Matt: I am from Montréal but have lived in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Alberta, and now British Columbia, Canada. My personal philosophy on storytelling is a bit of a long story...

Basically I feel that well told told stories can help make sense of a world that would otherwise go unarticulated. Good stories help us to understand better who we are either in contradistinction or in comparison to the characters and the events we read or are told about.

Storytelling is also a part of our history as a self-conscious species. Continuing to share stories, I feel, connects us to a deeper sense of who we are, where we've come from, and indeed where we may go.

Eco-Anxiety was really Chloë's idea. We wanted to do something with a comedic slant but that had a real message to it. Chloë, the eternal journalist and researcher, had heard about psychologists recently starting to deal with patients who suffered from what they called Eco-Anxiety.

We thought that worrying about all the things you're not doing for the environment was amazing. Of course we are not making fun of the condition and sincerely empathize with any who suffers from it, but we wanted to say that even doing the little things really does help the environment.

You don't have to find the solution for global warming or get rid of all your cars (though that would help)... things like recycling and turning off lights and water all combine to make a big difference. So take a deep breath, dim the screen, and encourage others to do the same.

We want people to understand that the little things do count for something (and will probably amass to be one of the greatest contributors to the environmental solution). But for the people who suffer from Eco-Anxiety we also wanted to say that you don't have to feel helpless.

In general, film and video is a great way to relay stories because they not only encompass the audible but also the visual. Beautifully composed images can speak volumes through our interpretations.

Combine imagery with audio and you have a mixed medium composition that is able to either hit somebody in the face with its message or is able to subvert banality for a deeper meaning at the point of contact with the audience.

I've made videos mainly for comedic purposes. Laughing is good. But I've made a short 16mm film that deals with death from a child's perspective. It's called a thin dry roar. I have a bit of a minor chord running through me that often surfaces in my writing or music. The comedy is a great venting.

Apart from Youtube and Orato.com the only other exhibition of my work has been for my 16mm film a thin dry roar. We took that film to Ecuador, Montréal World, Winnipeg International, and the Atlantic International film festivals. We were really happy with the reception. There, of course, were a few of us who brought that project together and we couldn't have done it without the other. Right now we're finalizing distribution for the film with an outfit in Ontario.

Thanks to Orato.com for sponsoring the contest and for all the other entrants for making it a real competition. There were some very good stories in there that have inspired me to do better work in the future.

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Chloe: I'm currently living in Vancouver, British Columbia, although I call Nova Scotia my home and spent my childhood in South Wales.

I prefer telling stories with pen and paper. I've resisted writing my first drafts on computers for years.

In comparison, video offers speed and precise description. But it also demands greater care.

I don't write 1,000 words without thinking it over carefully (and investing a fair bit of time), but a video clip can have the same impact and be produced far faster.

Even for projects like this, I like to discuss the story but squirm the moment it comes down to actually shooting anything. Matt is bold and determined and manages well in persevering through the shoot.

Eco-Anxiety came about as I ruminated on the stack of newspapers I was carrying out to the recycling bin. The resources we use in North America overwhelm me. Eco-Anxiety aims to consider the implications of all the consumptive choices we make.

When I took an extra long shower, or poured a glass of clean water away because it's was too warm... I found these actions were compounding on my conscience. The more I looked, the more media blasts about global warming, green washing marketing, natural/environmentally friendly product claims I began to see.

It all added up to a growing weight of what I saw as a looming Eco-Depression in society.

A week or two later, I read an article about how San Francisco is experiencing a hyper state of environmental awareness. I called Matt immediately to tell him I wasn't crazy and the story just grew from there.

What's important, for me, is taking responsibility for the choices I make to consume. Drink the glass of slightly warm water, turn off the shower, take fabric shopping bags.

We want the video to prompt others and ourselves to own our choices to consume.

Matt's filming and editing flair was key to polishing the video and I greatly appreciate his patience.

Thanks to everyone for watching!