Name:

Atlas and Jason Caproni

Where are you based?

Suwannee County, Florida.

What kind of films do you make? How would you describe what you do?

We make short documentaries, mostly for Youtube and other internet sites. We spend about half of our spare time filming animals. We then just make it into a three to ten minute video and upload it to the internet.

Who or what inspired you to work with film and why cover nature and conservation issues?

Watching Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin on TV, as well as going camping with our INCREDIBLE parents, sort of encouraged us to start our own show.  We film wildlife and wild places because they're the most amazing, bizarre, and AWESOME things on our planet and they need our love and respect.

What is the favourite film you’ve worked on?

Atlas: "Creatures of the River". I think that it's by far one of our greatest films and I loved seeing the POWERFUL predators we found for it.

Jason: I also loved "Creatures". Swimming with those giant fish was like swimming with dinosaurs.

What has been your biggest challenge filming in the field?

Not destroying the camera. It seems like all our best shots wind up breaking our four hundred dollar (two months of yard work) camcorder. Good thing we bought a warranty! 

How has technology changed your job? Has it hindered or enhanced telling the conservation story?

Technology really makes what we do possible. Without the internet, computers and the like we'd be up a creek with only a camera...

What is your favourite place in nature?

Jason: I have to say the mountains in West Virginia. I like the Hellbender salamanders and other awesome animals.

Atlas: Out of the places I've seen, I'd have to say my favorite is the Everglades swamp. No where else have I seen so much wildlife in one place. That land just breathes with it!

From your field experience, what is your biggest concern when it comes to the environment?

Atlas: From what I've seen, my biggest worry would have to be habitat loss. A hundred years ago there were more bears in Florida than people. Now, we've got about the population of Australia and way less space for everything else. That being said, I definitely think that progress is being made, lots of wilderness is being replenished and secured, and for the most part we're getting a healthier, safer world for animals and people alike.

Jason: Litter. No matter where we go, there's litter.

How do you think the media industry should be addressing environment and conservation issues?

Atlas: I think there should be less focus on the negative and more talk about what's being done to save animals. People get overwhelmed and give up if they hear to much bad stuff, and I don't want that happening.

If you could give one message to G8 leaders on climate change, what would it be?

Atlas: I would say that when people wonder, what's the risk, this is it.The entire peninsula is dead flat and barely above sea level, and that makes our unique animals extremely at risk. Personally, I think it would be a sad world should panthers, indigo snakes and gopher tortoises go the way of the Dodo for a little bit of power.

Jason: Let's see... We need to stop global warming because it's the biggest threat in the world.

What are you working on at the moment?

Currently, we're finishing up a long overdo video of Gopher Tortoises deep inside their burrows, and well as putting together episodes for Teen Wilderness, Season Two.

Where are you going next?

The rivers in our region and possibly the Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge.

What would you like to remembered for?

Atlas: PASSION and ENTHUSIASM for wildlife and the environment. Working with wild animals is my favorite thing to do and always will be.

Jason: I don't know... : )

Links:

http://www.teenwilderness.tk (our official website)

http://www.youtube/user/teenearthnetwork (our Youtube address)