Comments on: Tales From The Industry, XII - A Shooting Diary http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:43:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Tales From The Industry XVI - Correlations Meetup and More - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/#comment-103172 Tales From The Industry XVI - Correlations Meetup and More - Asymptotia Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:52:46 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/#comment-103172 [...] There was a lot of work to do in getting our various points of view across in both directions, and we all learned from each other, coming from our respective camps - tv, journalism (online and print), and science. As an example (and there were examples in the other direction too) Michael and I kept trying to bring the discussion back to science content. While the show and the site are a welcome breath of fresh air, we’ve both got the usual concern that surrounds science presentation in the media. The lasting educational component of these sorts of enterprises can get lost in the drive to treat science as just another product from which journalists and people in entertainment can pick the bits they like to sell as a transitory distraction. When the educational aspect is mentioned, it tends to get thought of as the concern of “educators” - which translates into stuff for kids and school teachers. This is a mistake, and this is why I see it as a great opportunity that PBS is doing this, since their portfolio has more than just entertainment in it. A science program (and its online partner) can have entertainment and education for all (not just school kids, but society in general) working together. A piece of science content as a potential focus should not then be judged first and foremost on whether it is cute and sexy for the viewers and readers - whether it is an important piece of the real science story that is going on out there should be the most important criterion. This is why (as I’ve discussed before) scientists need to be at the table in these sorts of media enterprises if we are to change the dismal way things are largely done now in science journalism and programming. [...] [...] There was a lot of work to do in getting our various points of view across in both directions, and we all learned from each other, coming from our respective camps - tv, journalism (online and print), and science. As an example (and there were examples in the other direction too) Michael and I kept trying to bring the discussion back to science content. While the show and the site are a welcome breath of fresh air, we’ve both got the usual concern that surrounds science presentation in the media. The lasting educational component of these sorts of enterprises can get lost in the drive to treat science as just another product from which journalists and people in entertainment can pick the bits they like to sell as a transitory distraction. When the educational aspect is mentioned, it tends to get thought of as the concern of “educators” - which translates into stuff for kids and school teachers. This is a mistake, and this is why I see it as a great opportunity that PBS is doing this, since their portfolio has more than just entertainment in it. A science program (and its online partner) can have entertainment and education for all (not just school kids, but society in general) working together. A piece of science content as a potential focus should not then be judged first and foremost on whether it is cute and sexy for the viewers and readers - whether it is an important piece of the real science story that is going on out there should be the most important criterion. This is why (as I’ve discussed before) scientists need to be at the table in these sorts of media enterprises if we are to change the dismal way things are largely done now in science journalism and programming. [...]

]]> By: The Universe Tomorrow - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/#comment-95369 The Universe Tomorrow - Asymptotia Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:34:01 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/#comment-95369 [...] Well, I’ve learned that the second episode, tomorrow’s, is one of those that i did some shooting for over the last two months at a number of places around LA. Rather than repeat, here’s what I said: The next one, to air on Tuesday the 4th December, is called “Cosmic Holes” (yeah, I know), and the subject matter will be right on the edge of the known and the unknown, talking about black holes, white holes, and wormholes. While we know that the first are out there, the second two, while also solutions of Einstein’s General Relativity, are still theoretical constructs (and not without problems). The show explores some of the ideas and the prospects for the ideas surrounding them (including things like rapid travel to other parts of the universe, which I blogged about here earlier, and even time machines - what’s the science vs the science fiction there?), and explores things we’d like to know about black holes too. I know all this because I contribute to this episode too (see image on left). In fact, you can read a post I did some time ago which was a bit of a diary of one of the shoots we did for this episode, along with my thoughts on the making of science programs and reflections on future prospects. [...] [...] Well, I’ve learned that the second episode, tomorrow’s, is one of those that i did some shooting for over the last two months at a number of places around LA. Rather than repeat, here’s what I said: The next one, to air on Tuesday the 4th December, is called “Cosmic Holes” (yeah, I know), and the subject matter will be right on the edge of the known and the unknown, talking about black holes, white holes, and wormholes. While we know that the first are out there, the second two, while also solutions of Einstein’s General Relativity, are still theoretical constructs (and not without problems). The show explores some of the ideas and the prospects for the ideas surrounding them (including things like rapid travel to other parts of the universe, which I blogged about here earlier, and even time machines - what’s the science vs the science fiction there?), and explores things we’d like to know about black holes too. I know all this because I contribute to this episode too (see image on left). In fact, you can read a post I did some time ago which was a bit of a diary of one of the shoots we did for this episode, along with my thoughts on the making of science programs and reflections on future prospects. [...]

]]> By: Correlations http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/#comment-94459 Correlations Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:53:55 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/#comment-94459 <strong>The Universe, on TV...</strong> WIRED Science is not the only science show that launched this year on television. A number of channels are making new science-themed TV shows, with others under discussion. This is good news for everyone! The second season of the History Channel's new... The Universe, on TV…

WIRED Science is not the only science show that launched this year on television. A number of channels are making new science-themed TV shows, with others under discussion. This is good news for everyone! The second season of the History Channel’s new…

]]> By: Tales From The Industry XIII - Magnetic Moments - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/#comment-84751 Tales From The Industry XIII - Magnetic Moments - Asymptotia Fri, 26 Oct 2007 04:41:29 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/#comment-84751 [...] I got off track there. What I was trying to say was that it turned out during the shoot (from my following up on a remark Luke made about a Princeton shoot they did) that this team that I was working with was the same team that made that Beyond the Big Bang program for the Universe series! So I actually got to tell them in person that they did a good job! They were amused to find that I’d been shooting material for new episodes in that series (with another production team) a stone’s throw away just a week or two before. It’s a small world after all. [...] [...] I got off track there. What I was trying to say was that it turned out during the shoot (from my following up on a remark Luke made about a Princeton shoot they did) that this team that I was working with was the same team that made that Beyond the Big Bang program for the Universe series! So I actually got to tell them in person that they did a good job! They were amused to find that I’d been shooting material for new episodes in that series (with another production team) a stone’s throw away just a week or two before. It’s a small world after all. [...]

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/#comment-80646 Clifford Sat, 22 Sep 2007 15:17:32 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/#comment-80646 Me too. Laura's lined up some really fun and interesting people to talk on these topics, so how it all gets put together is going to be fascinating to see. -cvj Me too. Laura’s lined up some really fun and interesting people to talk on these topics, so how it all gets put together is going to be fascinating to see.

-cvj

]]> By: Sheril R. Kirshenbaum http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/#comment-80632 Sheril R. Kirshenbaum Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:47:35 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/09/21/tales-from-the-industry-xii-a-shooting-diary/#comment-80632 <em>wormholes. And so forth.</em> Can't wait to see the show! wormholes. And so forth.

Can’t wait to see the show!

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