Frog joins princes, stars and the Dalai Lama in a new rain forest video

Wednesday, 06 May 2009 10:27

What do Kermit, the princes William and Harry, the actors Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Robin Williams and the Dalai Lama have in common? They all star in Prince Charles' new 'frog video', designed to build a campaign against climate change's threat to the rainforests.

The Prince of Wales published today (5 May) the video (see: www.rainforestSOS.org)  as a part of a new public awareness campaign of his Prince‟s Rainforests Project.

The purpose of the campaign is to create a climate of awareness and public concern that encourages action to end tropical deforestation. By signing up on the website, www.rainforestSOS.org, people will be demonstrating their support for urgent action.

Speaking during a reception at the National Geographic Store, central London, The Prince joked that he was "aware Princes and frogs have had a long association".

The focal point of the campaign is a 90-second public awareness film in which His Royal Highness appears alongside his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, an array of well-known figures including Harrison Ford, the Dalai Lama, Daniel Craig, Robin Williams and children from around the world.

Each individual appears alongside an animated frog. The frog, created by Framestore, the Oscar-winning computer generated imagery (CGI) experts behind the film The Golden Compass, serves as a symbol of the rainforest.

The films were broadcasted on a variety of websites, including the social networking site MySpace. As the webcast is transmitted, the public awareness film was shown at a launch event, attended by The Prince of Wales at London‟s National Geographic store.

In order to make the campaign truly interactive, a digital application enables supporters to create their very own “mash-up” version of the film in which they can appear alongside the frog and well-known figures. The technology has

been developed by Moonshine Media and will appear on a new campaign website created by Blue State Digital, the company which provided the proprietary software, as well as the online engagement strategies, for President Barack Obama during the US elections in 2008.

In his webcast, to be broadcast online before the showing of the film, The Prince of Wales says: “Our aim, with your help, is to build an online community to call, from the bottom up, for urgent action to protect the Rainforests, without which we will most certainly lose the battle against catastrophic climate change.

“One of the internet‟s strengths is that it can enable diverse communities to come together to ensure that everybody‟s views and actions can really be made to count. It provides the potential to create global determination for change on a vitally important issue.”

The film can be viewed, and the public can demonstrate their support for the cause by visiting www.rainforestSOS.org or by texting „SOS‟ and their email address to 60777*.

(Source: www.rainforestsos.org)