Mekong: A River Rising, a special Guardian interactive documentary for which I produced the video, has been longlisted for a Digital Media Award in the One World Media Awards 2016 and a Webby Award for Website Features and Design / Best Use of Video or Moving Image. Ahead of the crucial 2015 climate change talks in Paris, environmental correspondent John Vidal and I travelled through the Mekong countries of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, meeting people affected by climate change and witnessing the ecological havoc created by giant dams, deforestation, coastal erosion and fast-growing cities. The result, crafted by executive producer Lindsay Poulton, is an immersive experience that intertwines video, photography, graphics and text in a widescreen desktop version and, controversially, a 9:16 vertical video version for mobile. As more viewers take to handheld devices as their main platform to consume content, it was clear from the outset that the project was was going to be a 'mobile first' experience. That meant trying to think about every frame in both landscape and portrait, which believe me is not very easy. You can decide for yourself on its success, and indeed whether vertical is the future or just a bump on the winding road (or perhaps a mind-boggling network of crisscrossing paths?) to online video nirvana. You can also vote for the Webby if you like. No pressure.
Laos, 2015