Film director Clerance Eckerson Jr is working to help communities make their streets safer for bikes and pedestrians by using the medium he knows best – film.
His company, Streetfilms, promotes healthier living through short video documentaries. The street-friendly advocate has shot 150 films, of which more than half document cycling as a mode of sustainable transportation.
Streetfilms is registered as a non-profit organization and works with various advocacy and community groups worldwide to help spread the word about projects that are focused on making city streets a friendlier place to live.
Eckerson’s experience with video production has been largely gained through his work with the cable-access show bikeTV. The show allowed him to create entertaining and informative short items about transportation and much of the content included livable street topics. In 2004, he and colleague Mark Gorton began producing documentaries about street conditions in New York City.
StreetFilms accepts solicitations and suggestions from the public regarding best street practices in other cities and countries. Furthermore, Eckerson tries to tie in current events and trends to each video, conduct interviews with highly regarded people in the transportation field and cover crucial events and announcements.