Cape Decision | The Ikkatsu Project
Proposal for Werner Paddles, Inc.
We are currently in the middle of shooting and editing a film that takes place at Cape Decision on south Kuiu Island, in the Tongass National Forest (the largest national forest in the US). Kuiu Island is a remote, rugged, and biodiverse wilderness area, with incredible sea kayaking opportunities.
The project taking place up there is a combination of a few things. First, the Cape Decision Lighthouse is used as a basecamp for marine debris surveys and remote beach cleanups by The Ikkatsu Project, a Washington-based nonprofit that focuses on marine issues. Ken Campbell, the Ikkatsu Project’s Director, is an accomplished sea kayaker (among many other things) and is well known in the marine conservation community here in Washington. The island provides a unique case study for marine debris because there are no humans living on the island, and no towns of any size within 100 miles. Despite this lack of human presence, loads of plastic wash up on the beaches every year. Some of this trash comes from other countries in Asia, or from cruise ships passing through, while a lot of it is derelict fishing gear that takes forever to break apart. There is an amazing contrast on South Kuiu Island between the epic and seemingly untouched wildlife and the human impact that's been washing up on its shores, only visible when you take a closer look.
The second part of the project is lighthouse restoration. While the lighthouse is no longer staffed by the US Coast Guard, it is still used as an aid to navigation for the ships passing through. The cultural and recreational potential of the lighthouse is remarkable, with world class sea kayaking right out the front door. In order to maintain and breathe new life into this lighthouse for future visitors, daily tasks include clearing trail with machetes and loppers, building stairs, hand-milling cedar shakes from driftwood, and so much more.
This film is an effort to showcase the amazing natural environment with the tasks at hand, to provide a picture of what it means to be in such a wild and untouched place and the paradox that marine debris represents in such a location. The focus will be on the decisions that we all make and the consequences of those decisions as they relate to plastic and how we – both as individuals and as a society – need to examine our use of plastic and the implications it has for our future.
We currently need funding to get the edited and on a big screen at various festivals and online. We are planning a multi-festival release for the film as well as a tour of communities in southeast Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, getting the story and the issue in front of as many people as possible. Additional shorts would also be made available and I would be happy to cut shorter versions of the full film to suit Werner marketing needs as well. As of now, I have shot all of the footage and edited our trailer on my own time. In order to fund the editing process to get this film finished by April 2020, we need $9,500 for post production. This budget includes a highly discounted editing rate that would pay for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, until March/April 2020, music licensing, color correction, etc. These funds will also allow Werner access to our photo library, as well as a variety of clips designed for social media and or Youtube/Vimeo. If Werner is willing to fund the post production of this film, they also take on a producer role, with monthly check-ins on the progress of the film and ultimate say in how it is presented.
I think this is an incredible opportunity to get involved in a project that aligns perfectly with the greater Werner mission statement and the purposeful design of Werner paddles. I’ve attached photos from last year as well as a rough cut of our trailer (which will ultimately change to reflect the most recent round of footage). Also, if you are interested in the actual process and results from last year’s trip, we have attached the 2018 Summary from the Ikkatsu web site.
2018 S. Kuiu Summary
A couple of clips shot from Wolf Track Beach.
