California’s Kelp Forests Are in Serious Trouble
Bill Thisdell
1 collaborator
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.
CHALLENGE
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 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 to bring the community together to learn about the aquarium's role in protecting the local environment
The film has become a permanent feature in the aquarium, prompting discussions about how the public can help
The film lives on their YouTube channel, reaching a wider audience
Public gather to watch the film
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.
Laura Rink explains how important it is to be connected to your local environment
"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
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.
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.
We combined science with fun, real moments, to make the conservation story easier to connect with
An endangered abalone - brought back through successful aquaculture
Students from the Santa Monica aquaculture program
"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
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Posted Nov 24, 2025
This documentary highlights how reviving the sunflower sea star could restore California’s iconic kelp forests
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Timeline
Feb 10, 2025 - Jun 28, 2025
Clients
Heal The Bay
Collaborators
