What:
Our goal is to make a documentary about natural products total synthesis and its connection to medicine that will be accessible to high school age students as well as older adults.
Why:
Unlike astronomy, physics, biology, meteorology, geology, paleontology, etc, chemistry has rarely been the subject of documentaries. PBS' NOVA website lists a single chemistry-related program (Percy Julian: Forgotten Genius) which aired in 2007. The list of chemistry-related films from any source is very sparse. As a result, public knowledge of chemistry as a discipline is virtually non-existent.
Chemistry oriented documentaries that are directed toward a popular audience would provide the public with a greater awareness of chemistry as a discipline, current scientific challenges in chemistry, and chemistry related issues in everyday life. Such documentaries would also serve to dispel misconceptions about chemistry.
Who:
Matt McIntosh (Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Arkansas) - Writer, editor, producer, director
Dave Clay (Graduate Student in Chemistry, University of Arkansas)- Camera
Kathy Gearhart - Narrator
How:
In order to understand the documentary filmmaking process, I (Matt McIntosh), David Clay, and Kathy Gearhart were enrolled in a two-semester graduate level documentary production course in the Lemke Dept. of Journalism at the University of Arkansas in the 2008-9 academic year. The courses were taught by award winning documentary filmmakers Larry Foley and Dale Carpenter.
The making of Total Synthesis will occur in 2 phases:
(1) Phase I: Production of a short low budget film made by MM, DC and KG as part of the documentary film class. This phase is complete.
(2) Phase II: production of a half-hour film involving professional filmmakers. We are currently seeking funding for this phase.
When:
The phase I film is completed and available for viewing via streaming video access through this website.
Where:
The phase I film was shot at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR and at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AR.