melissa Mair, we explore how visuals can motivate change in a community. I also end out the season by providing 5 wetlands recommendations to visit and 2 things you can do today to help wetlands in the Houston area.
Animation: Olivia Barnes
Videography: Olivia Barnes
Hard Skills Gained
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Copywriting
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Video editing
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Interviewing
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Canva Pro
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iMovie
Soft Skills Gained
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Storytelling
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Communication
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Design
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Diligence
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Self-motivation
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Project management
Also, Check out some of these pieces I painted inspired by Texas Wetlands
What i would have done differently
If I could do this project over, I would plan better and produce simpler.
The 2 biggest mistakes that I most commonly make when starting projects are:
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Jumping right from ideation into execution with very little time spent in the planning stage, and
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Trying to create a world-class product that is overly complicated for my current skill set.
With my first mistake, I failed to identify the actual steps that would need to be in place for me to actually create a docu-series with b-roll from around Texas, interviews from experts, and animation (which was my original goal). For the most part, throughout the 2 months-ish that it took to create this project, I was planning on the go which led to some holes in my post-production process and a much less cohesive end product.
And my second mistake was simply a denial of the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 rule, or the Pareto Principle, states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort. In other words, especially for small-scale projects like this one, I should spend only 20% of my time in order to achieve a product that is 80% well done. Instead, on the first episode in particular, I spent probably close to 60-80% of my time trying to achieve a product that is 100% perfection. Spoiler alert: not only is that first episode clearly not perfection, but I wasted a lot of time trying to make it so as well.
Going forward I will implement 2 things when undertaking projects in order to avoid mistakes like these in the future.
Firstly, before I kickstart the project, I will create a plan and run it by a trusted sources for feedback and guidance.
This will ensure that I not only have accountability but I am also heading in the right direction.
Secondly, I will ere on the side of simplicity.
This will definitely be more of a challenge to me but it is a good reminder that if I want to get better at storytelling, video editing, and other elements involved in film-making. I need a lot of practice and a lot of experience. And the only way that will happen is if the projects that I create are low enough effort that I can to a ton of them.
Final thoughts
Despite the mistakes that I made along the way, I am proud of what I've learned about Texas wetlands and the resources I put together to educate people on the importance of the conservation and restoration of natural Texan environments. This project showcases my abilities to tell stories and combine knowledge from experts into entertaining educational pieces.
But the fun won’t stop here! This project has already taught me a ton about myself, my interests, and my skills, but it’s also shown me new things to explore. If you want to see where this takes me or have any questions,
follow me here or connect on LinkedIn. Thanks for reading!
Have a blessed day!
