Fish are Friends
Fish are Friends is a transmedia project aimed at raising awareness for endangered marine life, specifically the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. Our team developed outlines for a video game, documentary, podcast, and photo series to showcase the issue.
Project Role
Researcher and writer on the design brief.
Problem
Marine life often takes a backseat in discussions about environmental issues, yet it faces significant destruction. The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, the largest of its kind, is severely overfished by industries seeking to sell it as sushi, exceeding maximum fish numbers. Despite this, people are largely unaware of the impact that the extinction of this species could have on the environment.
Goal
Our aim is to address the issue of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna overfishing by using a transmedia story campaign. This storyworld will depict the journey and challenges faced by these fish, while also raising awareness about the overfishing problem and the efforts underway to combat it. We intend to create a podcast, documentary, game, and photo series that showcase various aspects of the tuna's story to emphasize the importance of protecting endangered marine life.
Research
Prior to selecting the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, our team sought a significant marine species to educate people of all ages about endangered marine life. We opted for the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna due to habitat destruction caused by oil spills and pollution, overfishing by local fishermen, and demand from the East Coast Sushi industry.
Through research, we identified the project's primary target audience as three distinct groups:
​
Families located within the East Coast
Policy Makers
Local Fisherman
Prototype
Using this information, our team developed a storyline aimed at raising awareness among people of all ages, with particular focus on our target audiences. We planned a documentary, including shot types, timelines, and videographers. For the game, we created a small graphic and concept outline that allows kids or adults to learn more about the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, its migration paths each season, and the issues that could impact its migration, such as habitat loss. The photo series involved a photographer tracking the fish on its journey to document its beauty or struggles. The final component of the transmedia story campaign was the podcast, where experts talked to notable individuals about the impacts of tuna on our environment and the impacts of our environment on theirs.