Our goal was three-fold:  to produce compelling, relatable, cinematic content that allowed the Openlands community to come together virtually and resulted in a renewed appreciation for landscape preservation, while inspiring donors and volunteers to make actionable impact; second, to help audiences connect to the Amazon and Chicago’s green vision by capturing the stories of people working together around the world to preserve our environment; and third, to celebrate the leadership of two extraordinary women and the vital role of landscape preservation, both large and small, on conservation and on people.  

One challenge we faced was the broad scope of programmatic work underway within the organization, and the task of capturing that scope in a clear, definitive way without losing sight of the larger narrative.  While Openlands is highly respected within the conservation community, they faced limited brand awareness due to inconsistent messaging.  As a result, they were looking to hone their brand messaging around three areas – land preservation, forestry, and green solutions; the films, then, became an opportunity to kickstart the Openlands brand in this new direction.

The virtual campaign targeted a number of audience segments, from Openlands members, funders, and volunteers, to conservationists and “climate consumers.”  The challenge here was to tap into and connect the core values of each segment – from building a more climate resilient and environmentally just future and highlighting the bonds between people and nature, to the importance of collaboration across sectors and program innovation, and last but not least, action-based education, training, and volunteer programs.  

During film production, our biggest obstacle was accounting for and scheduling the number of locations and talent we sought to get on camera with a limited, two-person crew in a relatively short period of time.  Due to the Covid pandemic, permits and access to locations, and corresponding on-camera talent shifted up to the very last minute.  

We felt it was important to viscerally explore Debby’s work in the Andes-Amazon region while underlining the importance of Openlands’ work in the Chicago area as it related to global conservation.   Once we identified our locations and film production schedule, we drafted questions and talking points for interview subjects, building off of background information provided by program staff. 

We held a series of pre-production interviews with both Debby Moskovits and Avecita Chicchón, learning more about their relationship and life’s work in the Amazon.  At the same time, we worked with staff at The Field Museum to secure safe, on-site access for filming Debby along with testimonials from colleagues at the Museum’s Action Science Center and b-roll in the Museum’s Native Gardens.  The Museum also provided a generous supply of archival images which we incorporated into the final piece.  We also collaborated with Avecita on a script which she recorded remotely from her home in California.  

For this film in particular, we highlighted Debby’s work transforming how the Field Museum views and treats conservation as a strategic priority, and the vital role of collaboration in conservation and climate change action.  We wanted the piece to leave audiences feeling inspired by Chicago’s incredible contribution to the world through Debby’s life-long achievements.    

For the Openlands short documentary, we wanted to convey the importance of these landscapes and how they connect to one another and feed into the larger mission and model of Openlands, while capturing the stories of people directly impacted by Openlands’ work, whether students, conservation easement owners, or Openlands volunteers.  We saw the film as a way to inspire audiences to get outside, with renewed appreciation for green spaces of all sizes and new knowledge on what it takes to preserve these incredible landscapes.