The Cincinnati Museum of Natural History and Science (CMNHS) is producing a large format film on caves. The film will be a multidisciplinary introduction to the little-understood world of caves and cave science. Caves will introduce viewers to the alien beauty and wonder of caves and the scientists and explorers who study them. It will explore the formation of caves and speleothems, the highly adapted life-forms found in caves and the varied use of caves by people, past and present. A comprehensive educational package of ancillary materials will be available to schools and to the general audience. The PI for the project will be Kit Anderson, Director of Film Projects for CMNHS. The principal science content specialist will be Jacqueline Janine Belwood, a researcher in vertebrate zoology at CMNHS. She will work closely with an advisory committee of eighteen experts in caves, in the various science disciplines relevant to the cave environment, and in large format films. She also will have access to the expertise found among the staff of the CMNHS. The film will be produced by MacGillivray Freeman Films, the company that produced the large format film, "To Fly".
DATE:
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Kit AndersonJacqueline BelwoodBarbara Flagg
The National Museum of Natural History is producing 3-D and 2-D versions of a large format film on natural history. With a working title of Wonders of Life, the film will explore the diversity of life on Earth and how this diversity came to be. It will examine the biological, geological, and cultural entities that interact in myriad ways to generate, shape, and sustain the enormous biological and cultural diversity of our planet. The film will be supported by outreach material designed to support further exploration of the topic of diversity in both informal and formal settings. An inexpensive family activity guide to be available at venues that show the film will feature engaging and challenging activities for families with children ages ten through 15. A teacher resource guide, distributed free to teachers attending the film with groups of students, will be developed for use in grades 5 through 8. A classroom activity poster will be developed to serve grades 2 through 5. A Wonders of Life home page will support in-depth study of the film's topics. Larry O'Reilly, Director of The Discovery Center Project at the NMNH, will be PI and Executive Producer for the film. The Senior Scientific Advisory Board will be chaired by Dr. Robert S. Hoffman, Senior Scientist and former Assistant Secretary for Science at the Smithsonian Institution. The board also includes Sir David Attenborough, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Dr. Margaret Geller, Ivan Hattingh, and Dr. Thomas Lovejoy. Dr. Kay Behrensmeyer, Curator of Paleobiology and former Associate Director for Science at the NMNH, will lead a core team of scientists who will be directly involved in production. The film will be produced by Christopher Parsons and David Douglas will be Director of Photography.