11.29.2012

Rising Forests: A New Way of Farming Video

Here is the educational outreach video I just completed for the Tree Bank Hispaniola project. Please visit earthsangha.org for more information or if you wish to donate to this great project. A special thanks goes to Chris Bright and Gina Biver for their time and dedication to this piece.

Rising Forests: A New Way of Farming from Steven Biver on Vimeo.
Rising Forests is an educational outreach video shot along the Dominican Republic-Haiti border for the Tree Bank Hispaniola project.

Directed, photographed and edited by Steven Biver
Original music by Gina Biver
Script by Chris Bright


11.08.2012

Behind The Scenes - Tree Bank project video

I'm in the final stages of editing the outreach video "Rising Forests: A New Way of Farming" for the Tree Bank project.  Here are a few BTS shots courtesy of Chris Bright from the Earth Sangha.  We spent most days on the hillside village of Los Cerezos along the Dominican Republic - Haiti border, about a 20 minute drive from our home base in Loma. This is the first time I wore a cowboy hat and the first time for a whole week...the sun was relentless.

All the folks in Los Cerezos were so warm and friendly - within minutes of arriving on their property they would offer us a small cup of their tasty sweet black coffee.  I must of had five a day!  Homemade lunches were usually at one of Gaspar's family member's home.

Group portrait after shooting some coffee grinding b-roll footage 

Interview segment with farmer Suna Martinez
At the Tree Bank nursery with Gaspar(L) and Quiterio(R), both of whom are
 featured in the video
This is where we had lunch most days
Matt Bright and Chris Bright with Earth Sangha and Gaspar Perez Aquino
the Tree Bank project director
Adonis helping out with the beans and rice

Shooting the final scene of the coffee grove deep in the old growth forest