Planet Friendly
OUR PURPOSE
Planet Friendly is a documentary series that showcases and celebrates conservation efforts
by local people in popular tourist destinations.
We believe that through entertaining videos, we can collectively develop positive, long-term attitudes that maximize the wellbeing of people and places.
Beautiful destinations
don't just stay beautiful.
It takes hard work and collaboration to protect, preserve and restore the natural world so that it can continue to be enjoyed by locals and visitors.
BACKGROUND
80%
of travel and tourism's goods and services are highly dependent on nature.
Travel & Tourism is intrinsically linked to biodiversity and nature. At the same time, tourism revenue and the presence of visitors fuel conservation efforts, protected areas, and local economies. This means that destinations and tourists need to work together.
When it comes to sustainable travel, destinations and tourists have related goals. For destinations, it means long-term health and prosperity for their home and people. For tourists, it means a greater appreciation of local cultures and environments, and more meaningful travel experiences.
However, while there is a strong desire to make sustainable choices, tourists' actions lag behind.
92% of travellers may consider sustainable travel
yet only 57% say they have practised it.
Two key reasons hold consumers back from making more sustainable choices:
1
Confusion about what sustainable travel means.
2
Doubt over the authenticity of sustainable claims.
This highlights the need for better consumer education and an emphasis on transparency in marketing and communication around sustainability.
Statistics from World Travel & Tourism Council and Trip.com Group’s 2024 Sustainable Travel Consumer Report. Click the links to read in more detail.
OPPORTUNITY
Celebrate community. Drive change.
Planet Friendly films are a powerful way to build trust, support and enthusiasm for a shared vision of a more sustainable future.
Sustainability-conscious consumers want
to know they're supporting real change. By telling conservation stories in a fun, travel show format, there is an opportunity to bridge the gap between awareness and action in an authentic, human way.
Audiences will gain practical knowledge that they can implement in their own travels, and the conservation efforts of local people can be celebrated, rewarded and respected.
BENEFITS
Real Emotional Connection
Go beyond vague messaging. Show the real people and personal moments behind your mission in an honest way that inspires action.
Stronger Brand Trust
Authenticity builds credibility, trust and loyalty. Turn consumers into passionate brand advocates by putting your passion and positive impact at the forefront of your stories.
Lasting Value
A branded documentary isn't just another piece of content – it stays relevant and continues delivering impact for years.
Versatile Asset
One documentary fuels many forms of content – reels, ads, blogs, internal comms, fundraising tools, live events and more.
Ideal for you:
✅ Want to showcase the people and purpose behind what you do
✅ Are looking to build long-term trust
✅ Need powerful content for brand awareness, behaviour change, internal culture and fundraising
✅ Are ready to invest in meaningful, lasting stories
Not for you:
❌ Want a quick promo
❌ Need production completed in under 8 weeks
❌ Need to drive short-term clicks
❌ Not interested in emotional depth
or human connection
What does it mean to be...
-
Help people develop sustainable instincts and long-term attitudes
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Prepare tourists to minimize their environmental impact when visiting
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Empower tourists to learn from the local community
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Show that sustainable travel leads to unexpected adventures
Planet
Friendly
CASE STUDY
HEAL THE BAY AQUARIUM
Heal the Bay need funding for their vital conservation efforts
but face challenges in exciting the public about obscure sea creatures.
The solution: a fun travel documentary that combines stunning SoCal visuals with serious science to show what it takes to restore the environment we love.
SOCIAL MEDIA
IN PERSON
A long-lasting tool for public engagement
The film is a permanent feature at the aquarium, sparking discussion with the general public and giving Heal the Bay staff an effective way to talk about their vital conservation work.
CHALLENGE
1
2
3
Heal the Bay aquarium needs impactful ways to share their work and raise vital funding. Specifically, they wanted three things:
raise awareness for the conservation of an endangered sea star
promote the aquaculture program partnership with Santa Monica College
create impactful promotional material to help drive fundraisers
OUTCOME
We created a beautiful Planet Friendly documentary that combined the story of the Sunflower Sea Star with the aquaculture lab in an engaging and unexpected way.
The film provided Heal the Bay with multiple ways to engage the public:
-
Hosting a public screening, bringing the community together to learn about the aquarium's role in protecting the local environment and how the public can help
-
Social media content to keep conservation at the top of people's minds
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The film lives on their YouTube channel reaching a wider audience
-
The film has become a permanent feature in the aquarium, prompting discussions
"
Bill is extremely professional, talented, and sincerely thoughtful about the story we were trying to tell. He made the lift easy for our staff and produced an incredibly beautiful product that will provide a lasting impact on our ability to spread awareness and support conservation.
Laura Rink
Aquarium Director, Heal the Bay
PROCESS
I am not a scientist, so how can I make engaging, and – more importantly – accurate science films? Research, careful questions and a properly vetted script.
Discovery call
Research and script writing
Scheduling
Filming
Final delivery
First we had a 45-minute call so that I could understand Heal the Bay's core needs and the key scientific facts that will build the story.
The script is structured to keep audiences' attention and to make science accessible to casual viewers. The script is signed off by Heal the Bay before proceeding.
Filming is not your job so we schedule filming to strike a balance between getting enough content and not taking all your time.
I'm mindful that many scientists are camera-shy
– it's my job to make sure you have as much fun making this film as I do!
It took about a month to edit this film. It is my goal to do enough research in the scripting stage to minimize the need for revisions.
I usually hate interviews, but Bill made it feel really relaxed. The questions were much more "real" and made me feel like I was having a conversation with a friend. It was much more comfortable than I thought it would be.
"
Jenifer Burney
Lab Technician, Santa Monica College