Hello! As the president of Rio Films, I am honored to say that I'm a proud beneficiary of a public school education here in California. My company is committed to the production of nature documentaries that educate as well as entertain audiences of all ages. It is hoped that the content of any of our films will inspire a young viewer to take an interest in the wonders of the natural world around them.

I was inspired as a youth by trips to the tide pools, aquariums and zoos along with watching Jacques Cousteau, Mutual of Omaha and the classic Disney nature films in school. I can still remember how exciting it was, as a small boy in elementary school, when our teacher would announce that we were going to see a film after lunch. These films were on subjects like: where does water come from, how bread and milk are made and sometimes a film about nature. As the old 16mm film projector splashed the first images on the screen, silence fell over the entire auditorium and all of us kids were immediately engaged; ready to experience something new and exciting.

 

There were many adventures for us filmmakers as well as the animals we documented on their daily and sometimes yearly rounds. Our recent film "Sea Lions" took us far from the movie studios and the comforts of home living. We sometimes found ourselves sweltering in the hot sun with no shade in site, diving in waters known for large sharks seeking to eat the very seals we were documenting, and making hazardous crossings, though rough seas, often times making some of my crew turn green! The physical and mental challenges working through these conditions paled in comparison to the life-changing explorations we all were so eager to embark on.

Through or lens, we witnessed nature in its rawest form. We brought back real records of life as it is being lived today by the wild creatures all across this great planet. These stories have contributed to producing the award-winning film "Sea Lions" which has educated and entertained thousands of people of all ages nation-wide. We are now honored to take this wonderful film into schools as part of our Oceans to the Classroom program.

 

I still remember when I got my first pair of fins, mask and a snorkel. The world around me held no heartbreak nor fear. Certainly, most of us adults have had this confidence at one time in our lives, though most of us lose it as we grow older and more complacent. Perhaps because of my work as an artist, I've been lucky enough to retain a shred of this youthful quality. In some ways, I'm still that fearless child.

When I was 10, and first got my snorkeling gear, my best friend and I went down to the beach on a typical California hot summer day. Chaperoned by a parent of course! Dawning our new aquatic gear and the adventure seeking confidence of our hero Jacques Cousteau, we were determined to swim far beyond the shallow waters to conduct an ocean exploration of our own; to explore a small group of off-shore rocks some two-hundred yards out. We had no idea what was out there or how deep the water would be. Sharks? Killer eels? Dolphins of seals perhaps? We had no idea what we were going to encounter but we were eager to find out. Our curiosity overwhelmed our conscience.

As we swam further out, the water got deeper and colder and we soon found ourselves at the rocks. What we discovered was a magical and enchanting wonderland of giant kelp, colorful fish and even sea lions. These things we had never seen before and they didn't exist along the shallow shoreline. We had conquered our fears in order to discover this new environment- and it changed my life forever!

Foolish? Not to a youngster. An older person might have had too much "common sense" to swim out there into the unknown. Sometimes I wonder if "common sense" isn't another way of saying "fear." Walt Disney once said that fear too often spells failure. Fear then is the worst enemy of creativity, exploration and education. Science to a young learner can seem daunting, difficult and young learners can be fearful of the enormous amount of information that exists to explain and define the natural world. Math was my worst subject and I feared every test.

Every child loves nature and loves learning about animals and their environment-especially the ocean. Sharks, whales, dolphins, snakes and tigers are some of the most interesting subjects in the minds of most youth. So why do so many kids "fear" learning science?

My answer to that question is simple. I don't believe most kids are truly fearful or unmotivated to learn about science, the natural world in particular, but perhaps more the method of learning. Making science exciting- an adventure into the unknown. I wish my teachers had made math more exciting- an adventure with numbers! I truly believe that my program Eco-Adventure can contribute tremendously to conquer that fear of science and introduce a young adventure seeking audience to a world waiting to be explored. The world they will inherit and someday run. Not every student can swim out to those rocks....but perhaps our films can inspire them in a similar way. Once the interest is there, they will want to know more! I was inspired by that exploration to the off-shore rocks... and forged an interest in science that has forever changed who I am and how I view my planet. And now it's my turn to share that with the next generation.

 

 

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