THE CLOSER YOU LOOK,
THE MORE YOU SEE
A FILM ABOUT
EVOLUTIONARY SCIENCE
AT THE MUSEUM OF
COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY,
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
WHAT IT IS
The Harvard Museum of Natural History is open to the public but its scientific parent,
the Museum of Comparative Zoology, is accessible only to researchers, students and staff.
THE CLOSER YOU LOOK, THE MORE YOU SEE is a behind the scenes exploration of the MCZ's extraordinary zoological collections. These comprise millions of specimens that showcase all of animal life and celebrate the spectacular richness of the natural world.
In our film, MCZ researchers reveal the inner workings of the evolutionary process and
ponder challenging questions about who we are and where we came from. The film is
about the rewards of patient, rigorous, detailed observation. The closer you look, the
more you see. Our team has extraordinary access for filming the MCZ’s amazing
collections and the rare publications and images held by the MCZ's Ernst Mayr Library.
Central to the film are Harvard scientists doing groundbreaking research at the
MCZ and carrying out field studies in remote ecosystems all over the world.
WHY IT MATTERS
SHOWS HOW EVOLUTION WORKS
Despite the perennial evolution/creation controversy, few people truly understand how evolution works and why we know it's true. Our film lays out the facts.
SHOWCASES THE MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY
Natural history museums are vitally important for public education and for research in
basic science. Our film gets the word out.
INSPIRES STUDENTS
We will profile the adventurous lives of scientists whose research extends from natural history museums to field studies in diverse ecosystems all over the world. Their fascinating studies will attract students to consider a concentration and eventual career in evolutionary biology, or at the very least to understand how evolution via natural selection underlies all aspects of biological science.
COUNTERS ANTI-SCIENCE
Science denial is on the rise, especially in the U.S.. Our film will counter those who would replace science with political or religious dogma.
MEET THE PRODUCTION TEAM
MEET THE SCIENTISTS
BEHIND THE SCENES
DISTRIBUTION PLAN
THE CLOSER YOU LOOK, THE MORE YOU SEE will be presented both as stand-alone modules that can be watched individually in educational settings, and as a full length film for auditorium screenings and public broadcast.
Our target audience is broad – people curious about how the natural world came to be the way it is. Education is a priority, and we plan to make the film available to high school and college classes in the life sciences. We will make a particular effort to reach students of color who are underrepresented in the fields of zoology and evolutionary biology.
We envisage strong connections with local and national natural history organizations and museums, and with professional organizations such as the Society for the Study of Evolution.
We are also exploring options for airing the film on streaming or broadcast outlets that feature science programming for the general public.
Wildlife Photos by Gonzalo Giribet
JOIN US BEHIND THE SCENES
Sign up for our mailing list to receive updates on our progress, behind the scenes anecdotes
from the filmmakers and MCZ scientists and curators, links to scientific articles and more.
If you sign up you’ll be able to send us your own comments and suggestions.
We’re not looking for followers, we’re building a community.