I had the privilege of auditioning for a pool of new talent with the BBC Natural History Unit back in December of 2008. They wanted a demo DVD, so I had to enlist some help. I decided I would use grass-carrier wasps of the genus Isodontia, family Sphecidae, as my subject. The result is shown below.
A huge amount of thanks goes to Kirk Sellinger of Kalypsis Productions. Kirk helped me out on a moment's notice, charged reasonable rates, and shared a few tricks of the production trade. When he isn't working with minor clients like me, Kirk joins National Geographic tours documenting both the natural history and the guests, making DVDs available to the guests at the end of the expedition.
Nothing became of this particular audition for the BBC, but they were most gracious. I would very much like to make a living interpreting insect and spider natural history through all types of media, regardless of whether I am in front of the camera or not. Watching myself in this video I might actually prefer to be behind the scenes. I welcome inquiries from those who produce nature documentaries, or referrals to production companies and others in that business.
I have appeared on television before, locally (at the "Bug Fest" at the Arkansas Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, July, 2000) nationally (a guest on Donahue in February, 1989 for a discussion on children of divorce), and syndicated (Make Peace With Nature in the 1990s). I have also performed stand-up comedy for a live audience at the end of a comedy workshop.
Since I will be out of my current part-time job come May of this year, I figure I better get started on my next move. Creative enterprises really are "my thing," and I look forward to collaborating with like minds. Oh, and I’ll be back next week with a bit more on Isodontia. Thanks.
Cavity-nesting wasps are so cool! And it's a great idea to encourage people to build nest boxes -- they'll get all sorts of interesting solitary wasps and bees!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed watching this. :) I'd never heard of these wasps.
ReplyDeleteYou should totally do a vlog/podcast on YouTube or somesuch and post your videos here. Does your computer have a webcam? I haven't tried out the software myself, but my understanding is that editing home videos is pretty easy. If you're looking to try to get noticed for interactive roles (in front of a camera or otherwise), it'd be great exposure, and it'd also give you a lot of practice with both presenting and editing such things.