science advising in entertainment
DESCRIPTION
ScriptPhD.com editor/creative director Jovana Grbic recently gave a seminar at Emory University about the role of a scientific adviser in the entertainment industry and tools for scientists to launch careers in film, television and media.TRANSCRIPT
Science in Entertainment
Jovana J. Grbić, PhDCareer Committee Seminar
Emory University, Atlanta, GA
December 06, 2010©ScriptPhD.com, all rights reserved
Seminar Overview
•A Brief History of Science in Entertainment
•ScriptPhD Concept: L.A.B.
•Career Planning Advice and Ideas For Scientists
Jurassic Park: Before + After
• Assumed audience knew or would understand cloning – complex science
• Written by a medical doctor (Michael Crichton)
• Thematic Elements: Reprecussions of bioengineering and technology revolution
• Game changer for future film and television content
Jurassic Park – 1993 Universal pictures$900 million gross – still in top ten
Dolly the Sheepcloned in 1996
The Dawn of the Internet
Internet visualization map for routes of information exchange
Number of internet users:1995-2010
The internet is exploding and there’s nothing
to stop it!
Nasdaq
Hosts
Sites
The market might go up and down, but the Internet growsforever
•Late 1994: Mosaic released, WWW is born•1996: The word ‘Internet’ is common
Science is EVERYWHERE
• Academic, government and industry labs have websites
• Most newspapers/magazines have a science + technology section
• The birth of the blog• Twitter, Facebook, other
social media – news travels fast
2008: At least 2,000 science blogswritten by PhD scientists (Technorati)
Science + Technology in Entertainment post-Internet
• More science/sci-fi/technology/medical content on television (and movies)
• Better (more) informed audience
• More sophisticated contentThe Internet
# of Zombie movies (io9)
‘The CSI Effect’• The belief that juries demand more
physical evidence
• Police collecting more physical evidence, in turn inundating crime labs
• More forensic programs in colleges and universities
• Jurors wanting DNA tests performed more frequently
The problem?
About 40% of the forensic science on
CSI doesn’t actually exist!
CSI premieres
Medical Shows Affect Your Health
• Epidemiological studies conducted by the Kaiser Foundation
• Presence of blogs amplifies this effect
• Study in journal Resucitation: Med students copy bad intubations from TV
Purposefully embedded a health message in an episode then tested select group of viewers
Health on Prime Time Television
947 episodes33 series2204-2006
Jovana J. Grbić, PhD• Undergrad: BA in physical chemistry from
Northwestern University• Cancer research fellowship: Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center• Graduate: PhD in oncogenomics from The Scripps
Research Institute• Postdoctoral Fellowship: infectious diseases, UCLA
School of Public Health• Current: ScriptPhD.com director + independent writer
My Goals as a Science Advisor
YES
NO
L.A.B.: The ScriptPhD Concept
“People bring ideas to life”
Media+Entertainment Science
The Public
BuildingRelationships
ExchangingInformation
L.A.B.: Learn
Scientists• Watch movies and TV!!!• Know how your material
is being represented• Make yourself visible!• Give and write feedback• Keep it simple: small
bites are easier to swallow for non-scientists
• Communicate effectively
Writers• Seek out advice• Ask SPECIFIC questions
and involve the scientist• Attend a lecture/seminar• Shadow a scientist or
doctor• Read blogs + tech
publications• Communicate effectively
L.A.B.: AdviseStart a Blog For Your Area of Expertise•Start with short, simple posts•Guest post for other bloggers•Invite colleagues to post on your site•Reach out, interview people, start discussion topics, instigate…
Increase Your Web Presence•Let out an occasional Tweet•Set up a site for your lab/research•Write the occasional supplement to scholarly articles
Work For a Science Movie/TV Show•V and Castle; freelance work•Fringe: Neurobiologist Ricardo Gil da Costa•BSG and Eureka: Physicist Kevin R. Grazier•CSI: Engineer Naren Shankar•Grey’s Anatomy: Dr. Zoanne Clack•ER: Dr. Neal Baer
Write Your Own!Michael ChrictonArthur C. Clarke
L.A.B.: Blog…
• Sample Topics Covered Recently in ScriptPhD.com:– “Splice”: cast + crew video interview– “Selling Science Smartly”: science in advertising + media series– World Science Festival coverage– Guest posts: Brain Training, Creativity, Genius– “Breaking Bad”: Executive Producer Interview
– In-Depth Means:– Interviews (Leading science experts, screenwriters, producers)– Panels + Roundtables– Original pieces– The science behind your favorite shows, films and media
Recognition & Achievements• Worked with: Warner Brothers, Disney, Fox, Universal, The Science
Channel, The Discovery Channel, SyFy, academic institutions• Recent clients: UCLA School of Film, Tribeca Sloan Founcation
(NYC), screenwriters and authors, ABC Television (V and Castle)• Profiled in the science section of The Charlotte Observer
Screenwriters’ Resources in L.A.Great starting blocks for information and connections:•Writers’ Guild of America
– http://wga.org•Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
– http://www.oscars.org/index.html•Science and Entertainment Exchange
– http://scienceandentertainment.org•Hollywood, Health and Society
– http://learcenter.org/html/projects/?cm=hhs•The Science Network
– http://sciencenetwork.org•ScriptPhD.com
– Here to help you write creative science!
AcknowledgementsHosts: Emory University Career Committee, Katie Vance, Monica Taylor, Kevin Grazier
Fellow Collaborators/Idea Generators:•Media + Entertainment subsidies (present and future) •Bloggers (ScriptPhD.com “sites we like” blogroll is a great resource!)•Scientists, Engineers, Innovators, Techologists, Geeks, and Nerds
YOU! Engage and collaborate with ScriptPhD.com to expand the conversation about science and technology in entertainment, media and pop culture:
•Twitter: @ScriptPhD •Vimeo: ScriptPhD•Facebook: ScriptPhD •SlideShare.net: ScriptPhD•LinkedIn: Jovana Grbić •Email: [email protected]
Presentation and content ©2010 ScriptPhD.com. All Rights Reserved.