Television, Multimedia & Consulting Work
One of the most dangerous places to be at Stony Brook is near me and a television crew. Most of the time when television crews are filming me on campus I am making and using stone tools, spears, arrows, and other kinds of primitive weaponry. I enjoy working with documentary film makers because doing so responsibly can improve public understanding of anthropology.
Information for Media
Fact-checking a script or novel (<300 double-spaced pages) = $500. If a longer work, please email me.
Consulting about a television or movie proposal = first hour free, second and subsequent hours = $100/hour.
Filming: At Stony Brook University = $100/day. Off-campus = $500/day, plus all ground/air transportation and $100 per diem. Air transport to be business-class or domestic equivalent.
Production still photograph from First Peoples: Africa, quite possibly the perfect reconstruction of Omo 1, the oldest-known Homo sapiens fossil.
Production still from "The Human Spark with Alan Alda. A singularly fun program to film.
Television Appearances and Roles.
2024 Little Sapiens. Ideacom International Productions for the Canadian Broadcasting Company. (Airdate March 14, 2024). Featured commentator, scientific consultant.
2016 "The Great Human Race," by National Geographic Studios for the National Geographic Channel, Eexecutive producers Brian Lovett and Peter DeLasho. Credited Scientific Advisor. This program first aired, Feb. 1, 2016.
2015 "First Peoples: Africa", by Wall to Wall Television Productions for PBS & BBC, Tim Lambert, Producer. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant. This program aired on June 24, 2015.
2013 "Little Big History", by Flight 33 Productions, Ltd., for the History Channel, Ryan Hurst, Producer. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant.
2012 "Mankind: The Story of All of Us" by Nutopia Films, Ltd., for the History Channel, Ben Gould, Jen Root, Paul Cabana, and Julian Hobbs, Producers. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant.
2012 "Human" for NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), Directed by Taro Ohtsubo. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant.
2011 "A History of the World in Two Hours", by Flight 33 Productions, Ltd., for the History Channel. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant.
2011 “Planet of the Apemen: Battle for Earth: Neanderthal (Episode 1) and Homo erectus (Episode 2) for BBC Northern Ireland, Directed by Dave Stewart. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant.
2010 “The Human Spark" for PBS, Graham Chedd, Alan Alda, Directors. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant.
2009 “Becoming Human," PBS/WGBH (Nova Series), Boston, Graham Townsley, Director. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant.
2009 “Primal Connections," Discovery Channel by RDF Media, Jack Barrett, Director. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant.
2008 “Clash of the Cavemen," History Channel. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant.
2005 "Neanderthal," BBC Horizon, Directed by Cameron Balbirnie. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant.
2001 "Evolution: The Mind's Big Bang," PBS (WGBH,Boston) by Clear Blue Sky Productions. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant.
2000 “Secrets of the Stone Age,” Granada Television, Ltd., London. Featured Commentator, Credited Scientific Consultant.
1997 “Bones of Contention,” Discovery Channel. Powder House Productions, Inc., Directed by Lance Wisnowsky. Featured Commentator.
1997 “The Last Neandertal”, Discovery Channel, Independent Creative Artists, Ltd., (UK), Laurence Simanowitz and William Redway directors. Featured Commentator.
1996 “Neandertals,” National Geographic Society, New Pony Productions, Inc., Ron Bowman, Director. Featured Commentator.
1996 “Sci-Trek: Searching for Man’s Origins”, Discovery Channel. Featured Commentator.
1994 “Walter Cronkite’s Ape-Man”, Arts and Entertainment Network/Granada Television (UK). Featured Commentator.
Scenes with Alan Alda from The Human Spark.
One of the most fun experiences of my professional career.
Mr. Alda did his homework and asked thoughtful and interesting questions.
His website for the program has lots of resources for educators.
Cast members from Planet of the Apemen: Battle for Earth (Neanderthal).
The original title was "Hominin", but title notwithstanding, as dramatizations go, it is pretty good.
Well-acted, and reconstructions based on consultations with scientists. They should have made a regular series out of it!
Internet-Based Curriculum Development
2011 Archaeology of Human Origins, Part of Howard Hughes Medical Institute Holiday Lecture Series, Stones, Bones, and Genes: The Origin of Modern Humans. This program is available online and in the form of free DVD from the Howard Hughes Institute. This and other Hughes Institute programs are popular among high school advanced placement biology programs and by parents who home-school their children.
Consulting/Advising
I have been an occasional consultant on anthropological matters for the Television series, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS) and Bones (FOX).
Book: Marilyn Johnson (2104) Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble
In a chapter of this lively account of archaeologists and their various careers ("Survivalist Archaeology") Marilyn Johnson describes taking my course, ANT 268 The Archaeology of Human Origins, at Stony Brook University and the Anthropology Goat Roast. She does a very good job of describing the character I play when I teach. For me, teaching is improv acting. (She does get one little peek behind the curtain, though. You'll know it when you read it.) The chapter profiles me, as well as Jean Auel, the author of The Clan of the Cave Bear and other novels in her "Earth's Children" series.
Spearthrower dart throwing lesson at the Stony Brook Anthropology Goat Roast.