Re: Seven Rules for Making a Science Documentary

["Kent A. Stevens" <kent@cs.uoregon.edu>]

The Calculus of Science Documentaries

Regarding the production of science documentaries, it's all about  
making money, remember.  Producers decide on matters of content  
(e.g., dinosaurs) and delivery vehicle (e.g., Nigel Marvin) as  
business/marketing issues.

Specifically:

Science documentary producers try to maximize profit (ROI, or Return  
on Investment) derived from some carefully-targeted set V of viewer.  
It takes financial investment to create a program.  Producers do not  
merely try to maximize |V| i.e., the size of set V.  They also tune  
their product (the documentary) to target  a particular demographic.   
They seek an audience that is both large AND willing to spend their  
money on the products of their sponsors.  To attract this  
demographic, what sells?

1) science sells [= attracts science-predisposed viewers, call that  
set S].  S is a subset of V.  That is, some members of V are not  
really members of S, but landed on a given channel and think Nigel is  
fun to watch.  They are really members of set P (see below).  Note  
that to the extent that science sells, dinosaurs really sell.

2) personality sells  [= attracts some other set of viewers, call  
that set P].  Note that sets P and S are distinct, but not disjoint,  
i.e. some members of S are also members of P, but |P| >> |S|.

3) sex sells.  That's always there in show biz.  Just think about  
"derring do", of wrestling crocodiles, and pith helmets, and safari  
jackets, and of course, some people find intelligent, witty people  
attractive.  But it might really be just the safari jackets.

Producers understand that as the scientific content (selling point 1,  
above) is increased, |S| tends to increase but |V| tends to decrease,  
other factors remaining  constant.  Too much science puts off some  
people.  In the limit, as the scientific content is maximized, V  
reduces to roughly S (where |S| = |DML| approximately).  So science  
is introduced, but in moderation.

On the other hand, increasing personality (selling point 2, above)  
might turn off some diehard members of set S.  This is attested by  
some recent DML postings to this thread.

Producers know what they are doing.  As a consultant/talking head in  
a dozen dinosaur-related documentaries (BBC's WWD, Discovery, NHK,  
etc.) I have found that most (but not all) producers are open and  
explicit that their game is to maximize ROI.  While the sound guy  
threads the lapel microphone inside my shirt, I've been reminded to  
keep it simple, not use big words, and always look excited and  
dramatic.  "Give the viewer no reason to go to the refrigerator" was  
a recent admonishment.

My advice to the DML is for you individually to maximize the ROI.   
It's your hour to invest, either in watching the dinosaur show, or  
American Idol if that's on at the same time, or to contribute to the  
DML, or to share with your kids, whatever.

Bottom line:  dinosaur shows are not meant for you, the members of  
S.  They are meant for ROI.

Kent