Douc Langur Foundation

Red-shanked Douc: Primates On The Edge

Client

Douc Langur Foundation is a 501(c3) nonprofit conservation, research and education organization dedicate to protecting the Douc Langur monkey and their wild habitat at Son Tra in Vietnam to ensure that they will survive in their home ranges for future generations.

Context

In Vietnam as much as 70% of the Red-shanked Douc population has been lost in a span of just 30 years. Doucs may be extinct in Vietnam in the next 10 years, because of poaching, hunting and habitat loss. To date wildlife crime is met with low levels of attention in Vietnam. Authorities are slow to react to violations. Prosecutions are few and far between.

The Douc Langur Foundation have been successful in removing traps, destroying hunter camps as well as confiscating primates kept by locals as pets. The challenge for them is to keep up enforcement efforts in the face of escalating illegal hunting and trade.

Requirements

The goal of the video production was to raise awareness of the plight of the Red-shanked Douc in Vietnam and gain support for the conservation work of the client by requesting donations.

The video was conceived as a companion piece to a feature about the Douc Langur Foundation in the digital magazine, Wildlife Photographic. The film was premiered at the 2016 Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in New York.

Solution

We worked closely together with the client to flesh out their concept and combine the need to raise awareness about douc conservation in Vietnam with a compelling story and visuals. We eventually casted, produced, edited, and delivered the “Red-shanked Douc: Primates On The Edge” short film.

Services

Creative Concept

This was a really constructive, collaborative process between Tim Plowden and the client. We developed the concept and presented a draft script for review and edits by the client. The willingness of the client to share scientific expertise, data and photos of poachers set the tone for the story. Following the completion of the script, we storyboarded it and moved into other pre-production activities.

Pre-Production

We took the lead in casting a voice artist and sourcing a motion graphics team. We were able to use footage and stills from Tim Plowden’s 2015 trip to Son Tra while documenting Vietnam’s wildlife conservation stories where I was accompanied by a local field researcher working for the Douc Langur Foundation.

Video Shoot

This was a 5-day shoot at Son Tra Nature Reserve in Vietnam. After each day, we logged the footage and started sorting to keep the post-production turnaround as minimal as possible.

Timeline

This whole project came together very quickly; we were able to craft a bid, assemble a team, collaborate with client on a plan for the production, and deliver the video all in just over 1 month.

Production Specs

Cameras: 1
Shot in: HD
Shot on: Canon EOS
Lenses: Canon EF
Shoot Days: 5
Location: Son Tra Nature Reserve, Vietnam

Final Cut

Check out the final video: