Galiwango

Rangers are hard at work fighting the illegal charcoal trade and protecting Virunga’s forest habitats. The illegal charcoal trade has decimated the natural habitats of many endangered wildlife in Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. This trade is also reported to finance the militia activities that have resulted in many attacks on ranger bases as well as patrols.

Park Rangers strike at the heart of the charcoal-making operations that are run by armed groups deep in the forests of Virunga National Park, Eastern DR Congo.

To find out more about the fight to protect the park, please go to www.gorillacd.org.

Congo (DRC) Conflict Update ~ Mountain Gorilla Conservation Front ~ By Emmanuel De Merode, Director for Virunga National Park: Even in the best of times, keeping Virunga’s rangers fully funded is a challenge, but with tourism closed because of the war, it has become nearly impossible. Simply put, we need your help keeping our rangers deployed.

The instability created by the war is posing a huge threat to the park. Periods of conflict are when the rangers’ jobs are most dangerous – and most necessary. At times like these, opportunists abound and poaching, illegal animal trafficking, and habitat destruction become especially difficult to control. Please help us ensure the basic funding for rangers remains in place. Every $16.00 donated will keep a ranger in the field for a day. This includes the cost of training, rations, medical care, and uniforms.

Virunga’s rangers have always been willing to do what we have asked of them, so let’s all give them a hand.

To help support the Rangers in the Virunga National Park, visit the GorillaCD blog, Click on the red donate button at the top right of the blog post at this link: http://gorillacd.org/2012/09/11/help-keep-our-rangers-protecting-virunga/

A special thank you to the team at Faceware Technologies, Inc and ImageMetrics for their kind support of the Galiwango Film.  I am so excited about working with their talented team to help make the Galiwango film Characters even more awesome. I highly recommend their services. Check out the above video explaining the services provided by Faceware Technologies, Inc: http://www.facewaretech.com

Thanks Again Peter and the entire team. You guys rock, and thanks for joining in this effort of making the world a better place for endangered wildlife, especially the mountain gorillas, plus cheering on the selfless sacrifices of the rangers engaged in the protection of these great apes and their habitats.

I will be posting the behind the scenes of the Galiwango film Facial Motion capture sessions using Faceware’s Analyzer and Retargater. You can follow the Galiwango film production at this link:http://www.sowl.com/2012/02/galiwango-film-reload-3d-model-update and on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/Galiwango.A.Mountain.Gorilla.Film

This particular video shows the process in a more linear way and gives a visual example of how the Faceware technology works:

Faceware has been used on over 45 shipped video game titles as well as 8 feature films, with many more in production now. Both Analyzer and Retargeter are extremely battle-tested and have shipped thousands of minutes of facial animation and our Head-Mounted Cameras have been on hundreds of shoots with thousands of production hours logged. Take a look below at some of the titles our products have been used on.

Check out the full list here: http://www.facewaretech.com/projects/

Here is an update of the rebuilding of the Luganda, 3D animated mountain gorilla conservation film entitled “Galiwango, Obulamu Bw’ekisodde”, translated ~ “The life of a Mountain Gorilla called Galiwango”

Your support is greatly appreciated in the rebuilding process. Check it out and the Production Blog, kindly share with your friends. Together we can make a difference ~ http://www.sowl.com/2012/02/galiwango-film-reload-3d-model-update

Thank you for joining this effort to spread the word about the plight of the last remaining mountain gorillas, and the selfless sacrifices made by the Rangers as they work tirelessly to protect them and their habitat, plus the effort to share the story of local communities like the Batwa tribe, who are affected by the destruction of the forest habitat they share with the endangered great apes.

Check out this VIDEO ~  Here is an update on the Galiwango Film Audio score. My good friend Alan Kisaka, based in Los Angeles, CA,  has been busy at work on several tracks for the more somber scenes in the film. I am really excited at how the final is going to sound and for Alan’s generosity.  Alan plays for a Band called The Strangers, do please check them out and show them your support! Website:http://thestrangers.org/

Behind the scenes of the Making of the Galiwango film Sound track and audio score ~ Thanks to Alan, your talent is greatly appreciated and thanks for joining me in this effort to raise awareness to the plight of the last remaining mountain gorillas, and the sacrifices of the Rangers in the range states, who are working hard to protect these endangered great apes and their forest habitats.

The purpose of this Film is to reach out to the Youth, to sensitize them to the plight of the last remaining “less than 800” mountain gorillas, as well as the hard work done by the rangers as they go about protecting these endangered wildlife treasures from poachers, the occasional rebel remnant groups and the inadvertent traps. I am also striving to shine a light to the impact of the deforestation of the Virunga and Bwindi jungles for the illegal charcoal trade, on local communities like the Batwa and the wildlife.

Hi Galiwango Fans, as always I am grateful for all your support as I work to get this film completed. Here is a photo I wanted to share with you, of my official Mountain Gorilla Tracking certificate that I received when I went to Bwindi to track the Nshongi group. I highly encourage anyone who is able, to do their best to make that trip – Kabale and Kisoro are such beautiful places and Bwindi has an awe inspiring beauty of its own. Meeting the mountain gorillas in person is an off the charts experience.

In addition to a number of other tasks, I have been busy rebuilding the Galiwango forest environment in 3D – after visiting Bwindi and seeing the Mountain Gorillas in person and the type of vegetation that is native to the forests, I got a better sense and appreciation of the setting and the scenery. That trip was invaluable – and I can’t say thank you enough to the Uganda Wildlife Authority for making it possible. A Special thinks to Lillian, Olive, Steve, Apophia, Eunice and the entire UWA team.

Sergeant Major Benjamin, thanks for your insightful guidance, the lessons into Botany and for providing such professional tracking expertise. You and your team, and all the other rangers serving the mountain gorilla cause, are the unsung heroes. I am extremely proud of you and your 20+ years of service to Uganda and the wildlife conservation effort.

Thanks Steve (UWA Driver) for making that long trip to Bwindi a memorable one. I consider you a good friend now, warm regards and  love to your family.

Solomon W. Jagwe  | Galiwango Film Director | www.sowl.com

Before the Galiwango Film Preview event, I was granted a rare opportunity, by UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority),  to go Mountain Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi – I tracked the most recently habituated Ugandan Mountain Gorilla group called Nshongi. It was such an amazing and eye opening experience. I left Bwindi with a greater resolve to get the Galiwango Film to my fellow Ugandans and the world as a whole.

Here are some Photos from my Trip to Bwindi and the tracking of the Most recently Habituated Ugandan Mountain Gorilla group called Nshongi, led by Nshongi the silverback.  Precious Memories.

A special thanks to all the Galiwango Film fans. Thanks Guys for the support. I am excited about the film. Ronnie Mayanja (Editor: http://www.ugandandiasporanews.com ), my business partner in this venture, did a great job in marketing the event and working together with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. We thank each and everyone of you that made the event a success.

Thank you Olive, Lillian, Eunice, Apophia, Steve and the entire UWA team. You guys were great and we look forward to a long term relationship and partnership

Special thanks to Mr.Steve Jean of Fennon Records for providing complimentary lighting and sound, and to the Sheraton Kampala Hotel General manager for giving us the Rwenzori Ballroom for free and complimentary nights at the hotel.

Here are some photos from the Galiwango Film Preview event that took place in Kampala, Uganda. Rwenzori Ballroom, Sheraton Kampala Hotel

All Seven-foot, 450 pounds of him. By befriending him or any of Uganda’s mountain gorillas, you can ensure that this silverback and his family have a chance of future survival. | Uganda Wildlife Authority | Galiwango Film Partner