The NOVA Large-format Film unit of the WGBH Educational Foundation, in conjunction with the New England Aquarium, is producing a large format film about Cocos Island, a small, uninhabited island off the coast of Costa Rica that has not yet been affected by human activity. The waters around Cocos Island contain an extraordinary abundance of sharks, rays, tuna, marlins, swordfish, and other pelagic fishes, thanks to nearby upwellings of cold, nutrient-rich water that create a rich food source. The film will focus on the physical oceanography and behavioral marine ecology of Cocos Island, highlighting the animal behavior and interactions of the wide diversity of marine life. Executive Producer will be Paula Apsell, head of the WGBH science unit and Executive Producer of NOVA. Susanne Simpson, executive producer for NOVA Large-format Films will as a senior producer. Howard Hall Productions will produce and direct the film. Howard Hall will be director/producer, and Michele Hall will serve as producer. The Halls are experts in the field of marine natural history filmmaking and are world-renowned for their television programs on such series as National Geographic and Nature. They worked in the large format medium as producer/directors of Into the Deep. Joseph Levine, a marine biologist who has written both science textbooks and television scripts, will be the writer. William Spitzer, Associate Director for Education at the New England Aquarium, will be responsible for the educational outreach materials.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Paula ApsellSusanne SimpsonJerry SchubelKenneth MalloryBarbara Flagg
Blue Mountain film Associates Inc., a production company formed by the producers of the large format film, Cosmic Voyage, is requesting a planning grant of $50,000, of a total budget of $130,000 to conduct preliminary work on Biodiversity: Life in the Balance. A 40-minute large-format film will be the centerpiece of this multi-component science education project. The film will be based on what appears to be a critical paradox: while we humans, like all living things, have always been dependent upon natural systems for our survival, our unique cultural development and technological prowess have convinced us that we are somehow "above" nature. The following a among major tasks will be accomplished during the five month planning period: * The project principals, a researcher, and advisors will create a comprehensive project plan to include a large format film; complementary print materials for informal and formal settings; a website; a CD-ROM; a video presentation for museums, schools, and home markets; and a related traveling exhibit. * Work with advisors and other scholars to develop detailed project content. * Write and review a treatment for the film. * Develop the museum exhibit component * Write a detailed script for the film. * Develop draft of outreach plan for advisor review. * Develop promotion plan. The principals in the project will include: Bayley Silleck who will be PI, Director, Co-Producer, and Writer; Jeffrey Marvin, Co-PI and Producer; and Thomas Eisner, who will be a Co-PI and will serve as primary content specialist and chair of the advisory committee. The advisory committee includes: Niles Eldredge, American Museum of Natural History; Jane Lubchenco, Oregon State University; Peter Raven, Missouri botanical Garden; and Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Bayley SilleckJeffrey MarvinThomas Eisner