October 26, 2009 by Mark.

Hey, YERTians!

I just learned about a video project/website created by a good friend of YERT - Damien Somerset. It’s called “Shift Logic” http://shiftlogic.org/ and by the looks of it he’s got his head in a very YERTy place.

Go to the site. Sign up and submit some headlines. Then vote on your favorites and the best ones get turned into new shows that make the most of Damien’s quick humor and clever editing style.

Fun, up-beat, and smart all at the same time. Brings up the important issues while staying fun. I couldn’t recommend it more.

Cheers,
Mark

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October 22, 2009 by Mark.

POSITION AVAILABLE: Eco-Film Marketing Intern

(Please re-post widely!!)

YERT - Your Environmental Road Trip - is seeking an enthusiastic, motivated, eco-minded and web-savvy intern to kick-start and drive a variety of marketing initiatives for its documentary film project. YERT has a nationally recognized brand and over 2000 people on various mailing lists, including a solid volunteer base. The YERT team has also recently submitted an initial rough cut of the YERT feature film to the Sundance Film Festival. As YERT fast approaches the release of its feature film, it’s time to build upon that strong foundation to get the project — and the exciting sustainability ideas we support — in front of as many people as possible. Sustainability can be fun, and you can help spread the word around the world! (http://www.yert.com)

Time Required
* 10-20 hours/week
* Starting immediately
* Work available through Dec. 2010

Compensation
* Position is unpaid, but interns will be noted in feature film credits.
* Position will give you valuable experience inside an environmental film marketing campaign.
* We are happy to work with your school advisor to see if they can give you course credit.

Location
Pittsburgh, PA preferred, but can work from anyplace with high speed Internet.

Qualifications
* Be at least 18 years old.
* Must have computer with high-speed Internet access.
* Very comfortable with Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, blog culture, and related web tools.
* Interest in film marketing and/or grassroots organizing.
* Some project management and organizing experience preferable.
* Interest in environmental/sustainability issues.

Primary Responsibilities
Work closely with film co-producers Mark Dixon and Ben Evans to develop and implement film marketing strategy, including but not limited to:
* Submit YERT shorts and feature film to film festivals worldwide.
* Work to get YERT videos embedded in blog and news sites.
* Develop grass-roots film screening parties in communities, colleges, and homes nationwide.
* Increase traffic and subscribers to YERT.com and other online outlets, including YouTube and Facebook channels.
* Coordinate and drive volunteer projects to support marketing initiatives.

Application Process
To apply for this position, please send your resume to Mark Dixon, mark@yert.com, 415-672-5537. Be sure to add “YERT Marketing Intern” to the e-mail subject line.

What’s YERT?
YERT, which stands for “Your Environmental Road Trip,” (http://www.yert.com) is a one year 50-state video documentary road trip to explore and personalize sustainability across the country. All throughout the journey, Mark Dixon, Ben Evans, and Julie Evans released fast-paced videos online to share their adventures, including their very own “road rules” eco-challenges (like keeping all of their garbage in the car all year), visits to environmentally significant destinations, and most importantly, interviews with over 800 leaders, businesspeople, researchers, and average citizens from all walks of life. Their work has been featured on Treehugger, the Weather Channel, Voice of America, the San Francisco Chronicle, and on NPR stations nationwide via the environmental news program, “Living on Earth.” Having completed principal shooting and the travel portion of the project, the team is working on “YERT Phase 2″ — developing a feature film, additional short films, live presentations, and educational curriculum based on the project.

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October 21, 2009 by Mark.

YERT will be applying for a Webby award this year– but first need to raise $255 in donations for the application fee. Can you help?

To donate, go to http://www.yert.com/donate.php

We traveled to all 50 states in one year to document fun and uplifting stories about sustainability across the country. You’ve contributed thousands of dollars to keep us afloat. Now we’re working hard to get more eyeballs on the project to expand support for the feature film! One way we hope to do that is to apply for a Webby award (like a Grammy, but for the web). If nominated, we’ll get thousands of new visitors to the site, many of whom will walk away with a different perspective about the environmental movement. If we WIN, then thousands more will see how serious we are about having fun with sustainability.

We think we’ve got the right stuff to get nominated, and even to win– we just need some funding help in order to apply. $255 of funding to be exact.

Can you contribute $10 to help us change the public’s perception of the environmental movement? To introduce YERT to thousands of new eyeballs?

To donate, go to http://www.yert.com/donate.php

Thank you for your continued support!

Humbly Yours,
Mark, Ben, and Julie (The YERT Team)

(To learn more about the Webby Awards, click here: http://www.webbyawards.com . We’ll be applying in the Online Film and Video category for Documentary:Series.)

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