Webby Awards Honors ‘Surviving the Peace,’ ‘Swan Song,’ and ‘2013 ICP Infinity Awards’

We are honored to have three of our projects recognized by The 18th Annual Webby Awards. Surviving the Peace: Angola has been selected as an Official Honoree in the Public Service & Activism category while Swan Song was selected as an Official Honoree in the Documentary: Individual Episode category. Out of 12,000 entries from over 60 countries and all 50 U.S. states submitted to the 18th Annual Webby Awards, the Official Honoree distinction is awarded to only the top 15% of all work entered. Our documentary series on the 2013 ICP Infinity Awards has been selected as a Nominee in the Documentary: Series category. Every Webby Nominee also contends for a Webby People's Voice Award as selected by the voting public. You can help MediaStorm stay in the running. Cast your vote for MediaStorm to win in the Documentary:Series category by Thursday, April 24th. Hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New…

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For Minga: The Impact of One Girl’s Story & How You Can Help

Last year we premiered Surviving the Peace: Angola, a short film that gives a personal representation of the amazing work MAG (Mines Advisory Group) does to remove landmines, bombs and other weapons from post-conflict countries. More than six months after the film’s release, its youngest participant continues to make a huge impact. Minga, only eight years old at the time of filming, recounts the day she found the landmine that blew off her arm and left her blind. The production team and viewers alike have been moved by her bravery and tenacity. We received this note from Lauren of Brooklyn, New York just last week: ...This morning I was still thinking about Surviving the Peace: Angola, and most specifically, Minga. The film and her story touched my heart so deeply and I can’t reconcile *not* doing something. I watched her sweet hand reaching for her Grandmother and noted how she stood so…

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‘Surviving the Peace: Angola’ Launch, A Great Event for a Worthy Cause

The Mines Advisory Group launched a major fundraising initiative, Angola100K, last Wednesday, Feb. 6 at the Goethe-Institut in Washington, D.C. The initiative uses MAG and MediaStorm's latest collaboration, Surviving the Peace: Angola, as a centerpiece to raise $100,000 for landmine education in Angola. As the editor and producer of the piece, I was honored to be part of the event (Unfortunately MediaStorm director of photography Rick Gershon was out on assignment and couldn't make it to D.C. for the event). MAG packed the house—a beautiful cinema that seats 90—with people from organizations that both confront issues surrounding landmine removal and are in a position to do something about the problem. Representatives from the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, the Angolan Embassy, the U.S.-Angola Chamber of Commerce, The World Bank and Africare, among others, were in attendance. After a passionate introduction from MAG executive director Jennifer Lachman, the lights went down and…

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The Canon C300: Field Tested by MediaStorm DP Rick Gershon

MediaStorm’s Director of Photography, Rick Gershon, brought the C300 to Angola to shoot their documentary “Surviving the Peace,” which follows the progress of the Mines Advisory Group as they clear unexploded ordnance. Watch as he shares his thoughts on how the C300 helped realize their vision for the production in this interview with Gershon, featuring footage from the documentary. Introduction This is a practical review taken from my experience using the Canon C300 in the field on an actual project. This is not a technical review. I will not be discussing the in-depth minutia of the technical aspects of this camera. Rather I will be giving real world examples of both the positive and negative aspects of the camera that I experienced while using it in a documentary setting, in very difficult conditions on a very important film. In my opinion, it takes a very special kind of camera to work well…

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New MediaStorm-MAG Release ‘Surviving the Peace: Angola’

We are pleased to share Surviving the Peace: Angola, our most recent client project produced with the Mines Advisory Group (MAG). The second project in the Surviving the Peace series, Surviving the Peace: Angola tells the emotional story of Angolans living in the shadow of landmines and unexploded ordnance more than a decade after the conflict officially ended. This piece—the first MediaStorm project shot on Canon’s newly released C300 camera—was shot and produced in a style that would create a tense, uncertain mood. To detail the story of the Angolan Civil War, MediaStorm's motion graphics designer developed a graphics package that includes archival news reports, creating a fascinating look into Angolan history. MAG will be using the film to raise funds and awareness for their demining program in Angola. Learn more about their upcoming events by subscribing to the MAG newsletter. Project Synopsis: After 30 years of civil war, the Angolan people…

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