Ep 270:The Paper Bear: Arix Zalace Blends Animation and Nature for Conservation

In this episode, host Damien sits down with filmmaker and conservationist Arix Zalace, the creative mind behind The Paper Bear — a visually stunning blend of animation and live action that tells the story of Florida’s disappearing wilderness.Arix shares how his journey from producing corporate films evolved into a years-long mission of documenting Florida’s black bears and protecting one of North America’s most biodiverse regions. What began as a passion project became a cinematic call to action that uses art and emotion to reconnect people with the natural world.🎧 In this conversation:How The Paper Bear combines animation and real-world storytellingThe challenge of filming wild black bears in Florida’s forestsArix Zalace’s evolution from commercial work to conservation cinemaThe emotional power of father-son themes and 1980s-style adventure filmmakingBuilding partnerships and funding an independent environmental filmWhy storytelling and animation are powerful tools for conservationWhether you’re a filmmaker, storyteller, or nature lover, Arix Zalace’s passion and persistence will inspire you to see how creativity can help protect our planet’s wild heart.W: https://www.thepaperbear.org/who-we-areIMBD: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7730373/Use Promo Code "FILMMAKINGSWABY" for all my deals or just click the link:25% Off More Labshttps://www.morelabs.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY20% Off Strong Coffee Companyhttps://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY15% Off Tusslehttps://www.tusslegear.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY20% Off Eric Javitshttps://ericjavits.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY25% Off Quantum Energy Squarehttps://quantumsquares.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY20% Off Long Tablehttps://longtablepancakes.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY20% Off HyperNaturalhttps://hypernaturalstyle.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY20% Off wearplaygroundhttps://wearplayground.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY15% Off STAND+https://www.standshoes.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY10% Off Molly Bzhttps://mollybz.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABY41% Off Cozy Earthhttps://cozyearth.com/discount/FILMMAKINGSWABYX (Twitter): @DamienSwaby https://x.com/DamienSwaby/status/1864468655582437405Instagram: @filmmaker__damien_swaby. https://www.instagram.com/filmmaker__damien_swaby/?hl=en