For those interested in science communication and the use of digital media for outreach and education, I wanted to pass along a new open access paper published in the journal Ideas in Ecology and Evolution.
"Lights, camera, science: The utility and growing popularity of film festivals at scientific meetings" by Staaterman et al. (2014). The use of media and technology to communicate scientific research is now common amongst researchers across the disciplines. One tool that has become especially ubiquitous and useful is video and filmmaking and is particularly well-suited for the work of ecologists and evolutionary biologists. Yet as the crop of film-savvy researchers grows, what sort of avenues can they use to disseminate these film products to broader audiences in both the scientific and public forums? This paper presents the relatively new yet increasingly common idea of film festivals held at scientific meetings and discuss their potential impact on participating scientists and societies as a whole. We use the Beneath the Waves Film Festival as a case study to illustrate the value of this communication platform as a means for communicating scholarly work through film and we also provide a set of recommendations to guide those interested in starting their own science- based film festivals. Free PDF download available here: http://library.queensu.ca/ojs/index.php/IEE/article/view/5098
