James Sims » Video

Museum Scientists & Imaging Technologies

James Sims — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:16:56 +0000

Whether Museum scientists are studying parasites, people, or planets in other solar systems, cutting-edge imaging technologies such as infrared photography, scanning electron microscopes, and CT scanners now make it possible to examine details that were previously unobservable. This exhibition, curated by Mark Siddall, curator in the Division of Invertebrate Zoology, features more than 20 sets of large-format images that showcase the wide range of research being conducted at the Museum as well as how various optical tools are used in scientific studies.

I produced, shot, and edited this video for the American Museum of Natural History on June 17, 2011.

Museum Launches Master of Arts in Teaching Program

James Sims — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 03:59:36 +0000

I produced and edited this video for the American Museum of Natural History on August 23, 2011.

The New York State Department of Education has selected the American Museum of Natural History to launch a pioneering Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program this fall.

Drawing on the Museum’s unique resources and long history in teacher professional development, the 15-month MAT program is being launched as part of a specialized pilot program to help address a critical shortage of qualified science teachers in New York State, particularly in high-needs schools, by offering coursework with a specialization in Earth science for teachers of grades 7 through 12. The MAT program, which is supported by funding provided in part by the New York State Education Department and the National Science Foundation, will model and test new approaches that can be replicated across New York State and nationally.

Walkthrough of World’s Largest Dinosaurs

James Sims — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:10:42 +0000

The World’s Largest Dinosaurs (April 16, 2011-January 2, 2012), a new exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History, goes beyond traditional fossil shows to reveal how dinosaurs actually lived by taking visitors into the amazing anatomy of a uniquely super-sized group of dinosaurs: the long-necked and long-tailed sauropods, which ranged in size from 15 to 150 feet long.

I produced and edited this video for the American Museum of Natural History on April 20, 2011.

World’s Largest Dinosaurs Teaser

James Sims — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:25:30 +0000

I shot, edited and narrated this video for the American Museum of Natural History.

Opera Plays the Hayden Planetarium

James Sims — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:34:52 +0000

It’s not often that my work as an entertainment and Broadway reporter crosses paths with my day job as the New Media Specialist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, so when I heard that an opera was going to be staged in the Museum’s Hayden Planetarium, I was excited to check it out.

Turns out the director of Broadway’s recent Hair revival, Diane Paulus, decided to direct a production of Il mondo della luna (The World on the Moon) by Joseph Haydn in the Planetarium — a perfect setting for a show about a nobleman who is fooled, by a fake astronomer, to believe he has been sent to the moon.

Written in 1777, the story of Il mondo della luna remains intriguing to both art lovers and science enthusiasts, thanks in part to the stunning projections displayed on the Planetarium’s 180-degree dome throughout the production.

I had the opportunity to film the opera’s rehearsal and document this cool production. Check out the video below and if you happen to be in New York City between now and January 28, 2010, try scoring a ticket to this intimate opera.

Spider Silk Comes to the Museum

James Sims — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:57:08 +0000

A spectacular and extremely rare textile, woven from golden-colored silk thread produced by more than one million spiders in Madagascar was on display at the American Museum of Natural History in the Grand Gallery.

Drawing on the legacy of a French missionary, Jacob Paul Camboué, this contemporary textile measures 11 feet by 4 feet and took four years to make using a painstaking technique.

Hear from Dr. Ian Tattersall, Curator, Division of Anthropology at AMNH, as well as Nicholas Godley, co-creator and owner of the silk along with his partner Simon Peers as they discuss this rare work.

I shot and edited this video for the American Museum of Natural History in 2009.

Directing ‘Journey to the Stars’ at AMNH

James Sims — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:25:06 +0000

It’s not often that my work at New York’s American Museum of Natural History intersects with the entertainment industry, so it was very exciting to work on a project for the Museum’s newest space show, Journey to the Stars. I had the opportunity to sit down with the show’s director, Carter Emmart, and produce a behind-the-scenes look at this new production at the Hayden Planetarium. As a sci-fi “geek” I’m always intrigued by space and our universe. And Journey to the Stars is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in that very subject.

Journey to the Stars uses images from telescopes on the ground and in space and never-before-seen visualizations of physics-based simulations to tell about the life and death of the stars, including the Sun. Check out the video I produced for the Natural History Museum and if you are in New York City, stop by to catch this wild show. It’s even narrated by Whoopi Goldberg — herself a sci-fi personality having been in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation. For more information, visit http://www.amnh.org/stars