# Racing Extinction Movie Projecting Real Change on Empire State  Building

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2015/08/racing-extinction-movie-projecting-real-change-on-empire-state-building/
- Published: 2015-08-07T01:53:47-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

On a typical Saturday night in New York City became extraordinary last week. [Racing Extinction](https://racingextinction.com/)#
ProjectingChange campaign is from the Oceanic Preservation Society. As Animal Defenders
International reported, “This [movie](https://greenlivingguy.com/2016/04/12th-hour-presented-by-jeff-bridges/)
takes on two threats to endangered wild species across the globe: the international
wildlife trade and the hidden world of carbon emissions and acidified oceans.”
 
[⌊image⌉](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/wpid-img_20150801_223047397.jpg?quality=52&ssl=1)

I shared the night viewing with [Lux and Eco](https://web.archive.org/web/20190212015525/https://luxandeco.com/)
star Lisa Seremet
 [⌊image⌉](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/wpid-wp-1438911026052.jpeg?quality=52&ssl=1)

Oscar®-winning director and founder of Oceanic Preservation Society Louis Psihoyos
and producer Fisher Stevens (THE COVE, RACING EXTINCTION), Travis Threlkel (Chief
Creative Officer of Obscura Digital), Hilary Sparrow (‎Senior Supervising Producer
at Vulcan Productions) and Dr. Stuart Pimm (Duke University Professor of Conservation
Ecology and expert on species extinction).

[⌊image⌉⌊image⌉[

[⌊On a typical Saturday night in New York City became extraordinary last week. Racing
Extinction #ProjectingChange campaign is from the Oceanic Preservation Society. 
As Animal Defenders International reported, "This movie takes on two threats to 
endangered wild species across the globe: the international wildlife trade and the
hidden world of carbon emissions and acidified oceans."⌉⌊On a typical Saturday night
in New York City became extraordinary last week. Racing Extinction #ProjectingChange
campaign is from the Oceanic Preservation Society. As Animal Defenders International
reported, "This movie takes on two threats to endangered wild species across the
globe: the international wildlife trade and the hidden world of carbon emissions
and acidified oceans."⌉[

As [ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/US) reported:
 [⌊Images of endangered animals. In addition to and including birds, tigers, bears and other creatures. All shined on the south side of one of the city's most iconic landmarks.⌉](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/wpid-wp-1438911066318.jpeg?quality=52&ssl=1)

Images of endangered animals. In addition to and including birds, tigers, bears 
and other creatures. All shined on the south side of one of the city’s most iconic
landmarks.

The event was meant to spark conversations about mass extinction.
 [⌊image⌉](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/wpid-wp-1438911104059.jpeg?quality=52&ssl=1)

As the Director explained to me and NBC New York, 160 species were shown throughout
the night.
 [⌊image⌉](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/wpid-wp-1438911181212.jpeg?quality=52&ssl=1)

The tiger alone shown on the building has gone down to only 3,500 left on this planet.

It was organized as part of a promotion for the Racing Extinction movie which my
friend Leilani Munter’s using a projector on the back of her Tesla Model S. The 
movie airs this December.

## **As further reported:**

For the first time in New York City history, this stand-alone, architectural projection
art event featured towering images of endangered species—more than 350 feet tall
and 186 feet wide, and covering 33 floors—on the south façade of The [Empire State Building](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/09/empire-state-building-ny-goes-100-wind-power-green/)
in an art event meant to draw attention to the creatures’ plight against mass extinction.

Using 40 stacked, 20,000-lumen projectors on the roof of a building on West 31st
Street. So Travis Threlkel founder of Obscura Digital and Louis Psihoyos the night
with live video projections. That’s including (an 8 minute environmentally-focused
tableau, combined with iconic imagery of endangered species, that made each 15 minute
cycle running throughout the night a unique experience). For it’s showing a Noah’s
ark of animals including Cecil the Lion, a snow leopard. Also a golden lion tamarin
and manta rays. That’s along with snakes, birds and various mammals and sea creatures
choreographed to Racing Extinction’s original songs.

## Throughout, the LED lights atop the building were coordinated with the projection, by the building’s lighting designer.

[⌊image⌉⌊image⌉[

My interview of Louis will be coming soon but he was elated and celebrating with
friends of old and new. Coordinators crying while the display showed the species.
The historic change in the use of this building was quite amazing. We knew it was
watching greatness unfold. As I stayed thousands of people watched in the preview
event but then tens of thousands watched across all five boroughs and throughout
this great city.

People were filling into the streets to watch this historic display for good on 
the Empire State Building.

Mid-interview he was overcome with elation, then left to film and see the people
filling NYC to view. He came back of course and interviews to follow.

RACING EXTINCTION’s composer and music producer J. Ralph is Oceanic Preservation
Society’s longtime collaborator who also wrote and produced the music for THE COVE,
the United Nations projection event, and Saturday’s “Projecting Change: The Empire
State Building” event.  For RACING EXTINCTION, he enlisted internationally acclaimed
[artists](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/06/5-environment-friendly-practices-for-artists/)
Sia and Antony to collaborate with him on two original songs, essential to the film’s
narrative and to the global awareness message.

The resulting “One Candle” is an anthemic and unifying call-to-action written and
performed by J. Ralph & Sia while “Manta Ray” is a haunting and transcendental requiem
written and performed by J. Ralph & Antony (of Antony and the Johnsons). The One
Candle line that Louis loves said” Better to Light one Candle than Curse the Darkness!”

### After this night the city became that Candle.

Both songs are prominently featured in the film and will be released on the RACING
EXTINCTION soundtrack in the fall.

![author avatar](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df91669667126e1290c21ee0342c386e2da19d588d4d9ca6560bd82ed59a9641?
s=300&d=monsterid&r=g)

 greenlivingguy

 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living
expert, and Editor of the McGraw-Hill, TAB Green Guru Guides. Seth is also an Author,
Radio Host, Reporter, Writer and an Environmental Consultant on green living. The
Green Living Guy writes about green living, green lighting, the green guru guides
and more. Seth's books range from: # Build Your Own Electric Vehicle by Bob Brant
and Seth Leitman (2nd and 3rd editions) # Build Your Own Plug-in Hybrid Electric
Vehicle by Seth Leitman # Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle by Carl Vogel # Green
Lighting by Seth Leitman, Brian Clark Howard and Bill Brinsky # Solar Power For 
Your Home by David Findley # Renewable Energies For Your Home by Russel Gehrke #
Do-it-Yourself Home Energy Audits by David Findley # Build Your Own Small Wind Power
System by Brian Clark Howard and Kevin Shea # and more green living books to follow.

 [See Full Bio](https://greenlivingguy.com/author/greenlivingguy/) [  ](https://greenlivingguy.com/author/greenlivingguy/)
