Know the work you want your work to do
Guest blog post by Cealagh Taillon – U.S. Embassy Youth Council member.
Know the work you want your work to do.
As an award-winning documentary producer, educator, writer, and ocean lover, Dr. Gianna Savoie, has given new meaning to this quote. For Earth Day 2022, the U.S. Embassy Youth Council had the pleasure of listening to and talking with Dr. Gianna Savoie. Her presentation transported the Youth Council from the scorched Death Valley to an icy wolverine wonderland and throughout the Pacific Ocean. Along this journey, she made her message clear: science is incommunicable without a story.
Early in her career, Dr. Gianna Savoie explained how her struggle between art and science was resolved with the lightbulb moment of becoming a science and natural history filmmaker. As a filmmaker, she has merged the skill of science communication with the art of storytelling. In every film, Dr. Gianna Savoie has expertly demonstrated how stories can transport, entertain, inform, and inspire us. This is especially significant in terms of climate change. You cannot tell your audience what to think, instead you must lead them to feel. You also must know your audience, as this will influence the way you tell your story. In her talk, Dr. Gianna Savoie expressed that an impactful story must be an emotional one, where the audience is drawn in to invest and connect.
Happy #EarthDay2022 !
Our #USNZYouthCouncil had the honor of discussing storytelling, science communication, and how filmmaking and the environment intersect with Dr. Gianna Savoie of @OtagoSciComm.
Only by working together and telling stories can we solve the climate crisis. pic.twitter.com/6gPT4j0Zgt
— US Embassy NZ 🇺🇸🇳🇿 (@usembassynz) April 22, 2022
Whilst completing her PhD, Dr. Gianna Savoie took her passion to the next level and launched the non-profit Ocean Media Institute. Their purpose, she explains, is to deepen the public’s understanding of ocean science through “innovative and inclusive media”. Since its launch, the Ocean Media Institute and Dr. Gianna Savoie have together told more science stories and educated others on how to tell their own stories. Dr. Gianna Savoie is an inspiring and encouraging science storyteller, whose work has impacted many people. Listening to her speak about her love for our world couldn’t have been a better way to spend Earth Day!
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