Posts tagged Documentary

National Geographic Pronghorn Short



I co-shot this piece last fall for National Geographic (with fellow filmmaker, Stephani Gordon, and NGTV producer and friend, Laura Boyd).  The featured Explorer, Joe Riis, does amazing work and his stills (used throughout the cut) are incredible.

Pronghorn are extremely timid and they have extraordinary vision – they can detect the flick of a finger from hundreds of yards away.  So I spent quite a bit of time waist-deep in snow, pushing my telephoto to the maximum, and minimizing my movement as I operated the camera.  It was a tough task… but persistence eventually paid off.

The original post from National Geographic is here.

My Synesthesia Documentary, Remixed


From Boing Boing:

(Flash video above. Alternate viewing options: Download MP4 or watch on YouTube) Boing Boing Video presents a remix of “Synesthesia,” a documentary directed by Jonathan Fowler, about people whose senses blend, or mix. For instance: a synesthete might see colors when listening to music, or taste flavors when hearing a spoken word. Synesthesia was once thought of as a disease or disorder, but many who experience this alternate form of perception think of their anomaly as an advantage — or, for them, simply what is normal. In this piece, Dr. David Eagleman of the Baylor College of Medicine explains this condition, and four synesthetes explain how they perceive the world. The full-length version of this film was produced with support from The Research Channel, and is available for viewing on their website. CREDITS: Directed & Produced by Jonathan Fowler. Cinematography by Rex Jones & Jonathan Fowler. Music by Moby & Olis.

Yet another way to watch my original, full-length cut (Red Mondays and Gemstone Jalapeños: The Synesthetic World), is via The Research Channel’s HQ YouTube post. This piece was actually a student project I produced in 2007, as part of my curriculum for a Master of Fine Arts degree in Science & Natural History Filmmaking from Montana State University.

Thanks again to all of the participants, The Research Channel for the production grant,  Dennis Aig and Simon Dixon as advisers, Xeni Jardin and friends at Boing Boing Video for the remix, and of course, fellow filmmaker and friend, Rex Jones, who operated that crucial second camera with his always eclectically keen eye.