Signal Share: Strategy-Led Storytelling

Join us for Strategy-Led Storytelling, an in-depth artist talk exploring the intersection of technical craft, strategic media, and advocacy-driven storytelling. This event highlights the work of conservation media makers, filmmaker/ photographer and conservation advocate Chad Brown of Love is King and video producer Nicole Michalis of the League of Conservation Voters, and examines the personal responsibilities, technical challenges, and ethical considerations of producing media that seeks to move us to environmental action.

Connect with the Open Signal community to learn from media makers who explore the intersection of identity, place, storytelling, and advocacy. Participants will gain insights into the technical challenges, strategic choices, and ethical responsibilities involved in producing conservation media that is both impactful and responsible.

Who Should Attend

• Filmmakers, photographers, and media makers interested in conservation storytelling and advocacy
• Environmental and conservation advocates
  Students and emerging professionals seeking guidance on technical, strategic, and ethical media practices
• Anyone curious about the intersection of media, history, ethics, and environmental action

What to Expect

• Discover how media and storytelling strengthen issue advocacy and amplifies conservation campaigns.
• Explore the technical demands of backcountry filmmaking, including field logistics, equipment, and creative decision-making in remote and challenging environments.
• Learn about the historical context of conservation media and the responsibilities that non-indigenous media makers and storytellers have to unsettle their productions and modern conservation media making. 
• Gain insights into strategy and ethics, including navigating power dynamics, securing consent, and producing media responsibly while advancing conservation goals.

About the Speakers

Chad Brown
Chad Brown is a Navy veteran, award-winning documentary-style photographer and filmmaker, creative director, and conservation advocate. He is the founder of two nonprofits Soul River Inc., and Love is king connecting veterans, youth and diverse leaders to outdoor leadership, and has led expeditions into remote wilderness areas including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Chad’s work bridges field-based storytelling, photography, and film to create media that informs and inspires environmental advocacy. (chadocreative.com)

Nicole Michalis
Nicole Michalis is a a video producer/editor who has worked in the progressive space for a decade. She is currently at the League of Conservation Voters, a DC-based environmental advocacy organization.