The Sloan Foundation is engaged in a program to increase understanding and improve the image of science and technology--and of scientists and engineers--in the popular media. They would like to do for physicists, biologists and chemists what ER does for physicians or LA Law for lawyers. They are interested in feature films and television serials, not documentaries.
Sloan has started by funding the four leading film schools--USC, UCLA, AFI, NYU--to grant annual awards for screen writing and film production and to hold annual seminars with scientists and engineers. Preliminary meetings have generated considerable excitement and enthusiasm. Sloan plans to create other awards through the Author's Guild and to work with major studios and networks to get more pilot scripts into the pipeline and to link the science and technology community more closely with Hollywood. The long-term goal is to inform and attract film and television professionals at the grass roots and to have S&T concerns become part of the natural landscape, not something imposed by outsiders.
Sloan has asked us to put together a group of short vignettes, three or four sentences long (we are dealing with people with a very limited attention span) that describe scientists or scientific endeavors that might be turned into good feature film or TV series material. We want scientists or engineers who do things that would be visually exciting, who are engaged in dramatic endeavors, or who are compelling or colorful characters. Other than character, the key is STORY. All sciences are welcome, even the not-so-obvious ones. No medicine please although something like molecular biology would be fine. We want engaging, believable characters who would challenge the normal stereotypes of scientists and engineers. They don't all have to be good guys (or gals) but they must all be credible individuals. Payment arrangements have not been finalized yet, but be assured that if we use your efforts, there will be fair payment. Send them to me at the address below, or use e-mail.
Joel N. Shurkin
500 Jupiter Terrace,
Santa Cruz, California 95065
Fax: 408-438-4848
E-mail: joel@nasw.org
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