The Essential Image Source Foundation and the Ava Gardner Museum have joined together in a project to preserve the museum’s vast collections, utilizing high definition and electronic asset management technology, and to produce additional high definition cultural and educational interactive products, as well as producing new high definition videos for its theater.

For more information on this project, visit our Projects page and also please visit the Ava Gardner Museum’s web site at www.avagardner.org.

The Essential Image Source Foundation ("EISF") and START ("Solutions To Avoid Red Tide") have joined in an unprecedented partnership to produce a red tide high definition documentary on the Gulf coast of Florida. Additional partners and collaborators on the project include Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) and NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Coastal Center for Fisheries and Habitat Research (CCFHR).

A group of leading scientists and researchers met this month to provide scientific support, filming opportunities and other contributions, led by Dr. Bud Cross, EISF Scientific Advisor, and Dr. Patricia Tester, Division Chief, Plankton Ecology, NOAA/ National Ocean Service.

The initial production of the high definition documentary began on August 17th. The documentary will be premiered at Mote’s Immersion Theater in Sarasota, Florida in 2008.

The Essential Image Source Foundation (EISF) joins forces with NOAA/NOS Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research (CCFHR) this month, to explore the invasive red lionfish – its expanding grip on the Coastal Atlantic, behavior, and impact.

Go to our "Behind the Scenes" Blogs for ongoing reportage on the Lions of the Deep and mission logs of the R/V Nancy Foster lionfish high definition production and research cruise.

In February of 2005, David Gallup took his first trip to the Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. He was so inspired by the experience that he wanted to share it with others who had not visited the park and surrounding waters. “Right on the spot, I decided to make the Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary the focus of my work for the year,” said the painter from Thousand Oaks, California. “The idea quickly grew, and through the support and encouragement of my peers and new friends at EISF and the National Park Service I began to define a vision of a museum experience which would inspire the audience to visit and protect these islands.”

Dr. Bud Cross, EISF Scientific Advisor and Chairman of EISF Scientific Advisory Committee, announced the foundation's commitment to join the Ocean Literacy Campaign in response to the reports issued by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (USCOP), U.S. Ocean Action Plan, and the Pew Oceans Commission. It was found that although people love the ocean, they neither know much about it nor believe that their actions affect its health. "Our nation's citizens are not necessarily ocean literate," said Cross, "and there is a tremendous need to develop ocean educational programs. EISF's collaborative partnerships with scientists and educators, through high definition media, serve as an effective platform to bring ocean literacy principles to the forefront of the public's attention."

John Scott recently joined EISF as a producer and its Tourism Industry Advisor. With over twenty years of video, broadcasting, publishing, and marketing experience with the tourism industry, John's talents are considered a true asset. John has worked with tourism, convention and visitors’ bureaus across the country developing effective video and web-based marketing programs in Santa Barbara and Palm Springs, California; Tucson, Arizona; Houston, Texas; Rochester, New York; Sarasota, Lee County and Space Coast, Florida; and many others. More key, however, is that John is intimately familiar with the link between tourism, conservation, environmental and cultural resources and the human connectivity to it all.

Andria's Seafood Restaurant and Market has been a long time member of the Santa Barbara and Ventura business communities with an intense commitment to the Channel Islands and our marine environment. Most recently, Andria's has also joined the many corporate and retail sponsors of the "Jewels of the Pacific: The Channel Islands" high definition documentary project.

EISF entered the Ventura Parade of Lights 2005, celebrating the Channel Islands National Park's 25th Anniversary with theme "Island Holidays".  Our display for sailboat entry titled Surfin' Santa won 1st place in the Non-Profit category!

Hearty thanks goes to John Clark for use of his 32' sailboat Escapade and set-up efforts; Jim Smith for volunteering support; Dan Powell for use of his house light display; and Mike DeMartino for arranging hula dancer crew.

Todd Johnson passed away on 12-4-05, survived by his wife Nicole and daughter Alex. Todd was an incredibly talented man that set sail on man's boldest, most mysterious adventure much too soon ... he will be sorely missed by all!

Please check back to this site soon for a formal dedication to Todd's life and work. Click on "read more" for brief bio that he shared for this web site. 

The Essential Image Source Foundation is proud to announce that Dan Powell has joined the foundation’s team as Director of Marine Support.

Dan is providing content for our new web site and organizing marine equipment support for EISF events. He also happens to be an avid SCUBA diver, experienced with underwater film equipment and specialty diver tools development.