Friday, December 29, 2006

Latest Shoot: The Truth is Out There

I think it was the great Professor Henry Jones Jr. who once pontificated upon the importance of the distinction between "truth" and "facts."  The latest shoot for "Oklahoma Rocks!" became an exercise in a "Fox Mulder-esque" search for the truth, while trying to not let the facts slow us down.


So this time it was the southeast region of Oklahoma that begged us to shoot it.  And how could we say no?


The first thing that got my attention in pre-production was the abundance of Bigfoot sightings in the area.  Bigfoot?  The Bigfoot?  I had to search for this particular truth first.  Unfortunately, help was not to be found:

I was tempted (like, I assume, so many before me) to dress Devin up in an ape costume and get some out-of-focus shots of him walking through the woods.  The only thing that stopped me was that I knew if he asked me why we'd do something so stupid and pointless, I wouldn't have a good answer for him.  

So the truth about Bigfoot will have to wait.

Heavener Runestone State Park has its own mystery:  a large stone with odd inscriptions.  Some claim that they were done by Vikings (yeah, Vikings in Oklahoma) while others claim that that probably isn't true.

Fact=There is a big rock with weird writing on it
Truth=????
You be the judge:

Controversy abounds at our next stop.  Cavanal Hill in Poteau, OK is billed as "The Worlds Highest Hill."  Although some claim that it is just a really small mountain.

So...hill or mountain?  And what exactly does the "88" on that rock mean?  Or is it a sideways double infinity symbol?  Or a part of some bizarre Bigfoot mating ritual?  Questions remain unanswered and the truth remains elusive.

There are many truths that we cling to.  For the people of Durant, OK, the pride of having the World's Largest Peanut gives them a cloak of truth in which to warm themselves.  

At first I was a little disappointed when our shooting schedule didn't allow us to stop and shoot it.  But then those pesky facts got in the way and I learned how flexible the truth really is.  Just ask the people of Ashburn, GA.  Now I don't feel so bad.

Oh yeah, also, Devin lost his hat.  So, the truth is out there...and so is a missing brown fedora.

More pics from our shoots can be found on our website: http://www.okgeology.com     

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Latest Shoot: NE Oklahoma

We're back from our latest shoot for "Oklahoma Rocks!"  This time we hit the Tulsa/Northeast Oklahoma area.  Our first stop was going to be the "Big Blue Whale" along Route 66 in Catoosa.  


Long story short:  even though it is a giant blue whale on the side of the road we couldn't find it.  So instead of wasting all day looking for it we headed to our next stop: the Picher Mining Museum in Picher, OK.  


Long story short:  we couldn't find it....or could we?  We actually found it twice...or at least it felt like we did.  The first place we stopped seemed to be closed.  We sat and pondered about whether the owner was actually still alive and the importance of pre-production.  But we didn't want to waste any more time so drove around getting chat pile footage.


After a short while and several tasteless "chat" puns later, we stumbled across the real Picher Mining Museum.  


Long story short:  it was also closed.   A disappointed Devin is pictured below.

So then we finally went to a place that:


A.  we could find 
and
B.  was open


The Joplin Museum Complex has some great mineral specimens, historic mining memorabilia and antique mining equipment.  They also had a museum mascot: "Percy the Cat."  So we tried to get him to do something interesting on camera.

Long story short:  he didn't.


Anyhoo, the next day we hit the Grand Lake 'O' the Cherokees, Sequoyah State Park, the Illinois River and other various photogenic places in the area.


But much like Captain Ahab our whale obsession overtook us and we had to head back to Route 66.


Long story short: we found it.  Yea!

More pics from our shoot can be seen on the "Oklahoma Rocks!" website: http://www.okgeology.com

Friday, September 22, 2006

More about our super cool award

Here's a link to a .pdf file of the latest American Federation of Mineralogical Societies' newsletter that covers the awards they give out:

http://www.amfed.org/news/n2006_10.pdf


We are mentioned on page 6.

Friday, September 15, 2006

We're winners!

Well, we just won an award so we've officially gone from being losers to being winners...and don't that just feel so right.

"RockHounds: The Movie" has won the "Excellence in Education Award" from the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies. 

The film will now be available (as soon as I send the copies out) in all of the AFMS Regional Libraries.  News like that has just gotta make you take a celebratory visit to the "RockHounds: The Movie" website.  (Man, that was a subtle pug.)


And now I'll leave you with this bit of geologic comedy:

Monday, August 21, 2006

Cockroach Hall of Fame (yeah, that's right)

Many of our hardcore fans (i.e. our mothers) may remember that before Devin Dennie was a movie star, he was a TV star as host of "North Texas Explorer."  

I just remembered that one of our beloved segments about the Cockroach Hall of Fame & Museum in Plano, TX was selected to be screened online at iflim.com awhile back.  So it is available to be seen online (in good quality) by anyone interested. 


So here is a blast from our past:


 

Also, since we are now obsessed with YouTube, we'll probably be putting more of our old stuff online.  Maybe some other old NTE segments or some of our old "Streaming Geology" stuff...who knows?  So if you have any requests, let us know.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

"Oklahoma Rocks!" Video Journal 2

Here's the long awaited "Oklahoma Rocks!" Video Journal #2.  Devin vs. the Ammonites...let us know what you think...

 


Sunday, June 18, 2006

deadCENTER Film Festival pics

Here are some pictures from the screening of "Road Does Not End" at the deadCENTER Film Festival

Clockwise from upper left: an advertisement for RDNE on the big screen, director Todd Kent takes questions from the audience (sorry if that one is a little dark), the outside of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (where the screening took place) and Todd & Devin outside the venue.


Monday, June 12, 2006

"Oklahoma Rocks!" Video Journal 1

Here is the first Video Journal about the making of "Oklahoma Rocks!" I hope we don't come off too whiney.

Sunday, May 7, 2006

RockHounds at Sam Noble Museum - Rock & Gem Magazine

Here is the latest article about us from Rock & Gem Magazine:


Friday, May 5, 2006

RockHounds: The Movie Special Edition DVD

Hey, buy a DVD!


GeologyVideo.com Presents RockHounds: The Movie Special Edition DVD


  For Immediate Release (Hi res Images Available on Request)


  Norman , OK Due to popular demand, gem & mineral collectors can now own their very own copy of the RockHounds: The Movie Special Edition DVD.  The documentary film has toured the film festival and gem & mineral show circuit during 2005 and has been screened on three different continents and throughout the U.S.


  Produced by Explorer Multimedia Inc. in conjunction with the School of Geology & Geophysics at the University of Oklahoma , the film showcases the fun, adventure and science behind the hobby of gem & mineral collecting.  Topics include the World Championship Quartz Crystal Dig, fossil hunting, barite rose rocks, the Rock Food Table and more!


  Loaded with special features, the DVD includes:



  • The full feature length film (55 minutes)
  • Audio commentary by Executive Producer & Geologist Devin Dennie and Director Todd Kent
  • The Making of RockHounds: The Movie featurette
  • Special Sneak Peak of GeoAmerica featurette

The film is available for sale online at www.GeologyVideo.com . 


This is the first film available on GeologyVideo.com, which is also an Explorer Multimedia Inc. venture but others will soon follow. 


We plan to have a series of GeoAmerica DVDs that feature a different popular tourist city, said EMI President Devin Dennie, and the focus of each will be the geology and earth science behind those destinations.


  For more information about RockHounds: The Movie please visit www.RockHoundsMovie.com and www.GeologyVideo.com.  RockHounds: The Movie was an official Selection of SCINEMA 05 Festival of Science Film and will continue to screen at film festivals and gem & mineral shows including the 2006 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. 


Explorer Multimedia Inc., is a non profit 501 (c)(3) corporation.  For more information please visit www.ExplorerMultimedia.org.

Thursday, May 4, 2006

Sam Noble Museum of Natural History

Here is our press release about "RockHounds: The Movie" being played at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History:


RockHounds: The Movie to be a Part of the OK Rocks! Exhibit at the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History


  For Immediate Release (Hi res Images Available on Request)


  Norman , OK The new OK Rocks! exhibit at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History includes a little something extra.  Visitors to the museum can now see a short version of RockHounds: The Movie as a part of the exhibit.


  RockHounds: The Movie is a documentary film from Explorer Multimedia Inc. that showcases the fun, adventure and science behind the hobby of gem & mineral collecting.  The short version that is playing at the museum features digs for quartz crystal, fossils and the famous Oklahoma barite rose rocks.


  Rose rocks are also an integral part of the OK Rocks! exhibit which is the brainchild of OU geology professor David London who appears in the film.  Also appearing is Executive Producer and OU geology student Devin Dennie.


  We are very excited to be a part of the OK Rocks! exhibit, said Dennie, Since a lot of the film was shot in and around Norman its a great fit.  Short scientific segments for the film, hosted by Dennie, were shot in one of the laboratories in the OU Geology Department and give fun explanations and facts about the rocks featured in the film.


  For more information about RockHounds: The Movie please visit www.RockHoundsMovie.com.  RockHounds: The Movie was an official Selection of SCINEMA 05 Festival of Science Film and will continue to screen at film festivals and gem & mineral shows including the 2006 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show.


  Explorer Multimedia Inc., is a non profit 501 (c)(3) corporation.  For more information please visit www.ExplorerMultimedia.org.


  The museum is located on the University of Oklahoma Norman campus at 2401 Chautauqua Avenue . Additional information about the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is available on the museums Web site: www.snomnh.ou.edu or by calling (405) 325-4712.