For Earth Day, Lesley grad reconsiders 'Waste'
April 22, 2009
A Lesley University graduate today premiered Waste?, a series of short web films taking a new, ecological look at the old adage about trash and treasure.
Shantel Hansen filmed the documentaries last year with director/editor Dave Rizzotto. One film follows a Vermont man as he scours junkyards for discarded metal to turn into instruments. Another finds a Colorado brewery treating its own waste-water. There are four segments in all.
“The intent for the film is for people to look at their own relationship with waste and what they do about it,” Hansen said. “We have five other episodes in post-production.”
Hansen and Rizzotto scheduled the project to debut on Earth Day and used a social media marketing approach, gathering viewers through Vimeo, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.
“We’ve received thousands of hits within hours (of launching the site),” Hansen said. “I’m just really surprised about the number of people who are talking about it and Twittering about it.”
Hansen is a graduate of Lesley, holding an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies. She also worked at Lesley, serving as Senior Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions and Associate Certification Officer. She now works as a social media and public relations consultant.
See the films and learn more about the project on the Waste? website.